[autotag]Keyon Menifield Jr.[/autotag] was not on scholarship and was not counting against the roster currently.
The Washington transfer came to Arkansas after being on the Pac-12 All-Freshman team last season with the Huskies. He has been with the Razorback program since the summer.
“It has been a long process that we had to work through, but we are excited for Keyon and are proud of how he handled the process,” Arkansas coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] said. “Our staff and administration have worked hard to get this done and we appreciate their hard work. Keyon is an explosive point guard with great play-making ability.”
He will make his first appearance tomorrow at 5 p.m. in North Little Rock as the Razorbacks take on Lipscomb.
Razorbacks games in North Little Rock have not been live-streamed before. Saturday will be the first time.
Nevermind that Arkansas’ dated policy of playing in Little Rock every season does nothing but hurt the Razorbacks, but basketball games in the past couldn’t even be watched by anyone who wasn’t in attendance.
Congratulations, Arkansas. You’re now living in the 21st century.
The arena didn’t have the technological capability to stream games live before this year. Arkansas worked with ESPN to make that fix, leaving the only hurdle the hiring of a crew to broadcast. That, too, is no longer an issue, finally allowing for a modernization.
Arkansas athletic director of public relations Kevin Trainor told the Democrat-Gazette that if all went well Saturday for basketball, which he expected would be the case, the school would attempt to implement that same for the Diamond Hogs game in April against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Dickey-Stephens Park.
After beginning the season with three straight wins, Arkansas (6-4) has now dropped four of its last seven games, including last Saturday’s 79-70 loss to Oklahoma in Tulsa.
The Razorbacks did find a way to defeat No. 7 Duke, 80-75, in Bud Walton Arena on Nov. 29, and head coach Eric Musselman is hoping they can find that formula again.
“We love playing (in North Little Rock),” Musselman said. “We need to play like we did last year, which was great energy. Great enthusiasm. Great desire to play in front of a fan base that doesn’t get to see us. There’s going to be kids going to that game that are never going to come to Bud Walton. You’ve got to understand that. You’ve got to respect that. You’ve got to understand that there are people that only watch games on TV, and this is their one opportunity.”
The Razorbacks defeated Bradley, 76-57, in North Little Rock last season, getting 18 points from freshman Jordan Walsh. Arkansas is 17-10 all-time in North Little Rock and 13-10 at Simmons Bank Arena.
This will be the third-ever meeting between Arkansas and Lipscomb, with the first two games being played at Bud Walton Arena. The Razorbacks defeated the Bison, 86-50, behind 18 points from Moses Moody, during Musselman’s first season in 2020. Davonte Davis is the only player from either team’s current roster who played in that game.
The Hogs also claimed an 83-54 win in 2004, as Jonathon Modica’s 16 points led four Hogs in double-figures.
Musselman indicated this week that he may shuffle the lineup a bit to try and improve the team’s chemistry, particularly on defense.
“Where we are sitting at now, at 6-4, is not where we want to be in non-conference play – we’ve never been 6-4 in non-conference play,” Musselman said Monday night, during his radio show at Sassy’s Bar & Grille.
“The goal and objective is to find five guys who are doing everything possible they possibly can to try to get a win on that given night. This group that’s played the bulk of the minutes so far, has had plenty of opportunities.”
The Razorbacks have allowed opponents to shoot 42 percent from the three-point line, and have been outshot beyond the arc – making 69 threes, while given up 77. Lipscomb comes into the game shooting 36 percent from three.
Junior AJ McGinnis is the Bison’s biggest deep threat, draining 28 triples on the season, at a 40 percent clip.
Musselman also hopes to see an increase in steals made, and fewer personal fouls called against his team.
“We’re fouling too much and we’re not creating enough steals, so those two things in particularly are hurting us defensively,” he said.
Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus and will be streamed on the Arkansas Radio Network.
Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman praises the efforts of former Hogs he coached here now in the NBA.
Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman did a little double-duty in Oklahoma last weekend. Not only did he coach the Razorbacks on Saturday, but he was able to travel south to visit with some former players Friday night.
After Friday’s team practice in Tulsa, Musselman drove the hour and a half down Interstate 44 to Oklahoma City, where he got to watch a trio of former Hogs compete in an NBA game.
“The timing worked out perfectly,” Musselman said. “I rushed over there and got to see all three of our guys — Moses, Jaylen and Isaiah — and got to talk to them pregame.”
He praised both franchises for specifically allotting the players time to spend with their former coach.
“To show you how professional those two organizations are, all three of those guys had their shooting slots at 5 o’clock, and that probably wasn’t by coincidence,” he said. “Just unbelievable classy organizations.”
Williams actually returned the favor by driving up the following day to watch the Razorbacks play Oklahoma, a game in which they lost, 79-70.
“It was great to see those guys, and just so proud, like all of us are, of all three of them,” Musselman said. “The thing with those guys is that they are the ultimate pros. They are going to be on rosters, because of their attitude and how good they are, chemistry-wise.”
Joe, in his fourth NBA season, is averaging 10 points per game and shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the three-point line, making 56 of 127 threes on the season. Williams, in his second NBA season, is averaging 4.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, and currently leads the NBA in charges taken per 36 minutes played.
Moody, a third-year pro, is averaging 8.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, playing in a loaded lineup that includes the likes of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Musselman is proud of how all three players have made their way to the professional ranks, but also with how they have handled themselves, professionally. He said all three are finding their niche for long, prosperous careers in the league.
“Oklahoma City has their stars, but Isaiah has figured out how to get open, and how to be one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA,” Musselman said. “But he has also figured out, ‘Hey, I’ve got to be a great locker room guy.’ ‘I’ve got to be a no-maintenance guy, that shows up on time and gets my reps up.”
“Jaylin Williams has figured out, ‘Hey, I’ve got to be a great ball mover, I’ve got to plug up holes, defensively, and I’ve got to have high energy.”
Musselman acknowledged that Moody’s situation is a bit different with the caliber of team he is on.
“Moses is in a situation where he will go games without playing, then all of a sudden he gets in the game and produces when he gets his minutes,” Musselman said. “He’s in a different situation, because he got drafted on a team that is playing for championships.
“But those three guys are going to have long careers. And taking nothing away from their talent, but they are also great people, and are great professionals. They really understand that it’s a lot more than just making a basket. It’s doing the little things on defense, it’s being a great teammate, it’s standing up and cheering for your team when you are not on the floor. All those things help your longevity in your pro career.”
The coach also praised four more former Hogs who are now making their way in the professional ranks.
Ricky Council IV and Jordan Walsh are both rookies, who are scorching it in the G-League. Council, who is with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-way contract with the Delaware Blue Coats, is fifth in the G-League in scoring, averaging 24.7 points per game. Walsh, who has bounced between the Boston Celtics and their G-League team, is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Maine Celtics.
“It’s really cool that Anthony Black is starting, and getting a lot of minutes for the Magic in Orlando,” Musselman said. “Then you’ve got two guys in their rookie year in the G-League, both playing great basketball. They are putting up numbers, they’re getting better and getting a lot of reps. And that’s important for a rookie, is to get the reps.”
He also alluded to the progress that another former Razorback, Stanley Umude, is having in the Detroit Pistons organization. Umude has also split time between the Pistons and their G-League team, the Motor City Cruise. His break-out NBA performance came on Nov. 20, when he tallied 19 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot in a 142-113 loss to the Raptors.
“Stan has been putting up great numbers with the Pistons,” Musselman said. “But then he got sent down to the G-League where he is putting up great numbers. So he is getting great reps when he is not getting run with the Pistons.”
Nov 25, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton (8) is defended by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) and forward Jaylin Williams (6) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Starting the season 6-4, Head Coach Eric Musselman is looking for ways to improve.
This has been the worst non-conference start Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman has had to weather since his arrival in Fayetteville four years ago.
But for the veteran coach it’s just a matter of reevaluating some things, making adjustments and getting better as a team.
“Where we are sitting at now, at 6-4, is not where we want to be in non-conference play – we’ve never been 6-4 in non-conference play,” Musselman said Monday night, during his radio show at Sassy’s Bar & Grille.
He described Monday’s intense practice as “detail-oriented” with hopes of taking a step back in the right direction.
“We did work only on ourselves (Monday), with a pretty long practice,” he said. “It was a practice probably unlike we have had since training camp.”
With many new faces on the roster this season, it has taking Arkansas a while to get everyone on the same page, especially defensively. The Razorbacks have allowed opponents to shoot 42 percent from the three-point line, and have been outshot beyond the arc – making 69 threes, and given up 77.
Musselman and his staff spent two hours Monday reviewing where the team was, statistically, after the first 10 games, in comparison to the last four years. Along with the uptick of opposing three-pointers made, Arkansas has also committed more fouls, and made fewer steals.
“We’re fouling too much and we’re not creating enough steals, so those two things in particularly, are hurting us defensively,” Musselman said. “We’re doing a better job blocking shots, but the bigs are being given more opportunities to block shots, because our guards are giving up so much dribble-penetration. We’ve got to do a better job from the guard standpoint of guarding our man, and keeping him in front of us. It’s a statistical analysis. So, we are working on all those things. Each guy has got to get better in different areas.”
“Whose been giving up three-point shots? We have a list of every three-ball that’s been made against us and who the primary defender was,” he said. “You analyze all of that, then you come up with some conclusions based on video, feel, all those types of things.”
He didn’t give any specifics, but indicated that there could be some changes made to the lineup and the disbursement of minutes.
“A lot of guys have had opportunities to play, and now we need to see if some other guys get an opportunity to play, and if there’s different results,” Musselman said. “Whether the results get better, or not as good, I don’t know. But we’re not going to keep doing the same thing over and over.
“A lot of that has to do with minutes changing, roles changing. And then just finding five guys that are really concerned with, ‘how do we win this game’ and ‘how do we represent the University of Arkansas basketball program.’ And worry about, ‘how do we get this win.’ The goal and objective is to find five guys who are doing everything possible they possibly can to try to get a win on that given night. This group that’s played the bulk of the minutes so far, has had plenty of opportunities.”
Musselman raved on the energy and toughness of freshman Layden Blocker, who has given the Hogs a spark at point guard.
“But he’s a freshman, still learning, and he’s fouled three-point shooters more than any player I have ever coached,” Musselman said. “But his effort is there, so we’ve just got to keep working with him.
“He’s still learning the nuances of playing point guard. He has a low volume of assists, but he’s moving the ball. So when we look at per-minute passes, he’s almost at the top of the list. So, now we need those passes to lead to assists. His effort is there and we are pleased with his development. We’ve just got to keep getting him better, and working with him.”
Arkansas returns to the court Saturday night, hosting Lipscomb in Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena at 5 p.m.
The Razorbacks aren’t even on his “First Four Out” or “Next Four Out” lists.
Arkansas basketball is used to slow-ish starts under coach Eric Musselman. In years past, Musselman has turned things around as the season turned to winter and the Hogs have ultimately been to three straight Sweet 16s, two of which were Elite 8s.
The hole in the 2023-24 season, however, may be a more difficult one from which to pull.
Arkansas is 3-4 in its last seven games with losses to Oklahoma, North Carolina, Memphis and North Carolina-Greensboro. The Sooners and Tar Heels are easy “in” for the NCAA Tournament so far this year and the Tigers is a projected 6-seed. Greensboro, for what it’s worth, is projected to finish high in the Southern Conference and have only lost one game, to Vanderbilt, this season.
The Razorbacks’ issue is that they don’t have much room to improve their lot except in SEC play. Three nonconference games remain – against Lipscomb, Abilene Christian and North Carolina-Wilmington – none of which will do much to build an NCAA Tournament resume except by adding to Arkansas’ win total.
That means the Hogs will have to make hay in the SEC. The good news for Razorbacks’ faithful is that the league is projected, by Lunardi, to have nine Tournament teams, giving Arkansas ample opportunity to make up lost ground.
Muss’ bunch just can’t afford too many more missteps.
Arkansas took over the top spot in the polls this week in December 1993 thanks to a dominant beginning of its season.
Thirty years ago this week, Arkansas basketball ascended to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since February 1978.
The Razorbacks had gotten off to a 3-0 start since opening Bud Walton Arena, dispatching Murray State 93-67 in the opener, absolutely annihilating Missouri 120-68 during the dedication game and then beating Northwestern State 111-76.
Arkansas headed to Memphis upon grabbing the No. 1 ranking, and knocked off the Tigers 96-78 in the Pyramid, which is now one of the largest Bass Pro Shops in the world.
Delaware State was the next victim on December 11, as Alex Dillard entered the record books that night with 12 3-pointers made and scored 39 points off the bench in a 123-66 drubbing in front of 20,184 fans and a statewide television audience.
Oklahoma wins the short-lived Crimson and Cardinal Classic 2-1 with a nine-point victory on Saturday in the BOK Center.
Arkansas and Oklahoma played as non-conference foes for the final time Saturday afternoon at the BOK Center in Tulsa.
This coming summer, the Sooners will join the Southeastern Conference and will face each other in the league, although it remains to be determined if the meeting will be in Fayetteville or Norman.
The Razorbacks didn’t have many positives to take from the game Saturday, and will return home and have a week off before they play again.
Oklahoma stays unbeaten and gets its own opportunity with North Carolina later in the month when the Sooners will face them in Charlotte at the Spectrum Center.
The Sooners went on a 14-2 run to close the first half and Arkansas was toast after that, only cutting the lead to single digits a couple times and watching as OU built its lead to as many as 19 points.
Arkansas’ nonconference schedule was tough – Oklahoma, Memphis, North Carolina, Duke, Stanford – but with only a 2-3 record in those five games, the Razorbacks’ resume for the NCAA Tournament outside of SEC play is lacking. And that’s assuming Arkansas wins its next three, its final three, noncon games before playing Auburn to kick off league play in early January.
Fans – at least, Arkansas fans – were disappointed and frustrated afterward. Check out some of the most SFW Twitter/X reactions.
Arkansas coach Eric Musselman ejected in game the Razorbacks really could have used to bolster an NCAA Tournament resume.
Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament chances took a significant dent Saturday.
At least, as significant as a nonconference loss can provide, that is. The Razorbacks never found an answer for Oklahoma in the Crimson & Cardinal Classic from Tulsa, ultimately falling, 79-70.
Three of Arkansas’ (6-4) four losses have come to teams expected to make the NCAA Tournament. The other loss, which was the team’s first, was to a North Carolina-Greensboro team expected to finish high in its conference.
None of it matters, though, if the Razorbacks aren’t storing up wins. A victory over Duke at the end of November will help, but the only teams left on Arkansas’ schedule that will build an NCAA Tournament resume are in the SEC, a conference notorious for being cannibalistic.
An OU win would have helped tremendously. The 19th-ranked Sooners, though, would have none of it, going on a 14-2 run over the last four minutes of the first half to take control. They never looked back, even frustrating Arkansas coach Eric Musselman to the point he was ejected after two technical fouls early in the second half.
Arkansas shot just 40% from the floor while allowing Oklahoma (9-0) to shoot 51%. Khalif Battle led Arkansas with 13 points but shot just 2 of 10 from the field.
The Hogs have three nonconference games left before SEC play starts in early January against Auburn. Next up is Lipscomb on December 16 in North Little Rock.
