hogs wont go to NIT

[jneesy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2010709

were tired so we quit

what bullsmack tide did this a few years back and did not agree with it then

kinda puts the shaft to the kids who work all year doesn't it

[fernandomike]

i don't like that at all. It sends the wrong message to the players and is a bad PR move. The players initially voted to play, but Coach Heath calls a second meeting to discuss it more where it is decided that they are too tired. Give the guys a few days off to refresh themselves, get away from the game. Then, you come back and watch a little tape and get ready to play. YOU DO NOT QUIT! I liked Coach Heath, but this is causing me to have some serious questions about him.

[jbuzbee]

The main reason they decided to not play in the NIT is really because the team has lacked focus and emotion in the last two games of the season. Beyond that, I believe that Heath is considering---or may have already---resigned. He has taken a lot of criticism from the fans and Frank Broyles does not tolerate these kinds of performances in any sport. Heath has nothing to tie him to the area and I don't really think he was prepared to coach a big-time basketball program that---unlike Michigan State and Kent State----is THE ONLY ACT IN TOWN. Because of the fact that he is basically a "outsider" I believe that he has been given more slack than other Arkansas coaches in the past have been given; e.g. Houston Nutt who wins 9 games two seasons ago and most people want him fired. If he hasn't already resigned, he has to take this team to the NCAA next year or he is definitely gone. Beyond that, we don't even know if the Hogs were going to get an NIT invitation anyways-----and if they were to get one, they didn't deserve it---that's why he declined, not because they were tired.

[fernandomike]

Thanks for the explanation jbuzbee. If you are in fact right and they don't want to play in the NIT because they don't feel that they deserve it, then that is much better than not playing because you are too tired. Hell, just about everybody is tired at this point in the season.

[jbuzbee]

exactly....championship teams win inspite of that.

[Jay_Lupo]

I think Heath's depriving them of the postseason so they'll become hungry for it next year. We only loose one player, and the guys we have need to get tough. Maybe depriving them of something they all wanted to do will make them hungry and determined to win next season. But I don't know, I was disappointed. But, chances are we'd played like we did against Auburn and Tennessee and been larthargic and embarrased, which would not help this team at all. But we'll never know. This was a terrible season for the Hogs. Heath better get them in gear next season or his butt is outty 5000.

[WooHawg]

I hated to see that we weren't going to the NIT. From what I heard, we hadn't sold enough tickets. 10,000 sold is what was needed and there were only 3,500 sold. Not sure if I believe that or not. But if that isn't the case, then they should have went to the NIT and tried to gain some momentum from that. However they played at the end of the year, I dont think it could have gotten any worse. Personally I feel that they didn't have anything to lose by going to the NIT. Rumors such as the players werent behind each other or behind Heath, I am not sure what the case it. Suck it up and try to salvage what is left and do your best in the NIT.

[jbuzbee]

Lupo maybe you can answer this since I'm up here in the "great white north"---I read in Schaeffer's column on arsnonline.com that there are rumors of players leaving the basketball team....most importantly Townes. He said something like..."Townes vehemently denies that he is going anywhere". Why does he even have to deny that? When did it even come up that he might transfer? If it wasn't a thought I don't think they ever would have even asked him.--------------I don't think our not going to the NIT had anything to do with ticket sales.

[BigSpur]

At least you didn't do like USC who payed 62,000 dollars to host a NIT game that they will most likely lose against Miami.

[WooHawg]

Yeah the players leaving rumors were and have been swirling around. From what I read, Townes denied that he was leaving many different times. The stuff about Townes may have had not truth at all to them from the start. The only people that may be leaving from what I have read are Modica and maybe Sullivan. But then again those are rumors as well.

[GRASSHOPPER]

I think Heath's depriving them of the postseason so they'll become hungry for it next year. We only loose one player, and the guys we have need to get tough. Maybe depriving them of something they all wanted to do will make them hungry and determined to win next season. But I don't know, I was disappointed. But, chances are we'd played like we did against Auburn and Tennessee and been larthargic and embarrased, which would not help this team at all. But we'll never know. This was a terrible season for the Hogs. Heath better get them in gear next season or his butt is outty 5000.THIS IS NOT A HEATH DECISION HE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND I CAN'T SEE THEM AGREEING TO THIS. HELP ME UNDERSTAND LUPO.

[Jay_Lupo]

I think it was a combonation of a lot of things. Ticket sales, the thought of being embarrased, the thought of being embarrased by UALR (which I'm sure Heath knows would cost him his job now), the complete lack of anything good in the last two games, etc..., etc.... I'm sure Broyles nudged the decision, but ultimately it was up to Heath. I think the selection committee would've paired Arkansas and UALR, and Heath knew that a loss to them would end his tenure immediately. Even if we didn't play UALR, if we played like we did against Tennessee and got embarrased by some other mid-major team, Heath knows he'd probably loose his job. I think Broyles told him his opinion, and Heath weighed all the other options and just decide that it wasn't worth the risk b/c he has his job for next season. Another embarrassing performance and he may not have. But I think Broyles definitly had something to do with it.

As for Townes and Modica, I've heard that too. Townes would be an idiot to transfer. He was one of the two major cogs in our team as a freshman and will not get any more pt, etc.... anywhere else. I've heard the Modica stuff too, but he's already completed his junior season and you don't see too many players transfer after their junior years. Patrick Sparks and Marco Killingsworth did though. Modica has a legit beef. Heath should've played him more, but you know, he was playing like shit for forever, so maybe he didn't deserve to play. I think both Townes and Modica will stick around. I do think we'll fire Rob Flaska (asst. coach) and get some mean son of a bitch that will stick it to these guys when they're laggin.

[jbuzbee]

Why the hell was he worried about playing UALR...they didn't even get a bid (which was bulls##t). Was the stuff about Modica in the Dem-gaz or somethin? If he transferred he would have to sit out a year. Modica didn't do much this year, especially for someone who is a junior who is coming off a season in which he averaged around 15 ppg. I like him but if he left would we get another scholarship? If we would....see ya.