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Coming off a junior campaign that saw him win the SEC Sixth Man of the Year award and entering his third season in the program, there were lofty expectations for JD Notae as he returned to attempt to lead another deep NCAA Tournament run.
It was a bumpy ride at times, but the fifth-year senior delivered by garnering some SEC Player of the Year conversation and earning numerous accolades, including first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American honors.
Notae started off the season at a blistering pace, scoring 30 points on 26 shot attempts in the opener against Mercer. He added seven steals for a well-rounded performance that met those high expectations. That performance would be indicative of Notae’s performance over the course of the season…for the most part.
The 6-foot-1 guard logged a lot of minutes and took a ton of shots for the Razorbacks in 2021-22. That led to a lot of points and an inefficient shooting percentage, but because of the roster and how pieces fit the system, it was needed. But the exact role that Notae needed to play for the best success of the team wouldn’t be fleshed out until three games into conference play.
Through the first nine games of the season, Arkansas was undefeated and didn’t face too much resistance. Included in the win streak were impressive wins on a neutral court over Kansas State and Cincinnati en route to a Hall of Fame Classic Championship.
