Sports in Arkansas

[Aporkalypse]

Did anybody hear that the 2006 Amateur Athletic Union Division I 16-and-under National Basketball Tournament, which was originally slated for New Orleans, has been moved to Little Rock.

The tournament, should draw the nation

[mcheiss]

That will be an excellent recruiting too for the UA as well. I'm glad we got it.

Alltel has also managed to get the SEC Women's tournament, setting attendance records, and will get it again.

What I am really looking forward to, though, is Little Rock hosting a men's NCAA tourney subregional. I think that will do really well in LR and you'll see it host every other year or so in the future.

Yeah, whenever the men's NCAA tournament is going on, I'll be there.

These will all bring in even more tax dollars for Little Rock as well.

[Mith242]

Does anyone remember when the King Cotton Basketball Tournament was one of the big deals down in Pine Bluff? It would be around this time of year, a little closer to Christmas. They'd bring in some pretty good teams around the country. But of course it didn't take long for others to realize the advantages of having something like that themselves. After more places started doing them it was hard to get anyone to go to Pine Bluff over the other places.

[Aporkalypse]

Does anyone remember when the King Cotton Basketball Tournament was one of the big deals down in Pine Bluff? It would be around this time of year, a little closer to Christmas. They'd bring in some pretty good teams around the country. But of course it didn't take long for others to realize the advantages of having something like that themselves. After more places started doing them it was hard to get anyone to go to Pine Bluff over the other places.

The King Cotton was the best the nation had to offer until the 1990s. I remember when Jason Kidd, Corliss Williamson, and Othella Harrington (the no 1, 2, and 3 players in the nation) faced off in it. You're right, there's too much competition. That tournament at BWA is OK for a smaller tourney but nothing at all like the King Cotton was.

[Mith242]

The King Cotton was the best the nation had to offer until the 1990s. I remember when Jason Kidd, Corliss Williamson, and Othella Harrington (the no 1, 2, and 3 players in the nation) faced off in it. You're right, there's too much competition. That tournament at BWA is OK for a smaller tourney but nothing at all like the King Cotton was.

Back then there weren't a lot of tournaments like that in the nation. So teams, or more importantly good teams, would come to the King Cotton Tournament. It's a shame that anytime Pine Bluff seems to find something good then they end up losing it to other cities.

[Aporkalypse]

Wittke's out of the OC equation, it's the guys I mentioned and the QBs coach for UCLA, who might even tbe the frontrunner. He's going to be at the Broyles Award ceremonies in LR (for the nation's top asst coach).

[Mith242]

Wittke's out of the OC equation, it's the guys I mentioned and the QBs coach for UCLA, who might even tbe the frontrunner. He's going to be at the Broyles Award ceremonies in LR (for the nation's top asst coach).

I've heard rumors of Gus Malzahn (sp?) being co-OC along with recievers coach also.

[mcheiss]

I've heard rumors of Gus Malzahn (sp?) being co-OC along with recievers coach also.

I think there will be an announcement as soon as the State championship game is played today. Possibly in a few days.

[Mith242]

I should have known NCB would log out before the SEC championship game started. Speaking of which I still don't like the fact they always play in Atlanta. I know it's a great city but it ALWAYS give the SEC East team an advantage. I know it wouldn't work well now because of the state New Orleans is in now. But I'd really like it if they'd rotate around a bit. Give the SEC West a home field advantage at least every once in a while.

[Aporkalypse]

I should have known NCB would log out before the SEC championship game started. Speaking of which I still don't like the fact they always play in Atlanta. I know it's a great city but it ALWAYS give the SEC East team an advantage. I know it wouldn't work well now because of the state New Orleans is in now. But I'd really like it if they'd rotate around a bit. Give the SEC West a home field advantage at least every once in a while.

I agree and that argument's been made a number of times. The same is true of the SWC tourney.

The Big XII proponents usually mention that the Big XII tourney and championship are usually in Dallas or KC, both easily accessible for Arkansans.

[Mith242]

I agree and that argument's been made a number of times. The same is true of the SWC tourney.

The Big XII proponents usually mention that the Big XII tourney and championship are usually in Dallas or KC, both easily accessible for Arkansans.

Yeah I just liked it better when we first joined the SEC and they switched back and forth between Atlanta and New Orleans. Obviously even if they were still doing it like that they'd have to hold it elsewhere for the time being.

[Mith242]

Well Springdale did win the state championship. A number of people have argued that this Springdale team is the best high school team the state has ever seen. I missed most of the first quarter and it was already 28-0 when I started lsitening. But afterwards it really sounded like Springdale's great defense had no answer to West Memphis' running attack. But as the game wore on West Memphis had to go to passing because of the lack of time and Springdale's massive scoring attack. It sounded like Springdale's defense was really wearing out. Of course when it only takes you a minute to score on offense the defense was out on the field for a long time. There was a stretch there where Springdale didn't put many points on the board and I'm not talking about the end of the game when it usually happens. And West Memphis is the first team this year not to have the mercy rule instated. Although Springdale was a point away and had missed a couple of extra points earlier in the game.

[Mith242]

I don't know if it was this way down in the Little Rock tv market but almost all season they had been showing Jacksonville games since Matt Jones went there. Although I get the impression they didn't show last week's game and it doesn't look like they will be showing this week's game either. I like the fact that they were showing all the Jags games. I admit I started becoming more of a Jags fan after Matt went there. I was curious what games they usually showed in the Little Rock. I'm pretty sure both markets showed Dallas games. Before Matt went to the Jags they usually showed the Kansas City game here in northwest Arkansas. Wasn't sure if they showed them down there or focused on another team.

[Aporkalypse]

Well Springdale did win the state championship. A number of people have argued that this Springdale team is the best high school team the state has ever seen. I missed most of the first quarter and it was already 28-0 when I started lsitening. But afterwards it really sounded like Springdale's great defense had no answer to West Memphis' running attack. But as the game wore on West Memphis had to go to passing because of the lack of time and Springdale's massive scoring attack. It sounded like Springdale's defense was really wearing out. Of course when it only takes you a minute to score on offense the defense was out on the field for a long time. There was a stretch there where Springdale didn't put many points on the board and I'm not talking about the end of the game when it usually happens. And West Memphis is the first team this year not to have the mercy rule instated. Although Springdale was a point away and had missed a couple of extra points earlier in the game.

Going back to the old days there were some LR Central teams that were astonishingly dominant, not losing for years. PB had some great teams as well. The PB team with Shabazz could also make that argument, I think.

The two previous Central teams shut Springdale down when they met in the playoffs. They were loaded on defense instead of offense, though, and didn't put up the big scores Springdale did this year. There was a stretch of several games where nobody scored a point on them, though.

I'm not sure in my lifetime I've seen a better team, this was just a confluence of talent. 5 DI recruits on offense alone? All of NWA usually produces only two per year.

[Mith242]

Going back to the old days there were some LR Central teams that were astonishingly dominant, not losing for years. PB had some great teams as well. The PB team with Shabazz could also make that argument, I think.

The two previous Central teams shut Springdale down when they met in the playoffs. They were loaded on defense instead of offense, though, and didn't put up the big scores Springdale did this year. There was a stretch of several games where nobody scored a point on them, though.

I'm not sure in my lifetime I've seen a better team, this was just a confluence of talent. 5 DI recruits on offense alone? All of NWA usually produces only two per year.

I do agree with you. I really don't know how I would rank all of those teams. But I do know Pine Bluff and Little Rock Central have had some great teams. Fort Smith Northside has had some really good teams but I don't know if I'd rate them as high as some of those other teams. I guess I still have a hard time believing they only will end up with one state championship. Now they'll be losing all those great seniors, splitting the talent between two schools in Springdale and it sounds like losing the coach as well.

[Aporkalypse]

I do agree with you. I really don't know how I would rank all of those teams. But I do know Pine Bluff and Little Rock Central have had some great teams. Fort Smith Northside has had some really good teams but I don't know if I'd rate them as high as some of those other teams. I guess I still have a hard time believing they only will end up with one state championship. Now they'll be losing all those great seniors, splitting the talent between two schools in Springdale and it sounds like losing the coach as well.

Yeah, Springdale football will take a huge hit.

Central will be back soon enough, they lost a ton of talent after winning back to back state titles.

I think Catholic will be a consistently highly ranked team as long as Register is there.

[mcheiss]

The Main teams up here that will do good are Fayetteville and Springdale Har-Ber.

I know Har-Ber suprises most, but their JV Team last year was ranked #1 in the state.

[Aporkalypse]

The Main teams up here that will do good are Fayetteville and Springdale Har-Ber.

I know Har-Ber suprises most, but their JV Team last year was ranked #1 in the state.

I bet at some point Lunney will have Bentonville good to go. Northside should be really good next year with Burns, they'd probably be my pick to win the West.

[mcheiss]

I bet at some point Lunney will have Bentonville good to go. Northside should be really good next year with Burns, they'd probably be my pick to win the West.

Yes, Lunney has turned that Bentonville team around, expect them in the playoffs next year.

Rogers will never have a good season unless we get rid of Peacock. He's the second highest paid high school coach in the state, and since he's been there, we have yet to reach the playoffs.

[Mith242]

I bet at some point Lunney will have Bentonville good to go. Northside should be really good next year with Burns, they'd probably be my pick to win the West.

The West can get be pretty interesting in the future. especially when Bentonville gets turned around. I think Rogers has already shown some potential and if Springdale Har-Ber comes around too. It could be a pretty scary place to play.

[mcheiss]

The West can get be pretty interesting in the future. especially when Bentonville gets turned around. I think Rogers has already shown some potential and if Springdale Har-Ber comes around too. It could be a pretty scary place to play.

Rogers has the potential, they just need a better coach.

[Aporkalypse]

The West can get be pretty interesting in the future. especially when Bentonville gets turned around. I think Rogers has already shown some potential and if Springdale Har-Ber comes around too. It could be a pretty scary place to play.

It looks less scary to me with more split schools, frankly, especially diluting Springdale's talent. The Ft Smith schools are down since Joe Fred Young retired and Lunney left. I just can't imagine that at some point Bentonville's not going to become highly competitive. However, splitting in half may screw that situation up as well. I think Rogers and Bentonville should follow NLR's model and have large separate campuses for 9th and 10th as well as 11th and 12th. That allows you to field a single team.

[mcheiss]

I think Rogers and Bentonville should follow NLR's model and have large separate campuses for 9th and 10th as well as 11th and 12th. That allows you to field a single team.

The Schoolboard won't allow this to happen.

They say that it discourages too many kids from extra curicular activities, sports, and even academics, because there's too large of a student population within one school, no matter how many campuses you have.

[Aporkalypse]

The Schoolboard won't allow this to happen.

They say that it discourages too many kids from extra curicular activities, sports, and even academics, because there's too large of a student population within one school, no matter how many campuses you have.

By Arkansas standards these schools are large but they're not necessarily large by other standards for a metro area. I'm not sure academics suffer in larger schools, in fact generally the opposite seems to be true though bigger isn't better per se. The biggest public schools in the state - FS Southside, LR Central, Rogers, Springdale, Bryant ,etc have generally been stellar performers.

You know what I think, though. If you end up with NWA peppered with different HSs the community will lose its sense of identity and some of these schools will become known as laggers. Eventually when new communities blossom it runs the risk of the schools dropping a classification. LR went through this phase in the 60s to 70s and I think now everyone wishes we should consolidate a few of them together into larger, more efficient schools.

[mcheiss]

Rogers isn't large by Metro standards, but the school board would rather have the student to teacher ratio lower so that all students have an equal opportunity to learn. That's why Rogers is going to two high schools in 2008. The entire schoolboard was actually wanting to make the school one large school with two large campuses, untill they realized all the problems associated with the two campuses.