Penthouse & outhouse

Arkansas Business, March 3, 2008

TIM HORTON

The University of Arkansas running backs coach and recruiting coordinator, a holdover from the Houston Nutt staff, garnered accolades from all corners for helping keep the Razorbacks' in-state commitments in the fold, plus helping sway Joe Adams to sign with the Hogs, making Bobby Petrino's first UA recruiting class a success.

STEVEN HILL

Just as the ink was drying on last month's issue, in which Hill fell in the column to the right, the 7-foot senior center from Branson, Mo., began looking like his old defensive self for the Arkansas Razorbacks and contributing offensively as well. His shot-altering prowess was a key in a four-game winning streak as the Hogs got back in the SEC West Division race.

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RYAN NEWMAN

He may be an Indiana native, but as long as Little Rock-based Alltel Corp. is sponsoring the No. 12 car, we'll claim him, especially after the NASCAR veteran drove to a thrilling win in the Daytona 500, using a drafting push from Kyle Busch to get past Tony Stewart at the finish.

DICKEY NUTT

He "agreed to resign" as Arkansas State basketball coach, thus ending a 20-year relationship at the school, including the last 13 as head coach. The parting strangely came two days before the Indians' rivalry game with UALR, and Nutt ended his ASU career two wins short of tying the school record. His 187 losses will go down as the school's most, too.

UA LADY' BACKS

Are the SEC bottom-feeders that good? We expect Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and Vanderbilt to dominate the Arkansas women's basketball team, but you can't convince us Florida (1-13 last year), Auburn and Die Miss are that much better than the 1-5 non-conference teams the Lady Hogs breezed through to start the season. When coach Tom Collen has more of his own players, maybe he can change the Lady'Backs' mindset against SEC foes. Nowadays, they just give games away to teams they should beat.

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EARLY COMMITMENTS

Their value--zero--was emphatically pointed out again Feb. 6 when Joe Adams reneged on an earlier pledge to Southern Cal and chose Arkansas as his college football destination. Can we please see no more televised summer or fail "commitment" announcements from prep stars who more than likely will change their minds a few months later?