10 most painful early departures in the Musselman Era
6. Layden Blocker
Another small, instate guard with a chip on his shoulder. Layden Blocker was a borderline five-star per 247 Sports Composite rankings but was vastly underhyped by the national media. Bronny James, for example, was flirted with five-star status like Blocker. Yet, only one was invited to the McDonald's All-American game. As you could guess, it was the one whose father is NBA legend LeBron James.
Every time Blocker stepped on the court, he played with that chip on hid shoulder and the aggression that comes with it. His presence on defense was glaring on a team that couldn't guard a high school squad at times. But for some reason, Eric Musselman didn't give him playing time, especially down the stretch.
Nearing the end of the season, Arkansas's hopes of making the NCAA Tournament were all but squashed, so it's inexcusable that Blocker didn't get more playing time. Blocker finished his career at Arkansas with 3.7 points a game on a 40.3 percent clip.
i like layden blocker as a possible breakout transfer, his athleticism and motor popped on both ends in his limited time on the floor this season
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) April 12, 2024
i was a fan of his in high school, there's some real upside here pic.twitter.com/A6UeQUi9MV