Throwback Thursday: A Dream Start In Bud Walton

If you follow the Razorbacks on social media, you are undoubtedly aware that it is the 25th anniversary of the program’s last national championship in a major sport (if only that fly ball had been caught last June).

The 1993-94 Arkansas Razorbacks completed a dream season when they defeated Duke in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 4, 1994.

This winter on Arkansas Fight, we will look back every Thursday at that magical year and may even have some 1-on-1 interviews with some of the former players on that team throughout the season.

Today is actually the 25th anniversary of the first regular season game in Bud Walton Arena, a 93-67 drubbing of Murray State on a cold Monday night.

The Racers were coached by former Nolan Richardson assistant Scott Edgar, who had been instrumental in recruiting Todd Day, Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller, cornerstones which helped build Nolan’s program into the team of the 90s.

But Bud Walton Arena was not truly christened until the following Thursday, when Missouri and head coach Norm Stewart came to town.

The Tigers, who would eventually go undefeated in the Big Eight Conference, were completely undressed in front of a national televised audience. Arkansas hit 16 of 25 3-pointers and no starter played more than 21 minutes.

Bud Walton himself dedicated the arena before the game in a ceremony, and the ‘Spirit of Barnhill’ was released before the game.

Here is the WARMACHINE2013 recap: