Eric Musselman trusted Tramon Mark’s scoring ability in win over No. 3 Purdue

With the game on the line, Eric Musselman’s trust in transfer guard Tramon Mark paid off for the Hogs against No. 3 Purdue.

One of the more surprising aspects of the 14th-ranked Razorbacks’ overtime win over No. 3 Purdue on Saturday was who stepped up offensively at the end of regulation and during the extra frame.

It wasn’t offensive-minded guards [autotag]El Ellis[/autotag] or [autotag]Khalif Battle[/autotag] or even star forward [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag]. Instead, versatile two-way guard [autotag]Tramon Mark[/autotag] was given the ball. In the most memorable play from the charity exhibition, Arkansas trailed 69-66 with less than a minute to play. Mark dribbled toward the left wing as Chandler Lawson came up to set a weak side screen. As Lawson got to the Purdue defender, Mark pulled up from behind the arc and drilled the game-tying three.

“I think if we would have simply been trying to get to the cup and get a FTA (free throw attempt), which is a lot of times my nature, but for whatever reason, we ran on the weak side to come off for a three,” [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] said regarding the play after the game. “I think when we talked about that, yeah, T-Mark thought like, ‘All right, Coach is fine with us taking a three,’ because the first option was a weak side three-ball.”

Mark played outstanding on both ends of the floor all game – dishing out four assists without turning the ball over once, grabbing six rebounds, two blocks and a steal. Not primarily known for his scoring ability, Mark finished with 15 points on the game, including five during the overtime period. However, he could’ve finished with 19 if he knocked down all eight of his free throw attempts.

He was able to knock down four of his eight free throws, but was the only Razorback to miss from the charity stripe all game. When asked if those free throw misses caused Musselman to rethink putting the ball in Mark’s hands, the Arkansas head coach said that was not the case at all.

“Zero thought of not letting him continue to have the ball in his hands. There was no thought of, ‘Hey, let’s hide him in the corner. He’s missed some free throws,’ I’m riding with him,” Musselman said. “I trust his mental toughness. No different than [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] a couple of years ago. He missed 10 shots, I’m riding with him.”

“You have to have your team believe in him during stretches of struggles,” Musselman continued. “Obviously, he struggled from the line early. The game was kind of in hand and we still put it in his hands to get fouled.”

With two exhibition games under their belts, Musselman’s Hogs will officially open the season one week from today against Alcorn State. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. central time and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

Former Razorbacks Joe, Smith named to 76ers Summer League Roster

There’s another NBA team with two former Hogs on their roster…

Arkansas fans were ecstatic to find that former guard [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] had been named to the Golden State Warriors Summer League Roster, as he would be teaming up with a former teammate in [autotag]Moses Moody[/autotag].

It appears that the Warriors will not be the only NBA roster that features two former Razorbacks.

The Philadelphia 76ers revealed their Summer League roster over the weekend, and they also feature two former Hogs in [autotag]Isaiah Joe[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Smith[/autotag].

Joe has played in 96 total games since joining the 76ers in 2020. He played in a career-high 55 games in 2021-22, where he averaged 3.6 points per contest. For Smith, he is getting a chance with the 76ers after spending a season with the Toronto Raptors, where he played in just two games with the Raptors’ G-League affiliate, Raptors 905.

The 76ers will be playing in a two-city Summer League competition beginning Tuesday, July 5 in Salt Lake City, Utah against the Memphis Grizzlies. They will then move to Las Vegas beginning Saturday, July 9 to play the Toronto Raptors.

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JD Notae added to NBA Summer League Roster

Notae, who was not selected during the 2022 NBA Draft, is set to be reunited with a former Razorback this summer.

After a week of waiting, former Arkansas guard [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] will finally get an opportunity to continue his career in the NBA.

The Golden State Warriors released their roster for summer league action on Wednesday, and Notae was included in the 19-man roster.

Notae said in a press conference Wednesday that he is excited about this opportunity, and hopes to leave an impression for Warriors executives.

“Just try to pick up on the terminology as quick as I can,” Notae said. “And just go out there and play my butt off. At the end of the day, that was our culture at Arkansas. Just go out there and play hard. And at the end of the day, if I do that, I can leave everything else on the court.”

What motivates Notae even more, is that he gets a chance to play with former Arkansas teammate, [autotag]Moses Moody[/autotag]. Moody was also named to the Summer League roster, and is excited to reunite with Notae.

 “We left off on a pretty good foot when we made it to the Elite Eight together. That’s my dawg,” said Moody. “So we’ve been hanging out and everything since he’s been here. So I was happy to see he was on the roster.”

Notae and Moody will reunite on the court again for NBA Summer League action beginning Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CDT.

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Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler works out for Hornets

Chandler was among the draft-eligible prospects that worked out for the Hornets on Saturday.

Tennessee freshman Kennedy Chandler on Saturday was among the prospects that participated in a pre-draft workout with the Charlotte Hornets, the team announced.

Chandler was named to the All-SEC second team after averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 assists and 2.2 assists on 46.4% shooting from the field in 34 games. He set the Tennessee single-season freshman record for steals and finished eighth in the country with 74.

The 6-foot guard posted a 41.5-inch vertical leap at the combine and is highly touted as an athletic point guard that can create for himself and others. He is widely considered to be a mid-to-late first-round pick given his ability as an initiator on offense and playmaker.

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In addition to Chandler, the Hornets also worked out Miami guard Kameron McGusty, Providence forward Justin Minaya, Memphis forward Josh Minott, Marquette guard Darryl Morsell and Arkansas forward JD Notae on Saturday.

Charlotte enters the draft with the 13th and 15th picks in the first round and the 45th pick in the second round, respectively. They are also still on the hunt for their head coach after firing James Borrego but appear to be zeroing in on Kenny Atkinson.

The NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Transfer portal finished, here’s a look at Arkansas’ basketball roster

Arkansas will have six new players freshmen and five additions from the transfer portal.

The roster for Arkansas basketball next year will be an unfamiliar one.

The Razorbacks are bringing in the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation, complete with six new players. They also have five players incoming from the transfer portal after losing four through the same. Throw in the loss of [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] to the NBA draft and the exhausted eligibility of Stanley Umude and Au’Diese Toney – nevermind [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag], who still has to choose whether to stay in the draft or return – and ‘new look’ is an understatement for 2022-23.

As of now, Arkansas’ roster looks a bit like this.

Bigs

Kamani Johnson, 6-7, 235

Makhel Mitchell, 6-10, 245

Mekhi Mitchell, 6-9, 230

Jalen Graham, 6-9, 220

Trevon Brazile, 6-9, 215

Lawson Blake, 6-10, 225

Wings

Jordan Walsh, 6-7, 190

Barry Dunning, 6-6, 205

Joseph Pinion, 6-6, 180

Ricky Council IV, 6-6, 205

Guards

Devo Davis, 6-4, 180

Nick Smith, 6-4, 185

Anthony Black, 6-7, 185

Derrian Ford, 6-3, 190

Cade Arbogast, 6-3, 170

The freshmen have been examined for months. But the transfer portal players less so. With that mind, let’s take a closer look at just how the portal changed Arkansas’ look.

Jaylin Williams projected to go to Los Angeles in second round of latest NBA mock draft

Jaylin Williams is projected to be taken in the middle of the second round, making his decision to stay in or return a tough one.

Six weeks remain before the NBA draft on June 23. The last date for those who declared but didn’t hire an agent to remove their name is June 13.

Why does it matter?

Arkansas forward [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] in such a spot. The sophomore declared for the draft at the conclusion of the Hogs’ Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament. He didn’t hire an agent, though, retaining his eligibility should he choose to return by the deadline.

Williams’ likely draft position makes it a tough choice. On the latest mock draft by Brian Kalbrosky at FTW for USA TODAY, Williams is projected to land 43rd overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. For reference, that’s mid-second round. It’s five picks behind where former Arkansas center [autotag]Daniel Gafford[/autotag] was taken by the Chicago Bulls in 2019.

Williams and guard [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] both declared for the draft with an initial opportunity to return to Fayetteville. Notae hired an agent, declining his super senior season. He was invited to the G League Elite Camp later this month. Notae is not projected by Kalbrosky to be selected.

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All-American JD Notae invited to compete in NBA G League Elite Camp

Notae earned third-team All-American honors after averaging 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals.

Former Arkansas guard JD Notae is reportedly among the prospects invited to compete in the NBA G League Elite Camp this month from Chicago, Illinois.

The news was first reported by Bob Holt of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Notae earned third-team All-American honors after averaging 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals in 36 games. He ranked third in the NCAA with 81 steals and was the sixth player in program history to score 1,000 points in two seasons.

The elite camp gives prospects the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives from May 16-17. The top performers will be invited to perform in the draft combine.

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Notae is not currently projected to be drafted but will have the opportunity to improve his stock in the event. The elite camp last year produced several notable players, including New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Indiana Pacers guard Duane Washington Jr.

The NBA draft will take place on June 23.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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