Arkansas basketball completely dominated its first two games in the Baha Mar Hoops summer series. The Razorbacks cruised to a pair of easy romps and really flexed their muscles. Monday against Toros del Valle, it wasn’t entirely the same story.
It could be a very positive thing for this young team.
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Arkansas led Toros by only eight points at halftime, 37-29. The Razorbacks coughed up a bunch of turnovers in the first half and looked sloppy and disorganized. It was by far the worst 20 minutes of their Bahamas tour. Toros competed hard, something the Arkansas coaches had to like. John Calipari and his staff want to see their players get challenged and tested, and frankly, there wasn’t much of any resistance in the Hogs’ first two games. It could have led to a certain degree of overconfidence, an assumption the rest of the week would be like this. Maybe players began to believe the hype a little; the better and more logical explanation is that they simply relaxed to a degree, maybe only subconsciously. It’s human nature to not drive as hard when tasks are being completed so easily and smoothly with hardly any turbulence. Whatever the case, Arkansas literally and figuratively took its eye off the ball and did not take care of it. Toros was fully in the game after those first 20 minutes.
Then came halftime. What would players in the locker room do? How would they respond? Two great games didn’t seem to mean as much. Monday’s first half felt like a failure to play to the expected Arkansas standard. What kind of attitude and focus would we see in the second half?
The answer to that question could not have been better for the Hogs and their fans. This young team showed it could collect itself, mentally flush a bad half, and do better – a lot better. Arkansas outscored Toros 54-20 in the second half to win by 42 points, 91-49. Arkansas scored 23 points in the first eight and a half minutes of the half and put the turnover problems behind it. UA’s defense remained tight and aggressive, but it was the evolution of the offense which showed an ability to adjust and course-correct. It’s a very positive thing to see: not the success itself, but the capacity to absorb some adversity and turn around what had started out as a poor performance.
This kind of resilience will be needed in major nonconference games and in SEC play. This is the kind of mental toughness the Hogs will have to call upon.
Thank goodness the Razorbacks got tested by Toros del Valle. This is what the Baha Mar hoops tour – and the Arkansas team itself – definitely needed.
