Hogs schedule first in-state basketball foe since 1950

FAYETTEVILLE — Anthony Boone took on the College of Arkansas as an Ole Miss basketball participant eight occasions and broke even.

Now Boone will get to go in opposition to the Razorbacks as a coach.

Boone will carry his College of Arkansas workforce into Walton Enviornment to play Arkansas on Dec. 12, the colleges introduced Thursday.

A supply stated Arkansas and UCA additionally will play in ladies’s basketball this season. An announcement on that sport is anticipated within the subsequent few days.

“At UCA, we usually play Energy 5 faculties throughout our nonconference schedule, but it surely’s actually particular to get to play the premier college in Arkansas,” Boone stated. “Our followers will recognize it, and I’m certain their followers will recognize them taking part in an in-state college.

“Our gamers and coaches are actually excited. Our administration is actually excited. All people’s actually enthusiastic about having the prospect to go simply up the street and play such a excessive caliber of opponent.”

Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman stated taking part in UCA is nice for each applications and can assist promote basketball within the state.

“I believe any time it may be a win-win for each side, that’s all the time what you need,” Musselman stated. “To me, it’s simply the suitable factor to do, and it makes quite a lot of sense.”

The Razorbacks performed the College of Arkansas at Little Rock in an exhibition sport final season when Nolan Richardson Courtroom was devoted at Walton Enviornment. The Razorbacks beat the Trojans – who’re coached by former Arkansas All-American Darrell Walker – 79-64. UALR went on to win the Solar Belt Convention championship.

“I liked taking part in Little Rock final yr,” Musselman stated. “Regardless that it was an exhibition sport, we knew that Darrell would have them rather well coached. And taking part in that sport helped us get off to a fantastic begin [12-1].”

Taking part in UCA marks the primary time Arkansas has scheduled a regular-season males’s basketball sport in opposition to an in-state opponent for the reason that Razorbacks beat Arkansas Tech College 50-45 on Nov. 11, 1950.

Arkansas is 6-0 in opposition to UCA, however the Razorbacks haven’t performed the Bears in 74 seasons, since successful 59-39 on Feb. 1, 1947 in Fayetteville.

“It’s actually shocking to listen to that quantity, that it’s been that lengthy since UCA performed Arkansas,” Bears Athletic Director Brad Teague stated. “I’m simply excited actually for our state, and I’m pleased with the U of A for being prepared to do it now.

“I hope Arkansas will play all people within the state any more. Possibly not all people in the identical yr however unfold the video games round and proceed to play in-state faculties.”

Razorbacks Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek introduced in June that Arkansas would develop its coverage of taking part in in-state schools to incorporate Arkansas State College and UCA.

Arkansas ended a long-standing coverage of not scheduling in-state faculties when the Razorbacks performed UALR and the College of Arkansas-Pine Bluff — sister establishments within the UA system — in some sports activities in 2019.

Arkansas and UCA initially weren’t scheduled to play in basketball this season, however that modified when the NCAA postponed the season’s begin to Nov. 25 and diminished the variety of whole regular-season video games from 31 to 27 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We began listening to from Arkansas in late September about scheduling a sport, and we lastly settled on a date,” Boone stated. “I believe it’s nice for us to make some trendy historical past and be the primary workforce from UCA to go as much as Fayetteville and play in additional than 70 years.”

Musselman stated working with UCA’s employees to finalize the sport was expertise.

“It was a very, very easy dialogue backwards and forwards to set the sport up,” he stated. “They actually wished to do it, and we’re glad to make it occur.”

Boone, who’s from Helena-West Helena, performed for Ole Miss groups that had been 4-4 in opposition to Arkansas from the 1994-95 by way of 1997-98 seasons. The Rebels had been 1-3 at Walton Enviornment in these video games with a 91-74 victory in 1997.

“I’d discuss to our guys a little bit about these video games,” Boone stated with fun. “It actually was enjoyable taking part in in opposition to Arkansas.

“Any time anyone asks me in regards to the hardest place to play within the SEC or the loudest followers, I all the time say it was there in Fayetteville.

“The followers there at Arkansas have all the time been very passionate. It was the hardest place to play, so far as the setting goes, within the SEC. Watching some Arkansas video games on TV in recent times, I don’t assume any of that has modified. They’ve nonetheless obtained nice followers.

“With covid now, I count on the followers to be restricted, but it surely’s nonetheless going to be a really powerful sport. It’ll be the hardest setting we’ll in all probability face all yr lengthy. Which will probably be nice for us.”

The Razorbacks go into the season with 10 newcomers.

“Coach Muss is a good coach and their workforce goes to be primed and able to go,” Boone stated. “It’s going to be a critical problem for us to have the ability to go in and play with these guys.”

UCA is considered one of two non-conference opponents for Arkansas to be introduced. The Razorbacks will play at Oklahoma State on Jan. 30 within the Massive 12/SEC Problem.

The Bears open the season at Ole Miss on Nov. 25 as a part of four-team occasion hosted by the Rebels. UCA performs Arkansas State on Nov. 26 and Jackson State on Nov. 27.

Teague thanked Boone and his employees for with the ability to work out a date to play at Arkansas.

“All of the credit score to Anthony and his employees making it occur,” Teague stated. “They’re updating me weekly, generally day by day, about what’s taking place with our schedule after dropping the primary two weeks of the season and making an attempt to determine what the video games can be.

“They instructed me, ‘We’re speaking to Arkansas, what do you assume?’ And I stated, ‘By all means, yeah, let’s play.’

“We have to play Arkansas any time we will. So I’m proud they had been capable of work that out.”