Arkansas basketball enters the 2022-23 basketball season behind one of the most impressive recruiting classes in program history. The class is ranked No. 2 in the nation and includes three McDonalds All-Americans in Nick Smith Jr., Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh.
The most interesting prospect of the three might be guard Anthony Black. He’s a big guard, 6-foot-7 with a smooth handle and pass-first mentality, which is rare to find in young players in today’s game. Black is currently projected to go in the mid-to-late lottery of next year’s NBA draft by most major insiders.
What is concerning is that sometimes he’s too passive and generous with the ball when he needs to be aggressive and looking for his shot. He has a decent jumper, but it remains to be seen if he can knock down shots from the perimeter at a consistent clip.
Rafael Barlowe, of NBA Draft Junkies, asked a couple of anonymous NBA scouts their thoughts on Anthony Black.
“I think he’s a lottery pick,” said one scout. “There are some concerns because he’s not an alpha and not always aggressive, but he’s an unbelievable kid, extremely unselfish and wants to win.”
“He does a lot of different things on the floor, he passes and defends on a high level, but the shooting has a long way to go,” said another scout. “I think it’s some mechanical stuff [with the jumper] that he needs to figure out, but he does so many things well and the measurables are all there. He’s an underrated athlete, which we’re starting to see now.”
“He’s a normal age for this class, but he’s just starting to come out of his shell as far as being aggressive,” offered a third scout. “He was a late bloomer, so it makes sense, he’s just starting to understand how good he is and how talented he is.”
Black will have plenty of talent around him in Fayetteville, and with the uncertainty surrounding Nick Smith Jr.’s injury situation he may have ample opportunity to run the offense on his own early in the season.
In the season opening win against North Dakota State, Black finished with only 3 points, but had 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 30 minutes.
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