Alex Dillard is a former professional basketball player and a member of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks 1994 NCAA champion men's basketball team. [1] [2]
Dillard was known as an excellent three-point shooter, [3] and he set a Southeastern Conference record for most three-pointers in a game (12 against Delaware State in 1993), [4] which lasted for 16 years. [5] He was known to fans as Al "3-D" Dillard, and even wore jersey #3. In addition, he was sometimes known by the nickname "Deadeye", also a recognition of his three-point shooting prowess.
The University of Arkansas is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System. Founded as Arkansas Industrial University in 1871, classes were first held in 1872, with its present name adopted in 1899.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot in 1910 to the Arkansas Razorbacks after a hard-fought battle against LSU in which they were said to play like a "wild band of Razorback hogs" by former coach Hugo Bezdek. The Arkansas Razorbacks are the only major sports team in the U.S. with a porcine nickname, though the Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas play in Division II.
Nolan Richardson Jr. is an American former basketball head coach best known for his tenure at the University of Arkansas, where he won the 1994 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and led the Razorbacks to three Final Fours. Elected to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, Richardson coached teams to winning a Division I Basketball National Championship, an NIT championship, and a Junior College National Championship, making him the only coach to win all three championships. During his 22 seasons of coaching in NCAA Division I, Richardson made a post-season tournament appearance 20 times.
Scotty Thurman is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach, perhaps best known as the Arkansas Razorbacks' shooting guard who hit the high-arcing go-ahead three-pointer with 50.7 seconds left in the 1994 NCAA basketball championship game, helping to secure Arkansas' only national title to date in a 76–72 victory over the Duke Blue Devils. That shot is referred to as the "Shot heard 'round Arkansas".
Michael Andre Anderson is an American basketball coach, most recently the head coach of the St. John's Red Storm. He came to St. John's after previously serving as head coach at UAB, Missouri and Arkansas. He also served as an assistant/associate head coach under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas for 17 years. Over his 20 seasons as a head coach, Anderson has compiled a 414–235 record, 11 20-win campaigns, 9 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 berths and a run to the 2009 Elite Eight. Anderson is one of just 3 current Division I head coaches with 15+ years of experience and no losing seasons, along with Mark Few and Tom Izzo.
Kareem Reid is a former point guard in the National Basketball Development League. He played college basketball for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, and went on to play professionally in several leagues in the United States and Europe. Reid is also a well known street-ball player in the Bronx, playing in the Rucker Park league, where he won three consecutive championships at the Entertainers Ballers Classic from 2002 to 2004.
The Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The team competes in the Southeastern Conference and is coached by John Calipari. Arkansas plays its home games in Bud Walton Arena on the University of Arkansas campus. The Razorbacks are a top-twenty-five program all-time by winning percentage (.641), top-twenty program by NCAA tournament games played, top-twenty program by NCAA Tournament games won, top-fifteen program by Final Four appearances, and despite playing significantly fewer seasons than most programs in major conferences, top-thirty by all-time wins. Under the coaching leadership of Nolan Richardson, the Hogs won the national championship in 1994, defeating Duke, and appeared in the championship game the following year, finishing as runner-up to UCLA. The Razorbacks have made six NCAA Final Four appearances.
The 1993–94 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas in the 1993–94 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. It was Nolan Richardson's ninth season as head coach at Arkansas. The Razorbacks played their home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as members of the West Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas finished the season 31–3, 14–2 in SEC play to win the West Division and regular season overall championships. The Hogs defeated Georgia in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament before losing to Kentucky in the semifinals. The Razorbacks received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the 1 seed in the Midwest Regional, their seventh straight trip to the tournament. Arkansas defeated North Carolina A&T and Georgetown to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in five years. There the Razorbacks defeated Tulsa and Michigan to earn a trip to the Final Four. It was Arkansas's fifth trip to the Final Four in program history. In the Final Four, they defeated Arizona before beating Duke in the National Championship game. Thanks to Scotty Thurman's high arching three-point shot with less than a minute to play in the national championship game, the team earned its first national championship in school history. Thurman's shot is known as the "Shot heard 'round Arkansas", and is considered one of the greatest plays in Arkansas Razorbacks sports history. Corliss Williamson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. 1993-94 is considered the greatest single season in Arkansas' one-hundred-year history of men's basketball.
The 1992–93 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference during the 1992–93 college basketball season. The head coach was Nolan Richardson, serving for his eighth year. The team played its home games in Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas. This was the last year that the Razorbacks would play in Barnhill Arena. The Razorbacks were the 1993 SEC West Division Champions. Senior guard Robert Shepherd was named 1st Team SEC, and freshman forward Corliss Williamson was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. The Hogs defeated Holy Cross and St. John's in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the NCAA tournament, before losing to eventual national champions North Carolina Tarheels in the Sweet 16. This team was dubbed "Richardson's Runts" because Dwight Stewart was the tallest player on the team at 6'9".
The Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference.
Michael Earl Neighbors is an American college basketball coach. He is currently head coach of the women's basketball team at the University of Arkansas. He moved to Arkansas, his alma mater, in 2017, after four years as head coach at the University of Washington.
The 2016–17 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Mike Anderson, and played their home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as a member of the SEC.
The 2019–20 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2019–20 season. The team was led by first-year head coach Eric Musselman, and played their home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks finished with a record of 20–12 (7–11), with junior Mason Jones earning a share of the SEC Player of the Year award and being named a consensus First-Team All-SEC player.
Derrick Isaiah Joe is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Mason Christopher Jones is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Connors State Cowboys and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
The 2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Eric Musselman and played its home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks finished second in the SEC regular season and earned a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament's South Regional. Arkansas went on to make it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1995–96 season, and then to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1994–95 season. Freshman guard Moses Moody was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, 1st Team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, and AP Honorable Mention All-American. The Razorbacks finished the season with an overall record of 25–7, 13–4 in SEC play, and finished ranked #6 in the Coaches Poll and #10 in the AP Poll. Arkansas's season ended when they lost to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight.
Wendi Wells is a girls basketball high school head coach in Shawnee, Oklahoma since 2008. Before starting her head coaching tenure, Willits had 3,345 points while playing high school basketball in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. With the Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team from 1997 to 2001, Willits had 1574 points and set an Arkansas career record with 316 three-pointers. As part of the Razorbacks, Willits and her team reached the final four during the 1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament and won the 1999 Women's National Invitation Tournament. After joining the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001, Willits and the team won the 2001 WNBA Championship. As an assistant coach, Willits worked for the University of West Georgia and Shawnee High School in the early to late 2000s.
Darrell Hawkins is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Hawkins played professionally in the United States, Europe and China.
The 2022–23 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach Eric Musselman, and played its home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 19–12, 8–10 in SEC Play to finish in a tie for 9th place. In the SEC tournament, the Razorbacks defeated Auburn in the second round before being defeated by Texas A&M in the quarterfinals. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed in the West Region. They defeated Illinois in the first round and upset No. 1 seed Kansas to reach the Sweet Sixteen. There, they were defeated by No. 4 seed, and eventual tournament champions, UConn, ending their season with an overall 22–14 record.