In the midst of the worst Arkansas basketball season in a decade and perhaps the most disappointing Arkansas basketball in a generation, the normally optimistic Razorbacks fan base has been left to wonder just what’s next.
A bout of good news, perhaps?
Arkansas will host Georgia on Saturday from Bud Walton Arena and 5 p.m. and, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Razorbacks have a 51.5% chance of heading home that night victorious. A win would be a badly needed boon for the Hogs, who have never fallen below .500 in coach Eric Musselman’s four-plus seasons running the show. A loss against the Bulldogs would snap that skid.
Georgia beat Arkansas in the teams’ first meeting in early January. The Razorbacks looked listless in Athens and ultimately fell to 0-2 in conference play. It hasn’t gotten much better as Arkansas is now 11-11 overall and 2-7 in the SEC.
Saturday’s game will mark the return, too, of guard Devo Davis, who missed the last three games, having taken a leave of absence from the team. No reason was provided, which fueled Bobby’s-and-Susie’s grapevine, what with a fan base angered, looking for someone to blame.
Most of the response to Davis’ return to the team earlier this week was positive. He is a Jacksonville High graduate and responsible for lifting Arkansas to the Elite Eight his freshman season. And a win over Georgia might allow the Hogs and their fans to keep happy.
For a while, at least.