In honor of what Razorback basketball used to be we here at The Sports Blitz will be giving you lots of lists when it comes to the Razorbacks and we will even mix in some college basketball this month. Well, this is the month of madness. We are going to start with the 10 greatest basketball teams in Arkansas basketball history.
10. 1989 This team lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to a number four seeded Louisville team. They beat Loyola Marymount 120-101 in the first round of the tournament. The results are not what made this team great, but it was the start of the greatness of Nolan Richardson's Razorbacks. Senior Keith Wilson led this team, but it was three heralded Freshman named Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, and Oliver Miller who were the catalyst of the three consecutive SWC championships and an SEC championship (25-7, 13-3)
9. 1993 This team was led by a Senior named Darrell Hawkins. This guy stepped his game up to lead these baby hogs to the Sweet 16 and a loss to the eventual National Champion North Carolina 80-74. They gave them all they wanted in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Much like the 1989 team this team was the year before greatness. A couple of Freshman had huge impacts on this team. Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman. Most people forget that it was Thurman that had the biggest impact his Freshman year because Williamson was hurt for half the year. These Hogs finished (22-9, 10-6) not great, but they did post a victory at Arizona. Had they beaten North Carolina the 1993 team might have made a run at the national championship.
8. 1983 Eddie Sutton started this tradition in the modern era in baskeball. This is one of Arkansas 10 sweet 16 appearances. This team is not one of Arkansas many conference champions though. There was a team called the Houston Cougars had future NBA Hall of Famers Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, but Arkansas gave them some battles. Many of these battles were led by a Notre Dame transfer Joe Klein. Arkansas lost a heart breaker to tournament foe Louisville 65-63 in the sweet 16 as a four seed. This team finished (26-4, 14-2).
7. 1977 This was another team that was before greatness (1978 final four). Have you ever heard of Sidney Moncrief, Marvin Delph, and Ron Brewer? These are the guys that started it all under Eddie Sutton. The only thing about this team is they lost in the first round of the tournament to Wake Forest, but they finished (26-2). The reason they get to be up in the greatest they were the only undefeated (16-0) in conference.
6. 1979 The 1979 team went (25-5, 13-3) and after their final four appearance in 1978 they felt like they could win the whole thing. This was a very good team and went to the tournament as a two seed. Only problem was they had to play a one seeded Indiana State and in that year they had a guy named Larry Bird. In one of the greatest games of all-time in Hog basketball history Larry Bird hit a two pointer (no threes back then) to put the dagger in the hearts of the Hogs. ISU wins 73-71. That shot sent Bird and ISU to the Final Four where they ran into Michigan State and Magic Johnson. Many think that had Bird not hit that shot the Hogs might have been the champs this year.
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