SPRINGDALE — Walton Arena has been less than half full for 12 of Arkansas’ 16 home games this season.
“That’s what happens when you build a 20,000-seat arena and things go south,” Nolan Richardson said. “You create that monster, and now you’ve got to feed it, and sometimes you run out of food. And when you run out of food, he’s hungry.
“That’s what’s happening right now.”
Richardson knows about feeding the Arkansas basketball monster. He coached the Razorbacks to a school record 389 victories in 17 seasons from 1985-2002, including three Final Four appearances and the 1994 national championship.
During Walton Arena’s 1993-1994 inaugural season, the Razorbacks averaged 20,134 for 16 homes games. This season, their announced average for 16 home games is 8,118, though the average tickets sold is 11,907.
Richardson said while it’s difficult to believe attendance has fallen off to that extent, fans will return in big numbers.
“Oh, they’ll be back,” Richardson said. “Winning cures everything. Just win. Look what [Arkansas’] football team has done. They’ve got an exciting game to watch ... and fans are packing the stadium.
“There’s no question it can happen in basketball again. The fans are here. They already know the game.”
Richardson, speaking with reporters Tuesday after an appearance at the Northwest Arkansas Tipoff Club, noted that Arkansas basketball fans “have been part of something big for many years” going back to the days of Eddie Sutton, his coaching predecessor who led the Razorbacks to nine consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1977-1985.
“Basketball meant something,” said Richardson, who still spends time at his ranch outside Fayetteville. “Now you drive down the street and you hardly ever hear anything about basketball. I think we’re ready for spring football. Now that’s the second sport.
“Basketball used to be on the same level with football, maybe a little bit ahead at times. It’s not the same anymore ... but I think John will get it back.”
Richardson was referring to John Pelphrey, who has a 67-56 record in his fourth season at Arkansas’ coach, including 16-10 this season.
Fans have expressed increasing dissatisfaction with Pelphrey’s program on radio talk shows and Internet message boards. The Razorbacks are 5-7 in SEC play after posting records of 9-7, 2-14 and 7-9 in Pelphrey’s first three seasons, with an appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament, but Richardson said he remains supportive of Pelphrey.
“I think John is doing a good job,” Richardson said.“He’s had to go out and find some players that are going to fit how he wants to play. ... I think he’ll be able to adjust to what he needs to do and his players [will] find their rhythm.”
Richardson said he’s watched several Arkansas games on television this season.
“You can tell the team is playing better,” he said. “Especially when they’re hitting on all cylinders, they’re pretty tough.
“It takes time sometimes to learn how to finish a game. A key player coming in would maybe change all that. I just think they’re pretty close to being a good team.”
Pelphrey signed a highly rated recruiting class in November with Ky Madden, Hunter Mickelson, AaronRoss, B.J. Young and Devonta Abron.
Richardson, now coach of the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock, said he no longer keeps up with high school recruiting but that he’s heard positive feedback about Arkansas’ signees from friends who are college coaches.
“They’d like to have some of those players,” Richardson said. “If John’s got those kind of players coming in, it can only bring him closer to having the kind of team the fans love and he’ll enjoy coaching.”
Richardson said he spoke with Pelphrey earlier this season.
“Like I told him, all sickness is not death,” Richardson said. “Just keep your head up and keep preaching what you want them to do.
“That’s the bottom line. You’ve got to believe it, and they’ve got to believe it.”
Arkansas has drawn Walton Arena crowds of more than 20,000 57 times - all between the 1993-1994 and 2000-2001 seasons, including four matchups with Kentucky with the single-game record of 20,320 against the Wildcats in 1997.
A crowd of 20,266 watched the Razorbacks beat the Wildcats 82-78 on Feb. 25, 2001. Arkansas has lost 10 consecutive games since then to Kentucky, which plays tonight at Walton Arena.
Richardson said he didn’t realize it had been so long since the Razorbacks beat Kentucky.
“I hate hearing that because I’m part of it,” he said.
Richardson was the Razorbacks’ coach for only the first two losses in that streak.
“One loss is too many,” he said.
Richardson is the only Arkansas coach to beat Kentucky. The Razorbacks are 7-24 against the Wildcats, including Richardson’s 7-12 record.
Arkansas won 105-88 at Kentucky in 1992 - when Pelphrey played for the Wildcats - in the teams’ first SEC matchup.
“To beat Kentucky, to me, is the greatest thing,” Richardson said. “I got more ready to go play Kentucky than any other team. I wanted to beat them because they represented what was good. The other guys were OK, but when you beat Kentucky, you’d beaten somebody.
“To knock them off, that was nothing but joy.”
Sports, Pages 19 on 02/23/2011