With Eight New Players Taking the Court, this Arkansas Basketball Squad is Hoping to Turn Some Heads

2015-2016 has come and gone, and left nothing but empty seats and dismayed fans. No recruits from 2015 remain, and a 16-16 season cast a dark cloud over the accomplishments of a 4 year rebuild that Mike Anderson had put together. Can this new crop of Hogs get Arkansas Basketball back to the dance, and calm fans down?

There’s no way to spin the 2015-2016 year for Arkansas basketball. It sucked. You know it, I know it, and Mike Anderson knows it. There were so many close games that, had the Hogs won, we’d be talking about last season in a different tone. The impact of last season wouldn’t be as severe as it is right now for the Razorbacks.

But those games weren’t wins, they were losses. And after 4 consecutive seasons of increased numbers of wins, better recruiting, and an NCAA tournament appearance, the Arkansas basketball program took a massive step backward last year in Anderson’s 5th season as head coach. The fallout of the poor season and the God awful recruiting that lead up to it have made Anderson a marked man heading into the 2016-2017 season.

And it’s not totally unjustified. 16-16 isn’t successful by any means, but it especially isn’t successful for a guy like Mike Anderson. It tied his worst record as a head coach EVER. Regardless of school, Anderson had only finished at or below .500 one other time, and that was in year 2 at Missouri.

Also, the 2015-2016 recruiting class is now non-existent. Not even all of the players that committed made it to campus, and none of the ones who were here last year still remain. That is a bad job of recruiting, period.

Now, I said all that so I could lead into this: Mike Anderson did a great job of bringing in new talent, retaining key players, and has the Hogs set up nicely for 2016-2017. I know that we’re leading into football, so nobody is talking about basketball right now. But the Arkansas basketball team has brought in some top talent, and the roster has been completely revamped heading into the new season.

Eight new players are on the roster if you include transfer Dustin Thomas, who had to sit out last season because of transfer requirements. Joining Thomas are the 3 biggest recruits that Anderson has brought in since Bobby Portis.

Three junior college standouts will come to Arkansas, and if everything works out the way the staff is hoping, they’ll provide an immediate and powerful boost to the offensive production of the team.

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Heading up the JUCO recruits is the #2 JUCO player in the nation, the #1 combo guard, and one of the highest composite ranked players Anderson has ever signed, Jaylen Barford. He will be joined by fellow All-American guard Daryl Macon, who has racked up quite a fair number of accolades himself in his time on the JUCO scene. Rounding this group off is the 6’8 PF Arlando Cook, who can help the Hogs rebound more and be more consistent in the paint when Moses Kingsley is taking a break. Cook is a 4 star PF and, while he doesn’t have as many awards and recognition as Barford and Macon, he will probably be a key component of the Arkansas scheme.

The non-JUCO players that are joining the Arkansas basketball team this year come from all over the map, and have their own unique skill sets. Adrio Bailey committed to the Hogs all the way back in October of 2015, and never wavered. The 6’7 SF earned a 3 star ranking from most recruiting services, and is supposedly one of the most naturally athletic players coming to Fayetteville.

Joining him is the highest ranked non-JUCO player that the Hogs picked up, Brachen Hazen from Indiana. The 6’8 small forward is a combo player, with a nice outside jump shot, good size, and good court awareness. His upside is huge, and he has the potential to become a dynamite player for the Hogs. Hazen had offers from schools like Clemson, Louisville, and Vanderbilt when he chose Arkansas.

Dustin Thomas transferred to Arkansas last year, and he could have been a big help to the Hogs last year. The former Colorado Buffalo player was the #8 prospect in Texas his senior year, and he could help improve the Hogs defense and rebounding numbers. Thomas has the ability to score when he’s near the basket, but his 6’8, 225 pound frame makes him a potential force in the post at getting boards and helping take pressure off of Moses Kingsley.

C.J. Jones and R.J. Glasper were two relatively unknown pickups by Mike Anderson. Jones comes from Birmingham, Alabama, and is a combo guard. He plays aggressive in the front court, and could become another Anthlon Bell type player for Anderson. (Not in the shooting sense, but in the development sense) Jones was rated as the #6 player in Alabama.

Glasper had several scholarship offers from other small schools, but chose to walk on at the University of Arkansas. The Forrest City native averaged 28 points in the class 5A his senior year, and could one day become a key contributor in Anderson’s scheme. That being said, I doubt we see much of Glasper this upcoming season.

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With the return of Kingsley, Dusty Hannahs, Anton Beard, and Trey Thompson, this Arkansas basketball roster looks as deep and talented as any that Anderson has had at Arkansas. And while it may not have a first round pick like Portis in it, there’s a good chance it’s full of big time players that could form one special team for Arkansas.

I’m not predicting a national championship or anything when I say that, don’t get me wrong. But a team with this many scorers on the outside, and an NBA caliber big man in Moses Kingsley, should look to make some noise in the postseason this year.

And if not, then Arkansas might be on the hunt for a new head Hog when the season ends. Hopefully, that isn’t the case.