We had a chance to catch up with a site expert for Arkansas Razorbacks, Austin Farmer, to get an idea of what to expect; and get an idea in to mind of how fans are feeling.
Comparing fan morale to when Cal was hired, versus the struggles they've had here lately; what if anything changed?
It's pretty drastic. When John Calipari was rumored to be the next coach at Arkansas, I thought it was a prank. I mean, why Arkansas? Little did we know he was close personal friends with the Chairman of the Board for one of the "Big 3" in Northwest Arkansas, John Tyson.
You look at the record and assume, wow, we are getting. great coach. Arkansas fans certainly did:
In the beginning, most fans were ecstatic. Another Hall of Fame coach leading the Hogs. It felt like we were back. But when he only brought in nine scholarship plays, a lot of fans worried but still had hope we'd at least make the NCAA Tournament. Now, that dream is all but dead. So yeah, the vibes are glum on the Hill, especially with how the football season ended.
Looking at the team as a whole, what is the biggest strength and weakness?
Strength is a hard one to pin down. There's not much this team does well, consistently. If I had to pick one thing, it's probably blocks and affecting shots. As Kentucky fans should know, Zvonimir Ivisic is hard to shoot around and averages 1.7 blocks a game, although, I think affects countless others. Trevon Brazile and Jonas Aidoo also hate basketballs, averaging 1.3 blocked shots combined. As a team, they average 5.8 a game.
As far as weaknesses, take your pick. Three-point shooting, three-point defense, untimely turnovers, switching on man defense, and the list goes on.
How have fans responded to Cal sending assistants to do interviews, fans here hated it.
Most don't care for it. I know the media don't. Personally, I don't really care. Our other programs did it more often. In football, I'd love to hear from Bobby Petrino and Travis Williams more often. Same with the baseball assistants. I don't think every week is acceptable, but I honestly don't mind hearing from his assistants.
Where will this team look to attack Kentucky?
Over the last two games, Arkansas has looked more physical. I think they'll attack the paint and kick out a lot. There are also a couple of new screens Cal's pulled out of his hat that helped Johnell Davis get hot from deep against Oklahoma, so imagine they'll go back to that a few times. However, with Boogie Fland out for the season, it's a pretty uninspired playbook.
Defensively, I'd watch the last half of basketball against Oklahoma to give you an idea. They did a very good job of defending their shooters around the perimeter, forcing them into the paint. It's the best shot Arkansas has to beat Kentucky because there's no way they can keep up in a shootout.
What does a victory do for fan perception, and what does a loss do?
A loss really doesn't mean much. I think most Arkansas fans are picking them to lose. And with how much BBN has been in our DMs, I don't think it could get much worse.
However, if Arkansas wins, social media might implode. Receipts from the last few months will flood X and Facebook from Arkansas fans who have half an athletic season's worth of frustrations to let loose. It'll be very therapeutic.
As far as the season's outlook is concerned, no. The picture doesn't change much. The SEC is so hard this season, that one win won't do anything to persuade the fanbase or media that Arkansas is a good team, no matter how amazing it'd feel to beat the Wildcats,