Arkansas Basketball Building a Mon$ter?
I spoke to a colleague this week that's pretty connected in the world of college basketball. He told me that while Dook has a very large NIL recruiting fund, thet are now behind Arkansas from that standpoint. Apparently Arkansas has realized that they just cannot compete with other SEC powerhouse programs in football, so they're focusing their $$$ on their basketball program.
In 2018-2019, the year prior to Eric Musselman, Arkansas went 18-16 (8-10). Here's what they've done since:
2019-2020: 20-12 (7-11)
2020-2021: 25-7 (13-4)
2021-2022: 28-9 (13-5)
Their 2022 recruiting class is ranked #2 in the country, only behind Dook. That class consists of 3 4-stars and 3 5-stars. They have also brought in 5 players through transfer portal, 11 new players on next season's roster.
And I just took a look at the 2023 NBA mock draft and they have the #3, 5, 11, and 22 predicted picks.
I can't imagine Kentucky fans are all that excited to see Arkansas beat them at their own one and done game. Will be interesting to see if these monetary efforts will result in their first Final Four since their mid-90s runs.
40 minutes of shell (out money).
not bad, +1.
This wins the board today.
Sounds like they're going whole Hog.
Changing their mascot from Razorbacks to Greenbacks?
Eddie Sutton is rolling over in his grave, knowing this kind of money is being thrown around, and what the game has turned into!
I don't know - he would probably be "shocked, shocked I tell you" this was happening a la Nicky S.
If you adjust for inflation, the bag money that Eddie Sutton handed out might be more than the current players are getting.
Eddie wouldn't understand how any of this is working. Like St Nick, this is not a part of the game that he knows and loves...
compelling and rich.
If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners.
Norman Dale
My practices aren't designed for your enjoyment.
another all time great movie
I think its about time I start playin ball again. YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I thought maybe that was Butch Jones at Tennessee - I am still shocked he got fired.
While they couldn't win on the field, his teams were Champions of Life (actually, they were most definitively not Champions of Life either).
Arkansas boosters should honestly have $$$ for both basketball and football. They have some pretty darn rich people associated with the school. Wal-Mart heirs, Jerry Jones, Tyson is HQd up there in NWA.
Shoot, an ex-President is a fan of the school too.
That's correct, there should be enough for both, and I'm sure they'll continue to try to use those funds for football. But SEC basketball is pretty low hanging fruit compared to surpassing LSU, Alabama, UGA, A&M in football, and they were smart to go after it.
Yep - they have hoops tradition, of course, as well.
Off on a tangent - Arkansas football does seem structurally limited a bit simply because of their location: one far corner of the state. That's the most wealthy corner of the state, but I've met a few people from southern Arkansas (when I used to do some work in Memphis) and they've said that people from there are just as likely to be LSU/Ole Miss fans versus Razorback fans.
One could make an argument that Arkansas would be a better fit in the Big XII. They'll remain with the SEC $$$ of course.
Interesting. As far as football recruiting is concerned, Arkansas is demographically challenged, too, relative to schools like LSU and Georgia. Even if it were more centrally located its in-state recruiting base would be limited.
On the main topic, this is the least surprising thing ever:
"..... Dook has a very large NIL recruiting fund ..."
Of course they do! They pretty obviously had one of the largest pre-NIL funds, so the model needed only slight tweaking.
Maybe they could start a new conference, they could call it the Southwest Conference.
Arkansas had success at both football and basketball through the years, so geography shouldn't limit them from at least periodic success. I'd compare their bagman network to places like Tennessee or Georgia, where they buy a shitload of talent and take a few years to reload.
It's worth noting that Musselman is also a very good coach who seems fun to play for, so it's not like $ if the only reason to go to Fayetteville. Definitely seems like Arkansas' boosters are putting their weight behind him though. That's a crazy recruiting class
In many of these cases, players have multiple opportunities with at least similar levels of benefits. Being a good coach, being someone that people like and trust, these things do matter.
If Saban weren't good, he wouldn't get all of the players he does. It's not like Auburn and Ole Miss and Tennessee wouldn't have resources to try and move in on the same guys.
Calipari seems like a nice guy, but he's a horrible coach and yet he keeps getting great talent.
I have to imagine, re: Calipari, “Come be a campus god for a year, I won’t tell you how to play, and then I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you make the league,” is a compelling pitch to some people.
AND even more noteworthy, Musselman doesn't really even have that many muscles at all. More of a lean mass kind of guy. Basically this is the case of a bald guy being named "Curly" or a fat guy being named "Slim" or your classic drive on a parkway, park on a driveway situation.
Things that make you go hmm.
I know that I'm going to sound like the old guy that I am, but how is this even fun for the team, the school, or the fans?
Yes, we all want to win.
But a team made up primarily of transfers and one and dones doesn't provide an opportunity to get to know the players, create a connection, etc.
I'm guessing most of us will never have any specific memories or fondness for CH or MD.
Winning cures everything - even hurt feelings
I feel that way as well to some extent. Obviously it's great in the short term if they win a championship and before we know that they leave after 1 year. But from a legacy/memories standpoint it would always feel unfinished, kinda like Jamal Crawford as an example.
Is it even fun driving a Lamborghini? I mean, insurance and repairs are so expensive. I'd much rather grow from the transformative experience that I could get from a 1996 Honda Accord. It builds character and integrity.
... The Michigan Difference
I wrote a letter (email I think) in 1998 when my parents were about to sell their 1990 Honda Accord, begging them to reconsider and give it to me to take to Michigan.. laying out the many many reasons why it made fiscal and logical sense.
That car did well, but eventually it broke down on the NJ Turnpike leaving me stranded in 100 degree weather on the side of the road for hours waiting for a tow. I also had no less than 9 nails in my tires that cost me a lot to repair or replace.
On the plus side, the car had freon, and man, that summbitch got cold fast!!
That makes no sense - I agree many (including me) will have no fondness for those guys, but its not because they were 1 and done. Its because while here they weren't great and didn't do great things. If this team won the B10 or the B10 tourney, or made the final four, it becomes a memorable team - particularly if they played huge roles in it.
Yes, they made the Sweet 16. Against Nova, they combined for 12 points. Against, Tennessee, they had 13... and houstan had 0.
Not dogging them at this point - just saying... this season, compared to the past 10 we've had, was not memorable for good things.
Whether you get a stud player through money cannon methods or non-money cannon methods, they are still leaving after one year anyway (if they have any type of NBA size and athleticism). The only difference is that you'll get a lot more with the money cannon method. So why would it be less fun to do it how Arkansas is doing it? Unless your goal is to get players who aren't good enough to go to the NBA, which seems like a horrible approach.
yeah, i mean, this shit happens in all big sports. OCCASIONALLY it sticks (like dabo in clemson). But for the most part, there's an upstart and either things go sour because of violations, recruiting stars not living up to lofty expectations, or coaches and players leaving - usually a combo of all.
I noticed Ark with this ascension, but I'd predict a pretty fast descent when one or all of the factors above kick in. And, as you said, Kentucky and others will find a way to get in front again.
Big difference now days is that the star (at least in his head and in the minds of his circle - ala F. Collins) back up will be on a different roster next year...
I swear every couple of years I hear about some team that's "crashing the party" and becoming a national power and more often than not they don't. Maybe it works out for Arkansas but 11 new guys on a team doesn't strike me as a recipe for immediate and unmitigated success, and while I'm sure there are rich boosters at Arkansas there aren't THAT many of them and if, say, this class of mostly freshmen and some transfers (who were okay players at their last spots but weren't great) doesn't improve much (or even regresses) on the court I'm not sure if there's going to be an endless supply of money flowing to them.
I think we're in a bit of a sugar high right now with transfers and NIL but it's going to simmer down as people start applying the same calculus they apply to other aspects of college athletics and I'd be surprised if Arkansas is able to really sustain this approach for more than a cycle or two.
"Maybe it works out for Arkansas but 11 new guys on a team doesn't strike me as a recipe for immediate and unmitigated success"
Musselman has been doing this for years, back to his Nevada days. Bringing in almost completely new teams each years via the transfer portal (before it was even as crazy as it is now), and winning conference titles each year.
Well when you sign 6!!! players, I would hope you are near the top of the rankings.
Hopefully Michigan will keep offering recruits a free hungry Howie pizza and unlimited high fives to come to Michigan instead of doing what everyone else is
Essss eeee $eeee
Not saying nothing shady is happening, but for a little context to Arkansas' improving record and change over in roster under Musselman, he did a very similar thing while he was at Nevada (his stop before Arkansas)
The Wolfpack went from 9-24 to 24-14 and CBI champs in his first season. In the next three years they won 28, 29, and 28 games, won three conference titles and made three tournaments and a sweet 16.
Musselman cleaned up in the transfer market before it became what it was now and was putting almost completely new teams together (at least as far as starters/stars go) each season.
In that group of 6 freshman in their #2 recruiting class, 3 are FROM Arkansas, including 5-star and #3 player Nick Smith and 4star Darrien Ford. The other guys are from TX, MO and AL. Again, not saying there is nothing fishing going on, but there is some context that part of the reason this class is so good is that they got the big home-state fish to stay home in Nick Smith.
Same wavelength -- Musselman is a very good coach, but two things can be true!
Is there such a thing as "something fishy"? If the NCAA doesn't care, nothing is illegal.
Also worth noting that half their class (3 players in the top 100) is from Arkansas, including the number 3 overall player. Sometimes the local talent just accumulates in fortuitous ways.
Kentucky has shown that having a lot of 5* freshman 1 and dones year in and year out makes it really hard to win without any senior leadership, but I would guess that Musselman is a better coach than Cal.
Everytime a hog makes an acrobatic dunk, it's like pigs flying. Anything is possible.
UK fan as well and been following this extensively. A lot of the UK faithful are downright pissed at Cal. Most of the fanbase are now wanting him out with the debacle this year. Rightfully so. To me, Cal is just collecting a paycheck and not giving a shit anymore. Ar-Kansas is now revving up the money engine and throwing what they can to get these top tier players. Top challengers for SEC are UT, Ark, AU. They’ll still put UK as the perennial favorite but they’re no where near the top of that list
My sister lives in Little Rock so she’s a big Hogs fan, and out of familial loyalty so am I. If they beat other SEC teams, great. Musselman appears to be a good coach.
Interesting.
It's easy to forget this now, but Arkansas was a powerhouse in the mid-90's under Nolan Richardson. That 1994 Corliss Williamson team that won the national championship (beating our Fab-Five-minus-Webber Michigan team in the process) was absolutely loaded and unstoppable. I think they lost only two games or something that entire year.