Last Year: 22-14; Ninth (8-10) in the Southeastern Conference, lost in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament
Head Coach: Eric Musselman (Fifth Year; 95-42 at Arkansas, with three NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
| G Elbert ‘El’ Ellis – 6’3″, 180 – Senior (5th) |
| G Davonte ‘Devo’ Davis – 6’4″, 185 – Senior |
| W Tramon Mark – 6’6″, 185 – Junior |
| F Trevon Brazile – 6’10”, 220 – Junior |
| C Makhi Mitchell – 6’10”, 240 – Senior (5th) |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
El Ellis: 17.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.0 spg – 41.0% FG @ Louisville
Devo Davis: 10.9 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg – 41.5% FG
Tramon Mark: 10.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.1 spg – 39.0% FG @ Houston
Trevon Brazile: 11.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 1.0 spg – 48.1% FG in nine games played
Makhi Mitchell: 7.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 0.9 spg – 66.2% FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Khalif Battle – 6’5″, 185 – Senior (5th) |
| W Denijay Harris – 6’7″, 200 – Senior (5th) |
| F Chandler Lawson – 6’8″, 210 – Senior (5th) |
| W Jeremiah Davenport – 6’6″, 215 – Senior |
| F/C Jalen Graham – 6’10”, 220 – Senior (5th) |
| G Joseph Pinion – 6’5″, 195 – Sophomore |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Khalif Battle: 17.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg – 41.0% FG @ Temple
Denijay Harris: 8.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.6 spg – 56.2% FG @ Southern Miss
Chandler Lawson: 5.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.7 spg – 56.7% FG @ Memphis
Jeremiah Davenport: 9.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.8 spg – 35.1% FG @ Cincinnati
Jalen Graham: 5.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.5 bpg – 65.5% FG
Joseph Pinion: 2.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.2 spg – 38.2% 3FG
Freshmen
| F/C Baye Fall – 6’11”, 200 – Freshman – Consensus Top 50 recruit |
| G Layden Blocker – 6’2″, 175 – Freshman – Consensus Top 100 recruit |
Even for the interludes during which the ride hasn’t been a smooth one, it has been pretty hard to stop the Muss Bus since it pulled into Fayetteville. After back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in his second and third seasons as head coach of the Razorbacks, Eric Musselman appeared to have assembled another excellent team heading into last season. Despite Musselman having sent plenty of players to the NBA in recent years, it was spoken of as possibly his best roster yet, and possibly the best in the country.
It took a bit for things to start clicking for the Hogs, though. A spate of injuries up and down the lineup – including time missed by a couple of guys who are now in the NBA – surely didn’t help. Despite some indicators not looking great, nothing was actually wrong until Arkansas got spanked at Auburn a week into January; and then got spanked at home by Alabama, and then in Nashville by Vanderbilt…by the time the Southeastern Conference Tournament rolled around, Arkansas was all but reeling. After having been ranked #9 in the country on December 26th, the Hogs were unranked and arrived back in Nashville for the conference clash as the tourney’s #10 seed.
The funny thing about the pairing of elite talent and single-elimination tournaments is, sometimes they can be just what the doctor ordered to get a team rolling. Arkansas knocked off a good Auburn team and gave red-hot Texas A&M a run for their money. Then the Big Dance began, and the Hogs toppled Illinois and defending champion Kansas before being run over by a steamrolling UConn team. Most coaches would consider such a loud Sweet Sixteen run a crowning achievement in their career. At Arkansas, it just left the folks wanting more.
On the ol’ crootin’ trail of course, the Muss Bus continues to be more like a runaway freight train. A seven-pack of new talents have arrived from the Transfer Portal, and though Keyon Menifield will redshirt this season, the other six will combine with a hungry group of returning Razorbacks in hopes of a more resounding run this winter.
Despite the stars that have ascended around him over the past three seasons, there is no Hog more loved by the home fans than Davonte ‘Devo’ Davis. As reliable as they come defensively, Davis brings tremendous energy and positivity to the floor each game. Last season, Davis also continued what has been a tremendous level of improvement as a shooter, and he’s already come up with some of the most memorable performances and clutch moments in Arkansas history. After checking out his NBA Draft prospects – he was working out for the Milwaukee Bucks up until the day before the deadline for college players to either remain in the Draft or return to school – Davis decided to return to Fayetteville. Despite all of the big transfer additions and a pair of star freshmen, Musselman is as pleased to have Davis back as anyone on the team. “He provides so much being a competitor,” Musselman has praised Davis. “He knows the system and he can play so many positions.”
Davis came aboard four years ago as a highly-anticipated signee out of Jacksonville, AR, and the local product has done nothing but come up big and bigger for the Hogs. From his rookie year, when Davis created a desperation look that became a game-winner with barely three seconds left against Oral Roberts to send the Hogs to their first Elite Eight since 1995 to his heroic 21-point outburst in the second half to help the Hogs knock off KU last year, Devo has found a way to come up with what’s needed when it’s needed most. He’s a clever, physical defender who can take top scorers out of the game for stretches, and Davis has the versatility to guard big wings and some forwards all the way down to speedy perimeter players. Davis was not a reliable shooter when he first got to college; he made two of 13 (15.4%) of his deep heaves as a freshman; last year, Davis hit 47 triples, and during SEC play, he improved his rate all the way up to 40.4%. Davis scored in double figures 19 times as a junior, and he also grabbed seven or more boards seven times, and dished out four or more assists in a game eight times – oh, and he racked up 16 multi-steal performances in earning a spot on the SEC All-Defense team. He can play on or off the ball, operating as both a playmaker on the fly or a steadying presence bringing the ball up; and Davis is hell on wheels attacking the lane off of a ball screen. In short, Davis can do pretty much everything on the floor at a high level. After years of steady improvement, Davis is looking to take the Hogs to their highest level yet.
Musselman loves to have a couple of different backcourt players who can get downhill and force defenses onto their heels off the bounce. The former NBA coach employs an attacking, drive-heavy offense. Other than brand-promotion and fielding gleeful calls from pro golf star and Hogs superfan John Daly, nothing brings the diminutive bench boss more joy than finding that one of his guards has a matchup advantage, and then relentlessly exploiting that advantage. Woe to the SEC, as Arkansas is adding three highly-proven new faces to the backcourt this fall.
The brightest light for Louisville in a season which was otherwise as dark as the deepest pits of Utumno, Elbert ‘El’ Ellis became a star last season. In his second year of Division I ball, the former JuCo All-American ranked third in the Atlantic Coast Conference in scoring average, and handed out the eighth-most assists in the league last year. Then, while trying out for the NBA himself, Ellis hit the Portal and took his talents to the Natural State. The Cardinals’ loss is a major gain for Arkansas, and it’s expected that Ellis will step smoothly in at the point. Ellis averaged 36 minutes per contest and saw a 29.9% usage rate last winter for the beleaguered Cardinals, and though his outside percentage suffered a bit and his turnovers rose under such duress, Ellis was largely fantastic. He scored in double figures all but four times over Louisville’s 32 games, and Ellis hit 20+ points 13 times. After postponing his pro aspirations, Ellis took a bit to get familiar with his new surroundings and teammates. He’s taken charge now, though, and Musselman has been impressed with how the veteran guard has asserted himself among his new crew. “El Ellis was really quiet. Did his own, was doing what he should do as an individual. I don’t know if I’ve seen a player change so quickly in his leadership, his verbal command of the floor,” Musselman marveled to reporters at an August press conference. “Been really cool to see in a short period of time.” Ellis excels at using screens, hesitation, and his terrific quickness and wiggle getting through the lane in order to create for himself and others. Last year, he faced an immense amount of defensive pressure over the course of his breakout campaign. Now, he’s looking forward to being a key cog in a highly-functioning machine. “Just being around like really good players, and not having to be the only option every trip down the court, that’s something that I’m glad that I’m not in anymore. I’m not saying it was a terrible situation last year, but it was a lot on me,” Ellis told Tye Richardson of ESPN Arkansas’ Morning Rush podcast. “I had the same usage rate as Donovan Mitchell, and he’s in the NBA.” Since Ellis won’t be joining Mr. Mitchell for another year, he’s focused on showing a much more efficient game in Fayetteville; and doing a whole lot more winning.
“Devo has taken on the challenge, even as a freshman, to guard the opposing team’s best player regardless of if that player plays the 1, 2 or the 3.”
– Eric Musselman
Though Ellis is excited to show off more of his pure point skills, Davis, who has proven adept at blending into a variety of lineups already in his career, will likely share at least some of the ballhandling duties with him. That should allow Tramon Mark to be his best self, which may become a real problem for SEC defenders. A big, rangy guard who arrives after two years in Houston, Mark’s long strides and explosive burst around the lane can get him to the cup very effectively. Some recruiting services ranked Mark as a Top 50 prospect out of high school, and he’s familiar with fighting for minutes in a talented backcourt. He had a strong freshman campaign, but saw his sophomore year cut short by a shoulder injury which required a surgical procedure that ended his season. Mark came back strong last year, and will join Davis as a terrific defender and strong rebounder. Like Ellis, too, Mark is hoping to shoot the ball more effectively and play more efficiently overall as a Razorback. He hasn’t actually finished that many drives at the rim over the years, and has expressed a desire to finish more than the 49% he shot around the rim last season, per Bart Torvik. Mark does like a mid-range shot, though, and will employ pull-ups and fadeaway shots off of his dribble. Mark is more of a spot-up shooter from the outside, and is hoping to to improve upon his career 30% rate from deep in a Davis-like way this year. And Mark should combine with fellow southpaw Devo to play some suffocating perimeter defense.
“Devo has taken on the challenge, even as a freshman, to guard the opposing team’s best player regardless of if that player plays the 1, 2 or the 3. Oftentimes, Devo is assigned to the power forward if need be. Now, he’s got another partner to try to contain,” Musselman has said of his new wing. “I think T-Mark can do that same thing for us.” With two such smart and athletic guards at around 6’5″, the Hogs should be able to neutralize quite a few tough covers off of opposing scouting reports. Ellis, for his part, agrees that Mark’s defense and demeanor will be a key part of this new roster. “He can guard really every position on the floor,” Ellis said at an August press conference. “I just feel like his versatility is going to be really big for us. And he’s won at every program he’s been at, so he’s going to bring that mentality and he’s going to bring guys along.”
As if those three aren’t enough, the Muss Bus also stopped off in Philly this spring to pick up Khalif Battle. Which is good, because the Hogs need his skills. Arkansas ranked 352nd nationally in made three’s, 350th in triple tries, and 326th out of 363 Division I teams in 3FG% last year – and they only return 62 of those shots, 47 of the treys coming from Davis. Battle can shoot the rock. He made 77 deep balls at a 35% rate last year, and will add a new dimension to Musselman’s rotation. “I can can say a little bit about him too because he was in the same conference as me and Tramon (Mark), as well,” said incoming wing transfer and former Cincinnati scorer Jeremiah Davenport of Battle this summer. “He can shoot. He can really shoot the ball off the dribble, coming off screens. He has the ability to get to the bucket tremendously well. His ability to finish and dunk the ball on people at his size is very unique. He’s just a tough, big guard.” Battle has dealt with injuries throughout most of his career, and a foot injury both ended his 2021-22 campaign after just seven games and hindered him last year during his breakout season. He then left the Owls for personal reasons with five games left in their season, and hit the Portal. Healthy and locked in, Battle is an experienced scorer who understands halfcourt schemes, reads screening action well, and can get his teammates involved. With a confident handle and his 6’5″ stature, Battle has the reach and fluidity to get his own looks whenever he wants. Whether Battle starts or thrives in a score-first, score-second bench role, he should be one of the Hogs’ most impactful players, and provides Musselman another guy who’s been counted on as a primary scorer in the past.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 21.7 – 2FG Made Per Game (14th) |
| 5.0 – 3FG Made Per Game (352nd) |
| 15.7 – FT Made Per Game (32nd) |
| 69.8% – Team FT Percentage (256th) |
| 31.1% – Opponent 3FG Percentage (40th) |
Former Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile was off to a great start last season after moving to the state next door. Then, after just nine games, Brazile crumpled to the floor with a torn ACL, and his season was over. Which was a real bummer for his new team, as Musselman described to On3. “I truly think he was one of the most versatile players in all of college basketball. We kind of built our team around him.” Thankfully for the Hogs’ gameplans, Brazile is both healthy and back for another season in Fayetteville. He brings some of the foremost skills that coaches look for in a modern big, and it’s understandable that Musselman wanted to feature Brazile. With great length (including a 7’4″ wingspan) and mobility, Brazile is an effective rebounder and rim protector. He’s also one of those players who can set a screen and either pop or roll to the rim effectively. With springy athleticism and soft hands around the rim, Brazile is a great lob option, and he has shown developing footwork and some patience in the lane. While he doesn’t often put it on the deck to create for himself, Brazile can spot up all the way out to the three point arc – and if he can maintain the 37.9% he shot from three last year, Brazile is going to emerge as a truly dangerous stretch big. He’s rounding into form and following a steady rehab schedule, but Musselman is encouraged by Brazile’s progress this summer. “The strength, the testing, he’s in a great spot. But we’re not going to rush him back,” the coach relayed to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “We’re going to get him ready to play in November, and that’s all we’re focused on.” As he continues to add strength and trust his surgically-repaired knee, Brazile should become more effective on the offensive glass, and should give the Hogs yet another above-average defender.
With so much screening action, the Hogs really need a solid, strong pivot to pair with Brazile and provide an anchor in the paint. Woo pig, because Makhi Mitchell has returned for his second season patrolling the interior. The former Top 100 recruit lost his twin brother Makhel to the Portal, but returns to play an important role as a defender and rebounder. Mitchell’s familiarity in the Arkansas system and a full year next to Brazile should only make Mitchell a more fearsome shot swatter, and he’s ranked fifth in the SEC in blocks per game already. The former Maryland and Rhode Island transfer has rejected 92 attempts combined the past two seasons, and managed his 1.4 denials in just 20.1 minutes on average last winter. Mitchell has also snagged 108 offensive boards over his last 67 games, and turned a team-high 22 of them into putbacks last year, per Hoop-Math. He shot 73.8% around the rim overall, per Bart Torvik, with 21 dunks, and Mitchell figures to throw down plenty more snappy feeds from Ellis and his other new friends this year.
Among a host of dunkmasters, Jalen Graham did beat out his veteran counterparts on the tally board of flushes. The former Arizona State transfer was solid in his first year at Arkansas despite a smaller role than that to which he’s been accustomed. Graham made a fantastic 80.4% of his attempts near the goal, per Bart Torvik, and is looking to average significantly more than the 9.4 minutes he played a year ago. He’s not the same type of fearsome rim protector as Mitchell or Brazile, and Graham struggled enough defensively last season to slip back in the rotation. He is long, bouncy and energetic, though, and scored more points per minute played than anyone on the roster. As long as he continues to be money in the bank in the dunker’s spot and provide active glasswork, Graham will have a role for the Hogs.
Battle and Mark are far from the only quality options Arkansas has on the wing. Former Southern Miss veteran Denijay Harris, Davenport, and Chandler Lawson, most recently of Memphis, will all vie for the best minutes. It’s a nice problem for Musselman, as each of the three bring slightly different skills. Davenport, a Cincinnati native, was once a big get for the Bearcats, and he has averaged 11.3 points to go with 4.8 boards and 203 made triples the past three seasons. He’s made 35.2% of his deep shots over that span, but his percentage has fallen each of the past two seasons, and last year Davenport made just 35.1% of his field goal tries overall. Despite starting every game for new Cincy coach Wes Miller a couple of years ago, last season Davenport saw his role diminished a bit, and things weren’t looking much better for Davenport’s situation heading into this year. He’s not a standout defender, but with his length, experience and strong threat from the outside, Davenport offers clear potential to Musselman’s second unit.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| vs Duke – November 29 |
| N – Memphis / Michigan – November 23 |
| N – Oklahoma – December 9 |
| N – Stanford – November 22 |
| N – Paradise Jam 3rd game – November 24 |
His arrival in Fayetteville may have been covert, but the extra time Harris snuck in this summer should only help the Razorbacks’ cohesion with so many new faces. The former Golden Eagle had been in the Portal for months, with no official updates; then, soon after it was declared that Menifield would redshirt, Musselman unveiled Harris as the mysterious recipient of the Hogs’ final scholarship. Harris spent his first season in junior college, then started 43 games over the past three seasons for Southern Miss. He broke out last year with a strong rebounding effort at both ends of the floor and 56.2% mark from the field. Harris operated in the post offensively last year, making short jumpers or slashing to the rim, and he’s effective on screen-and-roll action as a dunker. He’s an active defender with even more length, and should be a useful contrast to Davenport at the 3 and 4 spots. Lawson is even longer, and offers another different look as a post-wing. Lawson can shoot the ball a bit, passes smartly, has been a strong rebounder, and can defend multiple positions. He’s not exactly a world-class athlete, and could take things to another level with a bit of a post-up game or more consistency from deep. Joseph Pinion also returns, and he’s an excellent shooter for Musselman to be able to bring in off the bench. Though he didn’t quite average six minutes, Pinion played in 26 games last year, and thus far has proven that he’s a highly efficient scorer.
Finally, there are a couple of freshmen coming aboard. Ho-hum. Except that each of them has been rated among the Top 50 prospects in this year’s class by somebody or other, and these kids can play. Baye Fall has been tagged as a borderline 5-star talent, and he’s got the look and developing skills of a prototype modern big man. He gets from end to end quickly and has a good motor, uses his elite length and quickness very well around the rim both offensively and defensively, and Fall has shown glimpses of a legit face-up jumper. He has great timing and agility as a shot blocker, and Fall should absolutely feast on putbacks and lobs. “Baye has done a great job in practice. He’s a worker,” Musselman said this fall. With the impressive range of skills Fall has already flashed, he needs only the opportunity for minutes in order to start showing so much more. Layden Blocker is from Little Rock, AR, which may be something Hogs fans have heard by now. He spent last season at hoops factory Sunrise Christian in Kansas, and arrives back in his home state with a reputation as one of the best defensive guards in this year’s class. “Layden, I think in the minutes he’s been given, he’s done a great job,” Musselman said this fall. “He’s got great toughness, he’s kind of fearless. He’s a really good defensive ball pressure guy. He can pick up full-court.” Blocker is also great in transition after forcing a turnover and will score around the lane in a variety of ways. Minutes will be extremely hard to come by for the youngest Hogs, but they’re too hungry to keep entirely away from getting a feed.
It’s been said before, but this Musselman-coached team is straight-up loaded. Though he has tended not to play more than seven or eight guys in his core rotations of the past, Musselman could go as deep as he wants with this crew – and given depth of the Hogs’ conference foes this winter, he may need to. The fiery little coach from Ohio is becoming as well-loved in the Show-Me state as Scottie Pippen, Sidney Moncrief, or Levon Helm with all of these outstanding collections of talent and runs through March. If this is the year Arkansas can truly put it all together, they may as well start planning out a statue.
The ghastly state of last year’s perimeter shooting has been upgraded, the Hogs should be even stronger than usual on the glass, and there will be few squads who swat more shots than these Razorbacks. They also have experience making runs when all of the chips have been thrown in. “I think, number one, you’ve got to get better as the season progresses. Your team has to be confident, which we have lost in the SEC tournament, how quickly can you rebound mentally, how can you build your confidence up internally even though you might get eliminated?” Musselman said this year at SEC Media Days.
The Hogs haven’t all been to the tourney as a single unit prior to this season, but this team has veteran leaders and an air of having been there, done that before. No matter the storms and skirmishes of regular season play, Arkansas has the types of personalities who tend to show up in March. It will be another wild, at times wacky ride – and it will all be done in the spotlight – but Arkansas is set up all over again to give a good account of themselves in earliest spring.
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