Phi Slama Jama, Jimmy V, and Calipari Returns to the Garden

Could unheralded Hogs recreate Valvano's magical run through March Madness?

North Carolina State coach Jim Valvano celebrates his team's victory over No 1-ranked Houston in the 1983 Final Four in Albuquerque, N.M. NC State defeated Houston 54-52 for one of the biggest upsets in Final four history. / Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

This will be the fourth Jimmy V Classic for Arkansas coach John Calipari, who brought his UMass team to the first one in 1995 at The Meadowlands just minutes from New York City and beat Georgia Tech 75-67. On Tuesday night, his Razorbacks will take on red-hot Michigan in Madison Square Garden in midtown Manhattan.

The Jimmy V Classic is named for, and honors, the legacy of coach Jim Valvano. He was an exuberant product of Queens, one of New York City's five boroughs. Valvano died of cancer at age 47 in 1993, 10 years after winning one of the most improbable national championships ever.

The Classic and the V Foundation raise money and awareness for cancer research. To date, the V Foundation for Cancer Research has funded over $353 million in cancer research grants. To give, click here.

Valvano famously led his unheralded North Carolina State team on an unexpected run through the ACC and NCAA tournaments, winning nine straight games. Before the ACC tourney, the Wolfpack had finished with an 8-6 record in the powerful ACC and was 17-10 for the season, figuring to get an NIT bid.

The ACC featured stars like three-time national Player of the Year Ralph Sampson and Michael Jordan. But NC State won the ACC tourney to earn the automatic NCAA berth. Shockingly, the Wolfpack beat Sampson's Virginia team in both tournaments, by a total of five points.

Once the Wolfpack had won five straight NCAA Tournament games in what was truly March Madness, they found themselves up against the No. 1 Houston Cougars in the championship game. Almost nobody gave NC State a chance against the might Coogs.

Houston was nicknamed Phi Slama Jama -- as in the world's tallest fraternity -- because of its high-flying offense that featured one highlight slam dunk after another. Houston had two future Hall of Famers -- center Hakeem Olajuwon and guard Clyde Drexler, and a third NBA first-round pick in forward Michael Young. In all, six players were drafted from that 1983 Houston juggernaut.

Arkansas was 26-4 that season and No. 9 in the final poll before the NCAAs. The Hogs were 14-2 in the Southwest Conference, losing twice to Houston but to no other team. The Cougars were 16-0 in the SEC and 31-3 at season's end.

The Razorbacks and coach Eddie Sutton also featured three No. 1 NBA picks on their 1983 squad: Darrell Walker, Alvin Robertson and Joe Kleine. Walker went to the Knicks in 1983, Robertson to the Spurs in '84, and Kleine to the Kings in '85.

The NBA conducted a 10-round draft back in the '80s, quite different than today's more sensible two-rounder. Arkansas' Leroy Sutton was an eighth-round pick of the Mavericks in '84 and Charles Balentine went in the sixth to the Kings.

The 1983 Hogs lost 65-63 in the Sweet 16 to Louisville, the top seed in the Mideast Regional and ranked No. 2 behind Houston. Louisville reached the Final Four and lost 94-81 to Houston, just another reason the Coogs were a heavy favorite to cut down the nets.

Arkansas has a connection to that Louisville team as Milt Wagner, the Cardinals' 6-foot-5 combo guard, is the grandfather of Razorback sophomore DJ Wagner. Milt helped lead the 1986 Louisville team to the national championship and his son Dajuan played for Calipari at Memphis before becoming the sixth pick in the 2002 NBA draft.

Back in 2022, Camden High School junior DJ Wagner was the South Jersey Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Now a sophomore at Arkansas, DJ Wagner is the son of Dajuan Wagner and the grandson of Milt Wagner, both legendary Camden players who went on to play in the NBA. / Courier-Post-USA TODAY NETWORK

In case you forgot or weren't born yet, Houston didn't win the 1983 championship. Nor did Houston win it the next season, losing in the finals for a second straight season, this time to Georgetown in a battle that featured Olajuwon against another Hall of Fame center, Patrick Ewing.

Fans still wonder how Houston failed to win in '83. Personal opinion is Valvano badly outcoached Houston Hall of Famer Guy Lewis, who made several mistakes; perhaps the worst was leaving Drexler in late in the first half to be whistled for his fourth foul.

Obviously, NC State had talent but the Wolfpack also combined a strong belief -- that the fiery Valvano fueled -- with a game plan that controlled tempo and frustrated mighty Houston. NC State pro picks were first-round forward Thurl Bailey plus guards Sidney Lowe (second round) and Dereck Whittenburg (third). Whittenburg and Lowe had been friends and teammates since junior high, giving them a special chemistry.

It still took a miracle finish -- like the V Foundation hopes for in the fight against cancer -- for North Carolina State to prevail. Whittenburg's 35-foot desperation heave was short of the rim but famously put through the net by Lorenzo Charles as the final buzzer sounded. It's the most famous dunk in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

Can Calipari's Arkansas team create similar magic in his first season in Fayetteville? Not likely. Can they at least handle Michigan in Tuesday's Garden party? If so, it'll be an important stepping stone for the Hogs as Calipari needs to see this team mature in a hurry.

Michigan is the last marquee opponent before the Hogs start SEC play Jan. 4 at Tennessee. Tipoff for the Razorbacks and Wolverines is 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Arkansas' next three games before SEC play are against Central Arkansas, North Carolina A&T and Oakland, the Michigan school that knocked Calipari's Kentucky team out of last season's NCAA tourney. That upset isn't as famous as Valvano's miracle run in '83 but I guarantee that coach Cal hasn't forgotten.

HOGS FEED:

• Red Raiders coach has lifelong tie to Hogs' program

• Looking at who will still be with Hogs for Liberty Bowl | Locked on Razorbacks

• Calipari hopes honesty will wake Arkansas up in December

• Razorbacks lose sophomore linebacker to transfer portal

• Hogs' offensive transfer portal board boasts promising targets

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