Can Calipari's Short Roster Replicate What Richardson's Hogs Did Years Ago?

North Carolina AT&T walked into epic blood bath in Bud Walton against '90s Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas Razorbacks Adou Thiero against the Pacific Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas plays North Carolina AT&T Saturday, a school that conjures two foggy memories from a long time ago.

The first is the movie "Drumline," a film starring Nick Cannon back before he tried to field his own marching band one child at a time. There's an epic college band competition at the end in the Georgia Dome where memories place North Carolina AT&T as one of the non-main two bands the show is built around.

Apparently the school isn't actually in it. The memory is instead a combination of Petie Pablo singing a song everyone knows as "North Carolina" that's actually called "Raise Up," and the fact the main band in the movie is actually based on North Carolina AT&T's Blue & Gold Marching Machine.

The other is of the, ummmm, hold on. Gotta Google the mascot.

OK. Let's try this again.

The other is of the Aggies with gold Bulldogs plastered all over the merch, coming into Bud Walton Arena during the peak of the Nolan Richardson era and just getting their doors blown off in the most epic of ways. Of course, much like the "Drumline" memory, this one is slightly off also.

There was, indeed, an epic blowout. The Hogs won 103-49.

However, that win took place at the very top of the downward slope of the Richardson era. Arkansas was coming off back-to-back appearances in the national championship game, including winning it all two years prior.

A few months after being stunned by UCLA for the title, the Hogs found themselves heading into a late November weekend with a 1-2 record. The team, led by Kareem Reid, Pat Bradley, Jesse Pate and Darnell Robinson, found a way into the NCAA Tournament with an 18-12 record, yet still made it to the Sweet 16 before No. 1 UMass wiped the Razorbacks off the map, coincidentally, in the Georgia Dome.

One thing that isn't a somewhat false memory is the feeling that the 54-point win over North Carolina AT&T had to be the biggest win in terms of points in Arkansas history. So, with that in mind, it's worth digging through the record books to not only see if it was at the time, but where it stands in the pantheon of blowouts in current Razorbacks basketball rankings.

The records in regard to biggest win in terms of points are a little sketchy. Technically, it's possible to contact the Arkansas sports information department to ask if they have it despite it not being among the official posted team records, but it's not necessary.

It wasn't even the biggest win by the Razorbacks that decade. By a long shot.

The greatness of Nolan Richardson as a coach is vastly underplayed. Everyone wants to talk about the famous defense and the "40 Minutes of Hell."

What everyone forgets is the byproduct of that defense and the fact Richardson packed a deep roster where he often subbed five elite players who wanted to destroy everyone on the court with five more who were just as relentless on both ends of the floor. Arkansas ran teams out of the gym.

Scoring over 100 was as common as Eric Musselman freaking out on a referee. At one point Richardson coached an Arkansas game where his Hogs gave up 101 points and still won 65 points.

One record the school does publicly keep up with is the most points scored in a single game. While the North Carolina AT&T game doesn't appear anywhere near that list because 103 points is such a small number for the late '80s and 1990s era of Arkansas basketball, it is easy to ascertain there are at least nine other games that were bigger in terms of points.

Only two took place after the win over the Aggies. One was executed by the same core that blasted North Carolina AT&T as Bradley and Reid buried Troy, 137-70, the following year.

The only coach besides Richardson to have a game on this list is John Pelphrey. In 2009, his Hogs which would eventually finish with a losing record, took down Alcorn St., 130-68

Below is a list of the biggest wins in Arkansas basketball history. At least what could be determined by the records that were immediately available.

68, vs. Montevallo, 131-63, Feb. 5, 1994

67, vs. Troy, 137-70, Dec. 10, 1996
66, vs. Texas Southern, 129-63, Dec. 28, 1993

66, vs. Bethune-Cookman, Dec. 4, 1991
65, vs. U.S. International, 166-101, Dec. 9, 1989

63, vs. Quincy College, 123-60, Jan. 2, 1992
62, vs. Alcorn St., 130-68, Nov. 13, 2009
60, vs. Jackson St., 126-66, Dec. 29, 1990
57, vs. Delaware St., 123-66, Dec. 11, 1993
54, vs. North Carolina AT&T,103-49, Nov. 30, 1995
53, vs. Jackson St. 127-74, Nov. 22, 1996

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