By Kenneth Cross
Coach Eric Musselman has presided over the rebuilding and reconfiguring of Arkansas Razorbacks basketball. Now after back-to-back Elite Eight opportunities, Arkansas has posted the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation.
The Razorbacks lost seven of their top eight contributors, so such a restructuring with new talent on the roster will see the Razorbacks as a different team once they get to the Maui Classic and open with Louisville in the quarterfinals on day one.
Devante Davis (8.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg) is the lone returnee who figured in last season’s rotation and he is a patented playmaker who was second in assists with 102.
With six new freshmen, Musselman changed up his recruiting methods as he had normally looked for transfers to fit into his system. This was a different recruiting style that showed the ability to reach into different styles to pull together a solid team.
The transfer portal was not ignored as Ricky Council, IV, comes over from Wichita State with Travon Brazile making his debut in a Razorbacks uniform from Missouri. Musselman also pulled together twins Makhi and Makhel Mitchell as both were Rhode Island Rams for two seasons after spending their freshman seasons at Maryland.
Meanwhile, in the Class of 2022, all six signees were McDonald’s All-Americans.
Anthony Black, Barry Dunning, Jr., Derrian Ford, and Nick Smith, Jr., are guards while Jordan Walsh is listed as both a guard and a forward while Joseph Pinion is solely a forward.
Black stands 6-7 and is one of the most athletic players who will step onto the college hardwood this upcoming season. He is known for his shooting, but is a top passer in setting up his opponents for open shots and lanes to drive the ball. Black helped propel USA’s Under-18 squad to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Under 18 championship.
Dunning joins Black as a quality shooter and scorer as he was the No.1 player in the state of Alabama and the two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in his home state. Dunning, who can play small forward, has depth of knowledge inside of creating scouting reports of teams as well as players and will be an asset with that knowledge this upcoming season.
Ford and Smith will be another pair of solid contributors in year one from the backcourt where Ford was a two-time Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year and Smith was a McDonald’s All-American and the MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic. Ford is a left-handed shooter whose size will make him a tough matchup. Smith will be an excellent defender with the size as well as his length and the effort that he plays with.
Walsh and Pinion both figure inside as Walsh has been rated the top player in the state of Texas while Pinion is a noted shooter who can contribute in many areas. Walsh’s versatility and 7-foot-4 wingspan will make him a tough player on both ends of the court.
Hogs Notch Four Wins in Spain, Italy
Nick Smith, Jr., finished with 21 points as five Razorbacks netted double figures in Game 1 of the tour. Arkansas rolled to a 108-59 win over Valencia Selecction. Smith hit three triples as well as pulling down five boards with six assists.
Smith and Devo Davis scored 17 points a piece and Arkansas defeated Catalan Elite, 99-86. The Razorbacks trailed 24-20 after one quarter before taking control in the second and moving their lead out to 88-71 in the fourht period. Kamani Johnson posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Two days later, Arkansas took a 75-54 win over Orange1 Bassano in Como, Italy, behind a game high 20 points from Smith. The Razorbacks used a 16-0 third quarter run to take a 62-35 lead. The Hogs totaled 14 steals as part of their 26 forced turnovers.
In the final game of the trip, Tavon Brazile scored 28 points with nine rebounds as Arkansas took a 70-59 win over Bakken. Brazile was 13-of-15 from the floor. Once again the defense was stellar as Arkansas finished with 30 forced turnovers as a huge result of 15 steals.