Conditioning at a premium in Red-White game

Arkansas' Dusty Hannahs participates in practice Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in Bud Walton Arena.
Arkansas' Dusty Hannahs participates in practice Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, in Bud Walton Arena.

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas senior guard Dusty Hannahs figures the teams for the Razorbacks' intrasquad Red-White game today are evenly matched.

"I think our whole team is really good," Hannahs said. "So that means when you divide the roster into two teams, both of them are really good, too."

Arkansas has 12 scholarship players after opening last season with nine because Anton Beard was suspended for the first nine games and Jacorey Williams had been dismissed from the team.

"Last year with nine scholarship players, we were limited in some areas," Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson said. "Even as we started playing some of our best basketball coming down the stretch, we kind of ran out of gas."

The Razorbacks put together a four-game winning streak going into the regular-season finale, including road victories at Tennessee and Alabama. They then lost their final home game to South Carolina and fell to Florida in the SEC Tournament to finish 16-16.

Anderson doesn't expect Arkansas to fade this season.

"We have more weapons, we have more depth," Anderson said. "I think with that depth, it can create a great bench.

"That's when our teams are at their best. When I can put that first unit out there and then that second unit can be equally as good or, some nights, be even better than the guys that start out."

Today's game tips off at 4 p.m. in Walton Arena. The arena doors open at 3 p.m., when the Razorbacks will begin signing autographs on the concourse for 45 minutes.

Admission is free, but fans are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry.

"I want the fans to see some of the things I've seen in practice, because I like the team I have," Anderson said. "I really, really do."

The Razorbacks' conditioning will be put to the test today.

"We have six guys on each team, so trust me, they're going to get a whole lot of playing time," Anderson said. "They'll get all the playing time they want in the Red-White game.

"After that, they'll be fighting for time."

The Red team roster has guards Hannahs, Jaylen Barford and Manny Watkins, and forwards Trey Thompson, Dustin Thomas and Brachen Hazen.

The White team roster has center Moses Kingsley, guards Anton Beard, Daryl Macon and C.J. Jones, and forwards Arlando Cook and Adrio Bailey.

Newcomers are Barford, Thomas, Hazen, Macon, Cook, Jones and Bailey.

RJ Glasper, a walk-on freshman guard, isn't practicing because of a separated shoulder that may require surgery.

"With seven newcomers, we've got to grow into the team we're going to be," Anderson said. "We have some individual talent, but now it's time to put those pieces together.

"Hopefully, by conference time, this team will really start to find out their identity."

Hannahs said practices have been competitive.

"The energy in the building's a lot better than last year," he said. "We're just really getting after it."

Anderson said he's not close to determining a starting lineup.

"Right now if you said, 'Hey Coach, who would be your starting five?', I couldn't," Anderson said. "I'd probably give you about eight guys.

"That's a good problem to have. Guys are competing. It'll probably go all the way up to the first game until we play."

Sports on 10/23/2016

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