A truncated 2020-2021 basketball season ended with Arkansas in its best spot in 25 years and it has lead to optimism that hasn’t been witnessed in Fayetteville in that length of time, too.
The Razorbacks were tabbed to finish third in the SEC by the league’s assorted media this year. A year ago, they finished second. No significant drop-off is expected.
But coach Eric Musselman’s team is also breaking in at least six players who weren’t part of the playing roster last year into the rotation. Chemistry takes time and Arkansas’ two exhibition games showed things haven’t completely coalesced yet.
No one suggests the formula is wrong and Arkansas will have an opportunity in November and December to find the balance. The Razorbacks don’t have the same difficulty of a nonconference schedule as they had last year. The front half of the SEC slate isn’t difficult, by league standards, either.
Things will come to a head in February and March, when seven of the team’s final 10 games will be played against teams figured to finish in the top-half of the SEC, which also means those teams will be vying for an NCAA Tournament and/or seeding.
So how is the season going to play out? Here’s Razorbacks Wire editor E. Wayne’s game-by-game predictions.