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| INSIDE THE NUMBERS |
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2000-01 record: 24-15;
6-10 in SEC (5th/West)
Postseason: None. Last NCAA apperance was in 2001.
RETURNING LEADERS
Points: Gomez 5.1
Rebs: Gomez 5.0
Assists: Gomez 1.2
FG: Gomez 52.6%
3pt: M. Jones 33.3%
FT: Gomez 60.0%
01-02 Stats:
Arkansas | SEC
KEY LOSSES
Jason Harrison | 9.7 ppg
PROJECTED STARTERS
G | Kendrick Davis | Fresh
G | Eric Ferguson | Fresh
C | Larry Satchell | Senior
F | Carl Baker | Senior
F | Di. Gomez | Senior
Player to Watch
Dionisio Gomez
Junior Forward
Only one of five seniors returning who could play a significant role in Heath's rebuilding year.
DATE TO REMEMBER
Tulsa comes to Bud Walton with most of a 27-win team back. This would be a fine time for Heath to signal that his Razorbacks revival is underway -- and won't necessarily be a long-term rebuilding job.
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ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS
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Nolan Richardson came to Fayetteville angry, coached angry, won angry and left extremely angry. Forty Minutes of Hell was an extension of his smoldering personality. Now in his place comes one of the more composed 37-year-olds ever to step into such a turbulent void, Stan Heath. Heath's vault from Michigan State assistant to Kent State wonder rookie to head Hog -- elapsed time: two years -- is fairly breathtaking. Last year he took over a stocked cupboard at Kent; this time, he takes over a crumbling powerhouse. Arkansas has six seniors on its team -- none of whom averaged more than 5.1 points per game last year. The junior class consists of a transfer who scored two points last year. The sophomore class might have the two most talented Hogs in Matt and Michael Jones -- but Matt is busy playing football for the foreseeable future. Bottom line: the five-man freshman class figures to get its chance to make an impact. Despite the lack of tangible reasons for optimism, Heath is not in sandbagging mode. "This is the first time I've been on a team that was picked low since my second year at Michigan State, and we wound up winning the Big Ten," Heath said. "We have every expectation that we'll be in the thick of things."
TOUGH ENOUGH..............................
The Hogs' glaring deficiency last year will undoubtedly be improved. Undersized Arkansas was easily last in the SEC in rebounding margin at minus-8.7, but Heath comes from the Tom Izzo family tree. That means his teams WILL rebound, no excuses accepted. "We work on it every day," Heath said. "We have athletic guys who can do that." That will shore up a weakness that cost the the Hogs at least a couple of games last year.
TOUGH ENOUGH?..............................
This team wasn't very good last year -- and then it lost its top four scorers. The search is on for a go-to guy, without many obvious candidates. Senior forward Carl Baker could be that guy, but Baker hit double figures just twice last season. The guard positions appear frightfully inexperienced.
BOTTOM LINE..............................
Arkansas dipped back below .500 last year for the first time since 1986, and just the second time since 1974. Getting back on the winning side -- with arguably the least amount of talent since the pre-Eddie Sutton days -- would be a good season. The schedule is at least kinder and gentler than many Arkansas has played in recent years.
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