Arkansas tries to end decades of mediocrity
Eric Musselman might need to break the bubble and sneak off to the mall. Or at the very least swing by the hotel gift shop.
The Arkansas coach packed one bag for his team’s trip to Indiana for the NCAA Tournament and blamed team managers for losing one set of his clothes. Like one his young players on an extended road trip for the first time, Musselman decided to grab a bottle of shampoo and start scrubbing on the clothes he still has.
Given the way the Razorbacks (22-6) played down the stretch in the Southeastern Conference, Musselman might need some new duds. The Razorbacks might stick around a bit.
Arkansas won 12 in a row in league play before losing to LSU 78-71 in the SEC Tournament championship game. The lateseason surge helped Musselman’s team land the No. 3 seed in the South Region, the program’s highest since losing to UCLA in the title game in 1995 with Hall of Fame coach Nolan Richardson.
For the Hogs, it’s been more than 25 years of mediocrity since.
When the Razorbacks tip off against 14th-seeded Colgate (14-1) in the opening round Friday in Indianapolis, they have a chance to take another step in a potential resurgence of a once-proud and prominent program.
The 56-year-old Musselman doesn’t have to do much to erase decades of disappointment and get “Woo Pig Sooie” back on the big stage.
The Hogs made significant strides in the former NBA coach’s first season, but really took a leap this year.
Freshman Moses Moody had a lot to do with it. The 6-foot-6 guard leads the team with 17.4 points a game and has been at his best of late. He finished with a career-high-tying 28 points in three of his past four games while becoming one of the most well-rounded players in the conference.