Arkansas aiming for Final Four in Musselman’s fourth year

However he pulled within the No. 2 class within the nation, headlined by projected lottery decide and first-team preseason All-SEC guard Nick Smith Jr. He additionally picked up 5 gamers by way of the switch portal to finish the reload.

Expectations aren’t simply excessive regionally, both. Arkansas was tabbed No. 10 within the AP Prime 25. Musselman knew he must have that dialog together with his workforce about being the hunted.

“We have already got a goal on our again,” he mentioned. “I might like to say that regardless of the polls say, making two Elite Eights again to again, that’s one thing we haven’t talked to our workforce a lot about, nevertheless it’s one thing we are going to begin to.”

Musselman’s largest mission, no less than early, is figuring out how finest to distribute minutes amongst a roster full of proficient kids and skilled veterans. He needed to do one thing comparable final yr, too, as Arkansas dropped 5 of six video games at one level from mid-December to early January earlier than the workforce gained 14 of its subsequent 15 and earned a No. 4 seed within the NCAA Match.

Arkansas isn’t brief on next-level expertise. Smith is a projected top-10 decide in almost each 2023 NBA Draft board. Freshman guard Anthony Black is predicted to be a first-rounder. And swingman Jordan Walsh is at the moment listed as a borderline first-round selection subsequent spring.

The Arkansas power through the preseason was at guard and wing because the frontcourt remained a piece in progress.

Ahead Jalen Graham transferred from Arizona State the place he was an All-Pac-12 choice. He’s joined by former Missouri ahead Trevon Brazile, twin facilities Makhi and Makhel Mitchell from Rhode Island and reigning American Athletic Convention Sixth Man of the Yr Ricky Council IV from Wichita State on the wing.

An NCAA Match look in 2022-23 can be the third in 4 years for Musselman. The Razorbacks had been on the bubble within the 2019-20 season, Musselman’s first yr on the helm, earlier than the postseason was canceled due to COVID-19. Arkansas hasn’t made three straight NCAA tournaments since 2005-08.

Davis and ahead Kamani Johnson are the one two regulars returning for Arkansas. Davis, a junior, has spent a lot of his profession because the workforce’s start line guard. He averaged 8.3 factors and was second on the workforce with 104 assists final yr, beginning about half the workforce’s video games.

Johnson is in his second yr with the Razorbacks after transferring from Little Rock two seasons in the past. He averaged simply eight minutes in the past in 26 video games, however Musselman is anticipating Johnson’s aggression to hold over in seemingly extra minutes.

“His offensive rebound fee is unimaginable,” Musselman mentioned. “His free throws tried per contact and offensive rebounding fee are at a extremely, actually excessive degree.”

Arkansas opens the common season Nov. 7 at dwelling towards North Dakota State whereas nonconference foes embrace Oklahoma, Baylor, Louisville and both Texas Tech or Creighton. SEC play begins Dec. 28 at LSU.

Extra AP school basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25