For All Hogs fans who remember the 1995 Title game-Please answer

[40MinutesOfHellFOREVER]

...I remember the 1995 Title game loss against UCLA, because I was a sophmore in high school at the time (yep, I'm an old-timer on the board).  Anyway, even though I am a Kansas fan, I have always liked Nolan and the way he coached the game, so I was pulling for the Hogs BIG-TIME in that title game against UCLA.  I was actually confident that the Hogs would win that game, so I was shocked that UCLA not only won, but looked pretty dominant in doing so. 

So my question for you old-time, knowledgeable Hogs fans who remember that team AND THAT LOSS TO UCLA is this....what the heck happened?  Do you think, in retrospect that UCLA was just the better team (I remember they had Ed O'Bannon and Tyus Edney)?  OR do you think that the Hogs just played a really poor game that night?  What, specifically, about the game do you remember?  That is to say, that all these years later, what about that loss sticks out in your memory regarding why the Hogs came up short?

P.S. For some reason, I just couldn't stand that UCLA team, which made that loss even harder for me to take.  I never liked Jim Harrick, who always just looked and sounded like a huge A-Hole to me, I didn't like that big, chubby Czech center George Zidek, and I was still honked off that Mizzou let UCLA steal that 2nd round game by basically getting out of Edney's way as he took the ball 94 feet for an uncontested lay-up as time expired.  I REALLY wanted you guys to win that game. :razorback:

[Pig in the Pokey]

a freshman had the game of their life.

[40MinutesOfHellFOREVER]

a freshman had the game of their life.

PiginthePokey, can you please expand on that....I would appreciate it.  Thanks.

[Fort Dweller]

PiginthePokey, can you please expand on that....I would appreciate it.  Thanks.

Ed O'bannon had 30 pts and 17 rebs while Toby Bailey couldn't miss. 

[HogFoo]

I thought when the game started and we just stole the ball and basically ravaged tyus edney, I thought man, we got this game in the bag.    It didn't help that Corliss had probably his worst game in a long time.  I mean, George Zidek of all people shutting down Corliss??  wth!?   

Ucla had a good team.  They had a true frosh Pg Cameron Dollar come in and he played great.  He and toby Bailey had the games of their lives.  To me, where the hogs got hurt was when Clint McDaniel got hurt.  Many might not remember it.  But  McDaniel was the star of the 1st half.  He was I forget, 3/3 on 3's.  I forget how many points he had.  But, right before half, he was running towards midcourt and he crashed into Corliss hard, I mean just got flattened.  Something happened, I know it's not been pointed out very often, but his shot was off the rest of the game.  He was hurt.  I also think that Darnell Robinson's new found 3pt shooting efforts  hurt the hogs.  I remember when he hit 3 in a row earlier in the season.  I thought oh heck, he isn't gonna want to play downlow anymore now. He's going to want to try and shoot it everytime.  Anyways, it was just a combo of things.  Corliss having his worst game, and UCLA true freshman having great games.  Had Tyus Edney stayed in the game longer, we probably destroy Ucla.  If I remember correctly, isn't this the year when the NCAA had also passed the double handcheck rule that was clearly aimed at teams like Arkansas?   

I'm sure there are more who will remember more than me about it all.  That's my take on it.  I do think had we played that game 10times, the Hogs probably win it 8/10 times  because there is no way that Corliss would have had that bad of a game against Zidek more than 1 time. 

[HogFoo]

PiginthePokey, can you please expand on that....I would appreciate it.  Thanks.

It was Cameron Dollar and Toby Bailey.    Dollar came in the game early and had an awesome game.  Tyus edney had been hurt in the game against Missouri when he made a game winning shot at the buzzer to win and put them in the game against the hogs.    Early in the game, corey beck just ate his lunch, and so the cheater who was coaching UCLA at the time,  he made a decision that worked out very well.  He benched Tyus and put Dollar in for him.  That move basically is what won the game.  Well that, and Corliss having a horrible game.  Oh and Toby Bailey another freshman, that kid was grabbing every defensive rebound for them, we got no second shots.  He looked like a jumping jack out there.  grabbing everything.

[Biggus Piggus]

UCLA was great. They finished 31-2.

Ed O'Bannon (6-8 forward) and Toby Bailey (6-6 wing) murdered us. They scored 22 baskets between them. O'Bannon scored 30 points with 17 rebounds. Bailey had 26 points and 9 boards.

Their counterparts, Corliss Williamson and Scotty Thurman, had poor games. They combined for 5 baskets and 17 points. Scotty shot 2-9 and never went to the line at all.

On the defensive end, UCLA used 7-foot George Zidek to lean on Williamson the whole game. Corliss only made 3-16 shots. Had to be his worst game.

Arkansas had a lot more depth but could not wear down the Bruins. Nolan barely played his backup bigs, Darnell Robinson and Lee Wilson.

The '95 team was not a great defensive team, won games more on guile, versatility and scoring ability.

UCLA committed 20 turnovers, but Arkansas undid that with 18 of its own.

Arkansas outscored the Bruins from 3-point range 30-6, but the free throw line really hurt -- UCLA won 21-12.

From 2-point range -- inside stuff and transition -- UCLA scored 62 points to the Hogs' 36, and that erased Arkansas's outside shooting advantage.

UCLA shot 31-61 from 2-pt range and made up for a lot of misses with its 21 offensive rebounds. If you can't get a strongly positive turnover margin, the rebounds really matter.

Arkansas shot 18-37 inside the arc. Outside, 10-28, which wasn't good enough either. Only 12 offensive rebounds from all those misses.

Arkansas was a 2 seed in 1995. Getting back to the final game was a very good performance.

When you play 40MOH and can't punish an opponent that plays one guy 40 minutes and another 39 and two more 36, you're doing something wrong.

[factchecker]

Game:

Tourney Highlights:

[factchecker]

For better memories:

1994 Title Game:

94 Tourney Highlights:

[hawginbigd1]

On the defensive end, UCLA used 7-foot George Zidek to lean on Williamson the whole game. Corliss only made 3-16 shots. Had to be his worst game.


From 2-point range -- inside stuff and transition -- UCLA scored 62 points to the Hogs' 36, and that erased Arkansas's outside shooting advantage.

UCLA shot 31-61 from 2-pt range and made up for a lot of misses with its 21 offensive rebounds. If you can't get a strongly positive turnover margin, the rebounds really matter.

To me these are the things that really matter from a descriptive point of how the game played out. Now I know many who will disagree, but there is not anyway you can change my mind, our coaching staff lost this game as much or more than the players period.

We were not prepared for how much better athletically UCLA was than us, we never changed the way we played defense, and they gashed us all night long, if we had played one of our zones without attempting to overplay and trap(which I honestly understand that was our DNA) but UCLA was just too quick for it to work on them. If we had laid back and forced them to beat us from the perimeter we would have won by double digits. We never made that adjustment and they continued to get to the basket time and time again.

[Inhogswetrust]

...I remember the 1995 Title game loss against UCLA, because I was a sophmore in high school at the time (yep, I'm an old-timer on the board).  Anyway, even though I am a Kansas fan, I have always liked Nolan and the way he coached the game, so I was pulling for the Hogs BIG-TIME in that title game against UCLA.  I was actually confident that the Hogs would win that game, so I was shocked that UCLA not only won, but looked pretty dominant in doing so. 

So my question for you old-time, knowledgeable Hogs fans who remember that team AND THAT LOSS TO UCLA is this....what the heck happened?  Do you think, in retrospect that UCLA was just the better team (I remember they had Ed O'Bannon and Tyus Edney)?  OR do you think that the Hogs just played a really poor game that night?  What, specifically, about the game do you remember?  That is to say, that all these years later, what about that loss sticks out in your memory regarding why the Hogs came up short?

P.S. For some reason, I just couldn't stand that UCLA team, which made that loss even harder for me to take.  I never liked Jim Harrick, who always just looked and sounded like a huge A-Hole to me, I didn't like that big, chubby Czech center George Zidek, and I was still honked off that Mizzou let UCLA steal that 2nd round game by basically getting out of Edney's way as he took the ball 94 feet for an uncontested lay-up as time expired.  I REALLY wanted you guys to win that game. :razorback:

We simply didn't have a good shooting night. And yes Harrick was exactly as you think he was. Just ask Georgia.

[ErieHog]

Offensively, Scotty was stymied a good bit, and while our other perimeter shooters contributed, it was hard for that team to not get a contribution from their steadying hand.

UCLA's guards played extremely well,  in terms of being competitive with whatever depth we rolled out to harass them-- yes, we forced 20 turnovers, but that wasn't a huge disparity as mentioned, compared to how we flubbed away the ball.

Bailey, Zidek, and Dollar were more important in UCLA's win, than O'Bannon's huge numbers--  they kept UCLA competitive, and contested every ball, every opportunity, and every rebound on the offensive glass.

[Pigasaurus]

UCLA's big guy, Z something rode Corliss like a jockey with few calls against him.  Everyone else got hot shooting. 

[Jackrabbit Hog]

It only took 12 replies before someone blamed it on the refs.

Come on Hogville, you're slipping!!

[ShadowHawg]

Corliss was playing with a back injury. Dwight Stewart was injured during the season and missed several games. Darnell Robinson was playing with a stress fracture in in his foot. Kareem Reid had been declared ineligible so our guards rotation was light.

Even with all that, Scotty Thurman took a wide open 3 to take the lead around the 3 minute mark that toilet bowled down but came back out. Had that shot gone we would have won the game. Instead it was the last run we had.

Mostly injuries though. That team struggled nearly all the way through that tournament. Should have lost their first round game. If not for Moten calling timeout would have lost to Syracuse, etc.

[Hogimus Prime]

Thurman was off against UNC and UCLA.

The pressing and trapping played into UCLA's game.  Both O'Bannon brothers, Cameron Dollar, Tobey Bailey, and JR Henderson were athletic and wanted to run.  Dwight Stewart was matched up on Ed O'Bannon most of that night. Not good. The Hogs had no one that could match up man to ma  O'Bannon on defense.   I think I remember Harrick saying if the Hogs wouldn't have pressed and trapped the Hogs would've won. 

The 94-95 team bulked up too much in the offseason.  Most of them looked a step slow.  Tank Roninson especially.  He had foot problems all tournament long.  He plays like he did the 94 tourney Hogs win it all again. Same with Thurman.

[HogFoo]

Thurman was off against UNC and UCLA.

The pressing and trapping played into UCLA's game.  Both O'Bannon brothers, Cameron Dollar, Tobey Bailey, and JR Henderson were athletic and wanted to run.  Dwight Stewart was matched up on Ed O'Bannon most of that night. Not good. The Hogs had no one that could match up man to ma  O'Bannon on defense.   I think I remember Harrick saying if the Hogs wouldn't have pressed and trapped the Hogs would've won. 

The 94-95 team bulked up too much in the offseason.  Most of them looked a step slow.  Tank Roninson especially.  He had foot problems all tournament long.  He plays like he did the 94 tourney Hogs win it all again. Same with Thurman.

Harrick did say that if we hadn't of pressed and played some zone, we would have beat them by double digits.  Running and pressing actually helped UCLA a lot with the guys they had on that team.  I agree with an earlier post.  Part of me does put it on the coaching staff in that they were stubborn and didn't adjust and change defenses. 

[SPAL]

Ty edney going the length of the court against Mizzou in Boise is what happened.

[PORKULATOR]

a freshman had the game of their life.

This ^^^^^

[zebradynasty]

Corliss always had problems with taller longer athletic type post players. UCLA kept him bottled up that pretty much was it. The 1995 struggled at times all year wasn't the methodical machine like team of 1994. Still they had a huge target on their back and often times get overlooked for getting to the Championship game.

[jgphillips3]

I remember them throwing over the press down the length of the Court over and over and over and over...and Nolan still sticking with the damn press.  If we had played half court D, we would have won going away.  As it was, they did eventually begin to wear down but the game ended.  If there had been four more minutes, we may have won.  If was just a horrible game all around for Arkansas to be honest...and the last moment of Nolan's glory days.

[Biggus Piggus]

The 94-95 team bulked up too much in the offseason.  Most of them looked a step slow.  Tank Roninson especially.  He had foot problems all tournament long.  He plays like he did the 94 tourney Hogs win it all again. Same with Thurman.

Good points and accurate too.

[HogInThaGrove]

O'Bannon had 10pts more than his average and doubled his rebounding average. 

Bailey had 16pts more than his average and doubled his rebounding average.

We ran into a buzzsaw and a team that was better prepared than we were.  I wouldn't say that a lot with Nolan teams, but he got out-coached in this game.  UCLA's strategy of beating the press and having their big man lean on Corliss all game just took us all out of sorts.  And with their big man being able to play 1 on 1 with Corliss and him not being a big scoring threat in the game, it allowed their guards not to have to double team and stymied our outside game.  Corliss was a terrific inside/outside passer, but when he wasn't getting double teamed and nobody was open for 3's or cutting, he tried 1 on 1 moves and had a very bad game.  Scotty was extremely un-aggressive and pretty much nobody had their "A" game at a very bad time.  UCLA was good, but that was a once or twice a season very bad game for us...just came at the wrong time. 

[monty hawg]

Someone correct me if I remember incorrectly.  Didn't Coach Richardson take some of the blame a few years later because he wan not emotionally in the game.  He went on to say that their had been a luncheon the day of the game where they honored his daughter that died.  And, I don't think he threw any of the team under the bus for all of the things that have been pointed out by other posters.

[phadedhawg]

It was a painful game to watch.  I was a junior in high school but I've blocked most of it out.  I've never rewatched it or watched highlights from it all these years later. 

The whole tourney was painful, the Syracuse game in particular.  The regular season had been a slugfest too.  We got every team's best shot night in and night out it felt like.  By the time it was over I was kind of thankful. 

[hogsanity]

Didn't the 95 team have to survive a last second shot by Texas St in the 1st round?

[farfromgroovins]

It was a painful game to watch.  I was a junior in high school but I've blocked most of it out.  I've never rewatched it or watched highlights from it all these years later. 

The whole tourney was painful, the Syracuse game in particular.  The regular season had been a slugfest too.  We got every team's best shot night in and night out it felt like.  By the time it was over I was kind of thankful.

Arkansas 79, Texas Southern 78
Arkansas 96, Syracuse 94 (OT)
Arkansas 96, Memphis 91 (OT)
Arkansas 68, Virginia 61
Arkansas 75, North Carolina 68
UCLA 89, Arkansas 78

The first round game was a struggle.....and the 2nd.....and the 3rd.....

I agree, all season teams had taken their best shot at the defending National Champs. I remember the close calls in the tournament and then thought it was all good after we handled NC in the semi-final. I thought, "We're back!" but the balloon soon deflated

Everyone has pretty much stated what happened that night so you have to move on and just appreciate the whole era of Razorback bball then. Quite an accomplishment to go to back-to-back NC games. When you mention 90s college bball......Duke, UNLV, Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina......we were there!

[farfromgroovins]

Didn't the 95 team have to survive a last second shot by Texas St in the 1st round?

I think we had free throws at the end to give us the lead. I keep thinking Dwight was on the line in the closing seconds.

[phadedhawg]

Arkansas 79, Texas Southern 78
Arkansas 96, Syracuse 94 (OT)
Arkansas 96, Memphis 91 (OT)
Arkansas 68, Virginia 61
Arkansas 75, North Carolina 68
UCLA 89, Arkansas 78

The first round game was a struggle.....and the 2nd.....and the 3rd.....

I agree, all season teams had taken their best shot at the defending National Champs. I remember the close calls in the tournament and then thought it was all good after we handled NC in the semi-final. I thought, "We're back!" but the balloon soon deflated

Everyone has pretty much stated what happened that night so you have to move on and just appreciate the whole era of Razorback bball then. Quite an accomplishment to go to back-to-back NC games. When you mention 90s college bball......Duke, UNLV, Arkansas, Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina......we were there!

Yikes...I remember it was brutal but wow...that was a tough stretch of games.

[hogsanity]

Yikes...I remember it was brutal but wow...that was a tough stretch of games.

Won the Syracuse game, or maybe it was Memphis because they called a To they did not have and got T'd up too. They were darn lucky to make it to the final, or even just the sweet 16.

[phadedhawg]

It was Syracuse with the technical timeout

[ShadowHawg]

O'Bannon had 10pts more than his average and doubled his rebounding average. 

Bailey had 16pts more than his average and doubled his rebounding average.

We ran into a buzzsaw and a team that was better prepared than we were.  I wouldn't say that a lot with Nolan teams, but he got out-coached in this game.  UCLA's strategy of beating the press and having their big man lean on Corliss all game just took us all out of sorts.  And with their big man being able to play 1 on 1 with Corliss and him not being a big scoring threat in the game, it allowed their guards not to have to double team and stymied our outside game.  Corliss was a terrific inside/outside passer, but when he wasn't getting double teamed and nobody was open for 3's or cutting, he tried 1 on 1 moves and had a very bad game.  Scotty was extremely un-aggressive and pretty much nobody had their "A" game at a very bad time.  UCLA was good, but that was a once or twice a season very bad game for us...just came at the wrong time.

Disagree.

Before the game, Coach K was a guest on the pregame show and they asked him who he thought was going to win. He said UCLA because Arkansas looked tired to him.

That is exactly what the game looked like. They were faster end to end and quicker to loose balls nearly all night.

There isn't a strategy out there to make up for that.

[Pig in the Pokey]

with 4 minutes left down 7 and Beck at the line for a 1-1, we were 10-18 from the line and he missed the firsat one. We left a lot of points on the free throw line that day, amongst all the other stuff.

[parallaxpig]

They did not play well thru out tourney. Almost became first 1 seed to lose to a 16. I believe they won by one. Lucked out against Syracuse. Syracuse called a timeout ( which they did not have) in last seconds which sent hogs to free throw line to shoot technical. They pulled that one out.  I just think it caught up with them in title game.

[Jborohog09]

Highlights from those nail-biting wins:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNli0A6bY-0&t=18s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIgYOOq7jP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGx330i_6KQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa89nS1-078

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJzj9pKmyIo

[Jborohog09]

They did not play well thru out tourney. Almost became first 1 seed to lose to a 16. I believe they won by one. Lucked out against Syracuse. Syracuse called a timeout ( which they did not have) in last seconds which sent hogs to free throw line to shoot technical. They pulled that one out.  I just think it caught up with them in title game.

Hogs were a 2 seed going in.  Thankfully Texas Southern missed the third of three free throws that would have tied it late.

[PonderinHog]

They did not play well thru out tourney. Almost became first 1 seed to lose to a 16. I believe they won by one. Lucked out against Syracuse. Syracuse called a timeout ( which they did not have) in last seconds which sent hogs to free throw line to shoot technical. They pulled that one out.  I just think it caught up with them in title game.

Pretty sure we were a two seed.

[Razorbackers]

Ed O'bannon

And now this guy is the reason we don't have NCAA video games.

He is the WORST lol

[parallaxpig]

Pretty sure we were a two seed.

Thx for correction........just remember it was going to be embarrassing if we lost and it went down to the wire.

[phadedhawg]

Thx for correction........just remember it was going to be embarrassing if we lost and it went down to the wire.

The year we won we were a 1 seed and we didn't exactly cover ourselves with glory in our first round game against NC A&T.  We won going away 94-79 and even though I don't remember specifics I know that game felt very tense and tight down the stretch.  I thought we were going to be the first to lose to a 16.

[Biggus Piggus]

The year we won we were a 1 seed and we didn't exactly cover ourselves with glory in our first round game against NC A&T.  We won going away 94-79 and even though I don't remember specifics I know that game felt very tense and tight down the stretch.  I thought we were going to be the first to lose to a 16.

I never thought that in the least, but it was sluggish. We led by 4 at half. The elder Jeff Capel was coach at NC A&T that season before going to Old Dominion. They had good, tough guards and a wing player we couldn't handle. We fouled almost twice as much as they did, and they made almost all of their free throws. If A&T had had any inside game at all, we would have been in trouble. It's not often a 1 seed is outscored by 10 at the line.

[razorcash2]

UCLA came to play, and our two biggest stars had one of their worst nights.

[Fort Dweller]

And now this guy is the reason we don't have NCAA video games.

He is the WORST lol

Fugg him

[hogsanity]

I never thought that in the least, but it was sluggish. We led by 4 at half. The elder Jeff Capel was coach at NC A&T that season before going to Old Dominion. They had good, tough guards and a wing player we couldn't handle. We fouled almost twice as much as they did, and they made almost all of their free throws. If A&T had had any inside game at all, we would have been in trouble. It's not often a 1 seed is outscored by 10 at the line.

Guess the refs were out to get the one seed that night by calling so many fouls.

[Hawg414]

Guess the refs were out to get the one seed that night by calling so many fouls.

nah, they werent letting NC A&T take 5 steps with the ball tucked like a running back.  and they didnt review a call, with indisputable evidence... and still go the other way with it.

[JONAS]

Ty edney going the length of the court against Mizzou in Boise is what happened.

You are correct.

[hogwild6700]

Didn't Edney get injured right before the Title Game? It seems like I remember a player falling off the podium at a press conference and spraining his wrist in the process. Was that Edney?

[Squeal Young]

Someone correct me if I remember incorrectly.  Didn't Coach Richardson take some of the blame a few years later because he wan not emotionally in the game.  He went on to say that their had been a luncheon the day of the game where they honored his daughter that died.  And, I don't think he threw any of the team under the bus for all of the things that have been pointed out by other posters.

You are correct. I think Nolan won some award that they presented at a luncheon the day of the game. They showed a video that traced Nolan's career. It started with his upbringing in El Paso, talked about the influence of his grandmother, and at some point went into detail about his daughter's death. I've seen the video and can understand the emotional effect it must have had on Nolan. I may be mistaken, but I think Orville Henry wrote that it was a travesty that they sprung that video on Nolan a couple of hours before the game. Watching replays of that game, Nolan seems pretty low key on th bench, and maybe that rubbed off on the players.

[EXSPAHOG]

Beck was on the cover of SI that week - knew we had no chance when I saw that - JPG attached

[DeltaBoy]

Bad memories.