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Arkansas
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
The Hogs are among the regulars in this crowd, advancing to their 22nd NCAA Tournament in the last 25 years. But this team ran a real risk of not making it at all. Arkansas began the season in the Top 25 but didn't stay long, slipping toward underachiever territory. An 0-3 SEC start put the Hogs on early bubble alert, but Nolan Richardson got his team playing his trademark manic style and turned the season around. Arkansas locked up its bid by winning its final five regular-season games -- including knocking off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and Kentucky in Fayetteville -- and one in the SEC tourney to reach 20 wins. The Hogs' season somewhat mirrored star Joe Johnson's. The multi-faceted 6-9 sophomore, the SEC's preseason Player of the Year, performed tepidly the first half of the season. But lately he's been on fire, averaging 25.5 points in two SEC tournament games. This is the 13th Arkansas team Richardson has taken to the NCAAs, and he's rarely proved to be an easy out once he gets there. Only twice (1988 and last year) have the Hogs failed to win at least one game. Player to Watch Much like Kentucky's Tayshaun Prince, Johnson can hurt you from just about anywhere. He can shoot the three. He can post you up. He can take you off the dribble from the top of the key and hit jumpers on the move. The only issue with Johnson is whether he has the assertiveness to dominate every night. With the Ball Arkansas can be a real matchup problem because of its affinity for small, quick lineups. It sometimes gets them brutalized on the glass, but it also means the Hogs can take opponents off the dribble or place four three-point shooters in the game at once. Another benefit: Opposing big men can be run ragged keeping up with smaller players and lose their legs late in games. Richardson plays a ton of people -- he changes starting lineups more often than he changes his cowboy boots -- so the Hogs usually stay fresh for 40 minutes. Defending the Ball Arkansas is at its best creating full-court chaos with its pressure defense, with hands coming from everywhere to slap balls loose and create a fast tempo. The Hogs subtly challenge officials to call all the hacks and hand checks, and don't mind committing a lot of fouls. But their lack of size leaves them susceptible to capable post men and second-chance baskets. Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed Playing to Expectations Falling Short BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 1.091 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology Report 1985-2000: The Razorbacks have lost only two first round games (in 13 trips) since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Arkansas generally plays to or exceeds its expectations, having fallen short of its projected seed only three times. The Hogs went to the Final Four three times in six years during the 1990s, capturing the 1994 national championship. Even as a No. 7, the Hogs are a decent bet to be playing in the second weekend. Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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