FAYETTEVILLE — While the current Razorbacks were getting in a workout across the street Tuesday, Arkansas director of basketball operations Matt Zimmerman was overseeing some young Arkansas hopefuls chasing their dreams at Bud Walton Arena.
This week the Razorback program hosted its annual youth day camp with first through third graders going through camp in the morning, and fourth through sixth graders in the afternoon.
It is something Zimmerman loves, in part because the Arkansas native was once one of the youngsters that came to camps hosted by former Razorback head coaches Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson. Now he is running them himself.
“I think the first year I came was the seventh grade, which was about the earliest you can go back then, and I got introduced to it because my old coach, Jimmy Cunningham, would come and work Razorback camps for Coach Sutton,” Zimmerman said.
“It was a big deal. You brought your lawn mowing money and any other money you can get and you came and gave it to Coach Sutton and he made you a better basketball player.”
Zimmerman remembers what a thrill it was to meet the Arkansas coaches and player legends such as Ron Brewer, Marvin Delph, Jim Counce, Joe Kleine and many others.
“It was the people that I looked up to – the players, (coaches) James Dickey, Eddie Sutton and all those guys and I even looked up to the Razorback managers such as...Doc Sadler,” Zimmerman said, “and I’m thinking, ‘Man, those guys get to work with Eddie Sutton every day.’
“It was awesome to see that and it touched so many people.”
He sees that same excitement on the faces of today’s campers as they get to meet current Razorback players such as Moses Kingsley and Dusty Hannahs.
“Moses was just in there getting ready for weights and we took our guys in to see the practice facility and they are going through the locker room and they see Moses, and they are all giddy and just yelling and just gather all around him,” Zimmerman said.
“They all just want to touch him and they are taking their shoes off and putting their feet inside his big 16 size shoes.
“Dusty came to camp this morning and they all just wanted to see him, touch him, talk to him and ask questions. They have so many questions.
“We have guys around like Will Bartlett, who helps us with camp, and he’ll say, 'You guys can ask five or six questions.’ Because if we didn’t say that, they would ask him questions forever.”
Zimmerman is settling into his new role after director of basketball operations after being a manager for Richardson and then a long-time assistant coach for Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson at UAB, Missouri and Arkansas from 2002-16.
He was reassigned earlier this year when Anderson promoted Scotty Thurman to full-time assistant coach.
“I am a Razorback so I am very blessed to be here,” Zimmerman said. “I first met Coach Anderson in 1986 when I was trying to walk on here and begging for a spot on the team and ended up being a student manager.
“I have worked with him for 14 years, so for me, yes, it’s tough, but it is a new role and it is an adjustment for me. I have been coaching a long time and I am set in my ways. I am used to coaching and recruiting so it is a little different.
“It is a little different when you have to go to a budget meeting when I don’t know if there are too many people in the world that know less about budgeting than I do.
“There is stuff that I have to adjust to, but I know that I enjoy being a Razorback every day, that I enjoy having a shirt on that says 'Arkansas' and has a Hog on it, so I will do whatever it takes.
“If Coach (Anderson) says that we need to move you into this role or move you into that role than I am going to do it because at the end of the day, I want the Razorbacks to win. That is the most important thing to me.”
Zimmerman gets a kick out of hearing stories this week from parents and grandparents dropping off kids that once came to the camps themselves.
“Years back, you would meet dads and they would say, ‘I got to come to Coach Sutton's camps and Coach Richardson’s camps.’ Now you are getting grandparents who went to camps back then that are bringing their grandkids.”
Current Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley Jr., the son of former Arkansas track star and Olympian gold medalist triple jumper Mike Conley Sr., was a regular camper at Richardson’s camps and lived in Fayetteville until junior high
“Mike Conley Jr. came to this camp when his dad lived here in Fayetteville before he took the job at USA Track in Fayetteville," Zimmerman said. “…He’s now the richest player in the NBA and if you ask him where he learned his fundamentals and it was at Nolan Richardson basketball camp and his dad faithfully brought him.
“I can remember in 1992 with the Barcelona Olympics and Mike Sr. - would never come out on the floor of Bud Walton and bug the coaches - and I remember they had the opening ceremonies for the 1992 Olympics and Mike was still here sitting up there in the stands and watching his son at basketball camp.
“I was like, 'Are you not going to go over there and jump?’ His events were actually later on in the Olympics and finally he was gone, wins a gold medal and then he is back in camp again a few days later.”
Zimmerman said Arkansas’ camps have adapted over time.
“We still have to do all the stations, which has been the last favorite part for the past 100 years to campers because that is defense, passing, fundamentals and shooting, and they don’t like it because they want to play 5-on-5 and 3-on-3. They want to play knockout,” Zimmerman said.
“When we play shooting games, we play music now a lot of times just because it is a different era and we need to make it fun. There will be some of them out there dancing and they love it. They get an enjoyment of it.
“Our big deal is that you are going to come in and you are going to be better when you leave. Whatever it takes, we have to have you leave a better basketball player.”