Tag: Devo Davis

Huge run helps Arkansas blow past Gardner-Webb

A massive run to end the first half lifted Arkansas past Gardner-Webb on Saturday, 86-69.

That was more like it.

No. 16 Arkansas handled a non-power conference team visiting Bud Walton Arena the way they’re used to on Saturday afternoon, beating Gardner-Webb, 86-69.

A 27-5 run over the last seven minutes of the first half turned a six-point deficit into a 16-point lead at the break. Most of the run came from the play of Connor Vanover, JD Notae and Devo Davis.

Vanover had his best career game as an Arkansas player, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds in 17 minutes. Notae followed his game-high 30 points in the season opener against Mercer with 18 against the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Davis, who played point guard the whole game after shifting among three spots against Mercer, bounced back from a five-turnover game in the opener, to finish with 10 points, six assists and three rebounds.

All three are holdovers from last year’s Arkansas team that has only four players in its 11-man rotation back from last year. Everyone else is a transfer into the program in their first year with the Razorbacks. Of that bunch, Stanley Umude led with nine points.

Gardner-Webb simply couldn’t handle Arkansas’ length. Vanover, at 7-foot-3, was an intimidating presence inside. But even Arkansas’ perimeter players’ long arms hassled the visitors. The Hogs forced 15 Runnin’ Bulldogs turnovers and scored 15 points off them.

Arkansas is off until Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena when the Razorbacks host Northern Iowa.

Arkansas basketball roster breakdown: Backcourt is the bread and butter

Arkansas is blessed in the backcourt with both a mix of experienced veterans and young players who are hungry to improve.

If Arkansas wants to accomplish its goals, which are likely winning the Southeastern Conference, getting a high seed in the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the Final Four, they will have to get exemplary play from the backcourt.

Luckily for the Razorbacks, they have amassed depth there.

Even with the loss of Jalen Tate at point guard to eligibility and Desi Sills to transfer, along with Moses Moody to the Golden State Warriors, there is still plenty of talent both returning and imported in by Eric Musselman.

Here is a look at the guards and swing men who will help lead this team.

Like the frontcourt article, players are listed in order of height, not impact or skill-wise. This will be shortest to tallest, however.

Arkansas squeezes past North Texas

The Razorbacks played an exhibition against a Conference USA opponent, with portions of the proceeds going to COVID relief.

Arkansas needed a opponent the caliber of North Texas before opening regular season play.

On Saturday at Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks were able to dispatch the Mean Green, 68-60.

JD Notae led all scorers with 21 points, while Chris Lykes had 14 and Stanley Umude contributed 12.

Arkansas was without Jaylin Williams in the contest, which probably led to UNT outrebounding the Hogs 42-28.

Defensively was where Arkansas showed it had made the most improvement, limiting the Mean Green to just 4 of 26 shooting from the perimeter.

Davonte ‘Devo’ Davis got in early foul trouble and only scored 7 points, playing with four fouls the majority of the second half.

Now Eric Musselman gets more than a week to prepare for the season opener against Mercer on November 9.

 

The 5-foot-7 Chris Lykes is adjusting to Hogs basketball

Chris Lykes may have started in the doghouse a bit, but he’s come in for Arkansas basketball in the last month.

Chris Lykes is an easy man to spot on the Arkansas basketball court. Look for the smallest guy out there.

The 5-foot-7 graduate transfer from Miami (FL) was a star with the Hurricanes and was considered one of the best players in the transfer portal. Arkansas considered it a coup when it landed him as he’s shown his size isn’t a hindrance, but a bonus.

Still, Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman had said Lykes’ transition from Miami to Arkansas had been rocky. He averaged 15 points a game or more in each of his last three seasons in south Florida. But there he was practically required to be a primary scorer.

That isn’t the case at Arkansas.

“The attention to detail is really new for Chris,” Musselman said a month ago. “I think he’s at his best when he’s just kind of balling or just playing. We’re going to need him to know the plays at the off guard and the point guard position. He’s not there right now understanding the third and fourth option at both those positions.”

Arkansas has a pair of top guards. JD Notae is a similarly styled player and has already spent a couple years in the system. He’s also a preseason All-SEC first-teamer. Devo Davis runs the point and was named preseason All-SEC second-team earlier this week. As it stands, Lykes is the third guard and likely the first off the bench for either one of those players.

Musselman’s marks were a month ago. Since, the Hogs have played both their public intra-squad scrimmage and their first exhibition game. Lykes had 14 on 6 of 10 shooting in the former and 13 points with two assists and two steals in the latter.

Davis has been impressed with how far his elder teammate has come in a month.

“He’s adapting really well, I can tell you that,” Davis said. “From when he first stepped on campus to now, his motor has changed, his demeanor of the game has changed. You could really tell if you were at practice. You can tell in a game, as well.”

Hogs pick up two – Notae and Davis – on All-SEC coaches team

Two returners from last year’s Elite Eight team made the coaches preseason All-SEC team for Arkansas basketball.

Arkansas had two selections on the preseason All-SEC coaches teams that were released Tuesday.

Guards JD Notae and Devo Davis were both named by the league’s coaches as all-conference. Notae was on the first team. Davis was on the second team.

Notae was the team’s sixth man last year, but was still on third on the team in scoring 12.8 points per game. He also led the team defensively on the perimeter, averaging 1.3 steals a game.

Davis started 17 of the team’s 30 games last year and was a staple in the lineup as the season went on, earning more and more minutes. He’s the team’s best playmaker and an aggressive rebounder. Davis averaged 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds as the point guard last year.

Notae is largely expected to shift into a starting role with Arkansas this season. The Razorbacks return four of their nine regulars from last year, but lose three of their last four scorers. An influx of transfers, including guards Chris Lykes from Miami (FL) and Stanley Umude from South Dakota.

Arkansas opened its exhibition season on Sunday against Division II East Central, winning 77-74, and plays its second exhibition Saturday against North Texas. The Razorbacks open the regular season November 9 against Mercer in Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas avoids upset against East Central

Arkansas could have easily found itself in the loss column after its first exhibition Sunday, but came back and won at Bud Walton Arena.

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One casual look at the box score from Sunday afternoon’s exhibition in Bud Walton Arena would indicate that Arkansas should have likely lost to Division II East Central University.

The Tigers, who hail from Ada, Okla., held a 37-35 halftime lead and actually enjoyed a double digit cushion at times in the second half before the Razorbacks closed with a flourish and eventually won 77-74.

Arkansas, which opened 16th in the Associated Press Top 25, obviously has some kinks it needs to work out before next Saturday’s final exhibition with North Texas and definitely before the season opener Nov. 9 against Mercer.

“Offensively, they came out in the first half and wanted it more than we did,” Arkansas forward Au’Diese Toney said. “We played too relaxed.”

The Razorbacks also shot the ball terribly as a whole, finishing 44 percent from the field but 13 percent from behind the arc.

They also only made 59 percent of their opportunities from the charity stripe (17 of 29).

“We left a lot of points at the line,” Toney said.

Eric Musselman was truly puzzled in his postgame press conference as to what transpired.

“Behind closed doors, we have not seen the lack of shooting like we did today,” Musselman said. “I was astonished at the lack of physical conditioning that we exhibited early.”

The lack of someone emerging as the primary ball handler is also perplexing Musselman.

“Our point guard play is a concern right now,” Musselman said.

Devo Davis led Arkansas with 20 points while JD Notae had 17. Chris Lykes, the transfer from Miami, had 13 off the bench while Toney, a Pittsburgh transfer, had 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Arkansas will be back in action on Saturday. Tipoff against the Mean Green is slated for 4 p.m.