1994 College Basketball Recap
With 23,674 screaming fans including President Clinton looking on, Arkansas' Scotty Thurman buried a high-arcing three-pointer with 50 seconds left to lead the Razorbacks to a 76-72 win over Duke and their first NCAA basketball championship.
The win culminated a phenomenal season by coach Nolan Richardson who led his team to a 31-3 mark despite criticism that his team was raw and undisciplined. Sophomore Corliss Williamson scored 23 points and pulled down eight rebounds against Duke and was instrumental in leading Arkansas back from a 10-point second-half deficit. He also scored 29 points and grabbed 13 boards in the Hogs' 91-82 win over Arizona in the semifinals. For his efforts, he was awarded Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Duke made it to their fourth NCAA title game in the last five years by scraping by Florida 70-65. The Gators upset UConn in overtime and then slid by Boston College to advance to the Final Four. The Eagles, a 9-seed, were the surprise of the tournament, upsetting top seed North Carolina in the second round and then Indiana to set up a matchup with Florida.
Everyone's player of the year in 1994 was Purdue's Glenn Robinson. “The Big Dog” averaged 30.3 points per game and carried the Boilermakers to the “elite eight” where they were beaten by Duke. Just a junior, he chose to give up his final year of eligibility and the Milwaukee Bucks made him the first selection in the NBA draft.
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