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Two Arkansas Basketball JuCo Transfers Pay Off

By Chris Jackson

Jan 24, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Daryl Macon (4) celebrates after making the game winning free throw against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Arkansas won 71-70. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Daryl Macon (4) celebrates after making the game winning free throw against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Arkansas won 71-70. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Before the season start, I was particularly excited to watch two JuCo transfers on this Arkansas Razorbacks Basketball team.

After a down year for Arkansas Razorbacks basketball, Mike Anderson brought in some great players for the current year. Two of those players had me excited from the day they signed with the Hogs.

Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon really made me look forward to this season. Barford was the number 1 JuCo player at the time, while Macon was ranked 3rd as a JuCo transfer.

Many times the thought is that it will take a JuCo player a year or so to acclimate to the team and really get going. Going into this season, however, I personally didn’t think Mike Anderson could’ve afforded another down year. In this case, these two had to work and work fast.

Hype Or Hoop?

So did the number one and three tags next to their name end up being well-founded? Yes. Macon and Barford far exceeded my personal expectations for what they could do in their first year.

Macon, the team’s second-leading scorer, came out and immediately showed he was a lethal scoring threat. Macon shoots .455 from the field and .392 from beyond the arch. Not only can he shoot but he can draw the foul and capitalize as he is hitting .873 from the free throw line. Even higher from the foul line when the game is on the line.

Barford seemed to start slow but now the team’s third-leading scorer is a monster. Jaylen has found a rhythm and is showing us just why he was the number one JuCo transfer.

Neither Barford nor Macon were hype. No, they’ve proven they are all hoop which is what Mike Anderson needed in the worst way heading into the season. Now, his investment is paying off and two of his top three players are first-year JuCo transfers. Woo pig.

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