If you were to ask most college basketball fans when the glory days of Arkansas Razorbacks basketball were, they’d probably tell you the 1990s when Nolan Richardson’s “40 Minutes of Hell” led the team to three Final Fours and a national title.
However, the program was already pretty storied and had plenty of success long before Richardson arrived in Fayetteville. Arkansas has six total Final Fours to its credit, going back to the 1940s. Along the way, they’ve produced some of the biggest names in college basketball history, some of whom have gone on to NBA success and Hall of Fame careers.
Let’s take a look at the 10 best Arkansas Razorbacks basketball players of all time.
10, Joe Kleine, center
Joe Kleine played a huge role in leading the Razorbacks in the mid-1980s when they were part of the Southwest Conference. Kleine led the Razorbacks to several NCAA Tournaments. His most memorable win came in 1984 when he helped Arkansas defeat No. 1 North Carolina, who was led by Michael Jordan. In his senior season, Kleine was named first-team All-SWC and Arkansas finished second in the conference for the third straight year. He finished his college career averaging 22 points and nearly nine rebounds per game.
9. Alvin Robertson, shooting guard
Alvin Robertson was another key player on those early and mid-80s Arkansas squads. In his senior season, he averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and was named a second-team All-American by the UPI. While he had a long NBA career, Robertson also had a long history of legal problems and jail time over various allegations and crimes.
8. Bobby Portis, power forward
Bobby Portis made a huge impact in two seasons with the Razorbacks. As a freshman, he averaged 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game en route to being named to the SEC All-Freshman team and second-team All-SEC. In his sophomore season, he averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 assists per game. He was named SEC Player of the Year and a Consensus second-team All-American.
7. Lee Mayberry, point guard
Lee Mayberry was a key member of Nolan Richardson’s first Final Four squad in 1990 as the program made the move into the top tier of college basketball. A two-time first-team All-SWC player in 1990 and 1991, he continued that dominance by being named first-team All-SEC in the school’s first season in the conference. A third-team All-American in 1992, Mayberry, finished his college career averaging 14 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
6. Oliver Miller, center
Oliver Miller was also a part of Nolan Richardson’s first Final Four team in Fayetteville. Miller was a force to be reckoned with in his playing days, being named first-team All-SWC and winning SWC Player of the Year in 1991. Miller ended his Arkansas career averaging 12 points and over six rebounds per game. His best year came as a junior when he averaged almost 16 points and nearly eight rebounds per game.
5. Ron Brewer, shooting guard
Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph, and Sidney Moncrief made up the Arkansas “Triplets” who helped head coach Eddie Sutton and the Razorbacks make it to the Final Four in 1978. That season, Brewer was named All-American and SWC Player of the Year. He averaged 18.0 points per game that season and was also named to the All-Tournament Team for his efforts. He went on to have a solid NBA career as well.
4. Joe Johnson, Shooting guard
Joe Johnson continued the tradition of great Arkansas shooting guards. Johnson was named SEC Rookie of the Year in 2000 and made the SEC second team as a sophomore. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game his freshman year and averaged 14.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game as a sophomore. He would go pro after that and had a fantastic NBA career that included seven All-Star Game appearances.
3. Todd Day, shooting guard
Before he even arrived in Fayetville, Todd Day was a star, but his star continued to rise in a Razorbacks uniform. By the time he left in 1992, Day broke Sidney Moncrief’s school scoring record (2,395 points). A member of the All-SWC Newcomer Team as a freshman, he helped Arkansas advance to the Final Four as a sophomore. A three-time first-team all-conference player, he was also named second-team All-American in 1991 and 1992. Day almost averaged 23 points per game and still holds several Arkansas records.
2. Sidney Moncrief, shooting guard
Perhaps the greatest guard in Arkansas history is Sidney Moncrief. Playing at Arkansas between 1975 and 1979, he led the Razorbacks to their first Final Four in 30 years in 1978. He led the program to three straight SWC regular-season titles and SWC Tournament championships in 1977 and 1979. He was also a two-time All-Amercian and 1979 SWC Player of the Year. Spending most of his storied NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Moncrief was elected to the College Basketball Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
1. Corliss Williamson, center
Corliss Williamson is one of the most decorated players in Razorbacks’ history. He is a national champion, two-time All-American, two-time SEC Player of the Year, SEC Athlete of the Year, and the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. In his freshman year, Williamson average Williamson averaged 14.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and was named to the SEC’s All-Freshman Team. The following year, he led his team to their first NCAA Championship under Nolan Richardson, defeating the Duke Blue Devils. The next year, he led Arkansas back to the national title game but they fell short against UCLA. Williamson finished his career at Arkansas with 1,728 points, which ranks 8th all-time in school history. He would go on to have a successful 12-year NBA career with several teams and won an NBA Championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.
