Johnson's numbers are made more impressive by the facts that he has played in just eight games since gaining his eligibility and didn't get to practice with Arkansas until Dec. 27. Tigers forward Stromile Swift didn't gain his eligibility until January. Swift, a McDonald's High School All-American, averaged 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16 games as a freshman. He came into a tough situation there, came in late with no practice, but he's made an impact right away. That's a compliment to Joe Johnson and how hard he plays the game.
Every game is a season within itself.
If you start worrying about what happened eight years ago or five years ago or this streak or that streak, you don't focus on what you need to focus on, and that's getting better every day and preparing for that particular team and making that one game a season. Don't look back, don't look forward, but concentrate on where you are the moment, because what's in the past is gone. With freshmen Joe Johnson and Larry Satchell having had a chance to play their way into shape since joining Arkansas for the second semester, Coach Nolan Richardson said it's time to unleash the Hogs. It's not necessarily who we play and where we play right now. As I told our players, the most important thing right now is, let's have some fun and play the way I brought you here to play.