Mike Anderson isn't interested in excuses. He's just looking for leadership.
The first-year Arkansas coach doesn't like what he's seen in two straight road losses, and he appears ready to shake the Razorbacks up a bit.
Arkansas (5-3) returns home for the first time since Nov. 30 when it hosts Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, the first of seven straight home games as it prepares for Southeastern Conference play. The stretch is a welcome reprieve for a team that has struggled to shoot away from Bud Walton Arena, one that has yet to win a game away from home this season.
''Hopefully again, this team can continue to build some confidence,'' Anderson said. ''Confidence is so important in the game of basketball, especially with a young basketball team. ... You don't get confidence in getting beat. You get confidence in winning.''
The Razorbacks have shot just 33 percent in their last two games, losses at Connecticut and Oklahoma, including 31 percent on 3-pointers. For a team that entered the season with concerns about its shooting ability, the performances have the potential to provide a zone-defense blueprint on how to guard Arkansas unless the Razorbacks can find a way to improve.
Anderson said Arkansas has worked on improving its ball movement since the loss to the Sooners, but more than anything he's looking for leadership to emerge on a team with only nine scholarship players following the season-ending knee injury to forward Marshawn Powell. That includes four true freshmen, among them leading scorer B.J. Young.
Starting point guard Julysses Nobles was one of the players Anderson was counting on for leadership in the preseason, but the junior has struggled. Nobles is averaging 9.5 points per game, but was just 2 of 11 shooting in the last two outings - including an 0-for-5 performance against the Huskies - and has scored five points during that span.
''Right now he's not doing the things I thought he would be at this particular time,'' Anderson said. ''He would be one of those guys we talk about, having the opportunity to play last year ... quite a bit the last two years. He would be one of those guys we could lean on sometimes with his experience.''
Anderson was hardly finished in calling out Nobles, who along with the rest of Arkansas' players weren't made available Thursday.
''I just don't think (Nobles) is playing to his capability,'' Anderson said. ''I don't think he's going all-out. Sometimes you get comfortable. Guys can take things for granted and you get comfortable. I think he's maybe one of those guys that does, so who knows? He may need a jolt, some kind of a boost.''
Anderson would not say whether Nobles will start Saturday. He did say last week, though, that he considered the idea of starting Young, who has averaged 26 points in the Razorbacks' last two games and is averaging 16.5 points per game this season.
One question he didn't dance around was whether there is a danger in Arkansas becoming comfortable using excuses, such as Powell's injury, the team's youth and this being Anderson's first season.
''There (are) no excuses,'' Anderson said.
