As we turn the page to 2022-23, here's what's next for the Hogs...
arkansas.rivals.com
For the second straight year, Arkansas’ season ended one win shy of the Final Four.
The Razorbacks lost to Duke 78-69 in the Elite Eight on Saturday, capping a great season in which they won 18 of their final 22 games, beat the AP No. 1 team twice and finished with a 28-9 record.
However, head coach Eric Musselman is not going to rest on his laurels. He ended his postgame press conference by telling reporters he was about to turn the page to 2022-23.
“We internally have high expectations, meaning in that locker room, and we will have high expectations all summer,” Musselman said. “As soon as we get out of here I'm going to start working on next year. That's a definite. Yeah, I guess the bar has been raised.”
With that in mind, HawgBeat thought it’d be good to take a look at what Arkansas probably has on its offseason checklist as Musselman enters his fourth season at the helm…
1. Anthony Black decision
The next big date on Arkansas’ calendar is actually Monday, as Anthony Black is set to announce his post-high school plans at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Ranked No. 27 overall, the four-star shooting guard was the highest-ranked prospect available in the 2022 class until offseason coaching changes prompted four players ahead of him to de-commit.
Black revealed his final choices last week and Arkansas is among the finalists, as are Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, TCU and the G-League.
Long believed to be a two-team race between Gonzaga and Oklahoma State, the Razorbacks have stayed in the mix and even got an unofficial visit from him late in the season.
Things seemed to be trending positively for Arkansas, but it now seems as though Gonzaga is the favorite to land his services. Multiple Rivals analysts submitted FutureCasts for the Bulldogs in the past 10 days.
However, since then, the Razorbacks knocked off Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and he’ll be playing with two other Arkansas signees — Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh — in Chicago at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Perhaps that could sway Black’s decision, but it’s probably a long-shot at this point. Even without his commitment, though, the Razorbacks have the No. 2 overall signing class for 2022. In addition to Smith and Walsh, both of whom are five-star prospects, Arkansas also signed three other Rivals150 recruits: Derrian Ford, Joseph Pinion and Barry Dunning Jr.
2. To return or not to return: JD Notae and Au’Diese Toney
It might not be quite as immediate as Black’s decision, but it would not be surprising to hear something from JD Notae and/or Au’Diese Toney regarding their futures sooner rather than later.
Both players were seniors this season, but could opt to return to Arkansas for one more year because of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility relief in response to the pandemic.
Unlike football coach Sam Pittman, who openly campaigned for his players to come back as super seniors, Musselman told reporters that those discussions would not take place until after the season. He also added that he wanted what’s best for the individual player.
“I do think that I’m going to get as much information as possible for those guys, and I want what is best for them,” Musselman said before Arkansas’ final home game. “Nobody knows better than I do and some of the guys on our staff that have been at the next level when that time is right.”
Although he didn’t come right out and tell the media, sources have indicated to HawgBeat throughout the season that the staff would like to have both of them back. It’s easy to see why, as both were key pieces to this year’s Elite Eight team.
Notae is coming off of an incredible season in which he averaged 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals, earning AP third-team All-America and consensus first-team All-SEC honors. He regularly carried the Razorbacks offensively and developed into a really good defender, as well.
Toney averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, but his biggest impact doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. He was probably Arkansas’ top defender, regularly being assigned to the other team’s best player and shutting him down.
Neither player is being discussed as a potential NBA Draft pick, so the decision will likely boil down to whether or not they want to play another season in college or begin their professional career in the G-League or an overseas league.
3. Portal movement — in and out
While he’s also developed into an excellent traditional recruiter, with all 10 of his high school signees being in the Rivals150, Musselman is known for his prowess in the portal.
He was great with transfers at Nevada and has continued that at Arkansas, bringing in the likes of Notae, Toney, Jimmy Whitt Jr., Justin Smith, Jalen Tate, Stanley Umude, Trey Wade and others.
So it’s no surprise at all that the Razorbacks had already contacted — by HawgBeat’s count — at least 27 players in the portal even before Saturday’s game against Duke. There’s a chance that number could reach triple digits in the coming months.
Arkansas can’t take that many players, of course, but will likely target a few key pieces to add to the returning players and incoming freshmen. At the top of that list is likely another big man to complement Jaylin Williams.
It’s also a safe bet the Razorbacks would like to add a sharpshooter, as they shot just 30.4 percent from beyond the arc this year and are losing Stanley Umude to graduation, and they might — depending on what Notae decides to do — be interested in adding a point/combo guard, as well.
While the portal is there to add those players, it’s also there to take current players away — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s likely needed from a numbers perspective.
Without Black, the Razorbacks are set to bring in five freshmen and have only three players completely out of eligibility. Assuming Cade Arbogast reverts back to walk-on status, Arkansas would still be one over the 13-man scholarship limit if Notae and Toney each returned.
Even if both of them chose to leave, there would be just one open scholarship for a potential portal pickup — and an even greater need for transfers. Therefore, it’s safe to assume there will be departures.
As for who those might be, the most obvious choices would be the players who didn’t play much. Connor Vanover, KK Robinson and Chance Moore fit that description, as each of them appeared in 19 or fewer games and averaged less than 10 minutes when they did see the floor.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of a surprise transfer. Last season, Desi Sills entered the portal after appearing in every game and averaging more than 20 minutes with 15 starts. The year before that, Jalen Harris and Reggie Chaney were key pieces of the rotation before transferring.
HawgBeat - What's Next for Arkansas: Muss' offseason checklist
HawgBeat takes a look at what's next for Arkansas and head coach Eric Musselman.
arkansas.rivals.com
For the second straight year, Arkansas’ season ended one win shy of the Final Four.
The Razorbacks lost to Duke 78-69 in the Elite Eight on Saturday, capping a great season in which they won 18 of their final 22 games, beat the AP No. 1 team twice and finished with a 28-9 record.
However, head coach Eric Musselman is not going to rest on his laurels. He ended his postgame press conference by telling reporters he was about to turn the page to 2022-23.
“We internally have high expectations, meaning in that locker room, and we will have high expectations all summer,” Musselman said. “As soon as we get out of here I'm going to start working on next year. That's a definite. Yeah, I guess the bar has been raised.”
With that in mind, HawgBeat thought it’d be good to take a look at what Arkansas probably has on its offseason checklist as Musselman enters his fourth season at the helm…
1. Anthony Black decision
The next big date on Arkansas’ calendar is actually Monday, as Anthony Black is set to announce his post-high school plans at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Ranked No. 27 overall, the four-star shooting guard was the highest-ranked prospect available in the 2022 class until offseason coaching changes prompted four players ahead of him to de-commit.
Black revealed his final choices last week and Arkansas is among the finalists, as are Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, TCU and the G-League.
Long believed to be a two-team race between Gonzaga and Oklahoma State, the Razorbacks have stayed in the mix and even got an unofficial visit from him late in the season.
Things seemed to be trending positively for Arkansas, but it now seems as though Gonzaga is the favorite to land his services. Multiple Rivals analysts submitted FutureCasts for the Bulldogs in the past 10 days.
However, since then, the Razorbacks knocked off Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 and he’ll be playing with two other Arkansas signees — Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh — in Chicago at the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Perhaps that could sway Black’s decision, but it’s probably a long-shot at this point. Even without his commitment, though, the Razorbacks have the No. 2 overall signing class for 2022. In addition to Smith and Walsh, both of whom are five-star prospects, Arkansas also signed three other Rivals150 recruits: Derrian Ford, Joseph Pinion and Barry Dunning Jr.
2. To return or not to return: JD Notae and Au’Diese Toney
It might not be quite as immediate as Black’s decision, but it would not be surprising to hear something from JD Notae and/or Au’Diese Toney regarding their futures sooner rather than later.
Both players were seniors this season, but could opt to return to Arkansas for one more year because of the NCAA’s blanket eligibility relief in response to the pandemic.
Unlike football coach Sam Pittman, who openly campaigned for his players to come back as super seniors, Musselman told reporters that those discussions would not take place until after the season. He also added that he wanted what’s best for the individual player.
“I do think that I’m going to get as much information as possible for those guys, and I want what is best for them,” Musselman said before Arkansas’ final home game. “Nobody knows better than I do and some of the guys on our staff that have been at the next level when that time is right.”
Although he didn’t come right out and tell the media, sources have indicated to HawgBeat throughout the season that the staff would like to have both of them back. It’s easy to see why, as both were key pieces to this year’s Elite Eight team.
Notae is coming off of an incredible season in which he averaged 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals, earning AP third-team All-America and consensus first-team All-SEC honors. He regularly carried the Razorbacks offensively and developed into a really good defender, as well.
Toney averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds, but his biggest impact doesn’t necessarily show up in the box score. He was probably Arkansas’ top defender, regularly being assigned to the other team’s best player and shutting him down.
Neither player is being discussed as a potential NBA Draft pick, so the decision will likely boil down to whether or not they want to play another season in college or begin their professional career in the G-League or an overseas league.
3. Portal movement — in and out
While he’s also developed into an excellent traditional recruiter, with all 10 of his high school signees being in the Rivals150, Musselman is known for his prowess in the portal.
He was great with transfers at Nevada and has continued that at Arkansas, bringing in the likes of Notae, Toney, Jimmy Whitt Jr., Justin Smith, Jalen Tate, Stanley Umude, Trey Wade and others.
So it’s no surprise at all that the Razorbacks had already contacted — by HawgBeat’s count — at least 27 players in the portal even before Saturday’s game against Duke. There’s a chance that number could reach triple digits in the coming months.
Arkansas can’t take that many players, of course, but will likely target a few key pieces to add to the returning players and incoming freshmen. At the top of that list is likely another big man to complement Jaylin Williams.
It’s also a safe bet the Razorbacks would like to add a sharpshooter, as they shot just 30.4 percent from beyond the arc this year and are losing Stanley Umude to graduation, and they might — depending on what Notae decides to do — be interested in adding a point/combo guard, as well.
While the portal is there to add those players, it’s also there to take current players away — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it’s likely needed from a numbers perspective.
Without Black, the Razorbacks are set to bring in five freshmen and have only three players completely out of eligibility. Assuming Cade Arbogast reverts back to walk-on status, Arkansas would still be one over the 13-man scholarship limit if Notae and Toney each returned.
Even if both of them chose to leave, there would be just one open scholarship for a potential portal pickup — and an even greater need for transfers. Therefore, it’s safe to assume there will be departures.
As for who those might be, the most obvious choices would be the players who didn’t play much. Connor Vanover, KK Robinson and Chance Moore fit that description, as each of them appeared in 19 or fewer games and averaged less than 10 minutes when they did see the floor.
Of course, there’s always the possibility of a surprise transfer. Last season, Desi Sills entered the portal after appearing in every game and averaging more than 20 minutes with 15 starts. The year before that, Jalen Harris and Reggie Chaney were key pieces of the rotation before transferring.
