March 1
It profoundly saddens me to hear about the buyout of Nolan Richardson in Arkansas. Having known Nolan for many years, I know he is a man of high principles, a man who totally believes in the athletes that wear his uniform, a man with a sense of pride who is not afraid to speak out, and perhaps most importantly, a man who has set the table for several upcoming African-American coaches.

	Nolan has always been recognized for his ability to recruit blue-chip athletes. But he was far more than just a recruiter.

There is no doubt that Richardson's recent outbursts have caused his own demise. He went overboard and created a chaotic situation from which he couldn't recover.

Be that as is it may, we would be remiss to not mention Richardson's amazing track record as a collegiate coach. He is the only coach in the history of the college game to win a national championship at the junior college level, an NIT championship (at Tulsa) and the ultimate prize -- the NCAA title in 1994 at Arkansas (over Duke).

Perhaps the saddest part about Nolan's career thus far is that he has never felt he received the respect he deserved from other college coaches who achieved maybe less than he did. Nolan has always been recognized for his ability to recruit blue-chip athletes to play his "40 Minutes of Hell."

But Nolan Richardson was far more than a recruiter. He has a great feel for the flow of a game, and he understands how to get the maximum effort out of his people -- the special gift that motivates his players to play above their level.

Certainly, the Razorbacks had a sub-par year compared to previous Richardson years. But they lost a major PTPer in Joe Johnson after he jumped to the NBA for the mega-dollars. When you lose a player of Johnson's stature at this level, it affects a team immediately, and in a big-time style -- especially when you play in the SEC, which I consider to be the toughest conference in the nation this year.

Frustration and disappointment set in, and Richardson reacted in a negative way to it. But I will always remember the positives Nolan brought to Arkansas basketball. His kids played with tremendous emotion and intensity, and he had an equally emotional and intense relationship with his kids. I will always remember Richardson at Arkansas as a fighter, a scrapper, a guy who was never afraid to tell it like it is.