Hogs vs. Cats in the 90's

[HamuelLJackson]

Was the premier matchup of the decade IMO. At least until 98ish

A few years in a row it was played on Super Bowl Sunday and i was just as excited about that game as my Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl.

Rick vs. Nolan. I'll never forget the SEC Tourney the year we won it all. We were up 9 with around 90 seconds to play and Antoine Walker caught fire and y'all got us.

I had just moved to Louisville from Little Rock the year before we joined the SEC. Got a job bartending at TGI Fridays and met lifelong UK friends there. There was no internet yet but those old Blue Haired UK Fans could talk just as much shihtt in person as anyone on the internet. It was great banter back and forth leading up to that first SEC Matchup at RUPP Arena.

I have some favorite UK players from my last thirty years plus here. Tony Delk and Monster Mash are probably at the top. Delk was just an assassin and Mashburn could do it all.

I sat through this website during the Cal hire and watched the "Door" live.

This whole Cal to Arkansas thing is still weird for me but no question it's re-energized a once great rivalry.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Funny how much you guys hated him and called him a cheater for so many years, but now he's gold.

I cant help to think how miserable he was going there. 15 years of watching every post game interview and his most depressing seemed to be the day he arrived there.

Its a good change for both sides. You guys have hope, and we dont have to hear the same excuses to why we lose to inferior teams every year.

As for rivalry; What rivalry? You've been irrelevant since Bill Clinton was president.

 

[yoshukai]

Was the premier matchup of the decade IMO. At least until 98ish

A few years in a row it was played on Super Bowl Sunday and i was just as excited about that game as my Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl.

Rick vs. Nolan. I'll never forget the SEC Tourney the year we won it all. We were up 9 with around 90 seconds to play and Antoine Walker caught fire and y'all got us.

I had just moved to Louisville from Little Rock the year before we joined the SEC. Got a job bartending at TGI Fridays and met lifelong UK friends there. There was no internet yet but those old Blue Haired UK Fans could talk just as much shihtt in person as anyone on the internet. It was great banter back and forth leading up to that first SEC Matchup at RUPP Arena.

I have some favorite UK players from my last thirty years plus here. Tony Delk and Monster Mash are probably at the top. Delk was just an assassin and Mashburn could do it all.

I sat through this website during the Cal hire and watched the "Door" live.

This whole Cal to Arkansas thing is still weird for me but no question it's re-energized a once great rivalry.

It was the best of times .

 

[hmt5000]

Was the premier matchup of the decade IMO. At least until 98ish

A few years in a row it was played on Super Bowl Sunday and i was just as excited about that game as my Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl.

Rick vs. Nolan. I'll never forget the SEC Tourney the year we won it all. We were up 9 with around 90 seconds to play and Antoine Walker caught fire and y'all got us.

I had just moved to Louisville from Little Rock the year before we joined the SEC. Got a job bartending at TGI Fridays and met lifelong UK friends there. There was no internet yet but those old Blue Haired UK Fans could talk just as much shihtt in person as anyone on the internet. It was great banter back and forth leading up to that first SEC Matchup at RUPP Arena.

I have some favorite UK players from my last thirty years plus here. Tony Delk and Monster Mash are probably at the top. Delk was just an assassin and Mashburn could do it all.

I sat through this website during the Cal hire and watched the "Door" live.

This whole Cal to Arkansas thing is still weird for me but no question it's re-energized a once great rivalry.

Yep. I loved that rivalry... for about 4 years it was THE game of the year.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

Always had respect for those Arkansas teams. Played hard. Talented. Fast.

The last 15 years or so? Annoying is the best word I can use to describe the program. Starting with Patrick Beverly, Mike Anderson, those Bobby Portis teams. Even Jaylin Williams irritated me with his constant flops.

 

[Killswitch24]

Eh, everyone has a run here and there. Arkansas wasn’t on level with the blue bloods like UK and Duke in the 90’s, they just had a few good years and sealed the deal in one of them. Mississippi state had a final four in the 90’s too.

Arkansas is not a premier brand and although I know they like having their name linked with Kentucky it’s only in their mind. Arkansas sports are mediocre at best. Not nationally relevant. Not really hating it’s just the truth. Arkansas did really well for about 3 / 4 years. Every (many) SEC teams have their moment here and there and it rotates. Not bad teams for a few years though that’s for sure. Florida of the 2,000’s definitely has done it better than anyone in that rotation.

 

[UKrazycat2]

I'll always remember the picture of the buck toothed coon hounds someone posted on here labeled "Arkansas Cheerleaders". Classic!!!

 

[gojvc]

Rick vs. Nolan. I'll never forget the SEC Tourney the year we won it all. We were up 9 with around 90 seconds to play and Antoine Walker caught fire and y'all got us.

That wasn’t the year you won the title.

 

[FtWorthCat]

That wasn’t the year you won the title.

Yes, that was 1995 SEC Tournament. Arkansas won it in 1994. In 1995, we had a crap game against UNC and lost in Elite Eight. Arkansas beat UNC in FF but lost to UCLA in the Championship Game. So for 5 straight years, either Kentucky or Arkansas was in the NCAA Tournament Championship Game, because we made it each of the next 3 years.

 

[CELTICAT]

It wasn’t a bigger deal than UNC-Duke and only Hog fans argue otherwise. Arkansas was just another SEC Johnny-come-lately like Tennessee, LSU, and Bama before them. The only reason it resonates with the Hogs is because they’d never been in a conference with real basketball programs and they haven’t won a damn thing since.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

Funny how much you guys hated him and called him a cheater for so many years, but now he's gold.

I cant help to think how miserable he was going there. 15 years of watching every post game interview and his most depressing seemed to be the day he arrived there.

Its a good change for both sides. You guys have hope, and we dont have to hear the same excuses to why we lose to inferior teams every year.

As for rivalry; What rivalry? You've been irrelevant since Bill Clinton was president.

LOL. I pretty much said that exact same thing, Genius.

Yep. I loved that rivalry... for about 4 years it was THE game of the year.

Was a lot of fun for sure. Good luck to y'all this year

 

[Louis_Skunt]

LOL. I pretty much said that exact same thing, Genius.

Was a lot of fun for sure. Good luck to y'all this year

You come to a UK board begging for attention, and im the genius..

 

[Bogansback2Basil]

Revisionist history is an amazing thing...

 

[HamuelLJackson]

You come to a UK board begging for attention, and im the genius..

Lot's of butthurt from you Lewis.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

Lot's of butthurt from you Lewis.

About what, hiring Cal? lol....yeah, im devastated. Taking #1 classes and losing to Evansville, Oakland, Saint Peters, the list is endless....how will i recover?

Standards are different in Arkansas, i find that funny. I guess that, and you coming here begging for attention.

 

[Mike-D]

Funny how much you guys hated him and called him a cheater for so many years, but now he's gold.

Dude, the same shit used to be said on here.

Here's the thing though. Cal was coming off an epic run at Mempiss before he came here. Title games, like 3 elite 8's. He's coming off about 4 straight trash seasons at Kentucky, but Arkansas fans really believe he's gonna turn their program around.

 

[BlueSince92]

I have no animosity towards Arkansas and I did love those days of our monster rivalry. But Cal is not a patch on Nolan Richardson. Not even in his prime without certain people that he no longer has helping him, and certainly not now. Don’t get your hopes up much.

He will do everything in his power to beat us every year though, to feed his ego (even though he will claim he’s not doing that). So that will definitely spice up the rivalry somewhat.

 

[m080470]

From 1992-95 it was probably the best rivalry in the country (and that's including what were some golden years for Duke and UNC). IIRC, we never beat Arkansas in the regular season but they never beat us the three times we met in the.SEC tournament. We had similar styles and both teams in that era had a lot of opposing teams beat before the jump. There was no fear so both teams would get after each other, always a war. All the games were games of runs so no lead was safe. Somebody would get a 16- point lead and you'd think it was hopeless for one team but you'd blink your eyes and the other team would roar back with a 13-0 run and it was game on. Whoever got on the last run was usually the winner.

 

[JumperJack]

Nolan Richardson sparked fear in this (then) young Cat fan’s heart. They had some bad ass teams. We always seemed to have an answer.

Pure bliss, those times.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

OP living in the early to mid 90s.

You are old as hell now dude. Those days for Arkansas and the Cowgirls are never coming back.

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

The 40 minutes of hell Arkansas and Pitino's UK teams were some of the best most fun basketball games I have ever watched. Both teams were loaded with talent. Both teams pressed and shot the 3 at high levels.

 

[Orville Boggs]

Can't believe Scotty Thurman didn't make some noise in the NBA. Dude was a baller for the hog's.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

About what, hiring Cal? lol....yeah, im devastated. Taking #1 classes and losing to Evansville, Oakland, Saint Peters, the list is endless....how will i recover?

Standards are different in Arkansas, i find that funny. I guess that, and you coming here begging for attention.

I dunno man. You seem pretty rustled. I could be wrong. Take a walk or meditate. It's just a message board and you're just a fan.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

Can't believe Scotty Thurman didn't make some noise in the NBA. Dude was a baller for the hog's.

Pigeon footed. Very slow lateral movement. They caught in the NBA.

 

[Louis_Skunt]

I dunno man. You seem pretty rustled. I could be wrong. Take a walk or meditate. It's just a message board and you're just a fan.

You already responded twice to that same comment. Push the Arkansas meth/dinner to the side and let it go, its not the 90's anymore....you're still irrelevant.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

You already responded twice to that same comment. Push the Arkansas meth/dinner to the side and let it go, its not the 90's anymore....you're still irrelevant.

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHALOLOLOOOOLLLOLOLROTFLMAOOOO

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Arkansas fans, i mean this will all due respect: from our pov it isnt nearly the modern day rivalry you all think it is. Literally everyone wanted cal gone so there is no jealousy whatsoever, so all the "got cal?" Shirts we'll see in Nashville will just elicit an internal chuckle because we know you all massively paid for a worse version of cal than we had the last five years. Its a worse version because now he has brad on the staff and the big school donors behind him. So hes basically running that athletic department which, as uk fans know, is not a good thing at all.

Now don't get me wrong i badly want to beat cal and brad and bruiser, but it has everything to do with them and nothing to do with the sideline their on.

 

[Killswitch24]

Yea I mean the fact that they hired Calipari is proof of how far their program has fallen. Arkansas did well in hiring a coach almost 40 years ago. He managed dominance for 3/4 years and they never sustained it or even close came to anything remotely resembling it lol. Florida and Tennessee are programs well above Arkansas in my opinion, actually making follow up hires and staying in place somewhat. Arkansas hired Calipari because they’re grasping for relevance so badly they’ll take anything including just having their name in some way associated with Kentucky.

I don’t believe Arkansas would have even hired Calipari in 1998. They would have aimed higher during that time but this is what they are.

Just the fact that Muss didnt want it says a lot. Going back out west my ass, he flat out wanted out of Arkansas. You’d think Arkansas could hire better than they have been but apparently not. Coaches would rather be at Florida or Tennessee it’s just the truth. Alabama and Auburn are more attractive jobs today. Maybe this changes with the pull of the conference now but these fans really are something else. I’d be too embarrassed to post on this forum and bring up in people’s minds how far we’ve fallen, but they think hiring Calipari is something special. We’ll just have to let them figure it out on their own.

I guess my point is that I’d think Arkansas would be more attractive of an option than throwing themselves at a coach Kentucky threw out on his face.

 

[FtWorthCat]

Objectively, one would expect Arkansas to be better than UK next year. Cal took his team with him to Arkansas, and Pope had to assemble a team from scratch, other than Perry, and maybe Collins/Robinson. Cal needed a change, and UK did as well. I expect it to work out well for both.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

Yea I mean the fact that they hired Calipari is proof of how far their program has fallen. Arkansas did well in hiring a coach almost 40 years ago. He managed dominance for 3/4 years and they never sustained it or even close came to anything remotely resembling it lol. Florida and Tennessee are programs well above Arkansas in my opinion, actually making follow up hires and staying in place somewhat. Arkansas hired Calipari because they’re grasping for relevance so badly they’ll take anything including just having their name in some way associated with Kentucky.

I don’t believe Arkansas would have even hired Calipari in 1998. They would have aimed higher during that time but this is what they are.

Just the fact that Muss didnt want it says a lot. Going back out west my ass, he flat out wanted out of Arkansas. You’d think Arkansas could hire better than they have been but apparently not. Coaches would rather be at Florida or Tennessee it’s just the truth. Alabama and Auburn are more attractive jobs today. Maybe this changes with the pull of the conference now but these fans really are something else. I’d be too embarrassed to post on this forum and bring up in people’s minds how far we’ve fallen, but they think hiring Calipari is something special. We’ll just have to let them figure it out on their own.

I guess my point is that I’d think Arkansas would be more attractive of an option than throwing themselves at a coach Kentucky threw out on his face.

Welcome to the board, Newb!!

 

[L.O.D.]

Loudest I ever heard Rupp was gsme we lost in 94. Great gsme just bad ending but still stands as loudest I evervheard Rupp get

 

[Killswitch24]

Welcome to the board, Newb!!

Maybe it’s your turn to rotate. We sort of just sit back and wait to see who it’s gonna be. Arkansas hasn’t had a turn in what? Nearly 30 years. So I guess it’s possible you get your 3/5 years, but then I look and see Calipari on the sideline and I just pfff lol. Truth is with Muss yall had a much better shot at rotating up. Now whew man, get ready to sit in your usual seat.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

Maybe it’s your turn to rotate. We sort of just sit back and wait to see who it’s gonna be. Arkansas hasn’t had a turn in what? Nearly 30 years. So I guess it’s possible you get your 3/5 years, but then I look and see Calipari on the sideline and I just pfff lol. Truth is with Muss yall had a much better shot at roto

Just welcoming you to the board. You've been here a month now. You're gonna be a HOF poster when it's all said and done!!!!

 

[Killswitch24]

Just welcoming you to the board. You've been here a month now. You're gonna be a HOF poster when it's all said and done!!!!

lol well one thing is for sure, Arkansas will never be a member of any HOF. you like it here so much you might as well just jump on. Judging by who you root for you won’t be missing a thing but you’ll sure gain something.

 

[HamuelLJackson]

lol well one thing is for sure, Arkansas will never be a member of any HOF. you like it here so much you might as well just jump on. Judging by who you root for you won’t be missing a thing but you’ll sure gain something.

Glad you're here!!!! Keep posting this Summer, then between classes next Fall!!!!

 

[dmacforheisman]

Yea I mean the fact that they hired Calipari is proof of how far their program has fallen. Arkansas did well in hiring a coach almost 40 years ago. He managed dominance for 3/4 years and they never sustained it or even close came to anything remotely resembling it lol. Florida and Tennessee are programs well above Arkansas in my opinion, actually making follow up hires and staying in place somewhat. Arkansas hired Calipari because they’re grasping for relevance so badly they’ll take anything including just having their name in some way associated with Kentucky.

I don’t believe Arkansas would have even hired Calipari in 1998. They would have aimed higher during that time but this is what they are.

Just the fact that Muss didnt want it says a lot. Going back out west my ass, he flat out wanted out of Arkansas. You’d think Arkansas could hire better than they have been but apparently not. Coaches would rather be at Florida or Tennessee it’s just the truth. Alabama and Auburn are more attractive jobs today. Maybe this changes with the pull of the conference now but these fans really are something else. I’d be too embarrassed to post on this forum and bring up in people’s minds how far we’ve fallen, but they think hiring Calipari is something special. We’ll just have to let them figure it out on their own.

I guess my point is that I’d think Arkansas would be more attractive of an option than throwing themselves at a coach Kentucky threw out on his face.

Muss had opportunities to leave for Arizona, Indiana and Louisville during his time at Arkansas (even their fans were posting about it) but decided to stay at Arkansas. I think USC was just the perfect spot for him being back close to his mom because he loves Southern California. He even scheduled a tournament in San Diego for next season before he left.

Donnie Tyndall, Todd Golden and Mike White aren’t exactly “name brand” hires for Florida or Tennessee either. He may turn out to be like Jimbo Fisher at A&M but Cal was a bigger splash of a hire than most of the typical flavor of the month mid major hires SEC teams make every year.

Arkansas definitely made a mistake hiring Stan Heath over Bill Self back in the day though. That set the program back a decade plus.

 

[Mike-D]

Muss had opportunities to leave for Arizona, Indiana and Louisville during his time at Arkansas (even their fans were posting about it) but decided to stay at Arkansas. I think USC was just the perfect spot for him being back close to his mom because he loves Southern California. He even scheduled a tournament in San Diego for next season before he left.

Donnie Tyndall, Todd Golden and Mike White aren’t exactly “name brand” hires for Florida or Tennessee either. He may turn out to be like Jimbo Fisher at A&M but Cal was a bigger splash of a hire than most of the typical flavor of the month mid major hires SEC teams make every year.

Arkansas definitely made a mistake hiring Stan Heath over Bill Self back in the day though. That set the program back a decade plus.

Yeah. Do you know that Arkansas has won 8 NCAA tournament games since 2020? Guess how many UK won under Cal? 1.

I get that yall are pumped over the name, but good lord. Just do some basic research.

 

[smallmouthhog]

The 40 minutes of hell Arkansas and Pitino's UK teams were some of the best most fun basketball games I have ever watched. Both teams were loaded with talent. Both teams pressed and shot the 3 at high levels.

This is what I say. SOme of the best basketball games played were during that period. LSU had great teams. Alabama had great teams . KY and Ark were fun to wathc. Some of the best up and down high quality basketball was played back before everyone went pro early. Just some great fun baskeball. I believe for 88-98 Arkansas won more basketball games than any other program. I was locked in.