Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Lots of chatter is springing up on Hog message boards about a comment that TV analyst Jimmy Dykes made last night on ESPN2 late in Arkansas' 67-61 win over No. 7 Texas.

Following up play-by-play man Brad Nessler's reference Texas taking a timeout and wondering what Longhorns coach Rick Barnes might be saying to his team, as ESPN was about to cut to commercial, Dykes said, "Start paddling boys,  I hear banjos."

We guess that comments on the message boards we've looked at are running 50-50: either fans should lighten up as Dykes was just injecting some humor, or that Dykes owes Arkansas and its fans an apology for making a "Deliverance" like reference to the roaring Bud Walton Arena crowd.

Meanwhile, the former Razorback walk-on is gettingsome criticism for the way he called the game, seemingly in a pro-Texas sort of way with constant references to the Longhorns being a Final Four type team, a heightened admiration to the great size of behemoth Horn center Dexter Pittman and swingman Damion James, and how they would find a way to win, as a Final Four team would.

Of course, Texas failed to find a way to win. While analyzing, Dykes didn't seem to recognize what Stefan Welsh was doing to shut down Texas sharpshooter A.J. Abrams, running out on the Longhorn guard at the 3-point line and forcing him to drive. Eventually, Abrams adjusted but only to score seven points. In the final 22 seconds, when Dykes aptly noted that Texas had plenty of time to score quickly inside and foul, Abrams fired up three wild 3-point attempts.

Did you catch the broadcast? What are your thoughts on Jimmy Dykes' work? No doubt, being from Arkansas, Dykes probably goes to greater lengths than other color announcers to not seem to favor the Hogs in his comments. Did he go over the line on Tuesday night?

Better analysis of the game may have come from ESPN studio voices after the game, including Hubert Davis, who like the rest of us was blown away by Michael Washington's ball fake and drive to the hoop for a slam while fouled with 22 seconds left. The play pretty much clinched the win for Arkansas.