Nolan

At long last on Sunday, Nolan Richardson will take his place among the greats of college basketball when he and six others are inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

“It’s a great honor,” Richardson said in an interview in October. “I always advised my players to get their degree and go do something else. Be a doctor. Be a lawyer. But, me, I loved the game of basketball. It’s all I wanted to do. I loved it, and it gave me the opportunity teach and reach out to a lot of young men over many years.”

Richardson coached the Arkansas Razorbacks for 17 seasons from 1986-2001, but 1989-1996, his Hogs averaged 27.5 victories a season, won a national title in 1994, was national runner-up in 1995, went to six Sweet 16s, four Elite Eights and three Final Fours.

Richardson’s hire at Arkansas was both socially and professionally significant as the first African-American head coach in the Southwest Conference and the first head coach of color at a state university in the South.

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Richardson, who coached Tulsa from 1981-85, remains the only college coach to win a national junior college title, a postseason NIT crown, and the NCAA championship.

“I’m joining some true legends, and I’m going in with a great group,” Richardson said.

To be inducted along with Richardson are Kansas’ Danny Manning, Auburn’s Charles Barkley, Utah’s Arnie Ferrin, Mount Saint Mary’s coach Jim Phelan and basketball television analysts Dick Vitale and Billy Packer.

“Ol’ Charles is a great guy,” Richardson said of Barkley, an NBA star with the Philadephia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. “I coached him in the Pan Am Games, when he really was the Round Mound of Rebound. I’ve never seen a big guy who was that explosive.

“Of course he slimmed down later in his career in the NBA. But he was doing things above the rim at 300 pounds that no one but Michael Jordan can do.

“He’s one of kind. Charles will tell you like it is.”

Barkley is one of four collegiate players to compile 1,183 points, 806 rebounds and 137 assists in his collegiate career.

Richardson also has great respect for Manning, Kansas’ all-time leader in scoring and rebounding, a consensus twotime All-American and a three-time Big Eight Player of the Year.

Richardson coached the Razorbacks against Manning during the Jayhawk’s senior year. The Razorbacks pounded the No. 6-ranked Jayhawks 103-86, but with Manning leading the way, Kansas went on to win the NCAA championship later that season, defeating Oklahoma for the title.

“We frustrated them and got a big win,” Richardson said. “But Manning was smooth. He’s the type of player that could hurt you in so many ways.

“Really, that shows how much a team can improve from early in the year to late, and what a great leader Manning was.”