Nolan Richardson walked off the courtroom at Frank Erwin Middle in a sport in opposition to Texas that the Razorbacks rallied to win. Eddie Sutton left the Arkansas bench one highway sport and sat within the stands beside spouse Patsy. Arkansas didn’t win the latter sport, nor did Sutton return the subsequent season.
Eric Musselman then shouldn’t be the primary UA basketball coach to get unjointed throughout a sport. That was hardly a priority when Mike Anderson coached the Hogs, certainly his obvious lack of ardour contributing to his firing by the varsity, that and the lack to win sufficient video games or fill seats at Bud Walton Area (fired by St. John’s final week, nonetheless with no shedding season, Mike is out of labor, a pity).
This season, Musselman’s fourth in Fayetteville, may not finish quickly sufficient for the coach, he with an in depth basketball background and infectious enthusiasm.
The query right here shouldn’t be whether or not Musselman has misplaced the followers throughout simply his most perplexing season however his staff as a substitute.
It took till the primary week of March for the Razorbacks, 11-1 at Christmas, to scramble up a twentieth win. The primary-round sport in opposition to Auburn (76-73) was hardly within the books when Arkansas, in Jekyll-and-Hyde trend so prevalent of late, misplaced 67-61 to Texas A&M. The Hogs stood 15-7 after beating A&M 81-70 Jan. 31 in Fayetteville and 17-9 after shedding the rematch Feb. 15 at Reed Area in Faculty Station.
Friday night time’s loss, through which Arkansas led 38-25 at halftime, made the Hogs 20-13. Each groups shot within the 40% vary from the ground, the Razorbacks’ collapse magnified with 12-of-19 foul taking pictures. Followers driving to Nashville, Tennessee, for the sport witnessed collective 6-of-30 3-point taking pictures.
But, Arkansas left the Bridgestone Area flooring — house of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, for whom Scorching Springs native and Vanderbilt graduate Britt Kincheloe works — the Hogs acquired assurances within the press to not fear, that the NCAA match choice committee would clear the staff for the Huge Dance.
That is written earlier than Sunday’s announcement, yea or nay regarding the Hogs, but when true it’s proof that the 68-team area is just too massive.
Taking a more in-depth look, one sees this staff has achieved little to justify an at-large berth. Who’s keen to journey with a staff ok to beat Kentucky at Rupp Area however lose the rematch at BWA? Whose 20 wins embody Louisville’s worst staff in years, an LSU staff held to 40 factors within the rematch after beating UA within the league opener in Baton Rouge and contains one second-half skid after one other?
Viewers at house have taken to studying Musselman’s lips throughout repeated outbursts at SEC referees, thus appalling lots of what Sutton known as “our nice followers.” Arkansas’ help employees additionally might have reining in after a set-to Friday night time involving a Kentucky staffer. Hunter Yurachek, discovering basketball not a lot completely different from the 7-6 soccer season he endured final fall, promptly issued a public apology in his position as UA athletic director. He ought to have elaborated and addressed the identical regrets to Razorback Nation regarding the season.
Who actually cares what number of one-and-done gamers Musselman recruited final yr and could also be about to lose from a staff that could be one-and-done within the NCAAs?
However in charge all of it on Nick Smith Jr. for an damage that price the North Little Rock freshman 19 video games, and he has performed by winningly, is unfair. Nobody participant ought to have that cross to bear and this staff is a collective disappointment.
As a result of he led Arkansas to consecutive Elite Eight appearances apparently fueled hypothesis that Musselman might repeat this on demand. That preseason hoopla resulted within the No. 10 seed within the SEC match, through which Alabama and Texas A&M performed Sunday for the championship.
One ought to know that Musselman has gone across the bend if he comes down laborious on the press. Arkansas coaches have been pampered within the media for years — Musselman would have snapped way back if he confronted the day-to-day stuff John Calipari hears at Kentucky. A Fayetteville supply, although, says the fan base calls for “affirmation, not data.”
Arkansas media can keep at house and watch a lot of the video games on tv. If fortunes do not enhance, press members and a few individuals in high-priced seats at Bud Walton Area could begin exercising the identical choice. For the sake of those that acquire pleasure from watching the Hogs at peak kind and for whom this season has been a nightmare, allow us to hope that it, too, is a one-and-done matter.