Hogs’ Eric Musselman Not Looking Back to Predict Future

Success last couple of seasons isn't something to use as a crystal ball

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Quit looking backwards to predict this season for Arkansas.

Basically, that was Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman's bottom-line message Monday looking ahead to Wednesday's game with Alabama.

"Just because it’s happened that way the last two years doesn’t mean that that’s going to happen this year," he said at his press conference. "I learned it a long time ago from my father, your schedule often dictates wins and losses at times, as well."

Once we got to SEC play just before New Year's, the Hogs started with a league schedule that included Alabama, who is playing like their No. 4 ranking so far.

Throw in facing LSU on the road to start SEC play, then a Missouri group that "has played some great basketball" it's tough enough. Then Auburn on Saturday.

"Auburn’s won, what, 26 straight at home?" Musselman said. "It’s not just Arkansas going in there and feeling that that’s a difficult place to play. There’s 26 opponents before us in a row that didn’t win there."

In a league where football has created a mindset that tends to over-value every game in every sport to determine the entire fate of the program.

"I learned it a long time ago from my father, your schedule often dictates wins and losses at times, as well," Musselman said.

Basically, you have a bunch of games and have to play them all. Tennessee and Kentucky are at the end this year, so there won't be many easy stretches.

It will change almost every week.

"If the commissioner said we were only playing through four games and that was the SEC schedule, then it wouldn’t be very good for us the last couple years or this year," Musselman said. "Luckily, we have a full schedule. You gotta see how it all plays out."

You will get the idea from one of his later comments on juggling players really doesn't stop all season long.

"The biggest key is are you still trying to improve your team?" he said. "How do we keep getting better? How do we keep tinkering? We’re gonna keep trying to figure it out as best we can."

All of that starts with the Crimson Tide coming into Bud Walton Arena tomorrow night at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 and fuboTV.

We'll know more after that.

But it won't determine the rest of the season.

HOGS FEED:

JALON CATALON MAY HAVE COMMITTED BIGGEST BETRAYAL FOR SOME FANS IN RAZORBACK HISTORY

RAZORBACK FANS HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO WATCH HORNSBY PLAY QUARTERBACK IN ARKANSAS

IS SOMETHING SO SIMPLE ALL THAT'S NEEDED TO TAKE DOWN RAZORBACKS?

ARKANSAS COULDN'T EXECUTE BASICS AGAINST AUBURN

COULD TEXAS, OKLAHOMA BE HEADED OVER JOIN THE SEC FAMILY A LITTLE SOONER THAN PLANNED?

EQUIPMENT DEBACLE AT A&M LEADS TO DISCOVER OF HOGS' SOCIAL MEDIA GEM

DON'T LET FACTS GET IN WAY OF IRRATIONAL HATE WITH KENDAL BRILES, HOGS' OFFENSE

TEXAS, OKLAHOMA COMING SOON, BUT THEN WHO'S NEXT FOR THE SEC?

PEYTON HILLIS SHOWED POTENTIAL FOR BIGGEST PLAY IN HIS LIFE AT YOUNG AGE

HOGS OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR KENDAL BRILES, QUARTERBACK KJ JEFFERSON STAYING WITH HOGS

BRILES, JEFFERSON REVEAL WHETHER THEY WILL REMAIN WITH RAZORBACK PROGRAM

TEXAS EXPECTED TO TARGET PROMINENT SEC COACHES, BUT MUSSELMAN NOT BEST FIT AMONG THE GROUP

ARKANSAS CAN'T LOSE WHAT IT NEVER REALLY HAD WITH NICK SMITH'S EXTENDED ABSENCE

ARKANSAS DECIDES TO HIRE SECOND DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR TO ASSIST

HOGS THOUGHT THEY HAD AVOIDED POTENTIAL NIGHTMARE, BUT PETRINO ENDS UP AT A&M ANYWAY

RAZORBACKS' ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HUNTER YURACHEK ON PROCEDURES AFTER DAMAR HAMLIN INJURY

BILLS' DAMAR HAMLIN LEAVING FIELD ALIVE DUE IN PART TO A COUPLE OF OTHER TRAGEDIES IN SPORTS WITH ARKANSAS TIES

RED FLAGS WITH JORDAN DOMINECK DEPARTURE DESPITE RECENT PLEDGE TO STAY

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