Hogs' Leader Loving Added Intensity in Break

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There's a little something extra boiling inside Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman this week. Auburn's coming to town Saturday and he wants his team to feel the change in atmosphere.

"Coach Muss done already warned them," guard Davonte Davis told 1037 The Buzz Thursday. "He's more fired up than some of them dudes. I think he's been ready to play since Monday."

If the Arkansas is to make the NCAA Touranment, it's going to take a conference record like what the Hogs put up in the two Elite 8 seasons under Musselman.  Because of this, the intensity has ramped up a great deal in the form of two-a-day practices. According to guard Davis, these aren't pre-planned. Musselman calls it on the fly as he sees fit.

"However he feels, he'll let us know," Davis said. "He ain't got no problems telling us. He wants to stay in the gym as much as these other dudes. He don't care. He'll tell us all 'I've got all day.' If he got all day and we've got not class, what can we say?"

It's something the veteran guard recognizes is needed and welcomes Musselman putting in the extra preparation at a moment in the schedule where there's time available to do it.

"I think we as a team need it with the lack of emphasis in games being put in," Davis said. "So, I think, with us as a team, having two practices really helps – one defensive practice, one offensive practice. It just helps us as a team so good to be able to understand each other on both ends so we can help each other on both ends of the floor."

He said while things seem to be solid offensively, there's been a lot of emphasis on improving overall team defense. Still, with the conference schedule about to open, he knows it's time to individually hit a higher gear on the offensive end.

"I usually try to look a shot off or make the extra pass or do whatever for us to continue the offense," Davis said. "But, you know, conference time coming up, I kinda get in the groove, that game right there created some things for myself and I'm gonna continue to do it."

As for his teammates who are about to experience SEC play, and specifically and Arkansas-Auburn match-up for the first time, he's got a warning of his own.

"I've been telling them to just be ready," Davis said. "Coach Muss has been telling them how the atmosphere will be. If you ain't ready, it's gonna be an eye opener."