5 Big Takeaways from What We Have Learned about Arkansas Basketball’s New Team So Far

The 2022-23 Arkansas basketball season is shaping as much as be one of the highly-anticipated seasons in program historical past. With back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, a No. 2 signing class, a bevy of doubtless impactful transfers and one of the likable coaches within the nation, it’s not simply Razorback followers who’re itching to see the crew take the courtroom subsequent season.

Contemplating the Razorbacks return solely two gamers from final season, it’s arduous to know what to anticipate within the upcoming season when it comes to particular person gamers’ skills, crew chemistry and rotation development. Nevertheless, head coach Eric Musselman has been graciously offering Hoop Hog junkies with spotlight clips of summer season scrimmages.

For now, it stays inconceivable to know what the on-court product will appear to be for Arkansas basketball subsequent season, however these occasional snippets permit us to start out analyzing what little we do know so far.

Elite Size Ought to Result in Elite Protection

After beginning a 6-foot-6 middle in Adrio Bailey throughout his first season with at Arkansas, Musselman now has 10 of his 13 scholarship gamers standing between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-10 at his disposal. This consists of freshmen Anthony Black (6-7) and Jordan Walsh (6-7), in addition to incoming switch Ricky Council IV (6-6) – all of whom are able to enjoying at a guard spot subsequent season.

“This doesn’t imply that that is the way it will unfold come November,” Musselman mentioned of his crew’s protection, “however proper now it’s actually, actually arduous to attain on this crew. (Our coaches) a lot desire to be the defensive coordinator (in follow) proper now, as a result of we’re actually lengthy. We’re in a position to block pictures at a excessive, excessive stage proper now.”

Arkansas has completed within the prime 11 nationally in defensive effectivity every of the final two seasons, in keeping with KenPom.com, and Musselman now has his tallest, longest arsenal thus far. “We needs to be a crew that appears completely different on the rim than we’ve got previously as a result of we’re in a position to alter and block pictures,” Musselman mentioned.

This montage of blocked pictures reveals numerous completely different gamers getting in on the block social gathering, together with 6-foot-10 forwards Trevon Brazile and Makhel Mitchell.

Ricky Council IV says the Razorbacks’ protection is “going to be scary this season.” 

Anthony Black Playmaking

Black’s inventory shortly rose throughout his final couple of years enjoying highschool and AAU ball, largely resulting from his elite mixture of measurement and playmaking on the guard place. Musselman additional confirmed this when Black made his first look at crew follow a number of days late resulting from his participation on the Group USA U18 crew.

“To begin with, in faculty guys often don’t miss seven or eight practices,” Musselman mentioned of Black. “However he is available in and actually knew nearly our total playbook that we’ve put in to this point. He actually was asking about third and fourth choices on performs… I used to be like, ‘Wow.’ I believed I used to be with an NFL veteran QB who was asking questions and had simply missed a few OTAs or one thing.”

This excessive reward from Musselman will be mixed with a pair of spotlight movies shared by way of Twitter to totally illustrate how important Black’s playmaking could possibly be subsequent season:

This clip reveals Black discovering an open shooter out of a mid-range post-up scenario. He slings the go together with his off-hand, completely main Joseph Pinion to the deep nook for an open 3-point shot.

This second clip doesn’t show the identical aptitude because the off-hand, cross-court skip go, nevertheless it does present Black’s skill to return out of a pick-and-roll and completely lead his huge man (Kamani Johnson) into place with each toes within the paint. From there, Johnson finishes the play with a easy energy dribble spin transfer right into a right-handed end.

Abundance of Athleticism

Together with Arkansas’ vastly improved crew peak and size comes a stage of athleticism Razorback followers are solely used to seeing out of 1, perhaps two, gamers on the roster at a time. Former gamers like Brandon Dean, Sonny Weems, Michael Qualls and Justin Smith come to thoughts when considering of high-flying Razorback highlights.

The 2022-23 squad, nevertheless, holds the potential to place collectively an intensive spotlight reel of their very own. Between the leaping skill of Jordan Walsh, Trevon Brazile and Ricky Council IV, the artful playmaking skill of Nick Smith Jr., and the tendency of Anthony Black to push the tempo, Razorback followers needs to be ready for highlight-reel athletic performs all season lengthy.

At roughly 6-foot-10, Brazile demonstrates a lethal mixture of leaping skill and physique management on this putback slam. Right here, Brazile has time to pause and take into consideration what he’s doing in midair after he catches the ball and earlier than he slams it dwelling.    

Jalen Graham, one other 6-foot-9 switch, reveals off his skill to complete over defenders after an efficient pump-fake creates a driving lane.

On this season ticket renewal reminder, Ricky Council IV provides us a small style of what he’s able to within the open courtroom, simply including slightly further aptitude to a routine slam.

Extra just lately, Musselman shared this clip of Nick Smith Jr. discovering a spot within the protection out of a pick-and-roll motion and exploding to the rim, taking off from the SEC emblem.

Devo Davis Taking a Step Ahead

On a crew loaded with new faces, one of many greatest query marks lies in Devo Davis’ skill to step up right into a management function on the courtroom. With all three five-star freshmen able to enjoying the guard positions, it’s practical to suppose that Davis may return to his function as sixth man subsequent season, although if Musselman’s offseason spotlight clips are any indication, the junior guard is preventing for his beginning spot.

Maybe Davis’ greatest weak point in his recreation so far has been his skill to remain answerable for his physique and make performs with out turning the ball over. His ball dealing with, passing imaginative and prescient and ending skill are all evident, however none of them matter if he performs so quick that he loses management of himself or the ball.

On this first clip, Davis shows a formidable stage of persistence whereas holding his main defender on his again over the ball display screen, hesitating to pressure the assistance defender to decide, after which successfully exploding to the rim for a straightforward end. That is precisely the kind of play that might transfer Davis right into a beginning function – and maybe onto NBA Draft boards.

This second clip as soon as once more reveals Davis sustaining management of himself and the ball whereas penetrating the protection, attending to the elbow the place his soar shot is deadly and discovering an open shooter on the final second with a wonderfully positioned go resulting in a wide-open 3-pointer.

Doubtlessly crucial enchancment that we’ve got caught a glimpse of this summer season is a small tweak to Davis’ long-range soar shot. On the 0:20 mark of this video, Davis will be seen firing what appears to be a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. Up to now, Davis tended to leap too excessive on his soar pictures, permitting extra room for variation and error which may result in a low 3-point share.

Leaping excessive on a soar shot will be efficient in contested conditions or nearer to the rim, however the higher 3-point shooters like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Damian Lillard don’t rise quite a lot of inches off the bottom on open 3-point makes an attempt. On this clip, Davis will be seen barely leaving the bottom when pulling down his 3-pointer. If this turns into a behavior for Davis, we may see a profession excessive in 3-point share for the junior guard subsequent season.

Trevon Brazile Exhibiting Out Amongst Ahead-Heavy Roster

After making some extent so as to add measurement to the roster this offseason, one of many greater questions heading into subsequent season will probably be concerning the ahead rotation. The Razorbacks primarily have 4 true guards in Nick Smith Jr., Devo Davis, Derrian Ford and Anthony Black – although Black is 6-foot-7 and may guard a number of positions defensively. After that, there are a number of gamers who challenge to play on the wing within the third-guard/small ahead function like Jordan Walsh, Ricky Council IV, Joseph Pinion and Barry Dunning.

That leaves 5 gamers – Jalen Graham, Makhi Mitchell, Makhel Mitchell, Trevon Brazile and Kamani Johnson – preventing for minutes on the 4 and 5 place, together with the potential of small-ball lineups that includes Walsh or Dunning on the 4 spot. Musselman additionally tends to play solely 7-8 gamers in his common rotation traditionally, making the battle for spots within the rotation that rather more aggressive.

To this point, we’ve got little concept as to which forwards will persistently see the courtroom greater than others, however Brazile stands out as a robust candidate so far. “He’s so lengthy, he can shoot, he can run, he can block pictures,” Musselman mentioned of Brazile earlier this summer season.

This clip posted by the Males’s Basketball Twitter account reveals Trevon Brazile pulling down two nook 3-pointers, one coming off of a one-dribble pump-fake. If the massive man can persistently knock down a lot of these pictures, it will likely be arduous to maintain him off the courtroom.

Clips included earlier within the article additionally display Brazile’s skill to complete across the rim because of his athletic skill in addition to good timing when blocking pictures. The 6-foot-10 sophomore additionally possesses a serviceable quantity of lateral quickness on the perimeter. Even when guards are fast sufficient to dribble previous him, his size permits him to recuperate and nonetheless block or contest pictures on the rim.

Brazile could possibly be a significant a part of the crew on either side of the ball and will probably be a severe candidate to start out on the energy ahead or middle place together with his size, athleticism and flexibility.

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Writer: Brandon Baker

Contributing Author at OvertimeHeroics.web

Twitter: @Panamaniac03 and @OTHArkansas

Extra protection of Arkansas basketball from BoAS…