Busting Brackets
Fansided

SEC Basketball: Each team’s worst performance of the last decade

By Joey Loose

ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 11: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 11: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Trey Thompson #1 of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts from the bench against the Butler Bulldogs during the second half of the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 16: Trey Thompson #1 of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts from the bench against the Butler Bulldogs during the second half of the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

Arkansas

November 29, 2009 (South Alabama 74, at Arkansas 61) (GS: 3)

Before we delve into this game, I have to admit that this was a very close call. The runner-up performance was a February 2016 game where Arkansas was just throttled at Mississippi State, taken apart by a fellow sub-par SEC program. Many more words could be said about this game, but there’s a few reasons why Arkansas’ slip against South Alabama was just a bit worse.

John Pelphrey served as head coach of Arkansas from 2007-2011, but he was hired after five years in charge of South Alabama. While it’s bad enough that his former team came to Arkansas to beat him, there are a few more angles to consider as well. This South Alabama team was not good, finishing in the middle of the pack of the Sun Belt.

South Alabama scored the game’s first six points and led 15-2 and then 24-8, an atrocious start for Arkansas. But fear not Razorbacks fans, because Arkansas fought all the way back to take a 34-30 lead at the half. Despite feeling better after a terrible start, there was still plenty of time and sure enough, they blew the game! Martino Brock put up a game-high 21 points as South Alabama caught fire in the second half. After Arkansas tied the game at 40, South Alabama ran up 17 straight and even with ten minutes left, the game was basically over at that point; Arkansas did not have a second furious comeback in them.

Pelphrey didn’t last long at Arkansas and this game was Ronnie Arrow’s 300th coaching win for South Alabama. The fact that Arkansas so valiantly fought back only to fall apart for the second time made this game only more terrible, and this is the kind of offensive effort that this team has rarely replicated.

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