Better late than never, huh? That seems to be the spot Arkansas finds itself in as the regular season draws to a close. Instead of making it clear early in the season that the Razorbacks intended to be a postseason contender, they waited until the final month of the season to make a push at one of the SEC’s top eight spots. Only eight teams make the SEC Tournament and Arkansas didn’t look like a sure thing until sweeping South Carolina over the weekend. Now the Razorbacks, who easily dispatched Mississippi Valley State on Monday, prepare for Mississippi State, the clear-cut worst team in the conference. That series begins Thursday and Arkansas can ill-afford a misstep in Starkville.

Publicity can be a good thing. It can also be terrible as Arkansas State has found out with two player arrest/suspensions over the past week. Monday the school announced that sophomore cornerback Marlon D. Douglas had been suspended. The Jonesboro Sun reports Douglas was charged with residential burglary and theft of property. Douglas denied his involvement. Bond was set at $10,000. It’s the same bond amount set after sophomore running back Preston Brown was charged with the same crime relating to the alleged theft of a laptop computer from another student’s dorm room. There's nothing good about this story for anybody involved, especially Coach Steve Roberts and the football program. Recruiting to Jonesboro is tough enough without these sorts of problems popping up.