Two-headed Point

For much of the season, senior point guard Gary Ervin has thrived in a sixth-man role, coming off the bench to provide a spark on offense and defense as well as experience.

But in the Hogs’ 87-61 thumping of LSU on Wednesday, Ervin joined the starting lineup. Ervin hit 7 of 13 shots to score 17 points. He also grabbed 6 rebounds but he only had 2 assists vs. 3 turnovers in 25 minutes.

On one possession, he also dribbled out the entire time clock without making a pass.

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said starting Ervin did not change the fact that the Razorbacks need not only the senior from Brooklyn to play well, but also sophomore Stefan Welsh, who has started the bulk of the Razorbacks’ games.

“[Ervin] has been playing very well,” Pelphrey said. “I can’t emphasize how we need Gary and Stefan Welsh to play well the rest of the way. Gary has been more efficient. He’s been coachable. He’s starting to go at the basket and do what we want to do in terms of finding players. He also does a good job of getting to the free throw line.”

Welsh also played well against LSU. The sophomore hit 3 of 5 3-point attempts to score 10 points, had 3 assists vs. 3 turnovers and grabbed 2 rebounds.

If the Razorbacks are to finish this season strong, Ervin and Welsh must keep a handle on turnovers, and just as importantly keep in mind that a point guard’s main duty is to set the table for the entire team, not just themselves.

As long as both remain unselfish and seek to serve the team and their teammates first, the Hogs should be in good hands for the duration of the season.

Filed under: Arkansas Basketball by Terry Wood. Posted on: February 22, 2008 at 11:42 am