5-ON-5 WITH ARKANSAS' STAN HEATH                                                                                                                         >>> CollegeInsider.com

DAVE MAGARITY: In your time at Michigan State and one year at Kent State, winning was almost common place. That said, how difficult was last season for your personally?

STAN HEATH: My experiences at Michigan State and Kent State were very enjoyable. The one thing I remember, especially at Michigan State, is that it took us time to build up to be a national power. It was our third or fourth year before we became the Big Ten champion and probably the fourth year before we were able to get to the Final Four. With that, when I took the job at Arkansas, I realized we had a lot of work to do, it wasn't going to happen overnight and I had to have some patience. Last year was a tough year, but our fans were great in standing behind us and we made some progress. We're continuing to make progress.

MAGARITY: How often do you speak with Tom Izzo and how much of his approach to coaching have you used in your brief head coaching career?

HEATH: Tom and I have a relationship that goes beyond just coaching. We were together and had some great years at Michigan State and developed a good friendship, so we speak probably on a bi-weekly basis or if something comes up. Our style of play here at Arkansas has some similar things to what Tom does at Michigan State, but we have some things that are different. Part of that is the personnel on our team. I really feel like we need to build and develop around what our strengths are. We've tried to do that and made some adjustments. I would say we probably don't run as many sets and we probably run a little more full court and up-tempo, but my goal is to eventually get to the point where we have the personnel to where you see the defensive rebounding as well as the attention to detail when it comes to set plays and executing.

MAGARITY: Some have declared this to be a down year in the SEC, but somehow I think the SEC will once again be pretty strong. Your thoughts on the league?

HEATH: In the early part of the season, the SEC has done extremely well in non-conference games and pulled off a few upsets along the way. With the loss of a lot of players from last year's All-SEC teams and some of the top teams in our league, I think it's natural for people to think the league has dropped a bit, but quite a few players have emerged and there have been some guys who transferred in our sat out that have raised the level of play at certain schools. I really feel like the SEC will be a league again to be reckoned with. During the course of the season, you'll see some teams that will emerge and be in the top 10, as well as some potential Final Four candidates.

MAGARITY: I see where Ronny Thompson made the Fashion Power Index, but still no love for Stan Heath. Here is your chance to make your fashion statement.

HEATH: Ronny Thompson's fashion is big-time and he should be ranked in the top two or three across the country. I feel like I've been overlooked and overshadowed, but my fashion is something I'm comfortable with and I feel it fits my needs. If I get ranked, that's a good feeling personally, but if I'm not, it's not the end of the world.

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