How hard is it to go throughout a college basketball season without a win? With the amount of parity in Division 1, that feat is becoming harder to come by. However, this year, Central Arkansas and Florida A&M are proving that it still can certainly be 'accomplished'.
Central Arkansas, known for being the university of NBA great Scottie Pippen, is not trying to 'achieve' the ignominious end of 0-29 on the regular season. However, with their extreme defensive shortcomings, it is coming natural to them to simply lose. Tonight, to Division One newcomer Abilene Christian, they would once again pick up their habit and fall 87-70.
After the game was postponed from yesterday to today due to icy conditions in Abilene, the Bears had one more day to prepare for the Wildcats. That one extra day did not seem to help much, as they let ACU junior forward Austin Cooke shoot the lights out, scoring a career high 22 points from 4 3-pointers and 8 FTs. Harrison Hawkins led the charge from the backcourt, equaling Cooke in points, going 8-13 shooting.
CARK's 6-9 center Jake Zuilhof continued his season's consistency by almost getting a double-double, 16 points and 9 rebounds. Mike Martin and Jordan Howard were the best guards for the Bears, combining for 35 points. Thatch Unruh also contributed with 8 points.
However, Central Arkansas' defensive woes were prevalent, as they fouled Abilene 20 times, and ACU would convert 18 out of 22 costless throws. No matter what part of the court it was, CARK could not stop a nose bleed, letting Abilene Christian easily blow by them for easy layups and jumpshots.
ACU, which is still in their D1 transition and still cannot participate in Southland Conference postseason tournaments until 2017-18, is trying to make the most out of this season while they are still ineligible. They are now 7-7, and could soon be 8-7 as they now will prepare to play lowly Nicholls State at home next Saturday.
Central Arkansas is still in their doldrums and they don't look to be digging out any time soon. They hope to give a better defensive effort against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Tuesday at home in the Farris Center. Will they be able to finally grab the win? It is unlikely, but you can't help but root for the Bears. 29 losses in one regular season is enough to make one see sick, let alone the actual players going through the hardships. We'll keep you updated on CARK's quest for a win this 2014-15 season.