Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

March Madness officially begins this week with the first round of newly added play-in games to kick off the "second" college basketball season. But, for Arkansas fans it is a different kind of March Madness that drives the frenzy and excitement.

There is nothing more intense and makes fans more anxious than watching their team make a run through the mother of all postseason tournaments, except perhaps for a coaching hire that will determine the future of your program.

John Pelphrey was fired by Athletic Director Jeff Long from the University of Arkansas after four years as its basketball coach. Many people would describe his tenure as a roller coaster ride of high highs and low lows. When in reality it was early peaks and two and a half years of steady surreptitious decline that ultimately led to his dismissal. (People thought the madness would end, but it's is only just beginning.)

The 69-59 overall record. The unacceptable 39 percent winning percentage in the SEC. The mere five wins on the road in conference during a four year stay at Arkansas: take your pick, there were plenty of reasons to fire Pelphrey without going into serious off-the-court issues that nearly all of the players he recruited at Arkansas had to this point. (That was frustrating but not maddening.)

So often, fans sought to justify Pelphrey's issues because they knew he was dealt a bad hand. However, as any poker player will tell you, it's not one hand, but several hands that will get you into a serious hole. John Pelphrey's task at Arkansas wasn't easy, but failure is failure just the same. Arkansas fans got caught up in the wrong issue - they focused on whether or not he was to blame for the problems instead of whether or not he actually had the ability to fix them.

Arkansas basketball is not what it once was. It can be great again. It will be great again. It must be great again. Or else, Jeff Long will be converting Bud Walton Arena into a rather luxurious storage facility for Bobby Petrino's tackle dummies and golf clubs. (That might just be the least maddening thing I've written so far.)

The madness Arkansas fans are likely experiencing right now is not new to most. This has happened before. They've been burned before. Dana Altman has called the Hogs before. They'd rather not see a repeat of that particular episode. Some episodes seem like repeats even though they aren't. Others, seem familiar, but nevertheless draw you in because you know it's new; it intrigues you.

When Razorback fans see the athletic director announce what will most likely be an anticlimactic pep rally announcing a name that the media and the most passionate of social media savvy hog fans already know (and have formulated an opinion of), they want to have confidence he can change what is seemingly unchangeable.
Before Bobby Petrino, many Arkansas fans couldn't fathom what it would be like to be consistently thought of by the rest of the nation as one of the best. Now, it's a matter of waiting until Tyler Wilson and Knile Davis are named to preseason award lists, along with a slew of other Razorbacks. It is expected.

What is expected of Razorback basketball now is what has been expected of Razorback basketball for twenty years, and it's simple; win.

Long has already stated he has a short list of candidates he believes can meet that expectation.

But hope, not winning, is what will fill the seats. Arkansas has seen attendance numbers plummet from the highest in the nation to the bottom half of a very average SEC. Hope is spelled with with an "M" and an "A" for a lot of fans.

Hope will help fill Bud Walton Arena, but winning will keep it full. There is only one candidate who can unequivocally do both: Mike Anderson.

The madness fans have been subjected to for a decade must stop. The ebb and flow of basketball is fine for most. Arkansas has and I imagine always will hold itself to a higher standard. Fans are tired of screaming at the top of their lungs for the program to realize the potential they know it has. The banners in the top of Bud Walton Arena should be something for players to aspire to, not something which reminds them of what they haven't done. Anderson is the one man on Long's short list knows exactly what that means.

Long had better not botch a golden opportunity if it presents itself. If he does, he may find himself in the same unemployment line Pelphrey is in. Expectations of the basketball program may be lower than in previous years, but the expectation for those who make the decisions that decide the future couldn't be any higher. Fans don't want to wait - they don't want an up-and-comer, a diamond in the rough or even a hot new name - they want Mike Anderson.

Anderson, even if Arkansas were to grossly overpay him, might be able to pay for his contract in a single non-conference season. Anderson hasn't been incredibly successful at Missouri, but he represents the brand of basketball fans were sold by every coach who has attempted to replace Nolan Richardson. Ten years ago, the University made a huge mistake in not hiring Anderson when they had the chance. Now, Long needs to make the simple decision. Do whatever it takes to get Anderson back; to call the hogs in that meaningless anticlimactic press conference. Arkansas fans have spent a decade pulling their hair out while going mad.

You'll hear a lot of names over the next 14 or so days. Frank Martin; Buzz Williams; Scott Drew; Bill Self. Don't out-think the room. This is simple. Stop the Madness. Hire Mike Anderson.

----

TJ Carpenter is host of The TJ Carpenter Show on ESPN 92.1 The Ticket in Northwest Arkansas, every weekday from 3 to 6 pm.