40 minutes of Pel?

When Arkansas basketball head coach John Pelphrey was hired last April, he used all the right buzz words in his introductory news conference. He said the Razorbacks would press, extend the defense and play an up-tempo style of basketball — just what the fans had yearned for since the days of Nolan Richardson.

On Tuesday, at the team’s media day, Pelphrey said he still wants Arkansas to do all those things. But he is unsure if the Razorbacks can for all 40 minutes. Guard depth is an issue. There are only three players with experience returning in the backcourt — Gary Ervin, Stefan Welsh and Patrick Beverley.

“All we need is a couple of the freshmen to come in and contribute and do little things,” Welsh said. “I feel like the guard position is coming along. We are progressing everyday and everybody is learning from each other. I don’t think that will be an issue.”

But, in many ways, depth in the backcourt was a problem last year, as well. As a freshman, Beverley logged the most minutes on the team — averaging 34.4 per game. Ervin, the team’s starting point guard, was on the floor more than 75 percent of the time last season when the Razorbacks finished 21-14 and made the NCAA Tournament before being bounced in the first round by USC.

Playing such a high-energy position is bound to take its toll over the course of 35 games. But Pelphrey has tried to mitigate the effects of wear and tear in the backcourt by going forward with some preemptive measures. He made the team partake in an intense conditioning program during the offseason. Players climbed the steps at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and did calisthenics inside Walker Pavilion.

“I certainly don’t expect them to be in game shape at this moment in time,” Pelphrey said. “They don’t need to be awful right now. But we had a workout yesterday. They are in good enough shape right now to be where they need to be.”

The team is constructed to run the floor well. The frontcourt is particularly athletic with Steven Hill, Charles Thomas and a lighter Darian Townes playing on the blocks. Townes shed about 10 pounds and said he is more mobile than he was the last couple of years.

“I feel lighter on my feet,” Townes said. “The first step is much faster than what it used to be. The conditioning has been serious. This is the most serious conditioning we’ve had as a team since we’ve been here. Everybody’s just ready to get this season started.”

OTHER NOTES

• Forward Sonny Weems, who averaged 11.8 points per game last year, is expected to be at “full speed” when the team reconvenes for sanctioned practices this Friday. Weems suffered a fracture in his left hand in August. He did not play in Cancun during Arkansas’ Labor Day basketball trip.
• Razorbacks coach John Pelphrey doesn’t anticipate redshirting any of the newcomers. Among the players who have been added to the roster this year are sophomore Stephen Cox and freshmen Michael Sanchez, Marcus Britt, Levan Patsatsia and Nate Rakestraw.

Filed under: Arkansas Basketball by Rainer Sabin. Posted on: October 9, 2007 at 5:33 pm