So, it was another eventful Sunday.

  Last Sunday, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino announced that troubled linebacker Khiry Battle would be dismissed from the football team following his second arrest in less than two months.

  And then today, Arkansas basketball coach John Pelphrey confirmed that troubled guard/forward Jason Henry is no longer a part of the team.

  I wonder what will happen next Sunday.

  Anyway, Henry’s departure ends a few months of speculation. The sophomore’s status always seemed to be up in the air because of academic issues, and when asked about Henry, Pelphrey would always say that the player was “day-to-day.”

  Despite Henry’s obvious troubles, it’s worth nothing that he’s the fifth Arkansas player to leave the team since the start of last season. Junior-college transfer Montrell McDonald quit in December after being suspended after getting into an argument with Pelphrey, and this offseason has seen forwards Andre Clark and Brandon Moore transfer and reserve guard Stephen Cox decide to leave so he can join Arkansas’ golf team.

  It’s hard for any team, especially one that’s hoping to get over last season’s dismal finish, to turn the corner when there are that many defections. There isn’t continuity. And Henry’s departure won’t be welcomed at a time when Arkansas’ basketball is in danger of losing scholarships because of its low APR score.

  That said, at least Pelphrey no longer needs to worry about having more players than scholarships. Before Henry left, the Razorbacks had 14 players vying for 13 scholarships.

  Maybe now things will quiet down for the basketball team. And maybe there won’t be another announcement to report next Sunday.

I’m up much later than usual working on baseball and track stories (when the College World Series and NCAA Outdoor Championships collide in the same week, late nights aren’t out of the norm). But I just ran into some hoops news that, I admit, I’m probably a day or two late with.

Former Arkansas forward Brandon Moore appears to have found a new home.

He’s going to play for Isiah Thomas at Florida International.

The Miami Herald blogged about Moore over the weekend, saying he’s going to be signing with FIU on Tuesday. Andy Katz of ESPN.com has followed up with that news as well in another report (scroll to the bottom to read about Moore).

Moore will have to sit out the 2009-2010 season because of NCAA transfer rules, but will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2010-11.

  Arkansas coach John Pelphrey announced today that forward Brandon Moore has decided to transfer, though a university release doesn’t indicate where the 6-foot-9, 215-pound sophomore is headed.

  “We appreciate all of Brandon’s efforts and contributions to the Razorback program,” Pelphrey said in a statement released through the university. “We wish him nothing but the best.”

  Moore’s decision to leave doesn’t come as a surprise. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game as a freshman last season. He played in 25 games, but never started and saw limited playing time even though the Razorbacks were particularly thin in the paint.

  In addition, Moore was suspended for two games following his Jan. 19 arrest for driving while intoxicated and other traffic-related charges. He later received a 90-day suspended jail sentence and was ordered to take a defensive driving class as part of his sentence.

  Moore’s departure comes less than a week after forward Michael Washington announced that he was entering his name in the NBA Draft, though he left open the possibility of retuning to Arkansas next season by deciding not to hire an agent.

 

For an audio preview of tonight’s contest, click here to hear the Gameday Insider with Morning News sports writers Nathan Allen and Ryan Malashock.

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Well, if you’re an Arkansas student still without power (and, if so, I guess you’d be reading this at a local coffeeshop or a friend’s house), here’s some good news: You can go to tonight’s Alabama-Arkansas game without paying a dime.

The UA athletic department just released a statement saying students are welcome to Bud Walton Arena free of charge. There are a limited number of these free tickets for students, who can begin claiming them at 5 p.m.

Maybe that can help John Pelphrey’s young Razorbacks notch their first Southeastern Conference victory this season.

The Hogs are 0-4 in the league, and truthfully, they haven’t come close to winning in any of the losses. They’ve stuck around deep into the second half against Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida and Auburn. But consistency has been lacking, and not having freshman forward Brandon Moore (suspension) and possibly senior forward Marcus Monk (eligibility issue) and freshman guard Jason Henry (right knee) won’t help matters.

At least Arkansas looks to reclaim its identity tonight against a Crimson Tide team going through perhaps even more internal issues than the Razorbacks.

Alabama (12-7, 2-3) at Arkansas (12-5, 0-4)
When: 8:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena, Fayetteville
TV: ESPN (Cox channel 25, Cox HD channel 732)
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area
Line: Arkansas by 5
Series: Arkansas leads 25-21 (12-5 in Fayetteville)
Last Meeting: Alabama beat Arkansas 59-56 on February 27, 2008, in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

About Alabama

So, the Crimson Tide comes to Fayetteville tonight without two key individuals — point guard Ronald Steele and now-former coach Mark Gottfried. Steele quit the team last week, originally citing an injury but speculation is rampant that he and Gottfried couldn’t co-exist. Then, Gottfried stepped down under pressure on Monday.

All that said, Alabama still brings a talented team to Bud Walton Arena. Don’t expect much to change under interim coach (and longtime Gottfried assistant) Philip Pearson. And as LSU proved last season with a 5-4 finish after John Brady’s dismissal, a mid-season coaching change doesn’t guarantee that a team will fall apart.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Michael Washington, 6-9, 239-pound junior forward
The Razorbacks need Washington to return to early-season form. Sure, the McGehee native hasn’t been terrible lately. He has still averaged 12.0 points and 9.3 rebounds over the past three contets. But those numbers fall below his season average, and he has succumbed to foul trouble in all three of those games.
Alabama
Alonzo Gee, 6-6, 219-pound senior guard
Arkansas fans probably feel like Gee has competed for Alabama for the past decade. That’s because he has played such an integral role for the Crimson Tide throughout his four seasons in Tuscaloosa. Gee, a difficult matchup for Arkansas junior guard Stefan Welsh, leads the Tide in scoring and can score inside and out.

Gameday Links
• Well, the situation at the Morning News has been chaotic lately. Our Springdale office still has no power, and it’s been difficult to update our Web site. So … we have no stories online as of yet. I’ll post what we had in tonight’s print edition below the other links.
• The Birmingham News has several Alabama basketball-related articles out in today’s edition. There’s Mike Bolton’s piece on Pearson and Ian Rapoport’s stories on the Tide moving past Gottfried’s departure and on athletic director Mal Moore’s coaching-search mindset. Also, check out Ian’s well-done, often-updated blog for more on the Tide.
• Watch out for LSU. Seems like Arkansas will see the Tigers on Saturday as they’re playing their best basketball of the season. John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel chronicles the SEC Western Division-leader’s latest conquest, a 79-73 win at Tennessee.
• Oh, and Dennis Felton is out at Georgia, as revealed by Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Razorbacks Sporting Different Look Lately
By Ryan Malashock
The Morning News
rmalashock@nwaonline.net
FAYETTEVILLE — Throughout their 10-game winning streak, several characteristics defined the Arkansas Razorbacks. Among them, two stood out the most.

They collectively hounded opponents with their intense half-court and full-court defensive pressure. And they constantly burned their foes in transition with freshman point guard Courtney Fortson directing numerous fast breaks.

But during their recent four-game losing streak, the Hogs haven’t exhibited these traits, at least not with any consistency. Injuries, suspensions and overall inexperience have contributed to Arkansas’ demise heading into tonight’s nationally-televised contest against Alabama.

Second-year coach John Pelphrey realizes a return to the Razorbacks’ two staple qualities gives them the best chance to notch their first SEC victory.

“I want to see these guys overachieve,” Pelphrey said. “We’re not just going to walk out there with our wonderful talent level and win basketball games. We have to have a phenomenal attitude and play hard in our style.

“We can’t flinch. We have to do it for the whole 40 minutes.”

As much as Pelphrey would like for his team to play up-tempo basketball during tonight’s entire game, certain realities will keep Arkansas from doing so. Most notably, it’s hard to repeatedly press in the backcourt with such a shrinking roster.

The Razorbacks haven’t pressed as often the past four games for the simple reason that they haven’t scored as many points.

“I think it’s hard to press when the ball’s not going into the basket,” Pelphrey said.

But beyond that reason, they couldn’t afford to tire out their own players.

Pelphrey may only have nine players available tonight, junior guard (and former UA golfer) Stephen Cox and senior walk-on John Paul Noland included. Freshman forward Brandon Moore is still suspended, an eligibility issue might again keep senior forward Marcus Monk out and freshman guard Jason Henry is questionable with a sore right knee.

“We love to press because it brings fatigue into the game,” assistant coach Rob Evans said. “You saw how much that helped in some of our big wins. But with our short numbers, we just can’t do it. We want to fatigue other teams, not ourselves.”

Arkansas’ lack of depth doesn’t directly impact its failure to convert fast breaks into points, however. During their unprecedented 0-4 SEC start, the Razorbacks have struggled to execute in their half-court sets, making the absence of fast break points all the more costly.

In two of the Hogs’ SEC losses, they haven’t even scored one fast break point. Pelphrey didn’t sound too worried about the lack of transition offense. His message: It’s only a matter of time.

“We were terrific (Monday) in practice, as good as we’ve been in awhile,” Pelphrey said. “We’ve looked at it. We’ve talked about it. Really, we were out on the break several times against Auburn. We just didn’t convert anything.

“We threw it into the stands. We missed wide-open shots. We couldn’t convert close.”

To the player who directs the Razorbacks’ fast breaks, the key to converting more often doesn’t lie only with better offense.

“I think our defense has to get tougher,” Fortson said. “We have to come down with more defensive rebounds and get out on the break before the defense gets set.”

Gimme 5

1. Play With Urgency
Arkansas can’t start in the same manner as its first four Southeastern Conference games. The Razorbacks have faced early deficits in each defeat, and another sluggish start would hinder their chances of gaining some much-needed confidence.

Also, playing “desperate” as coach John Pelphrey implored this week in practice ranks as important on Arkansas’ to-do list as a successful start.

“So far, we haven’t responded well to adversity,” junior guard Stefan Welsh said. “We have plenty more chances to make up for those losses, but we ‘re running out of chances. Everyone is well aware of that.”

2. Intense Defense
The Razorbacks have shown little intensity on the defensive end throughout their sluggish SEC start.

They show flashes of the type of fierce defense that fueled them to their 10-game winning streak. But most of the time since beating Texas on Jan. 6, the Hogs haven’t been able to consistently guard their opponents.

The biggest tangible example Arkansas’ defensive ineptitude: Its SEC opponents are 39-for-99 from 3-point range. Hey, at least tonight’s foe, Alabama, ranks last in the league in 3-point accuracy.

3. Make More Shots
Sounds simple, right? Well, the task has proved difficult for Arkansas the past four games.
The Razorbacks are 13-for-75 from beyond the 3-point arc. They even struggled from the free throw line during their loss Saturday to Auburn, making only eight of their 16 tries.

To defeat Alabama tonight, the Hogs better shooting from the outside, especially from Welsh and freshman guard Rotnei Clarke.

4. Hit The Boards
One of Arkansas’ early-season strengths has quickly turned into one of its most glaring weaknesses.

Arkansas still ranks fourth in the SEC in rebounding margin (plus-5.9). But the Razorbacks have been outrebounded in their last three games and five of their last six contests.

Pelphrey said the Razorbacks’ inability to routinely secure defensive rebounds has played a part in their defensive 3-point struggles.

5. Stop JaMychal
Alabama forward JaMychal Green should be right in the mix for Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year along with Arkansas point guard Courtney Fortson.

While still raw in many areas, Green should pose problems for Arkansas’ frontcourt because of his athleticism. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday after leading the Crimson Tide in scoring in games against Ole Miss and Kentucky.

— Ryan Malashock

Scouting Report

Alonzo Gee

6-6 • Senior • Riviera Beach, Fla.

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey didn’t bother hiding his admiration for Gee. When asked how he plans to contain the versatile guard, Pelphrey simply sighed and said, “Good question.”

Gee doesn’t fit the mold of a typical guard. The 6-foot-6, 219-pound senior has the size and ability to score from the perimeter, drive to the basket or mix it up in the paint.

Along with being Alabama’s leading scorer (13.9 points per game), Gee is also the team’s top rebounder (7.5 rebounds per game).

“He’s an explosive scorer (and) has been for a long, long time,” Pelphrey said. “I know he has had games where he scored 30 (points), and he could do it from the 3-point line. He could do it from kind of like quick, one-dribble drives, posting up and then just an outstanding offensive rebounder.”

How To Play Him
Gee has struggled over the past few games, and it would come as no surprise if Arkansas’ coaches took a look at what Kentucky did to contain him.

The Wildcats held Gee to just eight points, including none in the second half of their 61-51 win on Saturday. He shot 3-of-10 from the floor, snapping his streak of 16 consecutive games of scoring in double figures.

Pelphrey said he wasn’t sure which Arkansas player will be called on to defend Gee, though he admitted that Gee “is a problem.”

Strengths
Gee has shown during his four years at Alabama that he’s more than just a scorer, which explains why he has started 84 consecutive games dating back to the 2006-07 season.

He ranks 14th in the Southeastern Conference in scoring and eighth in rebounding. And while his numbers are down lately, he remains a multi-talented threat.

“Probably the first 15, 16 games, I thought he played really, really well,” former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried said Monday. “His shot selection, his shooting percentages, you know everything, I think was at a peak level.”

Weaknesses

Gee’s shooting percentage has taken a dip over the past three games, which has seen him hit only 11-of-37 shots from the floor.

During that stretch, the senior scored 10 points on 2-of-12 shooting in a loss at Auburn and eight points against Kentucky. Those performances were sandwiched around a 15-point, 6-rebound effort in a win over Ole Miss on Jan. 21.

Gottfried said he believed Gee’s recent struggles are due in part to junior Mikhail Torrance taking over as the starting point guard.

“I do think (Gee) maybe in those last couple of games hasn’t played as well,” Gottfried said. “Some of that is due to the fact that we’re playing a different point guard now, and that sometimes will throw somebody out of their rhythm a little bit.”

The Skinny
In order to break its winless start in the SEC, Arkansas could use another lackluster performance from Gee.

The Razorbacks have struggled defensively during its four-game losing streak, and they would benefit from Gee playing like he has lately compared to how he was only a few weeks ago.
Still, Pelphrey knows what he’s up against.

“Gee is an outstanding player,” he said.

— Alex Abrams

Now, the Razorbacks get to prove how they can handle success. Fresh off its upset of No. 4 Oklahoma, Arkansas makes its yearly trek to North Little Rock today hoping to not suffer a letdown against North Texas. The Hogs have dropped their last two games in Alltel Arena — to Texas Tech (2006) and Appalachian State (2007). So they certainly have ample motivation to knock off the Mean Green.

North Texas (8-5) vs. Arkansas (10-1)
When: 2:05 p.m.
Where: Alltel Arena, North Little Rock
TV: KFTA — Cox Ch. 8 in NW Arkansas
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area

About North Texas

As of two weeks ago, the Mean Green seemed far more menacing. North Texas was 8-2 heading into a trip to New Orleans. But eighth-year coach Johnny Jones’ team lost that game, as well as the next two contests. Riding a three-game losing streak, the Mean Green (from Denton, Texas) looks to get back on track today. But UNT must do so without one of its top players. Senior guard Collin Dennis didn’t practice with the Mean Green on Thursday and didn’t make the trip to North Little Rock. Jones said Dennis had some kind of an incident on New Year’s Eve. Dennis’ absence will hurt UNT, but enough threats still exist to give Arkansas coach John Pelphrey concerns. North Texas shoots 38.7 percent from 3-point range, led by 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Tristan Thompson (12.8 ppg) and 5-10 junior guard Dominique Johnson (10.6).

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Michael Washington, 6-9, 239-pound junior forward
Seriously, what can’t Washington do? The McGehee native has shown immense versatility in his game this season in racking up six double-doubles. One more of those, and Washington will have the most for a Razorback since 1999. North Texas will throw a lot of bodies at Washington today, hoping to force the ball out of his hands. But Washington, who averages a team-high 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds, has proven lately that he can get his numbers despite all the attention.
North Texas
Collin Mangrum, 6-5, 195-pound sophomore guard
Without Dennis out, the Mean Green must find an ample replacement for the preseason second-team all-Sun Belt pick. Mangrum could be that player, and his increased productivity lately is a testament to his toughness. Mangrum has undergone five surgeries in the past 20 months. In fact, he only played three games this season. Mangrum referred to his career-high 19-point effort in an overtime loss to Middle Tennessee State on Wednesday night as “bittersweet.”

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. No Pressure
The Razorbacks talked the past few days about the passion of the fans in central Arkansas and mentioned how badly they wanted to win for them. The Hogs can’t get caught up too much in that storyline.
2. Pound The Ball
Inside, that is. Washington should present matchup problems for anyone who tries to guard him. Expect freshmen Michael Sanchez, Brandon Moore and Andre Clark, as well as senior Marcus Monk to dominate the glass. Oh, and don’t forget about freshman point guard Courtney Fortson on the boards.
3. Clarke Shooting
This was a key for Tuesday night’s game against Oklahoma, and freshman Rotnei Clarke’s continued improvement of late will only open more things up for Fortson and Co. Clarke was 4 of 17 from the field for the two games leading into the OU game, but he connected on 3 of his 4 shots from 3-point range against the Sooners.
4. Create Pace
Fortson has no problem with this. It’s pedal-to-the-metal all the time with him, and his teammates certainly love that mentality.
5. Guard The 3
North Texas has one chance at beating Arkansas: get hot from beyond the arc. The Razorbacks must make every effort to limit open looks for guard-oriented UNT.

Gameday Links
• Here’s my feature on Fortson that ran in today’s Morning News.
• Brett Vito of the Denton Record-Chronicle looks into Dennis’ suspension and previews the Mean Green’s trek to North Little Rock.
• Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com gets him some Monk.
• ESPN.com has moved Arkansas up to No. 28 in its most recent “Power Rankings”

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey decided to not take his young Razorbacks to an exotic location for a tournament this season. He didn’t think they were ready for the experience. Instead, the Hogs will host the Jim Thorpe Classic, which begins tonight with their game against Austin Peay. They will face Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night to wrap up the event, giving them two challenging foes for this event.

Austin Peay (5-3) at Arkansas (6-1)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: nope
Radio: for those inside our readership area, check out 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM or 1290-AM

About Austin Peay

Basketball tradition is rich at this Ohio Valley Conference school located in Clarksville, Tenn. Dave Loos, the Governors’ 19th-year coach, has built a consistent winner at Austin Peay, which has won 45 games the past two seasons and won last year’s OVC crown. His team is 5-3 this season, but four of those victories have come on the road. One of those defeats came last Saturday at No. 9 Louisville, a contest in which the Governors led midway through the second half. For the effort, junior guard Wes Channels was named OVC Co-Player of the Week and forward Anthony Campbell was selected OVC Freshman of the Week. Senior forward Drake Reed leads the Governors at 20.5 points.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Courtney Fortson, 5-11, 180-pound freshman point guard
Should be intriguing to see what Fortson will produce as an encore to his triple-double last Wednesday against North Carolina Central. His 20-point, 11-assist and 10-rebound effort earned him SEC Player of the Week honors and drew national attention. With the Governors bringing two inexperienced point guards with them to Fayetteville, expect Fortson to ooze confidence.
Southeastern Louisiana
Drake Reed, 6-5, 225-pound senior forward
An all-OVC performer the past two seasons, Reed is on pace for a career-best campaign, even better than his OVC Player of the Year performance as a sophomore. Loos described Reed as “being able to do a little bit of everything for us.” Reed is a competent scorer, passer, rebounder and defender, and he has mastered the art of drawing attention and finding open shooters.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Right Attitude
The schedule immediately upgrades from the past three weeks. The cupcakes are gone. The quality opponents have arrived, and Arkansas’ attitude must reflect that reality.
2. 3-Point Defense
Four shooters for Austin Peay have taken at least 20 shots from 3-point range and made at least 39.7 percent of them. The Hogs must get out on those shooters.
3. Constant Pressure
Arkansas began to show more full-court pressure in its victory last Wednesday over North Carolina Central, and the Razorbacks need to continue to expand on that.
4. Board Battle
Austin Peay comes to Fayetteville severely out-sized. Frontcourt players such as Michael Washington, Michael Sanchez, Andre Clark and Brandon Moore need to exploit the size differential.
5. Find Clarke
Freshman guard Rotnei Clarke must get more shots. The Razorbacks have done a poor job recently of finding the sharp-shooting Clarke in the flow of the offense.

Gameday Links
• Here’s more of an in-depth look at the challenge Austin Peay presents in today’s Morning News.
• From the Governors’ perspective, James D. Horne of the Leaf-Chronicle in Clarksville, Tenn., provides a preview of tonight’s matchup.
• FoxSports.com’s Jeff Goodman gave Fortson a shout-out in his “weekly wrap.”
• Click here to catch up on some SEC notes.

Arkansas basketball fans may experience a frightening flashback tonight when they get to Bud Walton Arena or flip on their TVs. Texas Southern, winless on the season, comes to Fayetteville with little chance to upset the Razorbacks. Then again, no one expected the Lions to nearly defeat the Hogs the last time the two schools met — in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament. Arkansas eked that one out 79-78. The Razorbacks should prevail by much more tonight.

Texas Southern (0-6) at Arkansas (4-1)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: KHOG (Cox Ch. 7)
Radio: for those inside our readership area, 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM or 1290-AM

About Texas Southern

These Lions will look much like those that came close to ruining Nolan Richardson’s back-to-back appearances in the national championship game. Just like in 1995, they will press and they will play mostly zone on defense. That’s because Texas Southern is led by the same coach today as it was then. Robert Moreland is actually in his 28th season leading the Lions, who enter Bud Walton Arena with an 0-6 record that doesn’t indicate how well they have played this season. Texas Southern, a Houston-based school that competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, has narrow losses to Texas-El Paso, Northern Iowa, Marquette and Mercer.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Rotnei Clarke, 6-foot, 184-pound freshman guard
The freshman sharp-shooter downs 3-pointers as well as any guard in the country, according to coach John Pelphrey, and he should receive plenty of chances to prove that tonight. Texas Southern will employ a 3-2 zone while in its half-court defense, leaving opportunities for Clarke to find cracks and launch 3s. Clarke leads the Razorbacks in 3s made (14) and attempted (32) and ranks second in 3-point percentage (.438) behind fellow freshman guard Courtney Fortson.
Texas Southern
Matthew Miller, 6-3, 200-pound senior guard
The native of Arlington, Texas, is the undisputed leader on and off the court for Texas Southern. Miller leads the Lions in minutes played (33.3), free throws converted and tried and ranks second in scoring (12.2). Moreland has shown that he doesn’t feel comfortable with Miller off the floor this season, as he has played Miller more than 32 minutes in five of six games. Miller’s only glaring weakness is his tendency to turn the ball over. He has 25 turnovers to go with 28 assists.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Handle Pressure
Texas Southern will attempt to press Arkansas tonight, something no team has tried so far. The Razorbacks’ young guards, led by Fortson, must show they can handle the heat.
2. Find Holes In Zone
The 3-2 zone used by Texas Southern can frustrate opponents that aren’t ready for it. Arkansas must be willing to work the shot clock to find a quality shot for shooters such as Clarke, Fortson and Stefan Welsh.
3. Frontcourt Depth
With junior Montrell McDonald still out with a suspension, Pelphrey needs his two reserve freshman forwards to step up. Andre Clark and Brandon Moore did make progress in Arkansas’ win Saturday over Florida A&M.
4. Henry’s Back
While McDonald won’t be at Bud Walton Arena tonight, freshman Jason Henry will. The 6-foot-6 guard missed three games with a suspension, and his contributions are sorely needed because of the Hogs’ thin bench.
5. Make Free Throws
Seems like this has been a key for every game. It will continue to be so until the Hogs prove they can connect on their free throws consistently. They were a bit better at 28 of 41 on Saturday.

Here’s the first installment of at least 30 “It’s Gameday” blogs throughout the 2008-09 Arkansas basketball season. First on the schedule this season for John Pelphrey’s young Razorbacks are the Southeastern Louisiana Lions.

Southeastern Louisiana (0-0) at Arkansas (0-0)
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: nope
Radio: for those inside our readership area, 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM or 1290-AM

About Southeastern Louisiana

The Lions, coached by Jim Yarbrough, traveled to Fayetteville from Hammond, La., a town of almost 20,000 located 45 miles east of Baton Rouge. Though they compete in the Southland Conference (and are picked to finish third, by the way), they are no stranger to the kind of environment they will see tonight. They went to LSU, Alabama, Mississippi State, Texas El-Paso and Iowa last season, which they finished at 17-13. And they bring back two starters and five lettermen from the team that lost only one of those road contests by more than 10 points. Southeastern Louisiana does possess athleticism, but Pelphrey referred to the Lions as “deliberate” earlier in the week. Look for the Lions to try and slow the pace on Arkansas tonight.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Michael Washington, 6-foot-9, 239-pound junior forward
The main question for Washington this season is, can he develop into the double-double guy Arkansas needs down low? The McGehee native oozes talent and has patiently waited his turn behind big men such as Hill, Townes, Thomas and Hunter. He will be the primary inside-the-paint focus of every Arkansas foe. Can he handle that, and can he stay out of foul trouble?
Southeastern Louisiana
Kevyn Green, 6-5, 215-pound senior guard/forward
An all-Southland performer last season, Green averaged a team-high 15.4 points per game. He drained 80 of his 201 shots from 3-point range (39.8 percent) and led Southeastern Louisiana in scoring in 16 games. Green could pose matchup problems for the Razorbacks, so expect to see a number of different players take a turn guarding him.

Keys For An Arkansas Victory

1. Defensive Intensity
This team possesses the athleticism to press opponents. But they must prove they have the will, the consistent energy, the tireless peskiness that Pelphrey craves.
2. Bombs Away
The Razorbacks will shoot way more threes than they did a year ago. Most nights, either Rotnei Clarke or Stefan Welsh better be on from beyond the arc if Arkansas wants a W.
3. Mike Wash’s Sidekicks
Arkansas’ three freshmen forwards — Michael Sanchez, Andre Clark and Brandon Moore — must produce more than expected, starting right now.
4. Courtney Fortson
Expect to see his name here a lot this season. Yes, he’s a true freshman. But the Hogs need the confident point guard to hound on defense and dish-and-deliver on offense.
5. Don’t Get Down
Something will go wrong tonight. Somethings will happen all season long, but how the inexperienced Hogs react to their mistakes could determine their game-by-game fate.

Gameday Links

• In case you missed it, we had a Q&A with Pelphrey in today’s Morning News and a feature on Moore in Thursday’s edition.

• This was an early look at the Lions and Green (who may only play the first semester) from John Lenz of the Hammond Daily Star.

• Missouri State starts its season tonight at Auburn, one of seven SEC teams opening up play this evening. Lyndal Scranton of the Springfield News-Leader previews the team Arkansas will face in eight days.

• Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader writes that Kentucky is ready to start Billy Gillispie’s second campaign, and Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun pointed out that Billy Donovan wants to find some leaders tonight.