NFL
By: Zachary Draves
One year before OutKast proclaimed it at the 1995 Source Awards, it was the 1994 Arkansas Razorbacks that first declared “The South Got Something to Say.”
With their up-tempo offense, staggering defense, and playing through “40 Minutes of Hell” under the guidance of legendary coach Nolan Richardson, they became immortal as they went all the way to winning the national championship for the first time in program history.
They did so with a youthful abundance that compensated for a lack of senior talent and with a burning determination to get over the defeat in the Sweet 16 the year prior to the eventual champion North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Razorbacks would go undefeated at home and finish the regular season at 27-2 and finish as the #1 team in the nation. They were propelled by the exploits of Corliss Williamson, Clint McDaniel, Corey Beck, Alex Dillard, and Scotty Thurman.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
Every time they hit the floor, they exuded swag with their combination of brimming aggression and streetball ethos as they rocked baggy shorts that were longer than that of the Michigan Fab Five.
(Courtesy: AP Photo/Bob Jordan)
Their captivating swag fit well into the cultural landscape of the 1990s when hip-hop was starting to permeate every aspect of popular culture and naturally found a home on the hardwood.
Along the way, the Razorbacks would have a superfan in then-President Bill Clinton, who was Governor of Arkansas for two terms and an avid fan of Razorback basketball. He would become a frequent presence at their games and was in the stands watching as they took on the powerhouse Duke for the national title on April 4, 1994.
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(Courtesy: Tom Ewart/Getty Images)
The Blue Devils had come in winning two of the previous three title games and led by Grant Hill, they were thirteen-point favorites to beat the Razorbacks.
It was a grueling game for the most part as the Razorbacks led by a point at the half. In the second, they clawed their way back from a ten-point deficit, setting the stage for one of the most indelible moments in college basketball history.
(Courtesy: Associated Press)
With less than a minute to play, the ball found its way into the hands of Scotty Thurman, who on a catch-and-shoot, elevated from the three-point line on the right wing to give the Razorbacks a 73-70 lead.
(Courtesy: Youtube)
From there it was fouls and free throws that sealed the fate for the Razorbacks as they dethroned the Blue Devils 76-72.
Williamson finished the game with 23 points and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Beck had 10 points of his own and equaled Williamson with 4 assists.
Thurman, the hero of the game, finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds.
(Courtesy: Ed Reinke/Associated Press)
Thirty years later, Thurman, now a head coach at Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School in Little Rock, says he is in awe at how time moves as fast as he and his teammates did on the floor.
“I cannot believe it,” he said in a phone interview with Team NBS Media. “I hear a lot about it all the time, but as far as I know, I never really put a timetable on it. It is definitely a unique feeling because it seems like it went by so fast.”
He also talked about how he still hears stories from parents of many of his players who remember watching that team and relishes in his players who get psyched up watching clips on YouTube of him hitting the shot around tournament time.
As the years go by and as the culture evolves, there is an understandable tendency to reflect on the enduring legacies of the Georgetown Hoyas, UNLV Runnin Rebels, and the Michigan Fab Five who were the forebears of ball fused with hip hop.
But lost in the shuffle is that of the 1994 Razorbacks in part because most of the guys on the team didn’t go to the NBA. Yet that shouldn’t be the barometer of how we measure greatness.
“We remember the stories that are rare, but there is nothing wrong with being a great college team” said Justin Tinsley, Sports and Culture writer at ESPN’s Andscape. Here is this black team right in the deep south that is running through everybody. They had a team filled with really great players and for the guys that didn’t make the NBA, if that is your peak of basketball, that’s pretty good.”
Much like hip hop, where it started in the East and made its way to the West, it was the South that was aching to be represented. Then at almost the perfect time, just as Arkansas was hitting its stride, the same was the case for the likes of Goodie Mob, Geto Boys, UGK, TLC, and of course OutKast.
Thurman and his teammates were very much in tune with hip-hop and had their fair share of diverse artists to get them psyched up.
“Tupac. Notorious BIG. Ice Cube. NWA. E-40, the Click,” he said. “I have been pretty diverse. Between all of us we had all our favorite artists, but we were all hip-hop heads. There were a lot of guys we all liked, but to be quite honest, I listened to everything.”
As Thurman transitioned into coaching he picked up on a lot of tangibles from Coach Richardson, whom he referred to as an “equal opportunity disciplinarian.” One example is that he has practices at 6:30 am, something he dreaded while he was a player and also being there for his players whenever possible.
He still maintains a connection to Coach Richardson as much as he can while also remaining close to his teammates from the 1994 team.
The enduring mystique of that team is crystalized in the phrase “40 minutes of Hell” which reflects a team that went above and beyond the call to keep up the pace.
“That whole phrase 40 minutes of hell is so cool because that represented who that team was, said Tinsley. That team was not afraid of anybody.”
As for Thurman, he hones in on the hip-hop ethos of the underdog overcoming the odds in triumph.
“Not only the team that won the national championship but the team that not a lot of people didn’t expect to accomplish that, ” said Thurman. “For three straight years, we lost to the national champs or were the national champs. The underdog team that was able to come out of nowhere and win it.”
40 Minutes of Hell was sure as hell worth it.
