Mayberry will assist Anderson

Former University of Arkansas standout Lee Mayberry before the Arkansas vs Michigan in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012.
Former University of Arkansas standout Lee Mayberry before the Arkansas vs Michigan in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012.

FAYETTEVILLE -- New Arkansas point guards Jabril Durham and Anton Beard are going to have an old Razorback help them make the transition to big-time college basketball.

Lee Mayberry -- who as a four-year starter at point guard helped Arkansas go 115-24 from 1989-1992 and win four conference championships with a 1990 Final Four appearance -- is returning to the UA this fall as a student assistant coach.

"Lee helped take Razorback basketball to the highest level," said Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson, who was an assistant to Nolan Richardson during Mayberry's playing days. "He was part of that resurgence. Now for him to have an opportunity to come back and impact the program from another standpoint in terms of coaching, you can't draw up a better scenario."

More than 20 years after Mayberry played his last game for Arkansas, he remains the Razorbacks' career leader with 291 steals and ranks second with 729 assists and third with 1,940 points.

"He's dear to a lot of Razorback fans, and he's certainly dear to his Razorback family," Anderson said.

Mayberry, a first-round NBA Draft pick who played seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Vancouver Grizzlies, said he has to pass about 40 hours to complete a degree in American studies. He hopes to finish his degree by next summer.

"It's been in the back of my mind to come back to school," he said. "I knew I needed to finish up my degree. I talked to my wife and family about it, and everybody was on board."

Anderson said Mayberry isn't allowed to recruit but will able to take part in all other coaching duties.

"He'll be engaged in our meetings and at practice and learn what it takes to coach at this level after he's had an opportunity to play at the highest level," Anderson said. "To me it's a great marriage."

Mayberry, 44, said he began giving more serious consideration to returning to Arkansas when he was in Fayetteville last season to be honored at the Razorbacks' celebration of their Final Four teams. Mayberry said he talked to Scotty Thurman, a former Razorback who is on the basketball staff as director of student-athlete development, and that Anderson then offered the opportunity to be a student coach.

Mayberry, a member of the UA Sports Hall of Honor and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, has stayed close to the game since retiring as a player by scouting for the Golden State Warriors, coaching AAU teams in his hometown of Tulsa and helping mentor players for the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Developmental League.

"This will be my first experience working with a college program," Mayberry said. "I'm going to soak it all the way in and learn as much as I can and give out whatever knowledge I can to help these coaches and young men."

Durham, a junior-college transfer, and Beard, a freshman, are expected to share point guard duties for the Razorbacks, who are trying to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008.

"I'm hoping I can help them out," Mayberry said. "Whether it's with ball-handling or shooting or just keeping those guys motivated and keeping them ready mentally and physically to play at this high level, I want to help them any way I can."

Mayberry said he wants to be there for all of the Razorbacks.

"As a college and NBA player, coaching on the AAU level, being an NBA scout, I want to offer all the insight from the things I've gone through," he said. "I really would like to build the trust and build the relationships with these young men."

Mayberry and his wife, Marla, have five daughters.

"They all play basketball, too," Mayberry said.

The oldest child, Taleya, 23, is a former University of Tulsa standout now playing professionally in Bulgaria. Kaylan, 19, is a sophomore starter at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. The other children are Maya (15) Wyvette (12) and Ryyian (7).

"My kids really like Fayetteville, my wife likes it," Mayberry said. "I think it's going to be great for us being here."

Sports on 08/19/2014

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