EXHIBITION ARKANSAS 108, DILLARD 80 : Worth the wait
Posted on Friday, November 7, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — Courtney Fortson had a turnover 30 seconds into his Arkansas debut Thursday night.
Things got a lot better for Fortson and the Razorbacks from there.
Fortson, a freshman point guard being counted on to make a sudden impact for a rebuilding team, finished with 10 assists, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 26 minutes to help the Razorbacks beat Dillard 108-80 before an estimated 7, 100 fans at Walton Arena in the Razorbacks ’ second exhibition game.
“I was very anxious,” Fortson said. “It felt good to be out there with my teammates, sharing the ball and making them better.”
Arkansas Coach John Pelphrey suspended Fortson for an undisclosed disciplinary reason for the Red-White game and the Razorbacks’ 103-58 exhibition victory against Campbellsville on Monday night.
But while holding Fortson out, Pelphrey also raved about him as a player and person, and Fortson didn’t disappoint when he finally got to show what he could do on the court.
“Fortson can flat-out play point guard,” said Dillard Coach Dale Brown, a former Kentucky teammate of Pelphrey’s. “He’s under control, sees the floor well.
“ John’s lucky to have him. I wish I had a point guard like that. He really made his team go. He’s a true quarterback.”
Fortson’s 10 assists helped result in a combined four dunks, two layups and four three-point baskets by six Razorbacks.
“That’s my game,” Fortson said. “Get everybody involved and put the ball where they want it.”
Pelphrey said he wasn’t overly impressed by the Razorbacks and believed they could have played harder. But it was tough for him to say anything negative about Fortson’s game, especially a 5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“That’s great no matter who you’re playing,” Pelphrey said. “Obviously with Court, we’ve got a comfort level. We believe he’s got a chance to help us get into situations to win games.
“ It was good to get him out there and let him do some things.”
Fortson said he’s glad to have his suspension behind him.
“It helped me grow as a player and as a person,” he said. “I think I’ve rebounded from it real well. I paid for my mistake, and that’s all there is to it.”
Fortson made a steal on Dillard’s first possession, then lost the ball as he was driving to the basket.
“I just had to calm myself down,” Fortson said. “It was my first time out there.”
Freshman guard Rotnei Clarke led Arkansas with 20 points in 25 minutes. He hit 5 of 9 three-point attempts and had 4 assists.
“Rot made some shots, which doesn’t surprise anybody,” Pelphrey said.
Razorbacks junior forward Michael Washington had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Jason Henry scored 14 points, and freshman forward Andre Clark added 12 points and six rebounds.
Dillard, an NAIA school in New Orleans, got 14 points each from Michael Bridges, David Manning and Kenyon Harper.
Clarke has scored 37 points in Arkansas’ two exhibition games.
“That’s not a big deal to me,” he said. “My teammates found me and I was able to hit some shots.”
Clarke hit two three-point baskets in the first three minutes of Thursday night’s game, both with assists from Fortson.
“He’s going to find you when you’re open and put you in a position to score,” Clarke said. “That’s a really good feeling.”
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