FAYETTEVILLE -- It included a forgettable, second-half collapse and five more minutes of basketball. It included a handful of white-knuckle moments down the stretch. It included some knuckle-headed ones, too.

But when Arkansas point guard Gary Ervin lifted his hands in the air and teammate Charles Thomas pumped his right fist with satisfaction after Arkansas' 71-67 win against Alabama, coach John Pelphrey accomplished something his predecessor, Stan Heath, could not in five years.

The Razorbacks are 2-0 in Southeastern Conference play.

I know. Arkansas' veteran team, which was picked to win the SEC Western Division, was supposed to beat injury-plagued Auburn and follow it with a win against Alabama on its home floor Sunday. There are 14 games remaining against supposedly stronger teams like Florida, Tennessee and Ole Miss, meaning bigger challenges await. Starting 2-0 is no reason to preorder championship rings, plan a parade or start crunching RPI numbers.

But there is reason for Arkansas to smile today.

The last time this happened was 2001-02. Nolan Richardson was still stalking the sideline. Brandon Dean and Jannero Pargo were leading an undermanned team. J.J. Sullinger was a promising freshman, and high school star Andre Igoudala was committed to the Razorbacks.

Ervin, for that matter, was a senior on the high school courts in Brooklyn. The hero of Saturday's game overcame a rough shooting night to score seven critical points in overtime. It was the kind of game Arkansas would've lost last year, but Ervin believes things have changed.

"This is great. It just gives you a confidence boost," Ervin said. "We got the first win on the road, which was a great win. We just wanted to keep the momentum going (Sunday)."

Arkansas earned the Alabama win the hard way, holding back a team that made a late surge behind the trio of Richard Hendrix, Alonzo Gee and Pine Bluff native Mykal Riley. The Razorbacks played suffocating defense in the first half and jumped out to as much as a 12-point lead after the break, but had to scratch, kick and claw to finally secure a win.

Pelphrey said Riley's 3-point shot, which tied the game at 60-60 and forced overtime, was a deflating moment. The first few minutes of overtime were nerve-wracking, too, with Alabama grabbing the lead twice.

Overall, the performance was far from a work of art. There were messy moments that raised concerns. But it still had a happy ending.

"We know it's not going to be easy," center Darian Townes said. "You might have one or two games with a blowout, but it's always going to come down to the wire in the SEC."

"It doesn't matter how we do it," Thomas said. "We got it."

Pelphrey will be the first to remind you it's just one, too. To him, one win is great, but means nothing. Neither does two.

If Arkansas fans think hard, they'll know what he means. Remember 2001-02? The Razorbacks' last 2-0 start turned into a 4-10 finish. Richardson muttered the now infamous words at Kentucky, challenging Arkansas to take his job. The administration heeded his words. Heath was hired. Arkansas hoops dipped into the doldrums.

Maybe Sunday was a sign the Razorbacks are rounding the corner. Maybe it was just the setup for a disappointing finish. Only time will tell.

But any way you put it -- and anyway you get it -- Pelphrey and the Hogs have accomplished one thing that hasn't happened for some time by beating Auburn and Alabama in the first week of league play.