Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1425851
6 2021 NWA COLLEGE BASKETBALL PREVIEW | 11.7.2021 www.innisfreeseniorliving.com Innisfree Senior Living "Treating you like family" NOBODY'S PRICES OR CARE CAN COMPARE IN NWA! cheering favorite red! Win! 300 Innisfree Circle Rogers, AR 479-636-7363 Innisfree... smiling faces and beautiful spaces Our excellent reputation continues for its 36th year!!!! Call Big J Today! Bentonville Glass Inc. 507 SOUTH MAIN STREET, BENTONVILLE, ARKANSAS 479-273-5545 RESIDENTIAL • AUTOMOTIVE • COMMERCIAL (S.D.) Thrillers that he had to market the team aggressively to sell tickets. In his first four seasons as a college head coach at Nevada, Musselman's teams also drew sellout crowds to the Lawlor Events Center in Reno. During the 2014-15 season before Musselman arrived, Nevada averaged 5,497 per game. By Musselman's fourth season in 2018-19, Nevada's average attendance was 10,878. "You want to try to create a demand for your ticket," Musselman said. "Obviously if it's a 20,000-seat building, it's a tough thing to do whether you're in college or the NBA. "To put it in perspective, when NBA teams are building a new arena, a lot of people are downsizing. Most of the newer NBA arenas are around 15,000, 16,000, 17,000 because it's too hard to sell out buildings in today's society with so many games on TV and with the way the internet has games. "So for us to be sold out prior to the end of October, that shows you the excitement we have throughout the entire state." Musselman said he has talked to the players about their responsibility to play entertaining basketball. "Obviously, they're student-athletes, but we also understand there's a business aspect to his whole thing," Musselman said. "When you're part of Power 5 programs, there is an obligation to put forth maximum effort at all times. "Because we understand the money people are spending to come to a basketball game, and the time that they dedicate to try to get to an arena and spend two hours inside watching you perform." Arkansas sophomore guard Davonte "Devo" Davis, a preseason All-SEC second-team pick by the media and coaches, said he understands the players' responsibility to the fans. "We want to entertain the fans and get everyone involved so it's more than basketball," Davis said. "You see Coach Muss do it all the time on social media. I think it's a good thing." Davis wasn't able to play in front of capacity crowds at home last season when attendance was limited to 4,400 because of the coronavirus pandemic. "I know I'm ready to play in front of the fanbase that everyone knows is one of the best in the country," said Davis, who is from Jacksonville. "I know the guys are ready and we're going to for sure give them the show that they're paying for." Davis and Vanover are among five returnees for the Razorbacks along with senior guard JD Notae, sophomore forward Jaylin Williams and sophomore guard Khalen "KK" Robinson. Newcomers via the transfer portal are senior guards Chris Lykes (from Miami), Stanley Umude (South Dakota) and AuDiese Toney (Pittsburgh) senior forward Trey Wade (Wichita State) and junior forward Kamani Johnson (Arkansas-Little Rock). Chance Moore is the Razorbacks' lone freshman. "We wish we'd be ranked higher, just because we feel like we had a great season last year, and we have a lot of people who can really do some damage this year," Vanover said. "But we're still really excited about where we are right now. "We want to show out and be one of the top teams this year." Walton Arena opened for the 1993- 94 season, which was perfect timing because the Razorbacks won the national championship and returned to the title game in 1995. Arkansas continued to sell out Walton Arena for the building's first nine seasons before the program fell on hard times. The Razorbacks made six NCAA Tournament appearances in an 18-year span from 2002 through 2019 without advancing past the second round. Fans stayed loyal, but ticket sales understandably took a hit as average attendance fell from a high of 20,134 in 1993-94 as far down as 13,182 in 2009- 10 and 13,116 in 2010-11. Arkansas' average attendance has been more than 17,000 just twice since 2000-01. Which begs the question — how FUSS n Continued from Page 4