Richardson: After Gonzaga win, Hogs can win it all

SAN FRANCISCO — Nolan Richardson believes this season’s University of Arkansas basketball team can do something his 1993-94 Razorbacks did. Win a national championship. “I’m really thinking the Razorbacks can go all the way,” Richardson said. “They’re playing that well.

“If they beat Gonzaga, they can beat anybody.”

The Razorbacks (28-8) beat Gonzaga — the NCAA Tournament’s No. 1 overall seed — 74-68 on Thursday night to advance to the West Region final against Duke (31-6) tonight in Chase Center.

It will be the first time Arkansas has played Duke since the 1994 national championship game, when the Razorbacks beat the Blue Devils 76-72 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“There’s no question that having Arkansas play Duke again after all these years is exciting for me,” said Richardson, who led the Razorbacks to a 389-169 record in 17 seasons from 1986-2002 with 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, including three in the Final Four. “It’s a great matchup.

“Duke is a team that’s getting better and better. I’ve watched them play quite a few games. But on the other hand, Arkansas has gotten a lot better, too.

“The Razorbacks are much more mature, and they’re playing well at the right time.”

Arkansas is 18-3 in its last 21 games and has held its opponents to a combined 38.7% shooting in that span. Gonzaga shot 37.5%.

“The Razorbacks hang their hats on their defense, and when you do that, you can win a lot of games,” said Richardson, whose teams were known for their pressure defense. “You’re going to have some bad games offensively. That sometimes doesn’t travel with you. But you can always take your defense with you, and defense creates tempo.

“Defense is something (the Razorbacks) can always count on, and they’re never out of a ballgame, because they believe they can win.

“Believing is a big part of it.”

Mike Krzyzewski is 1,128-308 in his 42nd and final season as Duke’s coach — he announced last summer his retirement at the end of this season — but he’s 1-2 against Richardson and the Razorbacks.

Before Arkansas won the 1994 national title against Duke, the Blue Devils beat the Razorbacks 97-83 in the semifinals at the 1990 Final Four in Denver. The Razorbacks then beat the Blue Devils 98-88 in the preseason NIT in New York during the 1990-91 season.

“I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to come to Arkansas and play Duke and Mike and win a couple of those games,” Richardson said. “It was a tremendous ride, and beating Mike and his teams is part of who I am and a part of probably why I got into the Hall of Fame.”

Richardson, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, said he’s impressed with the job Eric Musselman has done in his three seasons as Arkansas’ coach.

The Razorbacks are 73-27 under Musselman and have reached the Elite Eight in back-to-back years for the first time since 1994-95 under Richardson.

“I’m so happy that Musselman has got his team to the rodeo once again,” Richardson said. “He’s done a magnificent job.

“My hat’s off to Musselman, and how he’s brought his players together and has them playing their best at the right time. Everything has fallen into place.

“I appreciate that so much, that Arkansas is back to being nationally relevant again. That makes a lot of people really happy, me included.”

Arkansas sophomore forward Jaylin Williams is averaging 10.7 points and 9.8 rebounds after having 15 and 12 against Gonzaga for his 14th double-double this season. He drew two charges against Gonzaga to give him 52 for the season and now holds the Razorbacks’ season record with 354 rebounds.

“I think Jaylin is one of the greatest all-around players in college basketball right now,” Richardson said. “He’s got such a great awareness of the game and

he can beat you in many ways.

“This guy makes everything better. He’s the glue. (JD) Notae scores, but you can’t live without Jaylin. He’s a rebounder, he’s going to give up his body for charges, he’s a great, great passer.

“He can shoot, but he’s also very unselfish. He can handle the ball. A lot of big guys, when they have the ball in their hands, they’ll cough up that bad boy. But it’s hard to get it from Jaylin.

“When things are going bad, he comes up with something good. To me, he’s one hellacious basketball player.”

Notae, an All-American senior guard, led Arkansas with 21 points against Gonzaga and is averaging 18.5. He hit 10 of 29 shots on Thursday night.

“Notae might miss some shots, but he’s got to have the green light,” Richardson said. “If you take that away from him, he probably wouldn’t be the same player.

“When he’s playing loose and free and can take you to the rack, that’s when he’s really good.”

Senior guard Au’Diese Toney, a transfer from Pittsburgh, is the Razorbacks’ lockdown defender on the perimeter.

“Toney’s a strong kid,” Richardson said. “And he’s not really a kid. He’s a man.”

Richardson called senior guard Stanley Umude “a silent killer” for Arkansas because of his clutch shooting.

“Umude has some of the toughest shots, but ones you’ve got to have,” Richardson said. “He’s the guy that steps in and gets that done a lot.”

Sophomore guard Davonte “Devo” Davis has become the Razorbacks sixth man with impact plays on offense and defense off the bench.

“I love Davis, the way he can get to the basket,” Richardson said. “When he’s on, he can really make things happen on offense.

“Defensively he’s got long arms, and he gets a lot of deflections. When he goes into the game, I feel real comfortable. I think he’s an outstanding player.”

When Arkansas beat Duke in 1994, Scotty Thurman, now the coach at Little Rock Parkview, made a 3-point shot with 50.7 seconds left and the shot clock about to expire to give the Razorbacks a 73-70 lead.

Dwight Stewart might have taken the 3-pointer for the Razorbacks, but he bobbled the ball, then got it to Thurman.

“To me, Scotty hit maybe the greatest shot in the history of Arkansas basketball, because we won the national championship,” Richardson said. “But I also have the greatest admiration for Dwight, and having presence of mind to give up the ball.

“Dwight might have taken a shot and made it or missed. Who knows? But he got the ball to Scotty. So that’s the greatest assist that I ever coached.”