Gafford wows ex-Hog Bradley

Arkansas' Daniel Gafford dunks against Colorado State Tuesday Dec. 5, 2017 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
Arkansas' Daniel Gafford dunks against Colorado State Tuesday Dec. 5, 2017 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

Pat Bradley is impressed with University of Arkansas, Fayetteville freshman forward Daniel Gafford.

Gafford is third in scoring for the Razorbacks (20-9, 9-7 SEC), averaging 11.6 points per game while leading the team in rebounds with 6.1 per game. He had 11 points and seven rebounds in Arkansas' 76-73 victory at Alabama on Saturday.

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"I personally have never seen a type of athlete like Gafford," Bradley said. "That's a difference-maker. We don't get a difference-maker like Daniel Gafford is. Kentucky gets those guys.

"Against North Carolina [in last season's NCAA Tournament], we maybe get that defensive rebound last year."

Arkansas lost to North Carolina 72-65 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in March.

Bradley, a former Razorbacks basketball player who is now a KABZ-FM radio host and SEC Network analyst, spoke at the Downtown Tip Off Club on Monday at the Wyndham Riverfront hotel in North Little Rock and discussed the Razorbacks, the SEC and his career at Arkansas.

KABZ-FM (103.7 The Buzz) carried Bradley's speech live during Bradley and Justin Acri's daily show The Zone.

When asked whether he believes Gafford should declare for the NBA Draft after this season, Bradley mentioned Gafford's mentality, which wasn't necessarily a one-and-done mentality entering his first season with the Razorbacks.

"From a business standpoint, this is a big man heavy draft," Bradley said. "He could be a late first-rounder. Next year, he's a lottery pick.

"In a year's time, you graduate from El Dorado in May and then you're standing up on an NBA stage wearing a [New York] Knicks hat. Mentally, you have to prepare your mind for that. I don't know if he's ready for that mentally."

Bradley was part of the last Razorbacks team to play in the Sweet Sixteen in 1996. He said Monday that Arkansas can play in the round of 16 if it plays like it did Saturday at Alabama.

"For me, the biggest thing is you have three guards: Anton Beard, Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford," Bradley said. "You have three senior guards who have been through a lot. They played well against Alabama. That's what you need.

"Everybody wants to play in the second weekend. That's the goal. You win on Saturday or Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, the whole country is talking about you."

Sports on 02/27/2018

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