Small Conference Game of the Day
What is a “Small Conference Team”? Typically, that has meant a team from one of the 20+ conferences that only put a single team into the NCAA tournament. However, through the years, the SCGD has made exceptions — has taken teams that otherwise claim to be “Major Conference Teams” and graduated them down.
Tonight’s SCGD is between two teams that have, over the past 5 years, averaged barely two true road wins per season. A team that cannot win on the road should not receive any serious consideration for the NCAA tournament. And a team that gets 2 or less true road wins per season clearly has some serious problems. This is why both teams in tonight’s SCGD clearly belong here. Tonight’s game, of course, is Missouri at Arkansas, 7:00 PM Eastern, ESPNU.
Missouri enters tonight’s game having already scored two road victories on the season. Other than 2012, when Mizzou had 6 true road wins, the Tigers could equal their highest total of road victories since 2010 with a road win tonight. Arkansas has been even worse on the road than Missouri, without a single true road win yet this year and only having picked up one such win each of the last two seasons. Of course, when trying to figure out this history of road struggles, it becomes necessary to look for a common denominator between the two teams. And there is one. Mike Anderson, head coach of Arkansas since 2011-12, when he came over form Missouri. Mike Anderson, who since leaving UAB eight years ago, has only had one season where he won more than 3 road games. Mike Anderson…who the SCGD is officially crowning as college basketball’s #1 home court hero.
By the way…don’t bother watching the game tonight. Without stepping on the court, Arkansas has already won.