Muss, UA finally see another team

FAYETTEVILLE -- After going at each other in workouts and practices since June, the Arkansas Razorbacks will go against another basketball team.

The University of Arkansas, ranked No. 16 in The Associated Press preseason poll, plays an exhibition game against NCAA Division II East Central (Okla.) University at 3 p.m. today in Walton Arena.

"We're definitely ready for it," Arkansas junior forward Connor Vanover said. "We're just really itching to play someone else."

Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman said a game against another team is much needed. Arkansas will play its second of two exhibition games against North Texas on Saturday.

"If someone would grant a wish to a college staff, my wish would be that we had more exhibition games, more secret scrimmages," Musselman said. "Two is not enough.

"Newsflash -- if you go eight of your 10 weeks in the summer and then you practice in September and October and you're going to tell us you get two between all that time and then Nov. 6-7 or whatever the first night is for college basketball, it's too long.

"We need more game-like situations to develop our players. So this is much, much, much needed. ... You've got to be in game-like situations with real reps and not behind closed doors playing against yourself every day."

Musselman said Friday that the Razorbacks' projected starting lineup is senior guards JD Notae, Stanley Umude and Au'Diese Toney, sophomore Davonte Davis and sophomore forward Jaylin Williams.

"I've never told anybody who we're starting this early," Musselman said.

Musselman was asked if he'll substitute as if it's regular-season game or might put in five new players to replace the starters.

"The game will dictate that," Musselman said. "But I guess if we get off to a bad start we could go with the hockey line change pretty quick and go 5 for 5.

"I used to do that in the old CBA, but only when we got behind real quick and played bad as a group. Hopefully we have a normal rotation with a sixth man, a seventh man, an eighth man and probably stop about at a nine-man rotation at least through the first seven to eight minutes."

Among the Razorbacks who figure to play off the bench today are Vanover, Chris Lykes, Jaxson Robinson and Chance Moore.

"Super excited just to see where we're at as a team," Robinson said. "We've been itching to find somebody to play. It'll be fun."

Trey Wade (knee), Kamani Johnson (wrist) and Khalen Robinson (foot) will sit out because of injuries.

ECU is coached by Max Pendery, who was a graduate assistant coach for Musselman at Arkansas during the 2019-20 season.

Pendery went to East Central as an assistant coach last year with Chris Crutchfield, who left Arkansas after one season as an assistant to be the Tigers' head coach.

When Crutchfield became an assistant coach at Oregon, Pendery was promoted to head coach.

Before Pendery came to Arkansas, he was a graduate assistant at Ashland (Ohio) College, a Division II school where Bill Musselman -- Eric's father -- had a 109-20 record in five seasons before landing the University of Minnesota job and coaching in the NBA.

Eric Musselman said one of his father's former players at Ashland recommended he add Pendery to his staff.

"Max did an incredible job for us," Musselman said. "He did such a good job that when Coach Crutch left and went to be the head coach there, he brought Max with him because he had such respect for Max.

"For sure, if [Pendery] was not the coach there we would not be playing this game. I think it's a really, really, really cool story to have a former GA, 48 months later or whatever, now as a head coach in college.

"That's what we want. We want opportunities for all the guys that work here to be able to elevate their career and move on to bigger and better things. Certainly for Max to be a head coach is really, really special."

Musselman said the coaching staff didn't scout East Central as they would a regular-season opponent, but that they will North Texas -- the defending Conference USA champion that beat Purdue in the NCAA Tournament last season.

Arkansas beat North Texas each of the previous two years in regular-season games.

"What we'll do for the game [today], is it will be all about Arkansas," Musselman said. 'I'm only concerned with how we get ourselves ready for opening night."