They say the only constant is change. What could be better than pitting two programs undergoing massive change against each other in the world’s most famous arena.
Both Arkansas and Michigan have climbed to the mountaintop of college basketball in the past. Those eras are long gone, but their legacies require excellence on the pitch and on the benches.
Arkansas has ridden the ‘Muss Bus’ with Eric Mussleman for the past five seasons, reaching a Sweet 16 and two Elite Eights. But Los Angeles called and he fled to USC.
Conversely, Michigan handed the reins of its program to school legend Juwan Howard. He also reached an Elite Eight and a Sweet 16, but had a disastrous final season that spelled his end.
Both programs made big moves when they hired new leadership this offseason. For the Michigan Wolverines, they turned to newcomer Dusty May, hiring him from Florida Atlantic. For the Arkansas Razorbacks, they got a bona fide coaching legend in Kentucky’s John Calipari.
With change in the air, both teams ventured to Madison Square Garden for the Jimmy V Classic – held in honor of former NC State head coach Jim Valvano, who passed away years ago after a battle with cancer.
In a closely fought battle, both teams built big leads that faded away – but Arkansas held on to win 89-87.
Dusty May (L) of Michigan and John Calipari (R) of Arkansas are leading new eras at their schools
May has succeeded in this building before. It was here in 2023 that he helped FAU reach the pinnacle of athletic excellence by capturing a spot in the Final Four – where they lost on a buzzer-beater to San Diego State. May kept that group for another run in 2023-2024, but crashed out in the first round.
Many schools sought his services, but he chose Ann Arbor and a Michigan program that needed rehab after Howard’s 8-24 season.
Arkansas was a different story. Mussleman made an almost immediate impact, making back-to-back Elite Eights before reaching the Sweet 16 in 2023.
But a 2023-2024 season that could be described – at best – as a battle-ridden one sent him west to USC. Needing a coach, they went to their conference and staged a coup.
Calipari is a legend in the game: He made six Final Fours and two national title appearances, winning the whole thing in 2012 with Kentucky. So when he announced he was trading Lexington for Fayetteville, it sent shockwaves through the sport.
For both teams, their momentum entering the Garden was similar. Unranked Arkansas had lost to a top-ten Baylor team and Illinois earlier in the season, while 14th-ranked Michigan’s only blip was a two-point loss to Wake Forest.
Bronx native Boogie Fland showed up for Arkansas and led all scorers with 20 points
Arkansas’ Boogie Fland (2) drives into Michigan center Danny Wolf (1) in the first half.
There’s something about kids from New York City playing college basketball at the Garden. They almost gain a superpower when they walk onto the field. That was the case for Razorbacks guard and Bronx native Boogie Fland, who finished the night as Arkansas’ leading scorer.
A back-and-forth first five minutes of the game ultimately exposed Arkansas’ defensive struggles as Michigan built a 15-point lead. But Fland helped the Razorbacks cut the deficit to four at the half, behind his 13 first-half points.
Sloppy play by the Wolverines early in the second half led to Arkansas building an 18-point lead thanks to guard DJ Wagner.
But just like in the first half, no lead was safe and Michigan started to claw back. With a minute left, the score was 88-87 Arkansas, but the momentum was with the Wolverines – thanks in part to a stellar performance from Yale transfer Danny Wolf.
Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile missed two free throws to give Michigan the ball with less than 35 seconds left. Up the field the Wolverines raced before a pass found Vladislav Goldin, a 7-footer who transferred from FAU to Michigan with May. He hit a hook shot that Brazile swatted.
Brazile dropped one foul shot but missed the second, forcing May to call a timeout with 3.7 seconds left and the final shot. With the ball in their hands, the Wolverines botched a drive to the basket, forcing them to say a prayer that fell short. Arkansas fans cheered and then shouted “the pigs” with their chants of “Woo Pig Sooie.”
Reflecting on their seasons so far, both coaches admitted that things need to be ironed out. As May put it, “As coaches we get paid to solve problems,” while Calipari admitted to doing “two of the dumbest things I’ve ever done.” With the college basketball season just around the corner, it’s time to see if either of these teams can achieve their goals and build a strong resume come March.