Ronnie Brewer's Hall of Honor Induction Is About More Than Razorback Basketball

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Every generation of Arkansas fans have that one player.

For a junior high kid in El Dorado, Ark. playing basketball for the Union Cyclones in the early 2000s, Ronnie Brewer was that player to me. There were the posters, magazines, video games in my bedroom wishing I could play like he did.

In the driveway on a breakaway goal or at school in second period when us eighth grade boys would have practice — and honestly, how was that even a good idea anyway — I spent countless days pretending I was wearing that No. 10 jersey.

Before social media had highlights and reactions to every play instantly, Brewer's presence captivated Arkansas kids every time he stepped onto the floor but in a different way. It wasn't until the next day at school that we could tell anyone who'd listen about the big shots, breakaway dunks or big win that he led the Razorbacks to.

He was unafraid of anything or anyone standing in front of him. Brewer was the player we all wanted to become.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Ronnie Brewer — Arkansas Razorbacks guard (10) Ronnie Brewer shoots against Georgia Bulldogs center (44) Dave Bliss and forward (25) Channing Toney in action at Stegeman Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Back then, I wasn't thinking about recruiting rankings, those were hardly a thing. NBA Draft chatter were for the diehard fans of the league. I just knew Ronnie Brewer was Arkansas basketball.

And in a way, he still is. Just this time as an assistant for coach John Calipari with plenty of stories to tell, and NBA experience to sell prospective recruits not only in Arkansas, but across the country.

With Thursday's news that Brewer is one of six other former Razorbacks being named the 2026 UA Hall of Honor class, his legacy as an all-time Razorback becomes a permanent piece etched in the history books of the athletics department.

Brewer spent much of the first part of his life as a rockstar around the state. He made a name for himself as a Fayetteville High School alum and eventually being inducted into the Purple Dogs' Hall of Greats in 2017.

During his illustrious high school basketball career at FHS, he was selected Mr. Basketball in Arkansas as a senior in 2003, and broke Corliss Williamson’s conference scoring record that season by averaging over 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Known for his unorthodox shooting technique, the result of a childhood water slide injury, that just added another mystique to his game that kids tried to emulate. The 6-foot-7 guard was the go-to option nearly every possession and improved his scoring and defense across all three seasons before entering his name in the 2006 NBA Draft following his junior year.

That was his most memorable from a team production standpoint, as he averaged over 18 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals across 35 minutes per game. With the Razorbacks' NCAA Tournament hopes on life support, he took over against Florida, the eventual national champions, by scoring 24 points in an unforgettable atmosphere inside Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas Razorbacks assistant coach Ronnie Brewer on the sidelines coaching at the Red-White game in October 2023. | Andy Hodges-Hogs on SI Images

Just a few days later, in a midweek tilt against Alabama, Arkansas had fallen behind by 16 points in the second half, it wasn't until just over two minutes to go that the game was tied. Veterans like Charles Thomas and Eric Ferguson came up big by trading baskets with Alabama, but it was the Crimson Tide who seemed to have an answer on the other end.

It was going to take heroics from Brewer, during an off shooting night, to help the Arkansas climb back into tournament consideration. His go-ahead basket with 20 seconds to go fed BWA into a frenzy that night, and one that I won't personally forget having watched on TV.

That shot still lives rent free in my head two decades later, and looking back at that moment, it convinced kids across Arkansas, like me, that wearing Razorback red meant something bigger.

Brewer's toughness and competitive fire taught kids like me that talent alone wasn't enough because you're work ethic, preparation and confidence mattered even more.

His full body of work led to him being named an All-American following the 2005-06 season, a two-time first team All-SEC selection and ranks No. 16 on Arkansas’ all-time scoring list with 1,416 points.

After his college playing days were over, thousands of fans tuned into Utah Jazz games in droves after being selected No. 14 overall in the 2006 NBA Draft. He went on to play in more than 500 career games in the Association, and tallied 3,940 points, 1,427 rebounds and 828 assists during his 10-year professional career which includes stints with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

I eventually stopped pretending to be Ronnie Brewer because reality has a funny way of doing that.
What actually never changed was the admiration I had for the way he represented Arkansas, and after years away from the program, he returned like he never left.

Years later, I cover the Razorbacks for a living instead of watching them from the comfort of a living room in El Dorado. The 14-year-old kid who dreamed of being No. 10 in white himself is gone, replaced by a publisher who tries to tell the stories of the athletes wearing that uniform today.

Ronnie Brewer probably never imagined he'd inspire a generation of Arkansas kids simply by playing basketball. However, that's exactly what he did.

While Arkansas is honoring him for everything he accomplished on the court, they're also honoring something impossible to measure and that's the overall impact he made on an entire age group of teenage Razorback fans.

Sign up to our free newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter) for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google