What Mike Anderson said Wednesday

Arkansas coach Mike Anderson speaks to the media during the Razorbacks' annual media day on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson speaks to the media during the Razorbacks' annual media day on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

— Updates from Mike Anderson's press conference Wednesday previewing the exhibition opener against Central Missouri.

Mike Anderson

— The team has a chance to have quality depth. They're probably 2-3 deep at every position. There were things he liked and didn't like against other competition in Spain. Anxiously looking forward to seeing how they perform Friday.

— There's a learning curve for newcomers because they've never played D1 basketball. They're excited.

— There's been an emphasis on defense. Red-White showed how the team can score. They want to do both.

— Hasn't decided on a starting lineup. Has two practices left and eight guys in mind to start.

— R.J. Clasper will have surgery next week, potentially. The chances of him redshirting are "real good. You don't want to waste a year and we have some depth at the guard position." Said Glasper is going to be a good player and was just starting to figure it out.

— The second group was the one that elevated the team and elevated defense in Spain.

— The flow of the game will determine how much everyone plays Friday. He wants to use guys in 4-5 minute bursts.

— Defensively, he wants them to be cohesive. Use ball pressure to get in passing lanes and deflect passes. Limit UCM to one shot and don't put them on the line, which was an issue in the first game in Spain.

— Thinks he'll use an actual rotation instead of platooning Friday, but didn't rule out a platoon.

— Told the players it changes when you go from Red-White to a game. Some guys played 43 minutes Sunday. Players will have to be productive in less time.

— Sometimes the freshmen don't look like it. CJ Jones is making tough, contested shots. He's starting to pick up nuances on defense, but is getting better with help-side rotations and on-ball defense. Brachen Hazen has to get stronger, but he's got a lot of skills. With Adrio Bailey, it's just a matter of knowing his motor has to be on from the get-go. He has athletic ability and toughness you can't teach. There's no pressure on the freshmen, which is when they tend to develop and come on.

— They call Dustin Thomas "DT" to avoid confusion with Dusty. He's a good passer, can rebound and go. These games will be good for him getting acclimated to playing Razorback basketball.

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