Tonight will be our first look at the Hogs at full strength (barring any unforeseen developments the last few days) + a small scouting report on Mercer...
arkansas.rivals.com
FAYETTEVILLE — The wait is finally over.
After playing a pair of exhibition games, Arkansas will take the floor at Bud Walton Arena for real Tuesday night against Mercer.
When the teams tip off at 7 p.m. CT, it’ll be the Razorbacks’ first game since losing to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight a little more than seven months ago
It will also be their first time playing in their current form, without the likes of NBA lottery pick Moses Moody and with the addition of seven players who didn’t play last year. Arkansas didn’t even have everyone available for the exhibition games because of injuries, but that changes Tuesday.
“I think the guys are excited to play,” head coach Eric Musselman said. “We’re healthier than we’ve been say in the last two months, so that’s a positive that we do have the injured guys back in the fold.”
The Razorbacks were without forward Trey Wade (knee) in their first exhibition. He returned for the North Texas game, but then they were without forwards Jaylin Williams (back spasms) and Kamani Johnson (wrist).
All of those players are expected to be available against the Bears. Johnson had his cast removed last week and is still wearing a brace as a precaution, but Musselman said he hasn’t been limited in practice.
The Little Rock transfer joined the team at midterm last season and had to sit out, so he said watching the exhibitions from the sideline gave him PTSD - especially with his teammates getting crushed on the boards the last time out.
“It was kind of tough, but I pride myself on rebounding and doing whatever the team needs me to do to win,” Johnson said. “That’s just one aspect of my game that can help the team, so I’m looking forward to helping my team Tuesday.”
Williams, the 6-foot-10 sophomore, also would have helped Arkansas in the rebounding department against the Mean Green, but he was held out because of back spasms.
Luckily for the Razorbacks, he was back practicing again last week. However, Musselman said they’re still being cautious about his return.
“He's practicing, but with the back spasms, we're concerned because it can change at the snap of a finger with something like a back,” Musselman said. “He's been practicing, but we're monitoring him to make sure he doesn't get fatigued with that thing and wakes up in the morning, which can happen any morning, where you just wake up and don't feel comfortable.”
After “slightly” tearing his patellar tendon and undergoing PRP treatments to heal it, Wade is still working his way back into game shape. Even though he hadn’t been back in action long, he contributed 5 points and 4 rebounds against North Texas and he posted a team-high plus-15.
The performance surprised Musselman.
“It’s amazing that we were plus-15, because he does not know our plays,” Musselman said. “We basically ran sets that four players knew and one player didn’t. But he didn’t get in the way. He went and set screens and went to the offensive boards a little bit and kept balls alive.”
Musselman was also pleasantly surprised by how much Wade played. He was expecting the Wichita State transfer to play just 5 minutes in each half for 10 total minutes, but he got almost 17 minutes from him.
Wade admitted he got winded at times, but it wasn’t as bad as he expected and he’s confident it’ll only get better as he plays more.
“As far as my injury, maybe that surprised me a little,” Wade said. “What coach was saying, I already knew once he put me on the floor it was going to be hard to take me out. That's just kind of the player I am. I know how to get in the game and be productive regardless of if I really know the plays or not.”
Injuries were an unfortunate theme of Arkansas’ preseason practices, as several players missed time with various issues. With the aforementioned seven newcomers - including Johnson, who practiced with the team for half of last season - the absences hindered how well the guys have meshed.
“For the most part, this team gives up incredible effort, energy and enthusiasm everyday in practice,” Musselman said. “I think it’s more about them being comfortable playing together, about them understanding their teammates, getting a rhythm.”
Because of that, Musselman said he’s still figuring things out when it comes to starters, his rotation and how deep his bench will go this season.
“How this all unfolds, we really don't know,” Musselman said. “I'd love to be able to tell you this is who we're starting, this is our rotation, here's sixth, seventh and eight man off the bench, but I truly do not know right now. That's something we're still trying to work through."
Of course, how the rotation unfolds during the non-conference portion of the schedule doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how it’ll look by the end of the year.
Last season, Davonte Davis and Jaylin Williams didn’t play much early on, but eventually evolved into key players and starters in the NCAA Tournament.
“Maybe that’s why minutes are the way they are to start off a season,” Musselman said. “It’s not easy to learn the playbook that we have, because it’s not a normal college playbook. It’s an NBA playbook with a lot of quick hitters that don’t eat up shot clock.”
Another area Musselman will be focused on in Arkansas season opener is point guard play. Davis, JD Notae and Chris Lykes have proven to be capable scorers, but have been a “work in progress” when it comes to distributing. Another candidate at the position is KK Robinson.
“We gotta continue to get better at moving the basketball and creating shots for teammates rather than ourselves,” Musselman said. “We know that all three of those guys can create shots for themselves and, quite frankly, all three of them can create their own shot almost as well as anybody in college basketball. But now it’s can you create a shot for a teammate?”
Sharing the ball applies to everyone on the roster, too. Last year’s team really bought in to Musselman’s goal of 200 passes per game, but this year’s team is still working on that. The third-year coach said he’s even broken that down to passes per possession to help the players grasp it, plus done other specific drills in practice.
Musselman is anxious to see how his team responds to a big atmosphere, as well. Attendance was limited last season because of the pandemic, so no one on the roster has experienced a packed Bud Walton Arena.
A few of the transfers played in front of big crowds at their previous schools, but nothing quite like the nearly 20,000 fans Arkansas could have on any given night thanks to selling out its season tickets.
“Man, I can't wait,” Wade said. “Being at Wichita State, we had the 10,000 and that was great. Add another 10 to that, it's going to be pretty crazy. I can't wait to see what the games will really be like.”
The Razorbacks are ranked in the preseason AP Poll for the first time in 14 years, checking in at No. 16, so there is a lot of excitement - and expectations - surrounding the team.
Some fans were questioning the hype after Arkansas needed a comeback to beat a DII school and then beat North Texas by just eight in its two exhibition games, so the players want to start the season on a high note.
“We kind of heard the noise from the exhibition games from everybody, so I think Tuesday we're going to try to shut up the noise and show what we can do at full capacity,” Johnson said. “We know who we are as a team. Tuesday we've just got to go out and prove it.”
The game will not be on television, but it will be streamed online on SEC Network-Plus, meaning it can be watched on ESPN3.com or the ESPN app.
Scouting Report: Mercer
Coming off a season in which in went 18-11 and eight years removed from its monumental upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament, Mercer is projected to finish fourth out of 10 teams in the SoCon.
In their lone exhibition, the Bears crushed Division II foe Fort Valley State 93-61. They made 13 of 29 three-pointers and shot 55.7 percent from the floor in that game.
Preseason all-conference guard Neftali Alvarez runs the show for Mercer, as Musselman described him as a “very, very good ball-handler” and “very crafty.” He loves to score in transition, so the Bears will push it opportunistically, but they’re also capable of slowing things down and getting a shot off in the last 8 seconds of the shot clock.
Another key player for Mercer is Felipe Haase, who began his career at South Carolina. The 6-foot-9, 253-pound big man shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc last season.
He’s one of two SEC transfers on the roster, as Jalen Johnson spent three years at Tennessee and played at Wake Forest last year before joining the Bears.
“Defensively, you’re going to have to get ahold of them in transition, build a wall around No. 2 Alvarez,” Musselman said. “You’re going to have to locate (Haase) as quick as possible as well as Johnson. You’re going to have to locate those guys and then you’re going to have to be able to guard back cuts because when they dribble at you, they go back door.”
Other players Musselman mentioned were James Glisson III, who he described as an offensive rebounder and high-energy player, and Shannon Grant, who is physical with his 6-foot-10, 280-pound frame and scored 17 points off the bench in the exhibition game.
HawgBeat - Hogs back to full strength for opener vs. Mercer
The wait is finally over - Arkansas hoops returns Tuesday night.
arkansas.rivals.com
FAYETTEVILLE — The wait is finally over.
After playing a pair of exhibition games, Arkansas will take the floor at Bud Walton Arena for real Tuesday night against Mercer.
When the teams tip off at 7 p.m. CT, it’ll be the Razorbacks’ first game since losing to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight a little more than seven months ago
It will also be their first time playing in their current form, without the likes of NBA lottery pick Moses Moody and with the addition of seven players who didn’t play last year. Arkansas didn’t even have everyone available for the exhibition games because of injuries, but that changes Tuesday.
“I think the guys are excited to play,” head coach Eric Musselman said. “We’re healthier than we’ve been say in the last two months, so that’s a positive that we do have the injured guys back in the fold.”
The Razorbacks were without forward Trey Wade (knee) in their first exhibition. He returned for the North Texas game, but then they were without forwards Jaylin Williams (back spasms) and Kamani Johnson (wrist).
All of those players are expected to be available against the Bears. Johnson had his cast removed last week and is still wearing a brace as a precaution, but Musselman said he hasn’t been limited in practice.
The Little Rock transfer joined the team at midterm last season and had to sit out, so he said watching the exhibitions from the sideline gave him PTSD - especially with his teammates getting crushed on the boards the last time out.
“It was kind of tough, but I pride myself on rebounding and doing whatever the team needs me to do to win,” Johnson said. “That’s just one aspect of my game that can help the team, so I’m looking forward to helping my team Tuesday.”
Williams, the 6-foot-10 sophomore, also would have helped Arkansas in the rebounding department against the Mean Green, but he was held out because of back spasms.
Luckily for the Razorbacks, he was back practicing again last week. However, Musselman said they’re still being cautious about his return.
“He's practicing, but with the back spasms, we're concerned because it can change at the snap of a finger with something like a back,” Musselman said. “He's been practicing, but we're monitoring him to make sure he doesn't get fatigued with that thing and wakes up in the morning, which can happen any morning, where you just wake up and don't feel comfortable.”
After “slightly” tearing his patellar tendon and undergoing PRP treatments to heal it, Wade is still working his way back into game shape. Even though he hadn’t been back in action long, he contributed 5 points and 4 rebounds against North Texas and he posted a team-high plus-15.
The performance surprised Musselman.
“It’s amazing that we were plus-15, because he does not know our plays,” Musselman said. “We basically ran sets that four players knew and one player didn’t. But he didn’t get in the way. He went and set screens and went to the offensive boards a little bit and kept balls alive.”
Musselman was also pleasantly surprised by how much Wade played. He was expecting the Wichita State transfer to play just 5 minutes in each half for 10 total minutes, but he got almost 17 minutes from him.
Wade admitted he got winded at times, but it wasn’t as bad as he expected and he’s confident it’ll only get better as he plays more.
“As far as my injury, maybe that surprised me a little,” Wade said. “What coach was saying, I already knew once he put me on the floor it was going to be hard to take me out. That's just kind of the player I am. I know how to get in the game and be productive regardless of if I really know the plays or not.”
Injuries were an unfortunate theme of Arkansas’ preseason practices, as several players missed time with various issues. With the aforementioned seven newcomers - including Johnson, who practiced with the team for half of last season - the absences hindered how well the guys have meshed.
“For the most part, this team gives up incredible effort, energy and enthusiasm everyday in practice,” Musselman said. “I think it’s more about them being comfortable playing together, about them understanding their teammates, getting a rhythm.”
Because of that, Musselman said he’s still figuring things out when it comes to starters, his rotation and how deep his bench will go this season.
“How this all unfolds, we really don't know,” Musselman said. “I'd love to be able to tell you this is who we're starting, this is our rotation, here's sixth, seventh and eight man off the bench, but I truly do not know right now. That's something we're still trying to work through."
Of course, how the rotation unfolds during the non-conference portion of the schedule doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how it’ll look by the end of the year.
Last season, Davonte Davis and Jaylin Williams didn’t play much early on, but eventually evolved into key players and starters in the NCAA Tournament.
“Maybe that’s why minutes are the way they are to start off a season,” Musselman said. “It’s not easy to learn the playbook that we have, because it’s not a normal college playbook. It’s an NBA playbook with a lot of quick hitters that don’t eat up shot clock.”
Another area Musselman will be focused on in Arkansas season opener is point guard play. Davis, JD Notae and Chris Lykes have proven to be capable scorers, but have been a “work in progress” when it comes to distributing. Another candidate at the position is KK Robinson.
“We gotta continue to get better at moving the basketball and creating shots for teammates rather than ourselves,” Musselman said. “We know that all three of those guys can create shots for themselves and, quite frankly, all three of them can create their own shot almost as well as anybody in college basketball. But now it’s can you create a shot for a teammate?”
Sharing the ball applies to everyone on the roster, too. Last year’s team really bought in to Musselman’s goal of 200 passes per game, but this year’s team is still working on that. The third-year coach said he’s even broken that down to passes per possession to help the players grasp it, plus done other specific drills in practice.
Musselman is anxious to see how his team responds to a big atmosphere, as well. Attendance was limited last season because of the pandemic, so no one on the roster has experienced a packed Bud Walton Arena.
A few of the transfers played in front of big crowds at their previous schools, but nothing quite like the nearly 20,000 fans Arkansas could have on any given night thanks to selling out its season tickets.
“Man, I can't wait,” Wade said. “Being at Wichita State, we had the 10,000 and that was great. Add another 10 to that, it's going to be pretty crazy. I can't wait to see what the games will really be like.”
The Razorbacks are ranked in the preseason AP Poll for the first time in 14 years, checking in at No. 16, so there is a lot of excitement - and expectations - surrounding the team.
Some fans were questioning the hype after Arkansas needed a comeback to beat a DII school and then beat North Texas by just eight in its two exhibition games, so the players want to start the season on a high note.
“We kind of heard the noise from the exhibition games from everybody, so I think Tuesday we're going to try to shut up the noise and show what we can do at full capacity,” Johnson said. “We know who we are as a team. Tuesday we've just got to go out and prove it.”
The game will not be on television, but it will be streamed online on SEC Network-Plus, meaning it can be watched on ESPN3.com or the ESPN app.
Scouting Report: Mercer
Coming off a season in which in went 18-11 and eight years removed from its monumental upset of Duke in the NCAA Tournament, Mercer is projected to finish fourth out of 10 teams in the SoCon.
In their lone exhibition, the Bears crushed Division II foe Fort Valley State 93-61. They made 13 of 29 three-pointers and shot 55.7 percent from the floor in that game.
Preseason all-conference guard Neftali Alvarez runs the show for Mercer, as Musselman described him as a “very, very good ball-handler” and “very crafty.” He loves to score in transition, so the Bears will push it opportunistically, but they’re also capable of slowing things down and getting a shot off in the last 8 seconds of the shot clock.
Another key player for Mercer is Felipe Haase, who began his career at South Carolina. The 6-foot-9, 253-pound big man shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc last season.
He’s one of two SEC transfers on the roster, as Jalen Johnson spent three years at Tennessee and played at Wake Forest last year before joining the Bears.
“Defensively, you’re going to have to get ahold of them in transition, build a wall around No. 2 Alvarez,” Musselman said. “You’re going to have to locate (Haase) as quick as possible as well as Johnson. You’re going to have to locate those guys and then you’re going to have to be able to guard back cuts because when they dribble at you, they go back door.”
Other players Musselman mentioned were James Glisson III, who he described as an offensive rebounder and high-energy player, and Shannon Grant, who is physical with his 6-foot-10, 280-pound frame and scored 17 points off the bench in the exhibition game.
