Rebuild Time is Over
Arkansas Men's Basketball is ready to play now.
Hello all! You may have noticed no Pig Tales yesterday. You'll be pleased to know that it's not because I'm a dumbbad doofus who forgot to do it, but that in fact, we have a really cool two-parter coming later this week. I'm really excited to publish, because I won't be the only writer! However, there will be an edition tonight, however belated because my internet decided it couldn’t handle Arkansas basketball’s power.
If you’d take a moment to subscribe, it would be greatly appreciated:
I’ve mostly talked about football during this Pig Tales project, but after breaking down why Chelsea Dungee is one of the best Arkansas basketball players ever (in men’s or women’s basketball), it’s time to talk about the men’s team. Consider this a bit of a season preview, as well as a bit of a review of the games that have already been played. There’s a lot to like with Arkansas’ performance this year, so let’s talk hogs.
Arkansas polished off a 79-44 win over Southern University tonight in a game that I was honestly shocked even got played. COVID-19 cancelled the scheduled game against Tulsa, but luckily, Arkansas was able to schedule Southern in a very short window of time. The team is now 5-0 (albeit against a pretty weak batch of teams), and is surging into the imminent SEC season. So what sticks out through the first five games? Let’s break it down. If you’d like to catch some highlights though, I’ve embedded those below:
Everyone is Capable
Usually there’s one singular star that shines brighter than anyone when a college basketball team is surging early on in the season. That has not been the case with Coach Eric Musselman’s newest crop of talent. Despite boasting almost an entirely new roster comprised of transfers and freshmen, the team has meshed into a dangerous offensive force, where everyone is capable of creating their own shot.
Moses Moody has earned a lot of early acclaim after leading the Hogs in scoring against Lipscomb and UT Arlington, and while he’s certainly been a bright spot, everyone else has had moments as well. Freshman Devo Davis led the team in scoring against Southern, transfer Justin Smith led the team against North Texas, and my large basketball son Connor Vanover led the team in scoring against Mississippi Valley State. In a long, hard season, where players can have poor shooting nights, it’s really encouraging to see everyone capable of stepping up to score.
That’s not even including sparkplug Desi Sills, sharpshooting JD Notae, experienced forward Vance Jackson, or any of the other weapons Eric Musselman can call upon in a moment’s notice.
Again, the inferior competition is going to make some folks look like members of the Harlem Globetrotters, but ball don’t lie, and this team is passing the eye test.
Defense is Good
Teams usually struggle to gel together early on, and I’ll admit, I wondered how chemistry would be affected by a COVID shortened pre-season. Little did I know that Musselman would have his team ready to roll almost immediately. They look like a team that’s played together for a while, and have defended like it (again, with the caveat that it’s been against vastly inferior opposition).
Defense was the standout against Southern tonight, as the Jaguars only managed a 28.6% shooting percentage, while shooting a miserable 7.7% from three. While it’s possible that a team can just shoot poorly, I think numbers that good speak to great perimeter defense.
The team hasn’t surrendered more than 62 points on the year, and that 62 point performance came in an 80 point blowout where sometimes defense wasn’t that strong (Muss kicked a chair at one point). In crunch time, I trust this team’s length and athleticism to handle rotation, and with a weapon like Connor Vanover prepared to be our “goalie” as Eric Musselman describes him, I can see us putting up a fight against even the toughest offenses.
Good to Great Leads to Efficiency
The offense has been noticeably efficient as well this year, as Eric Musselman has instilled the NBA values of passing up good shots for great shots. It’s been amazing to hear him in press conferences being able to recount how many “selfish shots” were taken in a game, as well as to watch some of the excellent passing on display as guys pass up open-ish looks for wide open looks. That kind of selflessness could lead to San Antonio Spurs-like nights in which everyone scores around 15, but everyone has around 4 assists, like the Southern game. In a tough league with good defenses, the ability to quickly and efficiently execute sure-fire plays on offense is a great skill to have.
So why aren’t they ranked?
While I think it’s interesting that Isaiah Joe’s decision to opt out (which was the correct choice, as I wrote before) resulted in Arkansas’ drop from rankings, I think this is a ranked quality team. The answer to the above question though is simple and timeless: Arkansas ain’t played nobody yet! When quality wins start picking up like I think they will, we’ll get respect. Musselman is greatly respected nationally, and Arkansas has the history to back up that respect. It’s a matter of time, so just be patient! Respect will come. Just enjoy the best kept secret in the country.
Who should we look out for that we haven’t seen?
When I had Ben Brandon on Hoggin the Mic earlier this year, he drew my attention to Justin Smith, and after some thundering dunks against Southern, I think he’s ready to step into the spotlight. His raw athleticism should be enough to create circus plays, and his sweet shot should see plenty of fans happy.
Otherwise, I think there’s more to come from the young guys! Jaylin Williams is a rebounding machine, and KK Robinson is lightning in a bottle. They may not have a huge impact in this first year of their collegiate careers, but I expect them step up in a big way before they’re done.
Conclusion
Respect is on the way! There’s no doubt about it. But with respect comes expectation, and I expect Coach Musselman’s team to meet and exceed those expectations. There will be adversity, and there will undoubtedly be some losses, but I expect this team to make it into the tournament, as well as to Make Some Noise™. In March, if a couple of bounces go your way, you can make a run, which is why it’s called March Madness. I expect some bounces to go this team’s way. The rebuild talk about Arkansas basketball is over. This team is built. It’s time to see what they can achieve.
Thank you so much for reading this belated edition of Pig Tales. I look forward to publishing the double header coming later this week. What are your thoughts on this team? Can they make a run? Let me know with a comment. As always, please share with everyone you know and anyone you don’t know.
Stay safe, stay healthy, and go Hogs!