FAYETTEVILLE — Follow along as Mike Anderson reviews the preseason and previews Friday's season opener against Samford.
Mike Anderson
— Samford is returning a lot of players. Has two all-conference type players. Cunningham runs the show for the team. Chambers can shoot the ball. Walker is a double-double. Deep team coached by Scott Padgett, who played here a few times when he played for Kentucky. They can really shoot. Arkansas didn't guard the perimeter well in exhibitions, so the main objective is to run people off the 3-point line and protect the glass.
— You want possessions, efficient basketball. Quality minutes. The bench has to figure in, it's the most important component.
— The guys who played in the exhibition game will be able to play. Looking forward to putting different combinations together.
— You can play halfcourt defense and still play fast. Didn't press as much last year and almost scored 80 per game. Samford plays a lot of zone and will try to control tempo.
— Haven't set a starting lineup. Same guys started in the exhibition games, but changed it up in the last half of the exhibition games.
— Wants Daniel Gafford to continue doing what he's doing in practice and bring it to games. Doesn't have to do anything special.
— Recruited Justin Coleman. Good, quick player who loves big moments and big stages. He gives them a guy that's played at this level and in this building. Cunningham kid is a very good basketball player. A guard named Shakey who led the league in steals. An Auburn transfer who can shoot. Half their shots in the exhibition were 3s and they make them.
— Have to be able to mix up coverages and make adjustments quicker to take away 3-pointers and make them uncomfortable.
— Adrio Bailey has looked better in practice this week. Got the message that you have to play like a junkyard dog. That's what the exhibitions are for.