Wednesday, December 28, 2011

49ers-Arkansas: What to watch for

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- A few things to watch for in tonight's 49ers-Arkansas game at Bud Walton Arena. Woooo-eee Pig Sooo-eeey. I'm going to be hearing a lot of that.

-- The Razorbacks (8-3) have won three straight and are 8-1 at home. There only losses this season are at Connecticut (75-62) and Oklahoma (78-63).

-- Arkansas likes to press, so ball security will be important for the 49ers. They've been cutting down on their turnovers recently, and their nine against Miami last week were a season low. Not having Luka Voncina (out for personal reasons) will limit the number of ball handlers at coach Alan Major's disposal. It will be a test for freshman point guard Pierria Henry -- as well as the 49ers' ability to finish when/if they break the press. Maybe this will be a breakout game for Derrio Green, who likes to force the action when pressured.

-- Arkansas is young, with one freshman and two sophomores in the starting lineup. Three other freshmen are in the rotation. That might explain why the Hogs have had trouble finishing games the way coach Mike Anderson would like.

-- The 49ers will be going against Arkansas associate head coach Melvin Watkins, a former Charlotte player and head coach (he was 42-20 with two NCAA appearances in 1996-97. Watkins was a guard on the 49ers' 1977 Final Four team.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please say hello to Melvin for any of us who were around for his 49er years, 1973-1998.

Thanks for the Notes. This game will come down to one thing: confidence.

Anonymous said...

would love to hear the conversation Melvin has with Major...

Anonymous said...

Wooo-eee? really?

I gues the Niner fans are right, the Observer really doesnt care.

Anonymous said...

That was ugly.