Going into his fifth season as Arkansas Razorbacks head basketball coach Mike Anderson faces the biggest challenge of his career.
Bigger than when he took over at Alabama-Birmingham, bigger than when he took on problem-riddled Missouri and bigger than when he came to Arkansas and found an almost overwhelming lack of discipline.
This may be more difficult than when Eddie Sutton came to a football school or Nolan Richardson came ready to run and race but inherited a team of walk and pace.
This season, and maybe next season, were already going to be rebuilding years for Anderson after losing two senior starters and two junior starters to the NBA draft.
Then came the counterfeit-forgery fiasco that included Anton Beard, the only returning starter, Jacorey Williams, who was penciled in to start, and transfer Dustin Thomas, who was going to be sitting out.
Williams was dismissed from the team Wednesday, and it was expected.
Once it was revealed Williams had been in two altercations, including one with an ex-girlfriend, it was no longer a basketball issue.
It was an administrative thing, and Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long is well aware of the long-overdue concern about domestic violence, not just in athletics, but around the world.
Every administrator in the country is very aware that earlier this month Oregon had to pay a co-ed $800,000 and a complete free ride to school as part of a settlement after she filed sexual assault charges against three basketball players.
One of the players was a transfer who had similar issues at his previous school.
At this point no one knows for sure about the future of Beard and Thomas at Arkansas.
The UA is letting the legal process work. All three players, including the already dismissed Williams, are scheduled to appear for arraignment Monday in Washington County Circuit Court.
An already short-handed Razorbacks team may find itself with minimal experience taking the floor this season.
The good news for the Hogs is Dusty Hannahs, a sharp-shooting transfer from Texas Tech, is eligible. In Big 12 play he once hit nine threes in a row.
And the next two years are very good for basketball recruiting in Arkansas. Great when you include Malik Monk.
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The Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame will honor the 1970 undefeated Arkansas State football team on Friday night, Nov. 6, but it is already sold out.
As of Wednesday, 33 players and three coaches had committed to be there for the induction ceremony.
Nelson Catalina, a Hall of Famer who also serves on the Board, chaired this event, and by chaired that means he did more work than he probably had time to do. Catalina, an investment banker, is a former ASU head basketball coach.
"We are extremely proud to bring the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet to Jonesboro and Arkansas State University," Catalina said. "It is also a privilege to honor the 1970 football team from Arkansas State by inducting the entire team. Collectively, this group achieved something that should not be forgotten. The induction of these players and coaching staff will solidify their status in Arkansas sports history."
The 1970 football team, which finished 11-0 and No. 1 in the College Division polls, joins the 1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and the 1994 Razorbacks National Champion team as the third team to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
A similar ceremony is scheduled next fall for the three Arkansas Tech women's teams that won Division II National Championships under head coach Joe Foley.
Sports on 08/21/2015