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SEC: Can Bobby Portis Lead Arkansas To A Deep NCAA Tournament Run?

By DJoumbarey A. Moreau

Jan 22, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks fans during a timeout at a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Alabama 93-91 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks fans during a timeout at a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Alabama 93-91 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports /
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On Tuesday, the SEC regular season awards were announced and Jordan Mickey was snubbed as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Though Mickey was snubbed, the one person who wasn’t was Bobby Portis. The Arkansas Razorbacks power forward became the first Arkansas player to win the SEC Player of the Year award since Corliss Williamson did back in 1995.

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Now that Portis is recognized within the SEC as the best player a conference that features future NBA prospects such as Willie Cauley-Stein, Karl-Anthony Towns, Aaron Harrison, Jarell Martin, Mickey and others, the 2015 NCAA tournament should become the platform that Portis uses to shine among the greats in college basketball.

Even though Portis won the award over the numerous amounts of NBA-level talented players in his conference, a lot of people still don’t know who he is.

How is it that the man who won the prestigious SEC Player of the Year award is more famous for this face, instead of his game on the court?

Make all the jokes you want, Portis is a killer on the court. He can make all the funny faces during games, but as you’re laughing, he’s going right past you and dunking on your head and doing it with a villainous smile on his face.

Arkansas may or may not be a fluke this season, but in less than three weeks we’re all going to know if that’s the case. If Portis can manage to continue to play like the person he’s been playing like the entire season than Arkansas is in for a huge run in the tournament. If he doesn’t though, then this team is going to disappoint.

Last season Arkansas felt like they were snubbed from the NCAA tournament, and this season they are one of the elite teams that will compete in it. They’re team might not have any tournament experience but thankfully they do have Portis. Players such as Anton Beard, Michael Qualls and Rashad Madden are all good players but no one on this team has played in the NCAA tournament.

Soon enough all of them are going to play in the NCAA tournament and if they don’t get nervous and filled with jitters, a lot of teams will when they play against them.

If Arkansas follows the lead of their intelligent, passionate, and strong forward, then will have the success that they’ve been so desperately wanted since 2008, the last time they competed in the NCAA tournament.

Jan 22, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Bobby Portis (10) gives fans high fives following a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Alabama 93-91 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 22, 2015; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Bobby Portis (10) gives fans high fives following a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas defeated Alabama 93-91 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Beth Hall-USA TODAY Sports /

Currently in his sophomore year Portis put together an impressive season dominating college basketball as he averaged 17.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, while shooting 56 percent from the floor, and 42 percent from the three-point line. People around the country have taken notice to Portis’ game and have seen the greatness that he possess.

In an interview with Jerry Tipton of KentuckySports.com, Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown said this about Portis:

“The kid Portis is a pretty damn good player. He’s a whole different deal. He’s going to be playing somewhere else soon. He can step outside, he posts up.”

Because of the way that Portis is playing he’s making a lot of the skeptics believe in Arkansas. Portis’ team has the No. 21 ranking in college basketball and they look like one of the better teams.

In an interview with Kurt Voigt of the Associated Press, Portis said this:

“People really don’t believe in us, I feel like. I feel like teams, and so many people around the country, are still kind of sleeping on us at the moment.”

Portis is dead on about his comments. Thankfully because of the way that he plays the game of basketball on the court Arkansas has the hosses to compete with almost any team in college basketball. That’s why his reaction to the question if he thought Kentucky was beatable was priceless.

Portis feels that his team can compete with any team in college basketball, and he should because as long as he’s on the court he gives them an opportunity to do it. Furthermore, Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson is doing a wonderful job this season inspiring his team. 

Anderson has the roster has responding to his leadership. Arkansas is playing very scrappy, and Anderson has his team extremely confident.

Throughout the entire college basketball season Arkansas has played like one of the teams that’s not going to quit and they run their opponents into the ground with their energy. For 40 minutes each night Arkansas will attack, attack, and attack some more until the buzzer sounds. Because of their relentlessness they have even found themselves at the end of some miraculous finishes.

Offensively Arkansas is no joke and this season they average 79 points per game, which is good enough for 12th in the country. Additionally, Arkansas is doing it very efficiently too. This season they are ranked No. 6 in college basketball in assists per game, averaging 16.8 a night.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Arkansas is that good. Yes, they are coming.

Next: SEC: Remembering The Career Of Tennessee Volunteers' Josh Richardson

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