BJ Young and Marshawn Powell combined to average 29.7 points last season while Arkansas averaged 73.7 points per game. That was 40 percent of the offense, and those guys are gone. Where are those points going to come from?
From all over, according to the Razorbacks. While senior forward Coty Clarke is the leading returning scorer at 7.6 points per game, he and other returning players, as well as newcomers like forwards Alandise Harris and Bobby Portis, appear to have the capability to collectively make up for the losses of Young and Powell scoring-wise. The Red-White game is an intrasquad scrimmage where defense may not be the focus, but the fact it was 112-102 with 10 players scoring 12 or more points must count for something. Senior guards Mardracus Wade, Rickey Scott, Kikko Haydar and Fred Gulley can be better scorers this season, as can sophomore forwards Michael Qualls and Jacorey Williams and sophomore guard Anthlon Bell. Often times last season when Young had the ball, the other players seemed to turn into spectators, knowing he wasn’t giving it back. Now there should be more ball movement and — the Razorbacks hope — good passes that lead to better shots.
You mentioned Alandise Harris. What is he going to add?
Harris, a 6-6 junior who redshirted last year after transferring from Houston, should add a lot, but especially toughness. Coach Mike Anderson calls Harris “a man” who can get tough points inside and rebounds with his physical style as well as hit some outside jumpers. Harris, who is from Little Rock, also should be hungry to play well after having to sit and watch games last season.
What about Bobby Portis?
Much is expected from the 6-10 freshman, but Anderson is being careful not to put too much pressure on the McDonald’s All-American. Anderson has said Portis will have a major impact on the team, but that he doesn’t have to be the savior. He has a center’s body with forward skills and is a good fit for the Razorbacks’ up-tempo style. He figures to make his share of mistakes as a freshman, but the Razorbacks will be able to live with those given the scoring and rebounding Portis should provide.
Will the Razorbacks be a better road team this season?
It’s hard to imagine they’ll be worse than last season, when they were 1-12 in out-of-state games. One downer for the Razorbacks this season is that they don’t get to play at Auburn Arena, where they are 3-0. But the Razorbacks still should be a more competitive road team and maybe even bring home a few victories. They are an experienced team now, should be more balanced, and Harris’ toughness factor should help at crunch time when they have sometimes let road victories slip away in the past.
Who is going to be the point guard? Do the Razorbacks have one?
Coach Mike Anderson has said it might be a point guard by committee situation, and right now the best option looks like junior Ky Madden. He was a highly-routed signee who has had sporadic success his first two seasons and may be ready to blossom this season with a bigger role. His ball-handling and decision-making improved a lot as last season went on, and he seems to be just as happy to pass as he is to shoot. He had eight assists in the Red-White game, which was nice to see. He also had six turnovers, which he has to clean up, but he played 37 minutes, too. Other options at the point will be Fred Gulley, Rickey Scott, Kikko Haydar and sophomore Dee Wagner.
What do you think of the nonconference schedule?
Arkansas has been slammed by ESPN.com as having one of the weakest nonconference schedules among teams from a major conference. The Razorbacks are playing three games in the Maui Invitational — where they’ll open against California and will play Syracuse or Minnesota in the second round — but those are neutral site games. They don’t have any true road games in nonconference play, and their toughest nonconference home games appear to be Clemson and SMU. They aren’t playing Oklahoma this season.
So what does all that mean?
If the Razorbacks want to have a shot at an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, it means they had better win all of their nonconference home games and get at least one noteworthy victory in Maui, preferably two victories.
Can a strong showing in SEC play be enough to get the Razorbacks into the NCAA Tournament if they have some stumbles against nonconference teams?
It’s possible, but they would need to do really well in the SEC, probably much better than last season’s 10-8 record. Kentucky and Alabama both went 12-6 last season and didn’t receive NCAA bids. Neither did Tennessee, which was 11-7. The SEC isn’t getting a lot of respect nationally after sending just three teams (Florida, Missouri and conference tournament champion Ole Miss) to the NCAA Tournament last season. Playing Kentucky home-and-home in the same season for the first time should boost the Razorbacks’ strength of schedule, and they’ll play Missouri home-and-home, too.
Is Mike Anderson on the hot seat after his first two Arkansas teams failed to play in the NCAA Tournament or the NIT?
It’s understandable fans are getting restless when the Razorbacks haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2008, but Anderson is a proven winner who rebuilt programs at Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri and made them NCAA Tournament regulars. He also understands the Arkansas program after having been an assistant for Nolan Richardson for 17 seasons. He took over an Arkansas program with a lot of issues and has gradually been fixing problems with academics and discipline, as well as recruiting players to fit his style. It’s not an easy job, and it’s taking some time. If the Razorbacks don’t make the NCAA Tournament this season, fans will be disappointed, but they shouldn’t be in panic mode as long as the team continues to improve and show progress. If the Razorbacks go a fourth year without an NCAA bid, then Anderson’s seat figures to be pretty hot. It’s just the nature of the business.
How do the Razorbacks stack up in the SEC?
They were picked eighth in a preseason media poll, but it won’t be surprising if they finish higher, and they’ll certainly need to do better than that to have a shot at an NCAA bid. Kentucky and Florida clearly appear to be the class of the conference, and Tennessee and LSU should be pretty good, too, maybe Missouri. The Razorbacks should have a shot to break into the top five or six.
Who will be the most improved player among the returnees?
There are a number of candidates, but sophomore guard Anthlon Bell seems like a good choice. At times last season he showed he could boost the offense with his three-point shooting, and he’ll need to do that a lot more often this year. Fred Gulley is another possibility. He said he feels a lot more comfortable with the Razorbacks and his role on the team this season after missing the first part of last year waiting to be eligible as a transfer from Oklahoma State.
Will there be a good rim protector with Hunter Mickelson transferring to Kansas?
Moses Kingsley, a 6-10 freshman, averaged 4.1 blocked shots as a high school senior. He should be a defensive force inside, and Bobby Portis should help in that area, too.