Chronic dancing a good bet for Hogs’ future

It is just fun.

After so many seasons of the University of Arkansas basketball team going on spring break instead of the NCAA Tournament, the Razorback Nation is excited about the prospects of a postseason that isn’t spelled NIT.

Daniel Smith, a noted dermatologist, was talking about it Tuesday. He’s just happy to be back in the hunt and competitive.

There is almost a generation of basketball fans who don’t remember when the Hog call reverberated all over the country during the NCAA Tournament. It was not unusual for hundreds to travel with the Razorbacks during March Madness.

It started with Eddie Sutton during his third season as the Razorbacks coach, when he led them to the first of nine consecutive NCAA tournaments in 1977.

After he left for Kentucky, it took Nolan Richardson a couple of seasons to get his players in place. He took the Razorbacks to 13 NCAA tournaments.

In 1994, he led the Razorbacks to the national championship and was runner-up the next season.

Those were heady times for Hog fans.

By the first of February, the discussions were not about the Razorbacks’ chances of making the field, but oftentimes whether they could secure a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

The fans always knew they would be dancing in March. Then came the drought. Stan Heath took the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament twice in his five seasons.

In 2006, they were a No. 8 seed who was beaten by big, slow Bucknell 59-55. To the frustration of the crowd, the Hogs did not press.

In 2007, they were a No. 12 seed and soundly beaten 77-60 by No. 5 Southern Cal. That was Heath’s last season.

When Dana Altman decided he didn’t really want the Arkansas job 24 hours after accepting it, a search firm was hired to find John Pelphrey at South Alabama.

In his first season, Pelphrey took Heath’s players — four starters were back — and beat a troubled Indiana in the first round before getting trounced by North Carolina 108-77.

Pelphrey never made the NCAA Tournament again and was terminated. That’s when Mike Anderson came home.

Heath, Pelphrey and Anderson were the kind of guys you would invite to your house for Thanksgiving lunch.

Anderson, who in 17 years as a head coach has never had a losing season, made the NCAA Tournament three times in eight seasons, but last year the Razorbacks finished 18-16 and lost in the NIT second round.

The lack of a long-term plan led to his departure.

Anderson took over for beloved alum Chris Mullin at St. John’s, but the team is kind of a mess.

Anyway, after an intensive search, Eric Musselman was hired.

One of the first things he did was throw the doors to the program wide open to all former players, regardless of who coached them.

He’s united the fan base and given it hope. It is obvious the Razorbacks have a chance in any game he coaches.

The players he inherited have improved. Despite a lack of depth and size, they are showing tons of heart and old-fashioned Razorback pride and passion.

Even after Tuesday’s overtime loss to Auburn, those who predict the NCAA Tournament field for a living have the Razorbacks dancing next month.

A fan base starved for some success in one of the two big sports has responded, and sellouts are becoming more frequent and the crowds more lively.

It has been too long since Razorback Nation could say with any confidence, “See you at the NCAA Tournament.” Those days are back again.