An ‘Elite’ Coaching Job by Eric Musselman, Staff, in Downing ’Zags

Razorbacks beat No. 1 Gonzaga with masterful game-planning from NBA-style coaching staff

Andy Hodges | Mar 24, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There's something Arkansas coach Eric Musselman has nobody seems to pay attention to come tournament time.

He's building an NBA program with Razorback basketball.

After shocking everybody with a 74-68 win over No. 1 Gonzaga on Thursday night, Musselman got the credit immediately after the game from the talking heads on the television broadcast.

This time they got it right.

Eric Musselman-Gonzaga — Kelley L. Cox / USA TODAY Sports

For somebody that coached at every professional level for years before coming to the college game, he assembled a program where just about everybody has some sort of NBA experience.

And it shows. In games the preparation shines brightly.

Give this staff enough time and they will come up with a plan that works when the players execute it.

That's exactly how the Hogs took down Gonzaga to head back to the Elite Eight for the second straight year. Musselman has Arkansas winning unlike anything seen around here for nearly 30 years.

The Hogs didn't exactly shut down Drew Timme (he had 25 points), but they frustrated him with a relentless defensive pressure from just about everybody on the floor.

They shut down the other big man, Chet Holmgren, fouling him out of the game in the second half at a crucial time.

Offensively, JD Notae resumed driving to the basket either for layups or to dish the ball to a teammate that was wide open for a shot that usually found the bottom of the net.

Notae led the scorers with 21 points, which isn't surprising. Jaylin Williams had 15 and 12 rebounds, which is what he's done the last few months on a regular basis.

But Trey Wade suddenly coming up with 15 points and seven rebounds? Nobody saw that coming.

That smacks of NBA-style preparation, which is exactly what you see from Musselman's teams all year.

Now it's paying off in recruiting. Most of these big-time guys have been told since grade school they were headed to "the league" and this Razorbacks' coaching staff can get them there.

They are starting to get a track record.

With an incoming recruiting class as good as anything in program history, this could be just the start.

That is assuming, of course, Musselman stays in Fayetteville.

But worry about that if it happens. By all appearances he's okay with coaching the Hogs, he's got a daughter in school for a few more years.

Just enjoy the ride and stop with the Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson comparisons. All three are different eras with different rules, different guidelines and different departure options.

Musselman has something special in the works.

Now he's just got another challenge Saturday against someone the Hogs probably won't be favored against one more time.

The guess is he probably likes it that way.

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Published Mar 24, 2022

ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.