LITTLE ROCK — Obscured by football, Razorback basketball was nary a blip until the UA’s release about the four-team tournament in Las Vegas.
What a gig — basketball in the evening, thoroughbred racing during the day, giant peeled shrimp and fresh pineapple on the buffets — all but the ponies on the company tab.
Darn the dates, Nov. 23-24. On Nov. 23, the Razorback football team completes the regular season against LSU in Fayetteville. If it’s the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division showdown that some anticipate, it will be a big story. If the Razorbacks are in the tank under interim coach John L. Smith, the interest will be just as high, but the emphasis will be on guessing the next coach.
Still, the mere mention of the Vegas tournament with Wisconsin, Arizona State, and Creighton was reason enough to catch up on the Razorbacks’ revolving roster. Gone from the 2011-12 team are Devonte Abron and Julysses Nobles. A third team Parade All American, the former is one of those guys who committed to John Pelphrey and might have been cut loose by Mike Anderson except that Pelphrey’s successor needed every available body on a team already depleted by early departures. Nobles’ farewell statement referenced a meeting with Anderson, an indication he had been told he would be no better than the No. 2 point guard in his senior year.
Admittedly uninformed about replacements and additions, somebody who stays on top of such things was contacted. He responded with new guys Coty Clarke, JaCorey Williams, Anthlon Bell, Dee Wagner and Michael Qualls, transfers Fred Gulley and Alandise Harris, and a walk-on after football, MeKale McKay. Always helpful, he included heights and weights.
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The fact that Bell is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard and that Williams is 6-foot-8, but only weighs 190-pound grabbed my attention. Mardracus Wade and BJ Young were the only two Razorbacks who shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range last year when Arkansas made .353 percent from outside. Five SEC teams had a higher percentage from beyond the arc.
Bell’s shooting stats were unavailable, but a Google search turned up an impressive performance in a big AAU Tournament last July in North Augusta, S.C. Once Bell’s Memphis team advanced to the Elite Eight, he had five 3-pointers in each of the final three games against what is supposed to be quality competition. He will see better defense in the SEC, but pure shooters in high school can make the transition and proper execution of Anderson’s scheme will provide open looks for Bell and others.
Williams is supposed to be willing to mix it up and Hunter Mickelson’s weight gain between the end of his high school days and the beginning of his Razorback career says that Arkansas’ strength and conditioning program is effective. Williams will need to add 30 pounds or more to bang in the SEC, but it is encouraging that he turned down Alabama for Arkansas.
Along those lines, Wagner’s scholarship offers were from Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin. He was named “Mr. Basketball” by the media in Louisiana, primarily in recognition of his 20.2 points per game and other contributions to a 35-1 record and Class 4A state championship for Peabody Magnet High School of Alexandria.
Ordinarily, coach praise about a newly signed athlete is dismissed out of hand, but an Anderson quote about junior college forward Clarke is a keeper. “Coty has a blue collar mentality which is needed on this team,” Anderson said.
Harris’ skills that produced an average of 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds last year at Houston will be worth reviewing if the NCAA grants an appeal and rules him eligible this season.
As interesting as the new faces might be, the return of a productive Marshawn Powell will shape the season more than anything else.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.