(MUSIC)
NICK: WELCOME BACK TO THE
FINAL SCORE. IN STUDIO WITH US
IS FORMER RAZORBACK, BILL
INGRAM. HE'S THE FOUNDER OF THE
REAL DEAL IN THE ROCK BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT AND CHAIRMAN OF JOE
JOHNSON'S ARKANSAS HAWKS. THANKS
SO MUCH FOR JOINING US BILL.
BILL: MAN, I'M, ACTUALLY, I'M
VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE. FOR SUCH
A DIFFERENT MARCH.
(LAUGHING)
BILL: MADNESS WEEKEND.
(LAUGHING)
NICK: ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
BILL: IT'S UNUSUAL AND
HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE THE ONLY
TIME WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
NICK: YOU'RE RIGHT. MAN, YOU
TOUCHED ON IT. IT'S BEEN A
HISTORIC WEEK FOR SPORTS.
HISTORICALLY BAD. THE
CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC HAS FORCED
THE CANCELLATION OF ALL
CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS INCLUDING
THE SEC AND EVEN MARCH MADNESS.
ARKANSAS FINISHED OFF THEIR
SEASON WITH A WIN OVER
VANDERBILT. WHAT WAS YOUR
TAKEAWAY WITH THE RAZORBACKS?
HOW THEY FINISHED THE SEASON?
BILL: WELL THEY PLAYED
EXTREMELY WELL THAT BASKETBALL
GAME. THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY, THEY
WERE PREPARED AND READY TO PLAY.
AND I WAS REALLY HOPING THAT WE,
OF COURSE, WE WERE ALL HOPING WE
HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THEM GO ON
FROM THERE. BUT THEY PLAYED
REALLY WELL THAT GAME. THEY
PLAYED AS A TEAM. THEY MADE
SHOTS. THEIR DEFENSE WAS
EXCELLENT. AND THOSE WERE THE
GUYS THAT WE WERE USED TO
SEEING. AND THEY ALL LOOKED
PRETTY HEALTHY AND PRETTY GOOD.
SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
THE CONTINUATION ON OF THAT
TOURNAMENT TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD
PERFORM.
NICK: AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
THAT CANCELLATION. IT STINGS FOR
THAT TEAM. BUT ESPECIALLY FOR
THOSE SENIORS. AND YOU'VE SEEN
THESE SENIORS BLOOM INTO WHO
THEY ARE NOW. ADRIO BAILEY,
JAMARIO BELL, (UNKNOWN), JIMMY
WHITT JR., HOW MUCH DOES IT
STING TO SEE THOSE GUYS, NOT
HAVE THE CHANCE TO FINISH OFF
THAT RUN?
BILL: WELL IT REALLY BREAKS
YOUR HEART TO SEE THAT BECAUSE
THEY WERE ALL PLAYING REALLY
WELL. JIMMY WAS HAVING THE
CAREER OF THE BEST YEAR OF HIS
CAREER. AND THEY WERE ALL
PLAYING REALLY WELL. AND I WAS
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THESE
GUYS PLAY IN POST SEASON. AND
ANY TIME THE SENIORS YA KNOW,
THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE
IN OUR TIME THAT WE'VE
WITNESSED, YA KNOW, THE
CANCELLATION OF THESE
TOURNAMENTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE.
SO, IT WAS-, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS
JUST HEART-BREAKING TO SEE THOSE
GUYS NOT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO PLAY MORE GAMES, FINISH THEIR
CAREER OUT.
NICK: NOW, LET'S GO ON A MORE
SWEET NOTE, RIGHT? A LITTLE
BETTER NOTE. LET'S GO TO NEXT
SEASON. RIGHT? 'CAUSE THIS IS
ALREADY IN THE PAST. LAST
SEASON'S WHATEVER, OKAY. AND
IT'S DONE. BUT, LET'S LOOK
TOWARD NEXT SEASON. ERIC
MUSSLEMAN, YEAR TWO, GETTING IN
THOSE RECRUITS, GETTING ON THOSE
SIGNEES. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING
FORWARD MOST TO NEXT SEASON?
BILL: WELL THE NUMBER ONE
THING IF HE CAN RECRUIT HIS TWO
GUYS AND KEEP THEM HERE. THEN,
THAT WILL BE-, THAT WILL PUT
THEM IN AN UNBELIEVABLE SYSTEM.
IF HE CAN KEEP ISAIAH AND MASON
HERE. AND YA KNOW, YOU GOTTA
THINK THAT HE HAS A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. HE GOT
THOSE GUYS THERE WITH HIM
EVERYDAY SO HE CAN VISIT WITH
THEM WHENEVER HE LIKES. IF HE
CAN RECRUIT THOSE GUYS, AND KEEP
THOSE GUYS HERE, AND THEN GET
THE GUYS SIGNED THAT'S SCHEDULED
TO SIGN IN APRIL, NOW YOU'RE
LOOKING AT A TEAM THAT WITH THE
POTENTIAL IS UNBELIEVABLE. AND
HE, YA KNOW, YOU HAVE 8 OR 9
REALLY GOOD QUALITY PLAYERS AND
THEN SOME OF THESE OTHER GUYS
GOT EXPERIENCE AND CAME ONE AT
THE END OF THE YEAR LIKE ETHAN
HENDERSON. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE TEAM, YOU GOT SOME GUYS THAT
ARE SITTING OUT LIKE CONNOR
VANOVER. THAT YOU HAVE AN
EXCELLENT CHANCE OF HAVING A
REALLY GOOD TEAM. AND THAT MAKES
THE BASE AND THE RAZORBACK
NATION REALLY EXCITED.
NICK: ABSOLUTELY. AND THE
RAZORBACKS AREN'T THE ONLY TEAM
IN ARKANSAS WHO ARE HURTING
RIGHT NOW. BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE
LITTLE ROCK TROJANS' FIRST SEED
IN SUNBELT TOURNAMENT. THEY WENT
DOWN THERE, COULDN'T EVEN PLAY.
GOT CANCELLED. WHAT WAS YOUR
IMPRESSION OF THAT?
BILL: MAN, THEY HAD AN
UNBELIEVABLE SEASON. I MEAN,
UNBELIEVABLE TURNAROUND FROM
LAST YEAR TO BE PRESEASON PICKED
ELEVENTH AND WIN THE CONFERENCE
IS ALREADY AN UNBELIEVABLE
ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT YOU CAN'T
TAKE AWAY FROM THEM. BUT OF
COURSE, WE WOULD ALL WANTED THEM
TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY
IN THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT.
AND MAYBE WIN THAT TOURNAMENT
AND GO INTO THE NCAA. IT'S
OBVIOUS, COACH WALKER AND HIS
STAFF HAVE BUILT A REALLY GOOD
FOUNDATION. AND I THINK-, AND
THEY'LL BE REALLY GOOD NEXT YEAR
AND I THINK THEY'LL BE OF COURSE
WITH A LITTLE DIFFERENT
EXPECTATIONS, THE BULL IS ON
YOUR BACK NOW. SO, BUT I THINK
THEY'LL BE PREPARED AND THEY'LL
PERFORM JUST AS WELL OR BETTER
EVEN NEXT YEAR.
NICK: YEAH, WHAT A SEASON FOR
THOSE GUYS. AND DARRELL WALKER
BEING SUNBELT COACH OF THE YEAR.
VERY WELL DESERVED.
BILL: YES VERY WELL DESERVED.
NICK: SO WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
NEXT SEASON HOW THEY MAKE THAT
NEXT STEP AND HOPEFULLY EVEN
STILL BEING FIRST SEED. SO-
BILL: NO QUESTION.
NICK: YEAH, SO STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP TIME NOW. SO WE'RE
MOVING ONTO HIGH SCHOOL. THE 1A
AND 2A GAMES WERE PLAYED ON
THURSDAY. BUT THEN THE AAA
ANNOUNCED HEY, WE'RE CUTTING OFF
THE REST OF THESE GAMES. WE'RE
GONNA BE POSTPONING THEM UNTIL
LATER INDEFINITELY, RIGHT? THEY
WERE ALREADY PLAYING THOSE GAMES
IN HOT SPRINGS. WHAT DO YOU MAKE
OF THE DECISION?
BILL: WELL, YA KNOW, I'M JUST
GLAD THAT THE 1 AND 2A GOT A
CHANCE TO PLAY THEIR
CHAMPIONSHIPS. I REALLY, MY
HEART BREAKS FOR THE REST OF
THOSE YOUNG MEN AND THOSE
COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS THAT
DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO
PARTICIPATE AND THEN PLAY IN THE
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. IT'D BE
GREAT IF THEY CAN RESCHEDULE IT.
BUT, YA KNOW, WITH THE CLIMATE
AND THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, I
BET IT'S GONNA BE AWFULLY
DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO RESCHEDULE
THOSE GAMES. WE'RE NOT QUITE
SURE WHERE THIS IS GONNA TAKE
US. SO WE STILL ARE YA KNOW-,
(MUSIC)
BILL: NOT IN-, NO ONE IS IN
SCHOOL. NO ONE IS PLAYING. SO
WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THIS
IS GONNA TAKE US. BUT IT'S HEART
BREAKING WHEN HIGH SCHOOL KIDS-,
BECAUSE MOST OF THEM-, BECAUSE
THE MAJORITY OF THESE HIGH
SCHOOL KIDS, PLAY IN THE STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES, THIS
PROBABLY, THIS MAY BE THEIR LAST
TIME LACING UP THEIR SHOES. A
LOT OF THEM ARE GONNA GO ON TO
COLLEGE AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS,
WHICH IS NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH BASKETBALL. SO, FOR THEM TO
LOSE THAT OPPORTUNITY THEN AND
FOR THE COMMUNITIES, YA KNOW,
ESPECIALLY THESE SMALL TOWN
COMMUNITIES THAT HAD THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR THEIR TEAMS TO
PLAY IN THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP,
IT'S A HUGE DEAL. AND IT'S ONE
OF THOSE SITUATIONS THAT IT GO
ON FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE
AND THEY REMEMBER IT FOR THE
REST OF THEIR LIFE. SO, YA KNOW,
IT'S JUST HEART-BREAKING TO SEE
THEM NOT HAVING A CHANCE TO
PARTICIPATE AND PLAY IN THESE
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES.
NICK: YOU MENTIONED
HEART-BREAKING. I'VE TALKED WITH
TWO COACHES IN THE LAST DAYS,
TWO DAYS, AND THEIR WORDS TO
DESCRIBE IT ARE SERILE AND
DEFLATING. AND YOU'VE BEEN
AROUND HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
FOR YEARS. YOU'VE WORKED WITH
KIDS AS A COACH. TO SEE THESE
KIDS, ESPECIALLY THE SENIORS,
NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO GO OUT WITH
EVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO WIN THE
STATE TITLE THAT THEY'VE WORKED
SO HARD TO GET TO. HOW HARD IS
THAT?
BILL: WELL IT'S GOTTA BE
HEART-BREAKING FOR 'EM. I MEAN
LIKE I SAID, WE'RE IN
UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. AND, WE'RE
NOT QUITE SURE, WE'VE NEVER BEEN
A PART OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
SO, YA KNOW, THEY GOTTA BE,
THEIR HEARTS ARE BREAKING. BUT
YA KNOW, KIDS, ONE THING ABOUT
THEM, THEIR RESILIENT. THEY'LL
BOUNCE BACK AND MOVE ON. AND TO
THEIR OTHER ENDEAVORS IN LIFE. I
JUST HATE TO SEE THESE GUYS NOT
HAVING A CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE
IN PLAYING THESE HIGH SCHOOL
STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
NICK: ABSOLUTELY. IT'S TOUGH.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF THOSE GUYS
WORK ALL THE SEASON. IT'S NOT
JUST PLAYERS, IT'S COACHING
STAFF AND ENTIRE STUDENT BODIES
WHO LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS
EVENT. AND THEY DON'T GET TO
PLAY.
BILL: THE ENTIRE-, LOOK, THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITIES. THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITIES. WHEN THEY-, THIS IS
BIG DEAL WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE
TO MAKE IT TO THE STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. AND IT'S A
REFLECTION OF ALL THE HARD WORK
FROM THE-, STARTING WITH THE
PARENTS TO THE KIDS TO THE
SCHOOL OFFICIALS, THE COMMUNITY,
THE COMMUNITY LEADERS. AND FOR
THEM TO NOT HAVE THAT
OPPORTUNITY, MAN, IT'S TOUGH.
BUT YA KNOW, THE THING IS IT'S
LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
SO-, WE'RE SEEING IT EVERYWHERE.
AND JUST HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET
PAST THIS AND THIS WON'T EVER
HAPPEN AGAIN.
NICK: YEAH, AND BEING WITH
THOSE TWO COACHES IN MY LAST FEW
DAYS, THOSE MILLS IN 4A AND ALSO
CONWAY IN 6A. AND ALTHOUGH IT'S
CRUSHING FOR THOSE TEAMS, THEY
HAVE THE SAME AGREEMENT WHICH IS
HEY, IT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW. IT'S BEST FOR THE
STATE OF ARKANSAS. IT'S BIGGER
THAN BASKETBALL. SO AT LEAST
THESE GUYS HAVE THE HUMILITY TO
SAY, IT'S BIGGER THAN
BASKETBALL. WE HAVE SAFETY TO
CONCERN ABOUT.
BILL: NO QUESTION. NO
QUESTION. AND THAT'S THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING. IT IS BIGGER
THAN BASKETBALL. AND WE WANT TO
DO THE RIGHT THING TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE-, THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE
ARE SAFE. BUT IT'S STILL
HEART-BREAKING AND WHEN IT COMES
TO SPORTS, YA KNOW, YOU WAIT ON
THESE SITUATIONS. AND YOU DREAM
ABOUT 'EM YOUR ENTIRE LIFE
PLAYING THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
GAMES. AND THEN FOR SOMETHING
LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN, AND YOU
DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
PLAY, IT'S CRUSHING.
NICK: NOW THE RAZORBACKS,
THEY'RE ALREADY OUT OF THE
PICTURE BECAUSE THOSE
TOURNAMENTS ARE CANCELLED. NOW,
THIS IS POSTPONEMENT. SO IT'S A
LITTLE DIFFERENT. BUT THEY
ALREADY ANNOUNCED THAT SCHOOL'S
ARE OUT ON MONDAY. SO THE
CHANCES AT THEM PLAYING IS JUST
FURTHER DECREASED. BUT IF THEY
WERE TO PLAY ANY TIME IN THE
FUTURE, LET'S SAY TWO MONTHS
FROM NOW IN MAY THEY GO AT IT,
WHAT'S THE DIFFICULTY YOU SEE IN
GETTING BACK TO GAME SPEED?
BILL: WELL FIRST OF ALL,
YOU'D HAVE TO GET THE TEAM BACK
OUT ON THE FLOOR AND START
PRACTICE AGAIN. YOU HAVE OTHER
SPORTS GOING ON. I DON'T KNOW. I
LIKE-, I'M SURE IF WE PUT OUR
HEADS TOGETHER, EVERYBODY, IF
THE PROPER PEOPLE PUT THEIR
HEADS TOGETHER, THEY COULD
FIGURE OUT A WAY, THAT WOULD BE
GREAT. BUT I WOULD THINK THE
LONGER THIS GOES ON, THE LESS
CHANCE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO
RESCHEDULE THESE GAMES AND PLAY
'EM. SO, I GUESS IT'S JUST A
WAIT AND SEE SITUATION RIGHT
NOW.
NICK: NOW YOU RUN THE REAL
DEAL IN THE ROCK BASKETBALL
TOURNAMENT. AND THAT WAS ALSO
POSTPONED. BUT IT'S ALREADY BEEN
RESCHEDULED. SO TALK TO ME ABOUT
THAT.
BILL: WELL WE RESCHEDULED IT
FOR JUNE 5TH THROUGH THE 7TH. WE
JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, WE NEVER
HAD TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING LIKE
THIS. I ANTICIPATE THAT RIGHT
NOW WE MAY EVEN HAVE A BIGGER
IMPACT FIRST OF ALL, YA KNOW,
IT'LL BE IN THE SUMMERTIME, SO
WE WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
SCHOOL AND THINGS OF THAT
NATURE. AND WE HAVE WITH US
CHANGING OUR DATES WE'VE
ACTUALLY HAD, I'VE ACTUALLY HAD
A COUPLE TEAMS TO CALL THAT WE
WOULD NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO HAVE
THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THEY
WERE ALREADY SCHEDULED DOING
THINGS. AND NOW THEY WANT TO
COME. SO, THIS COULD WORK OUT ON
THE-, AND I DON'T WANT TO MAKE
LIGHT OF ANYTHING. BUT THIS
COULD WORK, THIS MAY WORK OUT
BETTER FOR US. BECAUSE WE'RE
EXCITED ABOUT THE TEAMS THAT WE
ALREADY HAVE, AND THEY STILL
COMMITTED. AND THEN WE'VE
ACTUALLY GOT A CHANCE TO GET A
COUPLE OF TEAMS THAT WE DID NOT
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING
IF WE WOULD'VE STILL BEEN ON
SCHEDULE FOR MARCH THE 27TH
THROUGH THE 29TH. SO, IT MAY
WORK OUT BETTER FOR US.
HOPEFULLY BY THEN, THINGS WILL
BE CLEARED UP AND PEOPLE WILL BE
ANXIOUS TO COME OUT AND WE'LL
PUT ON A GREAT SHOW AS USUAL.
AND HAVE A GREAT TIME.
NICK: WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE
IT. AWESOME. WELL THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING HERE BILL.
BILL: NO PROBLEM.
NICK: COMING UP ON THE FINAL
SCORE, COMING UP AFTER THE SHOW,
SEE WHAT'S NEXT.
(MUSIC)