Tag: Eric Musselamn

Four-Star forward Asa Newell aims to make unofficial visit to Arkansas

Arkansas basketball appears to be in on a solid talent for the future.

One summer can change a prospect’s life.

Asa Newell is going through that process currently, rising in the rankings after contributing to the USA U17 Men’s 2022 World Championship.

“Playing for Team USA has been a blessing,” Newell told ON3. “It was an amazing opportunity to play with these guys. Basketball is a blessing and can take you to so many places. It’s an incredible experience.”

Newell is considered one of the best power forwards in the country and has decided to transfer to Montverdere Acadamy(FL) this upcoming fall.

The Atlanta-born prospect has already made unofficial visits to SEC schools, but Newell is looking forward to making a trip to Fayetteville soon.

“Coach (Eric) Musselman is so energetic,” he said. “I feel like he really loves the game and cares for the players. They made a run in March Madness and are recruiting at a high level. They are a program on the come up, and I want to get over there and see what they have to offer.”

Like every top recruit, Newell’s goal is to get to the NBA. A school that can help him make that transition, along with loyalty and commitment, will get a prospect with high potential.

 

Eric Musselman: “(Feels) Like someone’s taken a nail to a certain spot on my shoulder”

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman was supposed to miss two to six games after shoulder surgery. He missed one.

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Arkansas coach Eric Musselman wasn’t going to do it anymore. He wanted off the pain medication and he missed his team.

Tuesday night, the Head Hog was back on the Arkansas bench. Musselman and the Arkansas medical staff were planning on him missing between two and six games following shoulder surgery. He was – and is – still aching after Razorbacks forward Trey Wade crashed into him in early December.

But enough was enough.

“Saturday was the worst day I’ve ever had,” Musselman said of the day he felt physically miserable during Arkansas’ win at LSU when assistant coach Keith Smart served as interim head coach. “Just made a decision, being off the pain medication was going to determine how quickly I came back.”

Musselman wasn’t as animated on the sideline as usual. He sat a couple feet back from the rest of the bench next to the scorer’s table. Most of the time, he propped his right arm up on the table and avoided being hit. Again. Every so often, he would rise and pace the sideline, barking orders at his players during Arkansas’ 75-59 win over South Carolina on Tuesday.

Between wanting to keep the pain medication habit, the pain he was going to go through regardless and his desire to be back with his crew, he ditched the meds and put his spurs on, so to speak.

Saturday was atrocious.

“I was just throwing up all day. Needed two IVs. Never had felt like that at all. I felt bad,” he said.

Things were worse when the medication wasn’t kicking in, he said. So to speed up the withdrawal process, he stopped, cleared his return with team doctors and made a surprise return to the bench for Arkansas’ third straight win.

As for how he felt during the press conference after, well, still rough.

“Like someone’s taken a nail to a certain spot in my shoulder,” he said. “But it’s OK. It’s been like that since December 2. It doesn’t feel any worse, any better than it did the day Trey ran into me.”