Where does ESPN’s pick of an “all-time” Arkansas squad compare to other “all-time” teams in the Sweet 16?
Arkansas Basketball has seen its share of success this season thanks to sharp-shooting by JD Notae, smooth all-around efforts by Jaylin Williams, and incredible coaching by Eric Musselman.
As the Razorbacks prepare for their second straight appearance in the Sweet 16, ESPN’s Myron Medcalf has selected an all-time starting five for Arkansas, as well as every remaining team in the NCAA Tournament, and has ranked them according to collegiate production.
Based on the all-time team that the staff at ESPN put together, the Razorbacks would be the 10th best team in this year’s field.
College Basketball’s “blue bloods” such as UCLA, North Carolina, Kansas, and Duke are ranked No. 1 through No. 4 respectively, while the Razorbacks beat out the all-time teams of Providence, Iowa State, Miami, Texas Tech, St. Peters, and Thursday’s Sweet 16 opponent, Gonzaga.
Here’s a look at what ESPN calls a “tough opponent.”
- G Sidney Moncrief: AP All-America first team (1979); averaged 16.9 PPG and 8.3 RPG in four seasons at Arkansas; Southwest Conference player of the year (1979); led team to Final Four (1978)
- G Todd Day: AP All-America second team (1991); averaged 19.5 PPG for Final Four team in 1990; Southwest Conference player of the year (1991)
- F Joe Johnson: SEC freshman of the year (2000); averaged 15.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 41% from 3 in two seasons at Arkansas
- F Corliss Williamson: AP All-America second team (1994, 1995); led the team to the 1994 national title; 1995 SEC player of the year; averaged 19.0 PPG and 7.1 RPG in three years at Arkansas
- C Joe Kleine: Averaged 18.1 PPG and 8.3 RPG in three years at Arkansas (1982-85)
- Coach: Nolan Richardson (coached team to 1994 national title)
