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CBS Sports, which has been considered the network home of college basketball for more than four decades, released its expert analyst predictions about the SEC earlier this week and Arkansas sits awfully high.
Gary Parrish and Kyle Boone tabbed the Razorbacks to win the SEC, while David Cobb has Arkansas second, Jerry Palm has the Hogs third and Matt Norlander pegs them fourth. The only team to receive as many first-place votes as Arkansas was defending regular-season champion Alabama. Tennessee picked up a first-place vote from Palm.
The Associated Press preseason Top 25 was similar. The Crimson Tide are ranked 14th, Arkansas is 16th and the Volunteers are 18th. Kentucky is the highest-ranked team at No. 10, but nary a CBS analyst picked the Wildcats as the top team in the league. Two picked them as second, but two others picked them fourth.
Musselman was named Preseason Coach of the Year by the panel as a whole. He is injected at least six new faces into the expected rotation this year, three of whom could be starters.
“There will be a lot of new faces contributing at Arkansas this season — but the results should be similar and cause Bud Walton Arena to be one of college basketball’s best environments,” Parrish wrote.
Arkansas, fresh off an Elite Eight appearance – its deepest run in 25 years, begins the 2021-22 regular season Tuesday at Bud Walton Arena against Mercer.