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Battling sickness and a poor man's version of itself, now No. 18 Arkansas fended off an uptempo and athletic Iona team Sunday, moving to 6-0 on the season. The sickly ones, Anthlon Bell and Michael Qualls, did the most damage for the Razorbacks, as each poured in 20+ points to cap off a 3-0 week. The Gaels gave Arkansas all they could handle for about 30 minutes, but the wear and tear of an up-and-down game was evident late. A.J. English and David Laury are the real deal, and I'm still trying to figure out how Iona lost to Wofford by 13 during the tip-off marathon. Add another quality win to Arkansas' resumé.
When you think of Arkansas basketball nowadays, the first name that comes to mind (for most) is Bobby Portis, and with good reason – Preseason first team All-SEC pick, homegrown kid, etc. You could also throw Michael Qualls' name in that conversation, too, as many times as he's gotten the Hogs on SportsCenter in recent years. But one player many overlook is Ky Madden. Through six games, Madden is averaging six assists per game, and has flirted with triple-doubles on a couple of occasions. I've raved about his court vision in the past, but it seems like it's only gotten better since last season. His play has been and will continue to be vital for this team moving forward.
If you want to talk about players who mean a lot to their team, look no further than Monte Morris at Iowa State. The Razorbacks travel to Hilton Coliseum Thursday for a nationally televised game that could tell us if Arkansas is the real deal. One key in knocking off the Cyclones will be disrupting the efficiency of Mr. Morris, who turns the ball over about once every month or so. Seriously, check his stats. They're ridiculous. He has an assist to turnover ration of nearly 9:1, and is leading a dangerous Cyclone team toward a potentially huge season. You limit him, you likely limit their offense.
Here's your weekly SEC basketball recap and power rankings from the Vanderbilt site, Anchor of Gold.
And for your entertainment, here are a bunch of pictures of people from London trying to fill in all 50 states on a map. This really has nothing to do with the Razorbacks, but as it turns out, some people apparently confused Arkansas with Idaho and Kentucky.
Tweet of the Week
THIS is how a 6-6 team created one of my favorite seasons EVER as a Hog fan. Love this team. So proud of them. pic.twitter.com/4BYB6HKhax
— Trent Wooldridge (@twooldridge) November 29, 2014
Pretty indicative of this team. Most national contenders would kill to have quality guys like this.