Arkansas men’s basketball all-time roster: Razorback Legends

Corliss. Sidney. Todd.

Just about any Arkansas basketball fan alive today, if you were to ask them, would rattle off those three first names when asked for the best three players in Razorbacks history.

Sidney Moncrief. Corliss Williamson. Todd Day. Arguments could be for others, certainly, and some folks may want to make them. It’s a good thing we aren’t doing that, exactly.

Instead, let’s examine, in a way, the 10 best Arkansas basketball players in history. Rather, let’s create a starting lineup of a reserve unit along with a coach and assistant coach to create the ultimate Hogs All-Time Basketball Team.

Because once Corliss, Sidney and Todd are off the board, things get interesting. Take a look at how we picked the team below.

Starting forward Corliss Williamson (1993-1995)

26 MAR 1995: ARKANSAS” CORLISS WILLIAMSON #34 PUTS UP A SHOT OVER VIRGINIA”S YURI BARNES #24 IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE MIDWEST REGIONAL FINAL AT KEMPER ARENA IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. ARKANSAS DEFEATED VIRGINIA 68-61. Jonathan Daniel/ALLS

Only one player in Arkansas history can be argued against Corliss Williamson when it comes to the best the program is ever seen. Thankfully, that other player is a guard and this isn’t a ranking.

Williamson was the top player on the Arkansas team that won the national championship in 1994 en route to winning Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. He’s eighth on the all-time scoring list despite playing only three seasons with the team before entering the NBA Draft.

Starting guard Sidney Moncrief (1976-1979)

Jan 1978; Baton Rouge, LA, USA, FILE PHOTO; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Sidney Moncrief (32) in action against the LSU Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Moncrief is known outside of Arkansas for his time at Arkansas, even. His visage on the cover of Sports Illustrated on Feb. 13, 1978, is one of the most famous in the magazine’s history.

Moncrief is second in scoring in Arkansas history and is the most successful NBA player from the U of A. He was a five-time All-Star, five-team All-NBA player, five-team All-Defensive player and a Hall of Famer.

Starting guard Ron Brewer (1976-1978)

Brewer combined with Moncrief and the man who comes next on this list to form The Triplets under coach Eddie Sutton in the late 1970s. The trio led Arkansas to the Final Four in 1978 where they fell to eventual national champoin Kentucky.

Brewer had a solid NBA career, playing in more than 500 games from 1978-86 and leaving the professional ranks with an 11.9 points per game average despite spending those final five seasons playing for multiple teams each year.

Starting guard Marvin Delph (1975-78)

Marvin Delph is the first of the four players listed who didn’t have an NBA career. He’s still a starter on the All-Time Arkansas team, anyway, because he was just that plain good in Fayetteville.

Delph is one spot ahead of Williamson in the all-time Razorbacks scoring chart. He could rebound, he could defend, he could score. He may have been a half-step behind Moncrief and Brewer at each, but when they’re among the best to ever do it, that’s no slacking.

Guard Todd Day (1989-1992)

Arkansas’ Todd Day (10) pulls down a rebound against Alabama’s Robert Horry (25) during action in the semi-finals of the NCAA Southeast Regional at Charlotte, N.C, March 22, 1991. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The next starter is Todd Day and you may wonder why Arkansas is rolling a four-guard lineup. Well, because you have three 6-foot-4 guards, a 6-foot-6 guard in Day and the monster in the paint in Williamson.

Day deserves his starting spot. He and Moncrief are the only two players in school history to eclipse the 2,000-point mark. Day is Arkansas’ all-time leader in scoring. He was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school and made first-team All-American teams in his final two seasons with the Razorbacks. In his sophomore year, Day led the Razorbacks to the Final Four.

Center Joe Kleine (1983-1985)

SEATTLE, UNITED STATES: Seattle SuperSonic Vin Baker (R) battles for the ball with Phoenix Sun Joe Kleine (L) during first action of their game in Seattle, WA, 14 April, 1999. Both Phoenix and Seattle are fighting for a playoff spot. AFP PHOTO/Dan Levine (Photo credit should read DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)

The first true big man on the team is Joe Kleine. Kleine is an Arkansas outsider who transferred to the U of A and apparently loved it so much, he stuck around for his post-basketball-playing days.

Kleine joined Darrell Walker and Alvin Robertson to form the best trio of players Arkansas would have at the same at the NBA level. In college, Kleine gave Houston center and future NBA Hall-of-Famer Akeem (Hakeem) Olajuwon all he could handle in the Southwest Conference. Kleine would play in the NBA from 1985 to 2000 and the only Arkansas player to beat him in games played at that level is Joe Johnson.

Forward Oliver Miller (1989-1992)

Alabama’s Robert Horry, right reaches in on Arkansas’ Oliver Miller (25) during first half action in the NCAA Southeast Regional at the Charlotte Coliseum in N.C., March 21, 1991. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Oliver Miller was a back-to-the-basket center. They called him Big O for a reason: he was a load in the paint. Miller has the school record for career blocked shots (345) and he’s fourth in rebounds and eighth in points. He, Day and Lee Mayberry gave coach Nolan Richardson his first best-sustained success.

Miller had a solid NBA career, playing from 1993-2000 before going overseas. He ultimately had a one-season comeback to the NBA in 2004 with Minnesota before retiring.

Guard Scotty Thurman (1993-95)

2 DEC 1993: ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS FORWARD SCOTTY THURMAN PULLS UP FOR THE JUMPER DURING A NON-CONFERENCE GAME AGAINST THE MISSOURI TIGERS.

Scotty Thurman will be forever beloved because of The Shot. You know the one.

That one. Thurman could slash, he could shoot, he could dish. He was the quintessential heckuva-college-basketball player of the 1990s. And although he never had a true shot in the NBA, it didn’t matter. His legacy is cemented with Arkansas.

Guard Lee Mayberry (1989-1992)

Mar 14, 1992; Birmingham, AL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Alabama Crimson Tide guard James Robinson (31) in action against Arkansas Razorback guard Lee Mayberry (11) during the SEC tournament at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center, Alabama defeated Arkansas 90-89. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

People forget how good Lee Mayberry was. Day got most of the glory. Miller’s size made him a star. Meanwhile, Mayberry was just casually dropping dimes, getting to the rim and turning himself into a first-round draft pick.

Mayberry was the Hogs’ point guard with the aforementioned two and his 729 career assists are second in school history only to Kareem Reid. They’re almost 300 more than the player in third place (Corey Beck). He ultimately had a solid seven-year career as ball disturbing reserve in the NBA.

Forward Scott Hastings (1979-1982)

Unknown date; Miami, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Miami Heat center (44) Scott Hastings in action against the Indiana Pacers in 1988-89 the inaugural season of the franchise.   © Copyright USA TODAY Sports

Scott Hastings is an icon in Denver where he played the final three seasons of his NBA career. But there it’s for his media work. Before Colorado there was Arkansas.

Hastings was a freshman when Moncrief was a senior and the year after Sidney left, Hastings took the mantle as the team’s best player, leading the Razorbacks in scoring each of the next three seasons. The Hogs’ best season with Hastings came in 1981 when the team made the Sweet 16.

Head Coach Nolan Richardson (1985-2002)

3 APR 1995: ARKANSAS COACH NOLAN RICHARDSON, RIGHT, HAS A WORD WITH FORWARD CORLISS WILLIAMSON ON THE BENCH DURING THE FINAL SECONDS OF THEIR 89-78 LOSS TO UCLA IN THE NCAA MEN”S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TONIGHT AT THE KINGDOME IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

No one in Arkansas coaching lore, save Frank Broyles, is more renowned than Nolan Richardson. From 1985 to 2002, Richardson took the Razorbacks to 16 NCAA Tournaments, six Sweet 16s, three Final Fours, two title games and he won the national championship 1994.

Assistant coach Mike Anderson (1985-2002)

Feb 9, 2019; Columbia, SC, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Mike Anderson directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Anderson is an Arkansas lifer. He may not be the Hogs coach anymore, but between his nearly two-decade stint as a Razorbacks assistant with Richardson and his successful eight years running the program in Fayetteville from 2011 to 2019, he was an easy choice to be this team’s assistant.

Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire