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Pelphrey's return takes back seat Saturday, Feb 23, 2008 By Harry King LITTLE ROCK - When the post-game quote sheet was delivered, John Pelphrey's line about going back to Kentucky was outlandish in unfettered black and white. "I didn't even notice they were up next," said the Arkansas coach. No way, not with Pelphrey growing up Blue and Blue; not with his jersey hanging from the Rupp Arena rafters. If it was somehow true, Pelphrey's tunnel vision would be on par with that of Tiger Woods - a compliment that golfer Pelphrey would surely appreciate. Turns out that Pelphrey was being facetious when he made the remark. On paper, there is no room for a playful grin to explain the quote. In the run-up to today's game, Pelphrey's return to Kentucky has overshadowed the game. Long before Arkansas' 3-point shooters went nuts against LSU, The AP man got a note from his cohort in Lexington seeking some Pelphrey quotes. The homecoming, said the sender, was probably going to be the hook for the set-up on Arkansas vs. Kentucky. In the media room, a TV man said his station had planned to go to Kentucky a couple of days early to pursue the same angle. The recent tornado cut into the station budget and the plans were scrapped. Ryan Malashock of The Morning News called Sean Sutton and Travis Ford, a Pelphrey teammate at Kentucky and now the Massachusetts coach, for some quotes on Pelphrey - what he was like as a player and why he was so adored by the fans. Because of the piece on Pelphrey, Malashock's game preview in today's paper is much shorter than normal. Others will take a different approach to the same appropriate theme, but the time for that is over. Unless the fans stone Pelphrey, the Razorbacks vs. the Wildcats will relegate Pelphrey's return to a sidebar. The game is equally important to both teams, particularly if the SEC gets only five bids to the NCAA Tournament, because Arkansas, Kentucky, and Florida are the most likely candidates to get caught in the vise. At 7-4, Arkansas is one game back of Mississippi State in the Western Division. At 8-3, Kentucky is two games behind Tennessee in the Eastern Division, but the Wildcats must do well enough in the SEC to overcome the shame of some early-season losses. Florida is 7-5 in the SEC, a game behind third-place Vanderbilt. Tom O'Connor, chairman of the NCAA tournament selection committee, said last week that the committee would pay particular attention to a team's final 12 games, a microscope that could help Kentucky if the Wildcats can finish 12-4 in the SEC. The Razorbacks need to complete league play at 10-6 to make a solid case for one of the 34 at-large bids and that means beating Vanderbilt and Auburn in Fayetteville and winning one game on the road. Such a record just might be enough to catch Mississippi State, which also has three road games remaining, including Florida and Vanderbilt. Arkansas' chances against Kentucky hinge on the usual - defense, decent shooting, and being careful with the ball - plus a willingness to compete for 40 minutes. The Razorbacks will not make 9-of-10 3s like they did during one stretch against LSU. Still, they must shoot at a decent clip from outside and Patrick Beverley is my choice to pull the trigger. He was only 6-of-20 from outside against Mississippi State, Florida, and Ole Miss and tried only 10 3s in the next three games. He has scored less than 10 in three of the Razorbacks' last five games. They will need more from him in Rupp Arena. For Arkansas, the best-case scenario is a two- or three-point game with two minutes to play. In such a situation, the Wildcats will be under the gun as much or more than the Razorbacks. I thought Arkansas would be 1-3 in the four-game sequence that began at Tennessee. Still do. The second-half performance at Starkville was encouraging, but they have yet to finish on the road against a solid opponent. ---- Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media's Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com. |
