WACO, Texas – Some losses are onerous to clarify.
Arkansas shot 51 p.c from the sphere. Baylor solely 34%.
The Razorback protection held Baylor to solely 46 factors from the ground.
Rebounds have been lifeless even, the Hogs knocked down seven extra pictures than Baylor and Arkansas was inside two pictures of equaling the Bears from behind the arc.
There have been Hog calls drowning Baylor followers out in their very own area.
So, how did Arkansas discover a solution to lose, 67-64 Saturday afternoon?
The one rationalization is fame.
Preconceived notions contributed closely to 21 factors from the free throw line for Baylor. The Bears shot 24 free throws in comparison with solely 11 for Arkansas.
The established reputations of Eric Musselman and Jordan Walsh have change into an issue for Arkansas.
For Musselman, it is most likely nicely deserved, however for Walsh, it is changing into borderline psychological abuse. He has to play a totally totally different sport than everybody else is allowed to play simply to stay round for greater than quarter-hour.
It is onerous to not image officers getting collectively earlier than the sport and inserting targets on the again of each males. The announce crew even mentioned how referees meet at halftime and make a aware option to deliberately name a whole lot of fouls popping out of the half.
It solely is smart {that a} assembly would occur earlier than the sport to speak about what to anticipate and search for from particular person coaches and gamers. The identical kind of assembly which will have gotten Jaylin Williams just a few cost calls that ought to have been blocking obtained Musselman a technical and as soon as once more fouled Walsh out of the sport.
On the subject of Musselman, the message is evident and it is one which very seemingly price Arkansas a much-needed win on the highway.
The referees weren’t going to let Musselman rip them six methods from Sunday and act like he’ll come after them if his assistants do not maintain him again. The precise offense wasn’t proven on tv and there isn’t any video on Twitter as of this writing.
From what may very well be seen on tv, Musselman was really extra toned down than regular. To make issues worse, Musselman appeared to have a professional level in regard to the foul known as on Makhel Mitchell.
It labored although. The tech instantly poured chilly water on the feisty Razorback coach.
As for Walsh, he has had at the very least 4 fouls in 10 video games, together with seven of his previous 11. It is a difficulty that has taken a participant who was anticipated to play at the very least half-hour in each sport this season and decreased that quantity to solely 5 video games.
Over the course of the Baylor sport on Saturday and the Missouri sport final week, Walsh racked up 10 information in 32 minutes of play.
Sooner or later, the dialogue has to show from “Here is a man who will get into foul bother lots” to “Here is a child who will get focused by different officiating groups and known as for the slightest of fouls whereas everybody else will get to play a extra bodily sport.”
Somebody from Arkansas has to get into the crew’s ears earlier than the sport to get them to cease deliberately attempting to wreck this younger man’s school expertise.
As for Musselman, this most likely will not be the final technical foul of the yr as referees attempt to rein him in. He might want to regulate as a result of his fame is not going to alter this season. He is gotten beneath the pores and skin of too many officiating crews.
This crew will most likely be in shut video games the remainder of the best way. He will not be capable to danger gifting away free factors once more if he needs to get his crew rolling.
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