Nolan Richardson’s elite, championship teams used defense to force their opponents into bad decisions that led to quick points. The “Forty Minutes of Hell” monicker was apt. Those Hogs pressed and harassed other teams, ultimately breaking them. It was a delight to watch for Razorbacks fans.
The 2022 Hogs have a different approach, but they share the same DNA as those teams coached by Richardson: defense. Eric Musselman adapted early in the year, shifting his approach to lockdown defense rather than fast-paced, transition-dependent offense. And he used that approach to thwart the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs – a team that relied on a fast-paced, transition-dependent offense.
Josh Peter at USA Today spotted the similarities to the Nolan Era and wrote about it last night. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few certainly noticed, too.
“Their defense was pretty just tough to get any rhythm against,’’ Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after the game. “I think we never really got any sort of rhythm in the first or the second half.
“To me that was the difference in the game, and I felt like we had stretches where we guarded them pretty good. We just couldn’t get any rhythm on our offensive end, which is rare for us.’’
The Hogs get a chance on Saturday to once again turn back the clock to the mid-1990s. They’ll face Duke with a trip to the Final Four on the line. The last time these two played…