With so many questions surrounding the Arkansas basketball roster for next season, we felt it would be worthwhile to do a special portal edition of the HawgBeat mailbag series. It is a similar process as before, with us answering select reader questions in an article format.
These are strictly Twitter questions, because any questions HawgBeat subscribers have are answered in our official transfer portal thread on The Trough premium message board.
Do we think Muss will still go after Kel'el Ware and what are the Hogs' chances with him? - Twitter user @ClutchSportsArk
Yes, it seems like the Arkansas staff is actively pursuing Ware and there is legitimate reciprocal interest. Whether or not that actually ends up with the former five-star in Fayetteville, who knows?
I will say that the lines of communication are open and sources have indicated that the staff is at least pleased with the initial response they got from Ware. We will really see how good of a spot the staff is in with him if/when they schedule an in-home visit with him or get him on campus.
There are other schools involved, of course, because of how talented he is. Some draft analysts had concerns over Ware's work ethic and motor, but a fresh start in the right spot could really benefit him. Ole Miss could be one to watch with Chris Beard taking over the program. He recruited Ware pretty heavily while he was still at Texas. Additionally, there have been rumors of Auburn or Duke, as well.
I should add, though, for the sake of transparency, that there has been a ton of conflicting information regarding the status of Ware and the Razorback staff's relationship. It is looking more and more like a situation where no one truly knows right now, and that's completely fine and normal for such a big decision. Ware decided to leave his home state out of high school, and now there is a chance to return. It's a big decision for a player who wants to develop into the lottery pick he's capable of being.
At the end of the day, I think Arkansas has as good of a shot at landing him as any other school right now, but it's also early in the process. It's something to monitor, for sure, but I'd say Arkansas is in the mix.
