TAT: Students React to Commits

This article originally appeared in the February 6, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

*Note: This was written the day before National Signing Day, so some information is not up-to-date.*

As his first recruiting class as the head coach at Arkansas comes together, Bret Bielema is making a positive impression among students.

Many students, such as freshman Raj Patel, are excited that Bielema has recruited well despite Arkansas’ 4-8 record in 2012.

“I’m impressed because (former UA head coach) John L. Smith kind of left our program in a pretty bad state,” Patel said.

As of Feb. 5, the day before National Signing Day, and with several recruits still undecided, Arkansas’ class is ranked No. 24 on 247sports.com. They are also ranked No. 32, No. 39 and No. 46 according to Rivals.com, ESPN.com and Scout.com, respectively.

Other students are impressed that he has compiled an entire recruiting class in a short period of time, given that Bielema was hired Dec. 4.

“I think he’s come in here and done a great job in a little less than two months,” sophomore Brooks Rosson said. “He’s got a great start to his career here.”

Rosson said that Bielema isn’t quite done, though, as there are still some undecided players expected to announce their decisions today.

Four-star offensive linemen Denver Kirkland and Kenny Lacy have taken official visits to Arkansas. Lacy is committed to UCLA, while Kirkland remains undecided. Both are still considering the Razorbacks.

“Hopefully, we can get those last two linemen,” Rosson said. “That would be the perfect addition and would solidify the class.”

However, a few students are skeptical of the class. They point to former players Ronnie Wingo, Jr. and Darius Winston as examples of highly touted recruits who didn’t pan out.

“It seems like a lot of the fan base is focused on how great it is to have (five-star running back) Alex Collins, yet they fail to remember that Arkansas has also had several cases when they’ve had busts,” senior Paul Williams said. “Stars don’t mean anything.”

TAT: Razorbacks Land Collins

This article first appeared in the February 6, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

*Note: This was written the day before National Signing Day, so some information may not be up-to-date.*

A five-star running back from South Plantation (Fla.) High chose Arkansas over Miami (FL) Monday night, landing head coach Bret Bielema a major recruit in his first recruiting class with the Razorbacks.

Alex Collins is a five-star recruit and the No. 1 running back in the country according to 247sports.com.

He is also a five-star recruit according to Scout.com, who has him as the No. 3 running back in the country. ESPN.com and Rivals.com have him as a four-star recruit and the No. 7 and No. 13 running back in the country, respectively.

He took official visits to Florida, Florida State, Wisconsin, Arkansas and Miami, before narrowing his decision to Arkansas and Miami. Last night he chose the Razorbacks live on Fox Sports South.

“To the fans that I’ve made happy, this is for them: wooooo pig sooie wooooo pig sooie wooooo pig sooie RAZORBACKS #GoHogs,” Collins tweeted after he announced his decision.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 200-pound running back earned first team All-County honors the previous two seasons. During his senior season, he gained 1,276 yards and 14 touchdowns on 154 carries.

Along with his official visits, Collins was also offered by Louisville, South Florida and UCF, for a total of eight offers.

“I apologize to every fan and coach that I disappointed or let down, but it had to be a decision I made for me because this is where I will be,” Collins tweeted.

Collins was one of the more unpredictable recruiting battles for the class of 2013. He was originally verbally committed to Miami, but decommitted in November.

Bielema and running backs coach Joel Thomas recruited Collins hard while at Wisconsin, and then continued recruiting him when they were hired at Arkansas.

Getting Collins to commit to the Razorbacks has proven to many college football analysts that Bielema can recruit in the Southeastern Conference.

“Although Bielema will have to earn his stripes in this conference before any respect is thrown his way, he recruits similar to an SEC head coach,” Randy Chambers wrote for BleacherReport.com.

Arkansas had been struggling in recruiting before Collins committed. Bielema’s 2013 recruiting class was ranked as low as No. 60 according to Scout.com just one week ago.

Collins’ commitment increased Arkansas’ national ranking in all four major services. Their highest ranking is on 247sports.com, where they have the No. 24 recruiting class for 2013.

Their ranking could continue to rise today, depending where four-star offensive linemen Denver Kirkland and Kenny Lacy sign, as well as four-star running back Altee Tenpenny.

Kirkland is undecided, while Lacy is committed to UCLA and Tenpenny is committed to Alabama. Despite their commitments, Lacy and Tenpenny are still considering Arkansas.

Collins is Arkansas’ 21st commitment for the class of 2013.

TAT: Razorbacks Ready to Face No. 2 Gators

This article originally appeared in the February 5, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

Arkansas’ men’s basketball team will need to play their best basketball of the year when they face No. 2 Florida tonight, head coach Mike Anderson said.

The Gators are coming off a 78-64 victory over No. 16 Ole Miss Saturday and are 8-0 in SEC play, outscoring opponents by an average of 26.5 points per game.

“They are arguably the best team in the country,” Anderson said. “We get the ultimate challenge of playing them here at Bud Walton Arena.”

Last season, Florida came to Fayetteville and beat the Razorbacks 98-68, led by Erving Walker, who had 31 points and five assists.

“Last year’s game wasn’t a fun game,” Anderson said. “Hopefully we can perform a little better. I think we’re a better team than we were last year.”

While Walker graduated after last season, the Gators still have a deep roster, with four players averaging more than 10 points per game.

Senior guard Kenny Boynton leads the way with 13.4 points per game and 3.4 assists per game. Senior forward Erik Murphy, senior guard Mike Rosario and junior center Patric Young also average double figures, with 12.9, 12.1 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.

“When you’re talking about their basketball team, you’re talking about their total team,” Anderson said. “We have our hands full, but our guys are looking forward to it.”

Of those four players, Anderson is most impressed with Murphy.

“He can go in and post up, throw up some nice hook shots and can also step away from the basket and really shoot the ball well,” Anderson said.

For Arkansas to have a chance against Florida, their “defense has to be at an all-time high,” Anderson said.

“You have to pick your poison,” Anderson said. “What are you going to cut off? We can’t let them have open shots.”

“Our defense has been good sometimes, but it needs to be really good all the time against Florida,” Anderson said.

Another key for the Razorbacks will be their bench play. Tonight will be their third game in six days. Thursday they fell to Alabama 59-56 and Saturday they beat Tennessee 73-60.

“With so many games in six days, I think it’s going to be important that guys come off the bench and give us great energy,” Anderson said.

Despite coming off the bench to score 25 points against Tennessee, sophomore guard BJ Young is still “considered a starter,” Anderson said.

Arkansas is 4-0 at home in SEC play this season, winning by an average margin of 17.5 points per game.

“(Playing Florida) is an opportunity to showcase our basketball team and showcase Bud Walton Arena,” Anderson said. “We want to come out and defend our home court.”

The Razorbacks face the Gators tonight at 6 p.m. on ESPN.

TAT: Countdown to Diamond Hogs: Coaching Staff

This article originally appeared in the February 5, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.

When most fans go to baseball games, they rarely notice the coaches, unless they get into an argument with an umpire.

However, Arkansas’ coaching staff this year will be one of their strengths, as the six coaches combine to have 18 College World Series appearances.

Todd Butler

During 15 seasons as an assistant coach in the SEC, associate head coach Todd Butler has been a part of five College World Series teams.

Butler serves as the hitting instructor, outfield coach and recruiting coordinator for the Razorbacks. In seven seasons at Arkansas, he has helped bring in five top-10 recruiting classes.

He was instrumental in bringing in players such as highly-touted freshman pitcher Trey Killian from Mountain Home, Ark., and junior Dominic Ficociello, who was drafted in the 23rd round out of Fullerton (Calif.) Union High in 2010.

As a hitting instructor, Butler developed Zack Cox, Matt Reynolds, Brett Eibner and Andy Wilkins into top five round draft picks.

You can expect Ficociello to continue to improve under Butler’s instruction, after hitting .301 in SEC play last season.

Dave Jorn

Arkansas’ pitching staff has flourished under UA assistant coach Dave Jorn.

In his 16 seasons with the Razorbacks, he has five College World Series appearances. He is entering his 11th consecutive season at Arkansas after a 14-year stint as a minor league coach with the Mets, Yankees and Diamondbacks.

Jorn will be vital for Arkansas this season after having two pitchers, D.J. Baxendale and Nolan Sanburn, sign with professional teams.

Despite these losses, the Razorbacks still have preseason All-American juniors Ryne Stanek and Colby Suggs. They also have Killian, junior Barrett Astin and senior Randall Fant.

Astin will begin the season in the starting rotation, while Jorn develops Killian. Jorn must decide when and if Killian becomes ready for a starting role and when to move Astin back into the bullpen. He will also have to manage when to bring in Suggs, junior Brandon Moore and senior Cade Lynch out of the bullpen.

Arkansas’ 2.83 ERA was the fifth lowest in the country last season and many experts predict a similar season this year.

Former Players, Now Assistants

Three recent former Razorbacks will also assist Van Horn this season.

Clay Goodwin, the director of baseball operations, is in his sixth season as a member of the coaching staff. He was a third baseman for Arkansas’ 2004 College World Series team and helps with hitting and the infielders.

In just his third year as a coach with the Razorbacks, Brian Walker is a volunteer assistant coach who primarily helps the catchers. As a Razorback, Walker only committed five errors in 145 starts at catcher.

The last two seasons he has coached James McCann, who was a second-round draft pick and a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award given to the top catcher in college baseball, and junior Jake Wise, who committed no errors last season.

Jacob Julius is in his first season as a student assistant coach for Arkansas. In his only season with the Razorbacks, he hit .309 and five home runs before being drafted in the 33rd round. He will tutor the outfielders, including junior Jacob Morris and senior Matt Vinson, who are already excellent defensive players.

A Sports Fan's Desperate Plea

Dear Athletes,

In the words of the great Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's goin' on out here?"

I mean, fake girlfriends, dear antler spray, steroids...what's next? For just once in my life, I would like to be able to believe that something in sports is REAL. When a player hits a home run, I don't want to wonder if he did it with or without steroids. When I hear about a guy with a 40% chance of living, who wins the Tour de France seven straight times, I want to be inspired, not to be filled with doubt. When I see a guy playing with passion seeping from his veins, I don't want to hear that it's all fake.

When I first started watching and playing sports, I admired the superstars, particularly the ones in baseball. My first hero was Mark McGwire. Well, we all know how that turned out. My second hero was Albert Pujols. I thought surely a guy that loves the city of St. Louis the way he does and that has a foundation for kids with Down Syndrome won't let me down. Wrong. He jumped at the opportunity to make more money. Seriously, what's the difference between $220 million and $240 million? Where is the loyalty? Stan Musial asked for a pay CUT in 1960 after a subpar season in 1959. His salary was $100,000 (one of the first in the NL), but dropped to $80,000. Yet Pujols ditched the city that loved him for an extra $20 million.

As I got older, I started to have a soft spot for the inspiring stories. Lance Armstrong's story was incredible. Given only a 40% chance to survive cancer, he not only lived, but went on and became an American icon by winning the Tour de France seven times. I was in awe again as I heard about Manti Te'O and how his grandmother and girlfriend died of cancer within six hours, then he went out and performed great for Notre Dame. These are the types of stories that inspired me to become a sports writer, find these stories and report them. You can imagine the anger I (and many other fans) felt when, within a week, both stories were proved to be too good to be true.

The list could go on and on. None of my baseball heroes, McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, were inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, and I'm not sure if they ever will be. Auburn and Alabama are linked to this deer antler spray. Alex Rodriguez, Ray Lewis and several other athletes are linked to another PED scandal. Michael Vick served a two-year jail sentence for dog fighting. Too many players to count are arrested for DWI and DUI. Penn St. went through the worst scandal I have ever seen.

So to the current and future athletes, please, I beg you, get your crap together. You need to realize that you are role models to the youth of America and of the world. Kids will do whatever you do, so make sure you are doing the right thing. My generation has lost its heroes, but there is still time to save the next generation. Just do it.

Sincerely,
A Desperate Sports Fan

TAT: Top 25 Cumulative Pre-Season College Baseball

This originally appeared in the January 30, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.


Arkansas is No. 1 in three of the five pre-season college baseball polls. I was surprised at just how many pre-season polls there were, so to get a better picture of who was the "real" number one, I compiled this list. I awarded teams points based on their ranking in each poll (No. 1 = 25 pts., No. 2 =24 pts., No. 3 = 23 pts., ... , No. 25 = 1 pt.). Below are the results.

1. Arkansas - 122 pts.
2. North Carolina - 120 pts.
3. Vanderbilt - 110 pts.
4. LSU - 105 pts.
5. UCLA - 100 pts.
T-6. South Carolina - 94 pts.
T-6. Stanford - 94 pts.
8. Oregon - 85 pts.
T-9. North Carolina St. - 82 pts.
T-9. Oregon St. - 82 pts.
11. Kentucky - 71 pts.
T-12. Mississippi st. - 62 pts.
T-12. TCU - 62 pts.
T-14. Florida - 54 pts.
T-14. Florida St. - 54 pts.
16. Louisville - 45 pts.
17. Oklahoma - 44 pts.
18. Georgia Tech - 43 pts.
19. Arizona - 42 pts.
20. San Diego - 37 pts.
21. Rice - 36 pts.
22. Ole Miss - 22 pts.
23. Arizona St. - 21 pts.
24. Cal St.-Fullerton - 17 pts.
25. Texas - 7 pts.

Also Receiving Votes
New Mexico (5), Texas A&M (4), Baylor (3), Southern Miss (3), Virginia (1)