FAYETTEVILLE -- Sometimes it takes an innocent but seemingly strange question to elicit a classy answer that actually reveals something to ponder.
One was asked and answered accordingly in the news conference following the Arkansas Razorbacks' 81-78 loss to LSU on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from the corner Saturday afternoon at Walton Arena.
With a pause winding down questions, an Arkansas basketball sports information official asked if media were finished with questions for Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls with Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson coming up next.
Yes, there was one more question.
"Since your last game, what do you think was your biggest improvement?" the players were asked.
A pause. The questioner persisted.
"Like improvement from last game to this game?"
According to the tape recorder, Qualls replied quickly.
In the moment, though, the pause between the reiterated question and the answer rivaled eternity. Or at least sufficiently long enough to recall innumerable sarcastic, sometimes explosive, responses by coaches and players to similar questions under similar circumstances.
"We lost," Qualls said, not rudely but incredulously and accompanied by an involuntary bewildered laugh. "I don't think we really improved."
Come to think of it, Qualls could think of one thing, so he offered a classy response to the question that prompted a what-if for Arkansas' quarterfinal SEC Tournament game Friday in Nashville, Tenn.
He pointed to Alandise Harris, the senior starting forward who Anderson customarily benches when the Hogs lead late by a little and the opposition must foul.
"Of course Alandise, he stepped up big, 6 for 6 on the free-throw line," Qualls said. "So seeing that shows that we can have him come in there during clutch time, and it's big for us not having to take him out worrying about missing free throws.
"Other than that, nothing really."
Harris made two free throws with 3:32 left to give Arkansas its first lead, 71-70, since his jumper made it 2-0 12 seconds into the game. Harris' two free throws at 1:17 gave Arkansas its last lead, 78-75, before LSU tied it at 78 on Jalyn Patterson's three-pointer with 58 seconds left and then won it with Keith Hornsby's buzzer beater.
So maybe there will be a carryover of confidence for Anderson to keep Harris in the game if the Hogs barely lead Vanderbilt or Tennessee late in Friday's SEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup.
Then again, the entire Arkansas-LSU game was another lesson that you can never bank on anything running close or even remotely to form in March.
LSU, a talented team but not a deep one, played deeper and more inspired without its best player, injured SEC leading shot-blocker Jordan Mickey, than with him in the Tigers' shocking lopsided home loss to Tennessee last Wednesday.
The Tigers outplayed Arkansas at Arkansas' game with their bench outperforming Arkansas' bench and outscoring Arkansas off turnovers and fast breaks.
Yet with all that in their surprising disfavor, the Razorbacks fought back to be a buzzer-beater away from overtime.
In defeat they kept their class throughout the game and beyond.
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Sports on 03/09/2015