From the SI Archives: What Was the Matter with (Ar)Kansas?

by Stephen Expat on Feb 9, 2009 3:22 PM CST in Arkansas Razorback Basketball

For many of us who suffered through Saturday's loss to Mississippi State, the game may have brought back memories of a certain 1991 NCAA Tournament defeat to Kansas. The contests followed the same pattern: In each game, Arkansas played a close-to-perfect first half and roared into halftime with a double-digit lead; then, in the second half, the wheels came off completely, and the Hogs lost by a convincing margin.

Thanks to Sports Illustrated's mighty online archive, we recently recently reacquainted ourselves with the gruesome details of that defeat to the Jayhawks in the Midwest Regional Final. Among some of the more painful specifics: the Razorbacks coughed up their 12-point halftime lead within the first four minutes of the second half. Also, Todd Day followed a 21-point first half by shooting 2 for 11 and scoring five points after intermission. That stuff, unfortunately, we more or less remembered.

What we had completely forgotten about until reading the Sports Illustrated article, however, were Oliver Miller's thoroughly obnoxious pre-game comments. Frustrated that the Hogs would be playing Kansas instead of Indiana, the Big O said the following:

"I'm disappointed. I've always wanted to play against a Bob Knight team. [Kansas has] good talent—I'm not going to downgrade any team or any coach—but I wanted to go out there and brutally beat [Indiana] with Arkansas-style ball. [But,] Kansas stepped up. Now they're going to have to take the beating Indiana was going to take."

According to the article, then-Kansas coach Roy Williams was alerted to Miller's comments by Dean Smith's secretary (Williams was once an assistant of Smith's), and Williams then told his players about them. After the game, Kansas forward Alonzo Jamison, who torched the Razorbacks for 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting from the field, told SI:

"I think about what [Miller] said, and it still gets me mad. They're disappointed they didn't get to play Indiana? Guess they're real disappointed now."

Ouch.

As amazing as that 1991 season was - a 34-4 overall record, a 15-1 conference record, a No. 2 ranking for much of the season and the mid-season showdown against UNLV - it's not a terribly good memory for me. First of all, there was the ugliness of the "dorm incident," which cast a very long and dark shadow over the SWC and NCAA Tournaments. Secondly, that wasn't a terribly likable cast of players. In particular, Day, Miller and Roosevelt Wallace - who never met a flagrant foul he didn't like - were all pretty obnoxious.

I was in college in Memphis during this era, and I would gamely try to defend these Hogs when people would talk about how hateable they were. Even then, when I was super-thin-skinned about any and all criticism of the Razorbacks, I knew deep inside that they were right. My heart was never entirely into arguing otherwise; while re-reading this article, I was reminded why.

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Is that Miller’s arm on the SI cover?

I was still a little young to fully grasp the enormity of that game and what was at stake—back to back trips to the Final Four—, but I still remember it being very disappointing.

That game took place on a Saturday, mid- to late-afternoon. Being the good Catholics that my parents are and were raising me to be, the family set out for the Saturday evening mass at halftime. It looked like the Hogs were in control, and had the game actually been a little closer, we probably would have waited until Sunday morning. Nevertheless, listening to the radio on the drive over, we heard the Hogs squander their halftime lead. After we arrived at church, the priest postponed mass while he and all the men of the parish (very small parish, mind you) stood outside and listened to the remainder of the game, which the Hogs lost going away.

As tough as that loss was, the one in the following year’s tournament was MUCH tougher.

by Sue E. Pig on Feb 9, 2009 6:21 PM CST reply actions

Great anecdote, Sue.

For me, it’s a toss-up as to which loss – Kansas in 1991 or Memphis in ’92 – was more painful. I was a student at Rhodes in Memphis when we lost to the Tigers, so part of me wants to pick that game. It was tough being surrounded by Memphis fans.

On the other hand, the ‘91 team was much deeper than the following year’s squad and had a real shot at the national championship, whereas I think the ’92 squad was too flawed to be Final Four material. Looking at it that way, the Kansas loss was more painful.

by Stephen on Feb 9, 2009 6:58 PM CST reply actions

I am old enough to remember that game and it was awful. Day really did disappear in the second half. I never understood how the 91 and 92 teams never got back to the final four. They did have talent, but the losses to Kansas and Memphis grate on me to this day. I think Nolan caught a lot of bad press in the national media for not taking the Hogs back to the final four with the Day/Miller/Mayberry group. And that led to all of his “no respect” and “we’re not smart enough — well, we’ll show you” attitude in 94 and 95.

by Tab Prewett on Feb 10, 2009 7:08 AM CST reply actions

I remember that ’91 tourney game real well.
I was 25 then, had been an avid Hog fan for many years already, and just simply knew we were going to win that game. I should have known better.

Even as talented as that team was, they were probably the most cocky and arrogant bunch I can ever remember, Especially Oliver Miller and Todd Day.
Oh yeah, speaking of Day, remember when he was completely punked out by Larry Johnson in the big regular season, 1 vs. 2 blowout? Was that actually a punch he was throwing at Johnson?…. ok?…..
Anyhow, disipline wasn’t the issue with those two. We Hog fans remember well, they had none.

Personally, I believe the later teams of ’93, ’94, and ’95 were just plain smarter, had more character, and displayed more of an understanding of what the word “team” means. ’Nough said.

by GonzoHog on Feb 10, 2009 4:51 PM CST reply actions

I was at the Kansas game and still can’t believe it. When Indiana went down on Thursday I thought we were in but Kansas was a better team. As for the Todd Day sissy punch, I think it was Darrell Hawkins from the bench who saved Day’s life by pulling him away. Those teams had a truckload of character issues but I don’t know that we’ve ever been that explosive again. Those guys could roll off 20 points quicker than any team I’ve ever seen with the obvious exception of the UNLV team of the same era.
The team from the following year just never recovered from the early season suspensions of Day, Miller, and others. Once the dorm incident occurred, it was basically over for that group. Too bad.

by Carolina Hog on Feb 11, 2009 8:56 AM CST reply actions

When all was said and done, I think the best team from that era was the one that made the Final Four: the 1990 team.

That team was basically the same as the 1991 squad, except it had Lenzie Howell and Mario Credit instead of Wallace and Morris. I think Credit was a better offensive talent than either Wallace or Morris, and Howell is probably one of the most underrated Hog players of all time. He was a great college player, plus he had the quiet, level-headed demeanor that was in somewhat short supply during the Day era.

by Stephen on Feb 11, 2009 9:07 AM CST reply actions