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.

Arkansas officials have just confirmed what we have been hearing all day: Jason Henry has left the Razorbacks’ basketball team.

Here is the release the school just sent out:

University of Arkansas basketball guard/forward Jason Henry will not return as a member of the Razorback basketball team, head coach John Pelphrey announced on Saturday.

“Jason Henry will no longer be a member of the Razorback basketball team,” Pelphrey said. “Throughout his time with our program, we have worked with Jason on a day-to-day basis to foster his growth as a student-athlete and a person. While we are appreciative of the academic progress he made working with our academic support staff, it is in the best interest of our basketball program to move forward with student-athletes who have a long-term commitment to the University of Arkansas and the Razorback program on and off the court.”

Henry, from West Memphis, Ark., played in 23 games as a true freshman with two starts. He averaged 8.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

We’ll have more on this later.

The University of Arkansas had its spring break last week, allowing John Pelphrey’s basketball players to spend a few days at home with their families. Pelphrey hit the road, as well, looking to add to his 2009-10 recruiting class. Back in Fayetteville on Monday, he took a few minutes to meet with reporters and discuss Arkansas’ offseason plans.

First and foremost, the media expressed an interest in getting an update regarding junior forward Michael Washington, a second-team all-SEC pick who may turn pro. Pelphrey said that he hadn’t spoken much with Washington but that during their brief conversations, he could tell Washington was conflicted.

While insisting that this is a “Mike and his family decision,” Pelphrey also revealed that he would give Washington an accurate assessment of what would be wise to do.

“We’ll support him in making the best decision possible,” Pelphrey said. “I think he would like to come back for his senior year, but I think he does want to see what interest is out there. … My sense has been that if he can be a first-round draft pick, that’s one thing. If not, let’s come back and work and see if he can’t become a first-round draft pick.”

Pelphrey addressed plenty of other topics. Among them, he commented …

• On oft-suspended freshman Jason Henry: “He’s still day to day. He’s make some strides. I believe (he is doing the right things to get back in good standing). There was a breakfast check this morning and he was there. That’s a good start. He’s on the team. I don’t anticipate taking him off the team.”

• On the chances of his three recruits — Jemal Farmer, Marshawn Powell and Anthony Borden — taking care of their academic work and enrolling at Arkansas: “We’re optimistic. We’re hopeful that at least one of them, maybe more, will come to summer school.”

• On the type of player he’s trying to find during spring recruiting: “Guys that can help. Big wings. Bigger, athletic guys. Also, we need another ball-handler at the point guard spot. We’re going to sign some people in the spring. How many of them, I don’t know.”

• On the most important areas in which he wants to see progress: “For me right now, a focus is I want to see these young men take ownership in their basketball team. I want to see them take responsibility for each other and have honor and respect amongst the team, and police themselves so to speak. I get a chance to hear all the time what we want to do, where we want to go, all these types of things. Now you need to show me.”

• On the NCAA asking Arkansas for information on some of the school’s basketball recruiting practices: “From my understanding, it is an inquiry. I don’t really forsee any issues with that. I know that myself and the coaching staff (find it) important to follow the rules and guidelines that were put into play, and in doing things the right way.
I’m not too concerned that there’s anything other there than what they say it is.”

• On whether he plans to make changes to his coaching staff: “Not from my side of it. I don’t know if those guys might have the chance to move up the ladder.”

• On what exactly caused Arkansas’ struggles this past season: “I don’t think I have enough time to sit here and go through all of it. I’ve thought about that a lot. I don’t think there’s an easy one word answer there. I don’t want to sit here and make a bunch of excuses, either. I understood who we were coming into this season and knew it would be a challenging deal, losing six seniors and Patrick (Beverley), and … then Marcus (Monk) … We just didn’t play well enough at the right times.”

Pelphrey also stated that Arkansas would play Texas at home and travel to Oklahoma next season. He said he couldn’t comment on other games because contracts haven’t been finalized.

Check out an audio preview of tonight’s contest, with Morning News sports writers Nathan Allen and Ryan Malashock

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Arkansas’ losing streak reached seven games over the weekend, and the Razorbacks look to avoid consecutive defeat No. 8 when they meet Alabama tonight. At least John Pelphrey’s young Hogs can reminisce about the last time these teams met. Arkansas beat Alabama for its lone SEC win back on Jan. 29.

Arkansas (13-12, 1-11) at Alabama (14-12, 4-8)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
TV: None
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 97.9-FM, 1290-AM in our readership area
Line: Alabama by 4.5
Series: Arkansas leads 26-21 (Alabama leads 14-5 in Tuscaloosa)
Last Meeting: Arkansas beat Alabama 89-80 on Jan. 29 in Fayetteville

About Alabama

Philip Pearson is now 2-5 as Alabama’s interim coach. The second victory came Saturday when the Tide defeated Mississippi State 87-85 in double overtime. Alonzo Gee had 28 points against the Bulldogs, Senario Hillman had 21 and JaMychal Green had 11 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out.

Honestly, though, this team has been in turmoil since Mark Gottfried resigned.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Jason Henry, 6-6, 189-pound freshman guard

The West Memphis native has his season averages up to 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest, coming off six double-figure scoring outputs in his last seven games. Now, Henry — who Pelphrey said would continue to come off the bench — must exhibit continued consistency.

Alabama
Senario Hillman, 6-1, 188-pound sophomore guard

Hillman’s role has steadily increased as this season has progressed. Hillman, an aggressive, athletic guard, ranks second on the Tide in scoring at 13.4 points per game. He had a breakout game Saturday against the Bulldogs, scoring 21 points on 9 of 13 shooting from the field.

Gameday Links

• Here’s my story in today’s Morning News on Arkansas’ surprisingly resilient attitude, considering its 1-11 conference mark. Also, here’s my scouting report on Green and my keys to an Arkansas victory.
• Alonzo Gee’s business-like approach is rubbing off on his teammates, so writes Ian Rapoport of the Birmingham News.

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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It’s clean slate time for John Pelphrey’s Razorbacks. After going 1-7 in the first half of Southeastern Conference play, Arkansas can now decide to act as if its conference mark is 0-0. Tonight in Auburn, Ala., the Hogs get their first chance to prove whether they learned from their frustrating first half of league action.

Arkansas (13-8, 1-7) at Auburn (14-9, 3-5)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Beard-Eaves Coliseum, Auburn, Ala.
TV: None
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area
Line: Auburn by 6
Series: Arkansas leads 23-14 (Auburn leads 10-7 in Auburn)
Last Meeting: Auburn beat Arkansas 73-51 on Jan. 24 in Fayetteville

About Auburn

Arkansas is coming off an 86-77 loss this past Saturday at Mississippi State, and its opponent tonight shares many similarities with the Bulldogs. Auburn often starts four guards, like Mississippi State, and possesses a dominant post presence (Korvotney Barber), also like the Bulldogs.

The Tigers, who shoot the most 3-pointers of any SEC team, can hurt you from a variety of positions on the court. Starting guards DeWayne Reed, Tay Waller and Rasheem Barrett and power forward Lucas Hargrove all don’t show much shyness beyond the 3-point arc. Auburn upset Tennessee 78-77 at home this past Saturday despite hitting only 5 of its 19 shots from 3-point range.

Players To Watch

Arkansas
Jason Henry, 6-6, 189-pound freshman guard/forward

The West Memphis native has provided an immediate spark upon entering Arkansas’ starting lineup. Henry hasn’t shown any tentativeness despite being outsized as the Razorbacks’ de-facto power forward. He has scored in double figures in Arkansas’ last three games and is averaging 6.5 rebounds in his past four contests.

Auburn
Lucas Hargrove, 6-6, 205-pound junior forward

Early in the season, Hargrove struggled to produce with any semblance of consistency. But lately, he has forced Auburn coach Jeff Lebo to put him in the starting lineup. Hargrove is versatile, able to score inside and out, and he is Auburn’s best 3-point shooter during conference play, making 8 of his 18 shots from beyond the arc.

Gameday Links

• Here’s my story in today’s Morning News on the collective leadership effort taking place for Arkansas. Robbie Neiswanger has the scouting report on Barber, Auburn’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, and here are my keys to an Arkansas victory.

• Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News has noticed that Barrett has thrived lately because of his mastery of a lost art: the mid-range jump shot.

• An article by the Associated Press looks at whether Auburn could be too confident going into tonight’s contest.

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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Maybe a trip to The Hump is just what the Arkansas Razorbacks need right now. That might sound a tad crazy to you, because, yes, the Razorbacks haven’t won in Starkville, Miss., since 2000. But little else has worked for the Hogs lately, who enter today’s contest at Mississippi State at 1-6 in the SEC, good for last place in the Western Division.

So maybe a step far out of their comfort zone will somehow benefit John Pelphrey’s Razorbacks. I still contend that Arkansas matches up with Mississippi State better than perhaps any other team in the West. The Hogs are at only a very minor size disadvantage, and their main problem recently has been erratic rebounding.

The Bulldogs ranks last in the SEC in rebounding margin.

If the Razorbacks can neutralize Jarvis Varnado, guard the 3-point shot, make a few of their own and have Courtney Fortson outplay State’s Dee Bost for the first time this season, they have a chance.

Far easier said than done, especially for such a young, inexperienced team.

Arkansas (13-7, 1-6) at Mississippi State (15-7, 5-2)
When: 2:05 p.m.
Where: Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, Miss.
TV: Raycom/KHOG (Cox channel 7, Cox HD channel 707)
Radio: 107.9-FM, 92.1-FM, 105.3-FM, 1290-AM for those in our readership area
Line: Mississippi State by 7
Series: Arkansas leads 26-20 (Mississippi State leads 15-5 in Starkville)
Last Meeting: Mississippi State beat Arkansas 70-56 on Jan. 10 in Fayetteville

About Mississippi State

There may not be a more surprising team in the SEC this season, other than maybe South Carolina over in the Eastern Division. Rick Stansbury will draw serious league coach of the year consideration if Mississippi State keeps this up.

Despite being less-tested than most teams around the country, the Bulldogs have won five of their first seven conference games, including contests at Arkansas, Georgia and Kentucky. Their 70-56 victory at Arkansas on Jan. 10 — the conference-opener for both teams — sparked the hot streak (and sent the Razorbacks spiraling).

The only true blemish on State’s league slate is a surprising home loss to Ole Miss. Varnado, a 6-foot-9 junior, leads the country in blocked shots (4.8 per game), and the Bulldogs play four guards around him, as Arkansas will do today around 6-9 junior Michael Washington.

State nailed 11 3-pointers against the Hogs in Bud Walton Arena and connected on 14 in its upset win Tuesday at Kentucky.

Players To Watch

Arkansas

Courtney Fortson, 5-11, 180-pound freshman point guard

For some reason, it feels like it’s about that time for Fortson to carry Arkansas to a road win. That’s what great point guards do, and Fortson acts like he wants to be put in that category. Fortson has scored in double figures in five of his last six games and has 24 assists and only 10 turnovers in his last three.

Mississippi State

Ravern Johnson, 6-7, 175-pound guard/forward

As one of four State guards in Stansbury’s starting lineup, Johnson is averaging 19.3 points in his past three games. In those three contests, he has made 14 of 24 shots from 3-point range.

Gameday Links

• Here’s my story in today’s Morning News on just how inexperienced the rosters of Arkansas and Mississippi State are. Robbie Neiswanger has the scouting report on Bost, the Bulldogs’ freshman point guard, and here are my keys to Arkansas victory.

• Kyle Veazey of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger writes about the toughness 6-3 Phil Turner brings to the “power forward” position for State. Also, here’s a link to Kyle’s blog.

• The Bulldogs’ recent 3-point binge is the topic of Brad Locke’s story today in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

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

No guarantee, of course, that freshman guard Jason Henry will play tonight against No. 7 Texas. But, according to Razorback radio play-by-play man Mike Nail, Henry has been cleared by UA’s training staff to play.

Nail said Arkansas coach John Pelphrey told him on the radio’s pre-game show that Henry was ‘85 percent’ healthy. Henry had arthroscopic knee surgery performed on his right knee on Dec. 29, missed the Northwestern State, Oklahoma and North Texas games and returned to practice on Sunday.

Also, Texas senior forward Connor Atchley won’t play tonight. He split his tongue in the Longhorns’ win Friday against Appalachian State, and I saw him in street clothes just now as his teammates warmed up. The Longhorns will start three guards, like the Razorbacks, going with 6-2 freshman Varez Ward, a high school and prep school teammate of Arkansas’ Courtney Fortson.

Other than that, former Arkansas coach Eddie Sutton will be in attendance tonight, his first game as a spectator at Bud Walton Arena, according to a local radio interview a couple of hours ago. Sutton apparently talked to the Razorbacks earlier today.

Half-hour until game time, and the arena is filling up fast … we’ll keep you updated as the game progresses …

A day before his team meets No. 7 Texas in Bud Walton Arena, Arkansas coach John Pelphrey met with the media. He plainly assessed that this would be the 11-1 Razorbacks’ toughest test to date — even tougher than then-No. 4 Oklahoma, which UA beat 96-88 last Tuesday night in Fayetteville.

Pelphrey covered a variety of topics:

• First off, Pelphrey wasn’t too broken up about Arkansas not being ranked. He said he’d obviously rather be ranked than not be ranked, but said he’s “not consumed with it.” By the way, Pelphrey has a vote in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll. He didn’t even know if he voted for UA this week, though. He says “the staff” works on his ballot and joked about not recalling whether “the staff” had put Arkansas on his ballot. The Razorbacks received enough votes from the media to rank 28th and the coaches to rank 36th.

• He called Texas a more challenging foe than Oklahoma, saying “I think this is a different animal, no disrespect to Oklahoma.” Pelphrey praised UT 5-foot-11 senior guard A.J. Abrams, who leads the Longhorns with a 19.0 scoring average: “He’s going to get his attempts. What is really a bad shot for most is not for him.” Pelphrey also discussed the matchup problems posed by athletic swingman Damion James, a 6-7 junior who goes for 14.4 points and 8.9 boards.

• About the Arkansas-Texas rivalry, Pelphrey said he “had a sense of it, but certainly not the experiences.” He said the Razorbacks and Longhorns are scheduled to play another home-and-home series, likely continuing the next two seasons.

• On junior forward Michael Washington, the SEC player of the week for the second time, Pelphrey said, “Two big-time performances. Obviously, in Little Rock, he didn’t miss many shots at all, and we needed him.” Washington combined for 58 points and 22 rebounds in wins over Oklahoma and North Texas this past week. Washington also was named Dick Vitale’s national player of the week.

• There is a chance freshman guard Jason Henry could play tomorrow night, Pelphrey said. Just last Monday, Henry underwent arthroscopic surgery to clear some loose cartilege out of his right knee. At the time, Pelphrey speculated that Henry would miss two-to-three weeks, but Henry returned to practice Sunday. “We’ll have to wait and see,” he said. “I’m a little surprised that there’s even a decision to be made.”

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey met with the media Monday morning in Bud Walton Arena to discuss his team’s Tuesday night home tilt against No. 4 Oklahoma.

He spoke about the “tremendous respect” he had for the Sooners and coach Jeff Capel and said that Arkansas would have to overachieve if it wanted to hand Oklahoma its first loss. He raved about the skills of Oklahoma 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Blake Griffin, who many think could be picked first in the 2009 NBA Draft.

But he wouldn’t sell the rest of the Sooners’ starting lineup short. As for forward Taylor Griffin and guards Austin Johnson, Willie Warren and Tony Crocker, Pelphrey said, “When they go to figure up end of season (Big 12) awards, these guys will be on the list. They’ll be in the conversation.”

Pelphrey later commented on injured freshman Jason Henry, saying he’d know much more about the 6-6 guard’s status after Henry underwent arthroscopic surgery at about 3 p.m. this afternoon.

Henry injured his right knee during one of Arkansas’ two practices last Friday. He tried to continue through practice and even showed up intending to play Saturday in the Razorbacks’ 95-56 win over Northwestern State (La.). But Henry’s knee “kept locking up on him,” trainer Dave England said.

England said Henry needed to have some loose cartilage removed from the knee. A successful surgery, he said, would keep Henry out only two to three weeks.

Also, freshman point guard Courtney Fortson returns to the starting lineup Tuesday night after a one-game hiatus because of an undisclosed violation of team rules. Fortson’s absence allowed junior guard Stefan Welsh to start after opening up Arkansas’ two previous contests on the bench. Welsh responded with a career-high 27-point effort Saturday night against the Demons.

When asked, though, Pelphrey declined to say whether Welsh or sophomore guard Marcus Britt would start alongside Fortson, freshman guard Rotnei Clarke, junior forward Michael Washington and freshman forward Michael Sanchez. Pelphrey said both Welsh and Britt would see increased minutes with Henry out — just like in Saturday’s game.