FAYETTEVILLE — If your opponent is winless on the road in February and you are the hosting coach, you search for positives to highlight in the news conference leading up to the game.
Georgia Coach Mark Fox didn’t have to search hard Monday during the SEC teleconference.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, 16-7 overall and 4-4 in the SEC play but 0-7 away from Walton Arena, play Fox’s Bulldogs (10-12, 1-7) tonight at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Ga.
“What’s impressive about their team is they share the ball and they look like they enjoy playing with each other,” Fox said.
That may seem like innocuous, bland news conference stuff, but it’s absolutely truth serum correct.
It’s also absolutely the most tangible difference in these Razorbacks under first-year coach Mike Anderson and those nine interven- since Anderson’s asan assistant to Nolan Richardson at Arkansas from 1985-2002.
Blend the unselfishness and zest these young Razorbacks display with the born again Walton Arena homecourt advantage, which is rivaled in the SEC only by Kentucky, and no wonder Arkansas is so far unbeatable at home.
Also, it’s little wonder, given their youth, that minus the home comfort zone these Hogs have struggled on the road.
No. 1 Kentucky is as young or younger than Arkansas, but Kentucky abounds with talent thatcould play in the NBA today.
Arkansas’ young talent is not NBA ready.
So for Arkansas the gap means growing pains, although coming off six-point losses at Alabama and LSU these young Hogs are edging closer to inflicting pain instead of receiving it on the road.
Arkansas’ best road show came Jan. 28 at Alabama. The Hogs struggled with only eight assists and 19 turnovers Saturday at LSU, yet they were only a basket-voiding charging call away from maybe the three-point play that would have tied LSU late.
Maybe that would have been the push come to shove the eked Arkansas to its first road victory, which Fox believes is more a question of when rather than if.
“I think it’s just a matter of maturing,” Fox said. “I think it will come. I just hope it doesn’t come the middle of this week.”BEST WEST OF LONDON
Arkansas will play host this weekend to one of the best track meets this side of the Summer Olympics in London.
And it’s all free of charge.
Just by itself, the Tyson Invitational indoor meet for men’s and women’s collegians at the Randal Tyson Indoor Track is an assembly of national class - and in several cases world class - athletes worth noting.
But the professional meet, the USA Track and Field Classic that Nike and ESPN has assembled starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, is nearly out of this track world. The field consists of athletes who have won 21 Olympic and 60 World Championship medals competing in five men’s events and five women’s events.
“And it’s free,” said Lance Harter, Arkansas’ women’s coach. “Come on over for a free opportunity to see what a preview of London looks like.”
Sports, Pages 14 on 02/08/2012