FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It's an anniversary worth celebrating.
30 years ago this fall, the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball championship season began with their leader, Nolan Richardson, coaching on the sideline.
Richardson, now 82 years old, talks about that one shining moment like it happened yesterday.
That moment brought Arkansas to its feet and ignited Hog calls nationwide.
It was so promising that the sitting President of the United States, Bill Clinton, was in attendance and celebrated with Richardson when the Razorbacks defeated the Duke Blue Devils 76-72 to claim the program's lone national championship.
It's an anniversary worth driving up to Fayetteville and interviewing Richardson at his home.
Wait, it was more than a home — it was a museum.
We sat in Richardson's Hall of Fame room, where pictures, souvenirs, paintings and artwork all point to a man whose coaching career was incredibly successful.
He spoke about not knowing he had a championship team and pointed to December 2, 1993, as a significant day in the season.
Arkansas beat the visiting Missouri Tigers by over 50 points. It was the opening of Walton Arena, which gave Arkansas extra incentive.
Missouri finished undefeated in their conference, and Richardson still wasn't convinced.
Playing under the mantra, "No one will outwork us," the Razorbacks finished 31-3, 14-2 in the SEC, and thanks to a three-point shot by Scotty Thurman, would cut down the nets as national champions.
That moment was personal for Richardson as seven years earlier, he lost his daughter, Yvonne, to leukemia at 15 years old.
She had been with him every step of the way, from high school coach to junior college and eventually to Tulsa, then Arkansas.
It's why his immediate reaction upon beating Duke was one of looking to the heavens and saying, "We got you another one, baby."
It's an anniversary worth celebrating, remembering and cherishing. Richardson wouldn't let us leave without explaining how, 30 years ago, he took players from California, Memphis, Chicago, Texas, Arkansas, and even Croatia and blended them to become unbeatable.
Richardson thinks current Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman has the same thing going for him now.
Then meets now, and Hog fans are ready to explode once more!