“We’re twenty points from leading the conference,” said Arkansas State head coach Bryan Hodgson, and his math isn’t bad. The team has lost five conference games by a total of twenty points. I asked Coach Hodgson how the team has digested so many narrow losses.

“It’s discouraging to me,” said Coach Hodgson. “But when you speak to the team, we encourage them by letting them know that with all we’ve been through, with the free throw woes and injuries and sets of four road games in a row, we’re in the middle of the pack. We’re separated from first place by 20 points. But we’ve got to fine tune and fix some things and we’ve got a shot to be good. Our guys know that and I think they’re fired up.”

The spate of narrow losses and failures to close out games is reminiscent of Red Wolves football’s 2022 season, when so many losses came after fourth quarter collapses. Head football coach Butch Jones observed that the team needed to “learn how to win.” Perhaps Red Wolves basketball – as talented and promising as it is – is in need of a similar lesson.

“Our mentality just wasn’t where it needed to be to win a basketball game,” concedes Coach Hodgson, noting problem areas such as an inability to make pressure free throws and soft play beneath the rim. But Hodgson is encouraged by what he’s seen from the team, and he remains positive.

“We’ve still got a chance to win this league. We’ve still got a chance to win the conference tournament. Hopefully we’ll get some guys healthy.”

Health has been an issue the first nine games of the SBC season. Freddy Hicks Jr., an important piece of the Red Wolves offense and defense, has been only semi-available since sustaining an injury against Belmont. Dyondre Dominguez, the team’s leader in rebounds and points, is nursing a dinged ankle. Malcolm Farrington and Obadiah Curtis haven’t seen the court all season and are confirmed out for the remainder of the year. Terrance Ford Jr., whose skills at guard were hoped to compliment Caleb Fields, has been unavailable for almost the entire season. He’s not expected to return to the lineup this year. LaQuill Hardnett, injured to start the season, is gradually gaining more playing time.

Injuries may have played a role in the team’s struggles, but we’re also seeing players overcome this obstacle and rise to the challenge. Among them, Arkansas transfer Derrian Ford, who delivered a season best 20 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to ULM. Ford appears to be gaining more confidence in Hodgson’s system, averaging 11 points and five boards his last five games.

Also flourishing under Hodgson, three-point threat Avery Felts, who leads the SBC in three-point percentage (50% in conference play) and has become a consistent starter as Hicks recovers from injury. In the paint, Izaiyah Nelson has marshaled his foul troubles (ULM game notwithstanding) to evolve into both a scorer (7.5 points per game), a rebounder (5.7 per game) and shot blocker (2.2 per game, third-best in the SBC). Off the bench, Jullian Lual, Lado Laku and Taryn Todd have have shined, with Todd delivering 23 and 18 points his last two games.

The talent is there. Now this team must learn to win, just as Butch Jones’ football team did. Southern Miss, who arrives to Jonesboro on Wednesday, offers an opportunity for the Red Wolves to put it all together and accept the lesson.

PHOTO CREDITS: Me and A-STATE Athletics