When Mike Anderson returned to Fayetteville 15 years ago as the man in charge of Arkansas basketball, his first order of business on the recruiting front was trying to sway one of the most talented guards the Natural State has produced this century.
Getting Archie Goodwin, the first McDonald’s All-American out of Arkansas in two decades, would symbolize the return of a Nolan Richardson-era level of talent to the program that had gone through the dark ages of Stan Heath and John Pelphrey. Anderson’s hiring in itself was an homage to those good ol’ days, as he served as Richardson’s assistant for the entirety of his Arkansas tenure.
Anderson tried his best to win over the Little Rock native and Sylvan Hills High graduate, but he decided to go down the same path Malik Monk would take a few years later, committing to Kentucky. Goodwin described playing under John Calipari as simply a “business decision.”
It wasn’t just about money, however.
It was about which coach had a track record of getting the most out of ultra-talented recruits in the one year they wanted to stay in college before pushing off to the pros.
On that front, Calipari was proving his salt like no coach before him. Just two years before, he’d taken on the challenge of bringing out the best from one of the biggest headcases to ever play in Lexington.
DeMarcus Cousins’ temper was quite the double-edged sword. On the one hand, his fiery personality could be channeled into unmatched physicality and dominance in the paint. On the other, it led to constant barking at officials and some cheap shots on opposing players. It all worked out in the end, as Kentucky won the SEC and reached the Elite Eight while Cousins made the All-SEC First Team and became a top-five NBA Draft pick despite brouhahas like this:
If Calipari could tame big “Boogie” Cousins, you’d think he could work his magic with pretty much anybody.
That’s great news for Arkansas in the year 2026, as another tempestuous big man appears to be on the brink of playing for Calipari.
Miikka Muurinen and Arkansas?
The prolonged recruiting saga surrounding Finnish phenom Miikka Muurinen is set to come to an end when he announces his college commitment decision Monday morning.
Sources have told Best of Arkansas Sports that the 7-foot, 220-pounder will choose the Razorbacks over North Carolina and others. It will be a homecoming of sorts for Muurinen, whose father played for Little Rock in the early 2000s.
Miikka grew up in Jarvenpaa, Finland, before moving to the United States at age 16, spending a year apiece at Sunrise Christian Academy (Kan.) and Arizona Compass Prep. His elite size and athleticism and soft shooting touch led to him quickly ascending to five-star status. Muurinen visited Arkansas, Michigan and Utah but eventually decided to take his talents to the EuroLeague with KK Partizan in Belgrade, Serbia.
