By: Aaron Caldwell
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson with Julysses Nobles (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Having the dubious distinction of being the only team in the SEC without a win on the road has to be a label the Arkansas Razorbacks’ men’s basketball team wears with much frustration. In the last game played on the road against Tennessee, head coach Mike Anderson demonstrated at least three different looks of, “What are you guys doing,” and “Here we go again” as his Razorbacks lost another in grand style 77-58. I do give the Razorbacks credit for one thing with their road games. For the most part, they don’t make their fans hang on till the end to only crush their hearts with a close loss.
Unfortunately, Anderson has seen this movie before. For all his frustration (and granted it is legitimate given the giant doughnut hole in the road win column), Coach Anderson’s history of road battles as a head coach are telling. During his four years at the University of Missouri, Anderson only amassed one year with a winning record on the road. In the 2008-2009 season, the Tigers went 7-6 on the road. As for the other three seasons, the Tigers went 3-7 in 2006-2007, 3-11 in 2007-2008 and 5-8 in Anderson’s last year in 2009-2010. That equates to 18-32 on the road for a 36% success rate.
For some perspective on how important winning on the road is, the last five National Champions went a combined 47-19 (71%) versus road foes. The best road warriors of those champs were Kansas in 2007-2008 (9-2) and North Carolina 2008-2009 (13-2). All five past tournament winners had winning records on the road and all won at least three more road games than they lost. Anderson’s one successful season on the road resulted in a Big 12 Championship and a trip to the Elite Eight.
The flip side of that coin of repeated history is that Anderson’s Missouri teams were practically unstoppable at home in Mizzou Arena. At home under the Anderson regime, the Tigers were 63-9 for an 88% success rate. That includes an impressive 18-0 2008-2009 season and 17-1 in 2009-2010. How are the Razorbacks doing at home in Bud Walton Arena this year? 17-1. Clearly, Anderson places an emphasis on protecting home, and making on campus games more difficult than it is for Kim Kardashian to stop dating athletes and “taking over” cities with one of her talentless sisters. (Yes, Florida dismantled the Hogs by 30 in Fayetteville, which was good for the worst loss by the Razorbacks in Bud Walton Arena…Yea, but still…17-1.).
The style with which Anderson’s teams play may not yield the best results on the road. Although, when they do, and can hold court at home as they have done in the past, good things happen. Maybe with the last two road games on their schedule the Razorbacks can pull out of this road funk. However, if history is any indication, Arkansas fans may not have as many opportunities as they would like to cheer for road victories in the future.
In the interim, enjoy this supercut of every punch in face from the 1989 Patrick Swayze classic Road House.
You can follow Aaron on twitter at @thecaldwellian