Something was not right with the Arkansas Razorbacks this season, and it was clear to see beyond the highly-disappointing 16-17 record.
The three pillars of an Eric Musselman program — energy, effort and enthusiasm — were replaced with far too many characteristics of a losing, disconnected team.
Inconsistency. Lack of competitive spirit and on-floor chemistry. Rotation roulette. Slippage of body language.
Things just never clicked for the Hoop Hogs. Why? Well, the answers in the locker room postgame said a lot without really saying much at all.
“We just never found a groove with each other I feel like,” Trevon Brazile said. “It showed throughout the whole season.”
Arkansas had its moments. Remember the excitement after the Purdue exhibition win? The feeling after the bounce back victory over Duke?
Why were the Hogs unable to sustain any momentum or build off the big moments?
“It was just up and down,” El Ellis said. “That’s all I can really say if I’m being totally honest. There’s not really much that I can say.”
To the naked eye, this team looked far less connected than it has in past seasons. That doesn’t necessarily mean they disliked one another, but as Devo Davis alluded to, this was not a group bought in to a common goal.
A season does not fall this far short of expectations — Arkansas was ranked No. 14 nationally in the preseason — without multiple issues.
Oddly, the locker room was more talkative following Thursday’s loss than it was after Wednesday’s thrilling overtime win.
Even with that being the case, there was a vibe that some had more to get off their chest but made the respectable decision to take the high road.
“That’s a good question,” said Jeremiah Davenport. “I don’t know. It’s a lot. A lot of things. The people know who really watch us. That’s all I can say.”
Arkansas played better basketball down the stretch of the season, although the win-loss record was not necessarily reflective of the strides made.
At times, the Hogs looked like a team that had come together and settled into roles. But it sure took long enough for them to get there…
“I’m not really sure,” Mitchell said. “The connectivity of the team was huge for us. We came around the second part (of the season). A lot of transfers. We had to get that camaraderie. Team chemistry. Once we got that, it was good.”
Still, there were stretches nearly every night where things would get dicey and old habits would creep back in.
When adversity struck, the wheels would often come off for Arkansas. It was painfully obvious when South Carolina turned a one-possession game into a blowout to put the final nail in the Razorback coffin on Thursday.
“They play together. That was the difference in the game,” Khalif Battle said of the Gamecocks. “I think we’re just as talented as anybody in the country, but they just play together. They were a team out there. They were a team.”