The Decade's Best: 5-3

I'm sure the order of the teams so far has been debated by some, and I have some admissions to make.

First, time has played a role in how I have doled out points. For example, 2008 Kansas may turn out to look better on paper years from now using my formula, because players that were stars on that team may become NBA stars as well. Second, splitting hairs between great teams is tough to do. I had to come up with some defining characteristics of a "great" team, and future NBA stardom was the best I could come up with. So a solid 30-4 Maryland team led by Juan Dixon and Steve Blake are seemingly punished for not being as good as, say, Al Horford in the NBA. Finally, this isn't a this-team-could-beat-that-team type of list. There are factors contributing to the final product, and they are entirely at my discretion.

With that being said, this is MY list. If you don't like it, make your own! I'll be more than happy to debate it with you, because this stuff is fun... Here are numbers 5-3:

5.) 2009 North Carolina 34-4 (+7): The bullseye was squarely on the back of the '08-09 Heels, and they totally lived up to the billing. Aside from getting everyone's best shot, they were the consensus favorite to win it all, and they did not disappoint. A dismantling of Michigan State in the title game left no doubt as to who was the best, but the lack of a superstar on the NBA level hurts them for now. Maybe one day Ty Lawson or Tyler Hansbrough will reach their potential and move this team further up the list.

4.) 2005 North Carolina 27-4 (+7): This team was one of my favorites. They beat a 37-2 Illinois team led by Deron Williams, and sent four players to the NBA draft. The only reason they are ranked so low is because with all that talent, it blows my mind that none of the stars on the team have translated to stardom in the NBA. Their road to the Final Four is what breaks the tie with the '09 team. In their region were perrenial powers UConn, Kansas, Florida, and Villanova.

3.) 2007 Florida 35-5 (+9): I created the bullseye factor for special teams like these Gators. After their magical 2006 run, the return of all their studs made Florida the favorite to win it all. They receive bonus points for the NBA stardom of Al Horford and Joakim Noah (yes, averaging a double-double is considered stardom) and the bullseye factor. The only negative points were because of the five losses, which come from getting everyone's best.

Numbers 2 & 1 will be up tomorrow, but you can put the pieces together to decide who they are. I'll try to bring good evidence to support my choices, but for now I'll leave it up for debate!

Hog Talk Episode 5

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The Decade's Best: 10-6

Ok, let me preface this entire list with a few bits of information.

First, each of these teams are national champions, so we all know each of them were very good. I had to differentiate between them in some way, so I came up with a simple formula. Everyone starts out even, then can receive bonus points or deductions.

+5 for the "Bullseye" factor- Meaning the team came in to the season highly regarded and expected to win, and were able to win it all with the added pressure.

+3 for current NBA stars- The most subjective of the bonuses, I see Carmelo Anthony as the biggest star of all the players on these teams, and while Steve Blake, Mike Dunleavy, and Maurice Peterson are all serviceable NBA players, they are not in the league of Anthony, Carlos Boozer, or Ben Gordon.

+2 for conference strength- The Big East is king these days, but it wasn't long ago the ACC was the dominant conference. These two conferences will receive bonuses.

-2 Overall record- The more consistent a team can be throughout the year, the more impressive their winning looks. So the conference strength and record should balance out the tough conference schedules of several of these teams. Any more than 4 losses and the team loses 2 points.

So teams 10-6 are as follows, feel free to disagree!

10.) 2000 Michigan State 26-7 (-2): No NBA bonus and a -2 for losing 7 games take a very good team to a -2 on the scale.

9.) 2003 Syracuse 30-5 (+1): Carmelo single handedly won the championship and gives the team 3 bonus points to offset the -2 for losing 5 games.

8.) 2002 Maryland 30-4 (+2): Juan Dixon and Steve Blake carried a very good team through a rugged ACC, splitting with defending national champ Duke and gets the +2 for conference strength.

7.) 2008 Kansas 37-3 (+3): Six of the players from this team are headed to or already in the NBA, however Mario Chalmers is the only one of note today. His +3 bonus puts them at number 7.

6.) 2006 Florida 33-6 (+4): The team before the team, these Gators got hot at the right time and receive bonuses for the next year's NBA haul of Al Horford and Joakim Noah, and lose two points for the 6 losses.

There are many surprises to come and I am absolutely sure there will be disagreements about teams we will put 1-5. Let us know what you think, because the subjectivity of this list will lend to plenty of debate!

The Decade's Best (2000-2009)

Photo Courtesy glengarvin.com

We found that many of our readers enjoyed the list of best Arkansas Razorback basketball teams ever, so we have an idea to get a little interaction with you all again.

In honor of March Madness and the NCAA tournament starting this Thursday, we want to know; who is the best NCAA Tournament Champion of the past 10 years?

Give us some information supporting your pick, and please take the time to sign in with a Google account and post comments on this blog or on Facebook so we can have some feedback.

A little teaser: Brad said his team of the decade was 2001 Duke, with Carlos Boozer, Jay Williams, Shane Battier, Chris Duhon, and Mike Dunleavy...

So let the debate begin. Do your research and give us your pick!

Here are the champs:

2000-Michigan State
2001-Duke

2002-Maryland

2003-Syracuse

2004-Connecticut

2005-North Carolina

2006-Florida

2007-Florida

2008-Kansas

2009-North Carolina

The Greatest Hog Basketball Team of All-Time #1

10.  1989

9.  1993

8.  1983

7.  1977

6.  1979

5.  1990

4.  1995

3.  1978

2.  1994

1.  1991:  This is the greatest Hog basketball team of all-time and there are reasons for it.  No they didn't win the championship and no they didn't even go to the Final Four.  What they did do is blow a 17 point halftime lead to Kansas, who ended up losing in the championship game that season, in the elite eight.  What they did do is average 99.7 points per game.  Another thing they did was become the first of two number one seeds in Arkansas history.  

This team was loaded.  They had Todd Day a lottery pick. Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller who were all drafted in the first round.  Then Isiah "Butch" Morris was drafted in the second round of the NBA draft.  So they had four guys that were drafted in the starting lineup.  They won the most games in Razorback basketball history and the even beat Duke who ended up winning the national championship in the preseason NIT.  When it comes down to pound for pound who is the greatest team in Arkansas Razorback basketball history it would be hard to argue against this team.  1991 might have been the greatest year ever in college basketball.  

For the sake of comparison lets take a look at the 1991 team vs. the 1994 team:

1991

1.  Arlyn Bowers

2.  Lee Mayberry (even though he was a point guard too)

3.  Todd Day

4.  Isiah "Butch" Morris

5.  Oliver Miller

1994

1.  Corey Beck

2.  Clint McDaniel

3.  Scotty Thurman

4.  Corliss Williamson

5.  Dwight Stewart

Arlyn Bowers vs. Corey Beck Adv. 1994:  I would give the advantage to the 1994 team in this matchup because Beck was 6'3"  to Bowers being 5'10."  Bowers was tough but Beck was tougher.  Beck was the glue that held the 1994 team together.  It seemed like these two were clones of each other. Beck was actually a bigger Arlyn Bowers.  With the other guys on this team Bowers didn't have to be special all he had to do is play tough hard nosed defense and that's what he did.

Lee Mayberry vs. Clint McDaniel Adv 1991:  Clint McDaniel was supposed to be the new Lee Mayberry as both of these guys came to Arkansas from Tulsa.  As good as Clint was he was no Mayberry.  In fact, if you ranked top 10 players in Arkansas basketball history Lee Mayberry is probably in the top five.  If not he's top 10 without a doubt.  McDaniel was much like what Robert Shepherd was for the Hogs tough hard nosed defender.  Mayberry was an all around superstar.  He ranks in the top five in Arkansas history in points, steals, assists, and three pointers made.  This guy was sick.  

Todd Day vs. Scotty Thurman Adv. 1991:  Yes Scotty Thurman hit the biggest shot in Arkansas history. If there are 10 seconds left in the game you probably give Thurman the advantage, but Day could get it done too.  If we are talking the other 39:50 of the game Day has to have the advantage. He was just better than Thurman there really is not a whole lot more to be said about it.  Day, 1992 first round pick to the Bucks.  Thurman undrafted.  Todd Day is the all-time leading scorer in Arkansas history.  There is one argument against Todd Day being the greatest Arkansas player of all-time and that's Sidney Moncrief.  

Corliss Williamson vs. Isiah "Butch" Morris Adv. 1994:  Morris was one of the greatest juco guys Arkansas has ever signed, but Corliss Williamson is the top three in all-time Arkansas Razorbacks, and the only Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four award winner in Arkansas history.  Morris was good and did a great job of filling the role that he was supposed to but Corliss is the "Big Nasty."  The advantage is not as lopsided as one would think because of sheer talent, but in all fairness Corliss takes this one.  

Dwight Stewart vs. Oliver Miller Adv. 1991:  This advantage is a decided one.  Dwight Stewart was a good player on a great team.  Oliver Miller was a great player on a great team.  Miller dominated the inside in his three years in the SWC and did the same to the SEC as the Hogs transitioned conferences.  Miller did more than hold his own against a guy named Shaquille O'Neal.  You might have heard of him.  In fact, in the last game these guys played in Barnhill Arena LSU looked like they might get a victory against the Hogs, but it was a blocked shot on Shaq by Oliver Miller that sent the game to overtime. The Hogs ended up pulling out the victory.  Oliver Miller could score, block shots, and pass.  He was a key for an Arkansas fast break with his pin point baseball passes.  This guy is probably the most underrated player in Arkansas history.  Stewart could hit the outside shot but other than that he is not even in the league of Oliver Miller.  That's three pretty decided advantages for the 1991 team versus the 1994 team.  That tells you how good this team was.  

Two of the Hogs four losses that season were to Kansas who made the championship game and UNLV, who had they completed that season undefeated would have been considered the greatest college basketball team of all-time.  

Just to give you more evidence of the greatness of the 1991 team look at these scores in the SWC tournament:

Arkansas 108 Texas A&M 61 Arkansas 109 Rice 80 Arkansas 120 Texas 89

That's a wow!  They did have one conference loss and that was at Texas to keep them from going undefeated in conference.  Their only other loss was to Arizona who ended up being a number two seed in the NCAA tournament.  

Arkansas entered the tournament as the number one seed in the Southeast Region and were expected to make a push for the title.  They started the tournament with an easy 117-76 victory over Georgia State. They then took care of Arizona State 97-90.  It was future foe Alabama in the sweet 16 and the Crimson Tide could not matchup to these Hogs Arkansas cruised to a 93-70 victory.  The third seeded Kansas Jayhawks were next.  Arkansas looked to have every advantage and stormed out to a 17 point halftime lead.  The Hogs were rolling the only problem was they forgot there was a second half.  The Jayhawks outscored the Hogs by 29 in the second half and won the game 93-81.  This was a very disappointing outcome to a season that at the very least looked as if it would end in the NCAA championship game.  It should have.  In fairness UNLV had already beaten the Hogs at Barnhill.  Arkansas would have been hard pressed to beat the Runnin Rebels, but the Rebs got knocked off by Duke who Arkansas had already beaten.  It could have been!  

Kind of crazy how one of Arkansas six final four teams was not their best team but you can see why this team was Arkansas greatest.  Arkansas finished (34-4, 15-1)

Oh yeah, by the way the 1991 team actually got to play the 1994 team in an exhibition a couple years after the championship. seriously I am not making this up.  This was a fund raiser.  The 1991 team absolutely ran the 1994 team off the court and you can see why.

This was Day, Mayberry, and Miller's junior years and the 1992 team brought everybody back, but sadly they never put it together. The Hogs came into that season as one of those favorites. But Todd Day that got in trouble and suspended for the first half of the season.  Arkansas never recovered as they could have.  The Day-Mayberry-Miller team is one of the greatest team to never win a national championship in NCAA history.

Greatest Hog Basketball teams of all time #2

10.  1989

9.  1993

8.  1983

7.  1977

6.  1979

5.  1990

4.  1995

3.  1978

I have had fun doing this and I hope you have had fun reading it.  I think the two greatest Hog teams of all time might shock you.  

2.  1994 So when you started reading this blog I bet you thought you knew exactly who number one was.  The only national champion would naturally be the best team in Hog history, as Lee Corso would say, "not so fast my friend."  Even though, this was Arkansas most special season this was not Arkansas best team.  The one thing where this team had a leg up was the ability to slow the game down or speed it up.  The Hogs scored 131 points in a game this season, but in the NCAA championship game scored 76.  This was a team that had it all, but not a lot of  NBA talent.  Corliss Williamson obviously was the best of the bunch.  He won an NBA title with the Detroit Pistons as well as a Sixth Man of the Year award, but he never reached the super stardom that he did at Arkansas.  I bet if you asked him that would be alright with him.  Most everybody thought that Scotty Thurman had NBA written all over him. Especially after his game winning shot against Duke in the national championship game.  He declared for the draft after his junior year at Arkansas but did not get drafted.  He had made a couple NBA summer league teams, but never made a roster.  Corey Beck played with the Charlotte Hornets more than once but never was on the roster for a full year.  

That being said this Arkansas team was exactly that a team.  Beck was a gritty floor general.  Thurman was smooth and could score from anywhere and any way you wanted him to.  Williamson was unstoppable down low.  Arkansas had great role players too.  Dwight Stewart did a little bit of everything but would shock you with his outside shooting abilities.  Then Clint McDaniel was a defensive stopper who could hit the three.  Arkansas had players like Darnell Robinson, Lee Wilson, Davor Rimac, Roger Crawford,  Alex Dillard, Ken Biley, and Elmer Martin coming off the bench.  Most of whom could have started for many teams in the country.  Arkansas three losses came to SEC teams.  Mississippi State beat Arkansas by one at the Hump and Alabama beat Arkansas by two at Coleman Coliseum.  Kentucky got Arkansas by 12 in the SEC tournament.  Other than that the Hogs ran over the competition.  One of the more memorable games of that season was Arkansas drubbing of Missouri on ESPN.  The Hogs beat Missouri 120-68 and Missouri ended up being a number one seed in the NCAA tournament.  They weren't the only team to get pounded by the Hogs that year.  

One of the many things that made 1993-1994 a special season is that Arkansas opened their new basketball palace.  Barnhill Arena was a tough place to play, but Bud Walton Arena was and still is one of the best on campus facilities in the nation.  The Hogs protected their house with an undefeated record.  People knew coming into this season that Arkansas had the opportunity to do special things.  Arkansas spent nine weeks that season at the top of the AP and coaches polls.  They were just good.

Arkansas didn't have a whole lot to play for in the SEC tournament they knew they were a one seed and their focus was not the SEC tournament.  They were focused on the national championship.  Arkansas started their special run with North Carolina A & T.  The Hogs slept walked through that game winning 94-79.  The Hogs then drew Georgetown with a Freshman named Allen Iverson and a guy who had all but signed with the Hogs named Othella Harrington.  The Arkansas Georgetown game was very chippy.  Arkansas and Georgetown got into a fight and the Hogs lost a key component of their championship team that game, Roger Crawford.  Arkansas won a pretty hotly contested game 85-73.  The Hogs moved on and beat a Tulsa team coached by Tubby Smith 103-84.  Arkansas then moved on to the Fab 5 minus one  (Chris Webber) and Michigan the Hogs showed the Wolverines that they meant business with a 76-68 victory.  The Hogs moved on to the Final Four in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The Hogs were joined by SEC foe Florida, Duke, and Arizona.  The Razorbacks met the Arizona Wildcats and Damon Stoudamire.  This contest was hotly contested but Corliss Williamson dominated the Wildcats and the Hogs were able to pull out a 91-82 victory. 

 It was the on to Duke.  Arkansas had lost to Duke in the 1990 final four 97-83, but had beaten the Blue Devils in the preseason NIT final in 1991 98-88.  This was a whole new group of players on both teams except Duke still had Grant Hill.  The previous two times the Hogs met Duke they were the underdog but this time the Hogs were the favorite.  Duke led by Hill gave Arkansas all they wanted.  The Blue Devils even took a 10 point second half lead 48-38, but Arkansas battled back.  Arkansas and Duke rocked back and forth and with the game tied at 70 Scotty Thurman hit the biggest shot in the history of the program.  With 51 seconds left in the game and as the shot clock hit zero Scotty Thurman's sky scraping three pointer went through the net.  The shot, as Arkansas fans like to call it, clinched Arkansas first ever national championship in men's basketball.  

Arkansas finished (31-3, 14-2) they were only three points away from an unbeaten regular season.  They finshed as SEC regular season champs.  These Hogs were special!

Greatest Hog Basketball teams of all time 3-5

In case you don't want to look below to see 6 - 10 here it is:

10.  1989

9.  1993

8.  1983

7.  1977

6.  1979

5.  1990 Coming in at number five is one of Arkansas six final four participants (1941, 1945, 1978, 1994, and 1995).  1990 was a special year because you could see Nolan Richardson building this team toward greatness and this was the first glimpse.  This team went (30-5, 14-2) but was only a number four seed going in the tournament due to the disrespect of the SWC at the time. This Arkansas team was as high as number three in the associated press and coaches polls.

 Arkansas took out Princeton in a battle of contrasting styles 68-64.  The Hogs then took on a game 12 seeded Dayton team.  The Flyers gave the Hogs all they wanted, the Razorbacks squeaked by with an (86-84) win.  This was definitely an upset bracket as number eight seeded North Carolina beat number one seeded Oklahoma and number two seeded Purdue lost to ten seeded Texas then three seeded Georgetown got beat by number six Xavier all in the second round.  Arkansas went on to blowout North Carolina 96-73, and then got to take on old SWC foe Texas in the regional final.  (You can see that game on my facebook page)  Arkansas squeaked out a 88-85 victory to head to it's first final four since 1978.  There they met Duke.  The Blue Devils got the best of the Hogs that year with a 97-83 victory.  This set up the Hogs to be one of the favorites in 1991 to win the national championship.  

4.  1995 The Hogs came into the season as the favorite to win the national championship again.  UMass, led by John Calipari and Marcus Camby, thumped the Hogs in the opener of the college basketball season.  That game set a tone for the early season struggles of the Hogs.  Arkansas lost five of it's first 22 games.  Yes, 17-5 we would take now, but this team was expected to be one of the greatest of all-time, this was not expected.  The Hogs recovered after a bad first half at Vanderbilt they stormed back to win that game which set them on an 11 game winning streak.  Arkansas played themselves into the conversation of a number one seed.  They played Kentucky in an all-time great SEC final and basically a play in game for a number one seed.  Arkansas jumped all over Kentucky, but the Wildcats were able to come back to force overtime.   The Hogs jumped out to a nine point lead in overtime, but again the Cats came back and this time took the victory 95-93.  

Arkansas entered the NCAA tournament as a number two seed.  The Hogs let 15 seeded Texas Southern take them to the wire and have a last second shot to win but it fell short.  Then seven seeded Syracuse had a phantom timeout or Arkansas gets beat in the second round.  Rivals Memphis and Arkansas met in the sweet 16.  Like the previous two games the Hogs had an early lead.  It looked as if the Hogs were going to go down but Scotty Thurman saved the game in overtime and the Hogs were victorious.  Arkansas won in the elite eight and it was a relatively easy game.  

The Hogs then took on the University of North Carolina with Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, but the Hogs were the defending National Champion.  The Hogs played like it for a half and Corliss Williamson schooled Wallace.  The momentum was seized when Dwight Stewart hit a 65 footer right before halftime the Hogs never looked back (75-68).  This set a meeting with UCLA.  UCLA needed a Tyus Edney miracle against Missouri to get there, but pretty much dominated the competition for the whole year.  Arkansas was no different that night.  George Zidek stymied Corliss Williamson and the Hogs could not figure out UCLA all year long.  UCLA won (89-78).  Arkansas finished the season (32-7, 12-4).  Had they repeated this would probably be considered the greatest team in Arkansas basketball history.

3. 1978 When you look at this list Arkansas' basketball history the good always comes in threes.  (1977, 1978, 1979) (1989, 1990, 1991)(1993, 1994, 1995) (Mayberry, Day, Miller) (Corliss, Scotty, Beck).  This was the start of the threes or the triplets.  Sidney Moncrief, Marvin Delph, and Ron Brewer revolutionized Arkansas basketball along with coach Eddie Sutton.  The Hogs dominated their competition going (32-4, 14-2).  The Hogs started their tournament run with a  73-52 win over Weber State.  Then Arkansas pulled the upset against all-time NCAA power, UCLA (74-70).  Then Arkansas took care of Cal State Fullerton 61-58 in the regional final to advance to the final four.  Many will say that if this team had the three point shot they would have won the national championship.  They didn't and another power Kentucky took the victory 64-59.  This was during the era of the third place game and Arkansas took third place against Notre Dame with a last second shot (71-69).  Many great teams have came and gone at Arkansas this might be the most beloved outside the national championship team.