Baye Fall has some Daniel Gafford to him in McDonald’s All-American Game

Baye Fall played only 12 minutes, but his defense was elite against the nation’s best.

Arkansas basketball fans received their first look at future center Baye Fall on Tuesday night at the McDonald’s All-American game.

The 6-foot-10 big man from Colorado signed with the Razorbacks over the winter as the headliner of Arkansas’ Class of 2023 alongside guard Layden Blocker. It was clear in the game Tuesday, his defensive prowess is college ready.

Fall scored two points and had four rebounds in 12 minutes, but contesting shots was his real strength. Fall changed four shots that resulted in misses for his West team as even the most elite players in high-school basketball in the country struggled to get to the hoop against him.

As of Wednesday morning, the only player leaving Arkansas for the 2023-24 season was forward Kamani Johnson, whose eligibility has been exhausted. The Razorbacks are expected to lose both Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black to the NBA draft and could see Ricky Council, Jordan Walsh and Trevon Brazile exit professionally, too, though that’s less likely.

Coach Eric Musselman is also expected to be active in the transfer portal, which, in turn, means he expects at least a couple of players from this year’s team to leave.

Fall, the No. 16 recruit in the country, is expected to step quickly into a rotational role with the Hogs next year, regardless of who returns.