An early look at the players who won’t be returning for 2022-23 season

The Arkansas Basketball team’s 2021-22 is officially in the books with their Elite 8 loss to Duke in the 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness tournament.

The Hogs, led by Head Coach Eric Musselman, went on an incredible run to end the season. From Jan. 12 through the Duke loss, the Razorbacks went 18-4 and ended the season 28-9 overall.

With the end of the year comes a look at the players who will be departing due to graduation, NBA Draft or transfer.

These Arkansas Basketball players are unlikely to be on the team in 2022-23

Let’s start with the obvious players. There are a handful of guys who won’t be back due to not having any eligibility remaining.

Graduate seniors

• Stanley Umude – 11.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.1 apg
• Chris Lykes – 7.6 ppg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 rpg
• Trey Wade – 3.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.6 apg

The Hogs are really going to miss Stanley Umude, who came to the Hogs from South Dakota. He was frequently the team’s leading scorer in games that JD Notae had an off-night.

Chris Lykes, came to the Hogs from Miami, could score in bunches. His clutch free-throw shooting will be sorely missed.

Trey Wade, a former Wichita State and UTEP player, was a key veteran player for the Hogs down the stretch. His leadership and experience will be missed.

NBA Draft

• JD Notae – 18.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.7 apg
• Jaylin Williams – 10.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.6 apg

JD Notae, a redshirt senior, has another year of eligibility left due to Covid restrictions from the 2020 season. He will likely test the waters and see what kind of feedback he gets from NBA Scouts. Most mock drafts peg Notae to be a second round pick. His lack of size and inconsistent three-point shot are his biggest negatives for the NBA.

Jaylin Williams, a sophomore, has appeared in a few mock drafts in the later parts of the first round. He had a great tournament and got better every week during the regular season.

Arkansas Transfer Players

It’s too early in the process to predict which, if any, players opt to leave the Razorbacks. But, with a deep and talented 2022 recruiting class, some older players may opt to transfer instead of losing playing time to a true freshman.