NWADG Basketball

2019

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2 Northwest Arkansas Basketball Sunday, November 3, 2019 FAYETTEVILLE — When Ron Brewer boarded a University of Arkansas jet to fly with new Razorbacks basketball coach Eric Musselman to Springfield, Mass., in early September, it wasn't the first time the two had been around each other. Brewer first met Musselman 38 years ago during the 1981-82 season. The late Bill Musselman — Eric's father — was coach- ing the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers and the team's roster included Brewer, who starred at Arkansas for coach Eddie Sutton and was one of the famed "Triplets" along with Sidney Moncrief and Marvin Delph who led the Razorbacks to the 1978 Final Four. Eric Musselman was in high school when his father coached Brewer. "I remember when Eric used to run around the office and be at practices in Cleveland," Brewer said. "He reminds me so much of his daddy with the way he's turned o u t t o b e a great coach, too." E r i c M u s - selman invited Brewer and Delph to accompany an Arkansas contingent to Springfield to be in attendance when Moncrief was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Bas- ketball Hall of Fame. So what did Musselman think about being the Arkansas coach and hanging out with Brewer all these years after they had first met? "It's crazy," Musselman said. "It shows you just how small the basketball world is and how there's always somebody tied into somebody else you know. "I think it's unique that when you're in a profession that your dad was, it extends networking and experiences." Musselman, 54, is preparing for his first season as the Razorbacks' coach af- ter leading Nevada to a 110-34 record the previous four seasons, including three consecutive Mountain West Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a run to the Sweet 16 in 2017. Arkansas is the 15th stop for Musselman in a career that began with being general manager of the Rapid City (S.D.) Thrillers of the Continental Basketball Association in 1988 before becoming the team's coach the next year. He twice has been an NBA head coach with the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. He also has coached the Dominican Republic and Venezuela national teams during BOB HOLT ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Musselman's love of basketball started early Deep roots See MUSSELMAN, Page 4 "There's not going to be a better job come along for me than Arkansas. ... An NBA job isn't better than the Arkansas job. This is a great job. Now we've just got to win." — Arkansas men's basketball coach Eric Musselman NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo/J.T. WAMPLER Arkansas' head coach Eric Musselman encourages his team against University of Arkansas at Little Rock on Oct. 20 at Bud Walton Are- na win Fayetteville. The Razorbacks beat the Tro- jans 79-64.

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