Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

It's well known that Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey has numerous ties to programs and coaches in the Southeastern Conference.

Pelphrey, who took over at Arkansas prior to the 2007-08 season, played at Kentucky. He was an assistant at Florida along with current Alabama Coach Anthony Grant.

Typically, those ties are seen as a positive. In fact, Pelphrey’s experience in the SEC was used to sell fans on his hiring at Arkansas.

Those relationships don’t help alleviate criticism currently facing the Razorbacks coach, however. Mark Lericos, sports director at 40/29 TV, writes that the comparisons between Grant and Pelphrey end beyond the fact they both once coached with Billy Donovan at Florida.

Anthony Grant and John Pelphrey are close friends, but right now Grant isn't doing him any favors. Alabama has a clear directive, marked improvement on the court, minimal problems off the court, solid recruiting, and a fanbase growing in support (at a big football school). Grant did it in half the time as Pelphrey. The two programs might have split the series this year, but they are far from even.

Lericos makes a good point.

Grant seems to have quickly turned things around at Alabama — a school where folks are just using basketball as a way to pass time until spring football. Alabama sits atop the SEC West and is guaranteed at least a tie for the division title as the regular seasons enters the final two weeks.

Arkansas, however, has a history of elite-level basketball and was in the midst of a three-year run of NCAA Tournament appearances when Pelphrey's first year ended. It's been downhill from there.

If the Razorbacks go 3-1 over the final two weeks they'll avoid a third consecutive losing record in SEC play. Arkansas (16-10, 5-7) has games against Kentucky, at Auburn, Mississippi State and at Ole Miss remaining.