By the Arkansas Black Vitality Staff

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – March 6, 2026 – As the 2026 Arkansas Razorback basketball team preps for a likely spot in the upcoming 2026 NCAA Basketball championship, the only coach to bring a national hoops crown to the state will be honored with a statue outside of Bud Walton Arena

During the Razorbacks win against rival Texas on Wednesday, legendary Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson was surprised with the news on the court that bears his name. According to the Razorback Foundation, the statue is in the process of being commissioned with work scheduled to start soon. Richardson’s likeness will be featured on the west side of Walton Arena once completed.

“Coach Richardson’s impact on the game of basketball and our state is immeasurable,” said University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek. “He represented Arkansas with a toughness and intense work ethic that endeared him to our fans while changing the lives of numerous athletes, coaches and staff under his direction. His 40 minutes of hell changed college basketball and led to the 1994 national championship that changed Arkansas and our University forever. Coach Richardson will stand tall outside the arena for the rest of time.”

Richardson led the Razorbacks to an overall record of 389-169, setting a school record for wins and a .697 winning percentage. He led Arkansas to 13 NCAA Tournament appearances including six Sweet 16s (1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996), four Elite Eights (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995), three Final Fours (1990, 1994, 1995) a national runner-up finish in 1995 and the 1994 NCAA Championship, the first in school history.

He coached Arkansas to five conference titles, including three in the Southwest Conference (1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91) along with SWC tournament championships in those same seasons; two Southeastern Conference championships (1991-92, 1993-94), an SEC West Division title (1994-95), and three appearances in the SEC tournament championship, including winning the SEC tournament in 2000.

In Richardson’s 22 years as a head coach at the college level — at Western Texas Junior College, the University of Tulsa, and the University of Arkansas — he posted a record of 508-206 (.711) and became the only head coach in college basketball history to win a National Junior College Championship, NIT Championship, and NCAA Championship.

Coach Richardson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014, the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor in 1996, and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He was honored with a banner in Bud Walton Arena in 2015. In 2019, the court inside the arena was officially named Nolan Richardson Court in his honor.

Separately, Arkansas Razorback freshman star Darius Acuff Jr. was named first-team All-American by College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein.

Acuff, who was recruited by Arkansas’s current Razorback coaching legend, John Calipari, was joined on the first team by Duke’s Cameron Boozer, who was named the National Player of the Year, along with JT Toppin (Texas Tech), Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), and AJ Dybantsa (BYU). Other SEC players making the team included Florida’s Thomas Haugh (second team) and Alabama’s Labaron Philon (third team).

Acuff is the only player in the nation averaging 20 points (22.0) and 6 assists (6.2) on the season. He is shooting 49% from the field and 42.1% from 3-point range.

Acuff is also on track to become the second player to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists for a season, joining Pete Maravich in 1969-70. Additionally, he is on pace to be the first player on record to lead the league in both scoring (24.6) and assists (6.3) in SEC games only. (SEC complete stats for league games only date back to 1990-91.)