The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks are a perfect 2-0 following their first week of play, and that can be attributed to strong play from transfers.
Head coach Eric Musselman has developed a reputation for navigating the transfer portal well, and it looks like he struck gold again this season.
Through the two wins over North Dakota State and Fordham, Arkansas' five transfers have all seen action.
Here's a breakdown of how they've fared and a snapshot of their average stats so far:
Ricky Council IV
Council transferred in from Wichita State, and he's leading the Hogs in scoring so far. He scored a team-high 22 points in the season-opener against North Dakota State and he also led the team with 15 points in Friday's win over Fordham.
With star freshman Nick Smith Jr. out due to right knee management, Council has stepped in as a solid ball-handler and scorer. He even played some point guard against Fordham and recorded seven assists.
"He did a great job of finding people, as well as being an offensive weapon," Musselman said in his postgame press conference. "So, 15 and seven for a guy that really hasn’t played any at the point guard position. I thought he did really well."
Council said after the game that he would like to be in a primary ball-handler situation more, but he just wants to do what Musselman tells him to do.
"Tonight he wanted me to do that and I did it," Council said. "I think I did a pretty good job. I think I remember I had maybe two turnovers, so just clean those up."
2022 stats (per game): 36.5 min, 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 1.5 turnovers, 53.8 fg%, 40.0 3p%
Trevon Brazile
Brazile, a transfer from Missouri, recorded a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds in Arkansas' first game against North Dakota State. Musselman said Brazile was dealing with an ankle issue going into the Fordham game, but that didn't stop him from getting eight points and eight rebounds.
"He had four offensive rebounds," Musselman said. "I thought he played well. I thought he challenged shots. I thought he got loose balls a little bit better tonight. Coming off the bench, he’s accepted that. He’s playing probably more minutes coming off the bench than he would if he starts."
Brazile leads the team and is second in the SEC in rebounds per game and he has played the third most minutes of anyone so far. Standing at 6-foot-10, his length has been key on the boards and he's also shown flashes of being a talented scorer.
During the Fordham game, Brazile's plus-minus was +32, the highest of any Razorback during the contest.
2022 stats (per game): 32.0 min, 14.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.0 blocks, 2.0 turnovers, 47.6 fg%, 37.5 3p%
Makhi Mitchell
Though he hasn't filled the stat sheet up, Mitchell has been very impressive through two games. The Rhode Island transfer earned the start in both games, and his six steals lead the team so far.
"I mean, look at his steals," Mussleman said. "I’m sure he leads our team in steals at the center spot. He’s got incredible quickness with his feet. He’s a great runner of the floor. He’s got elite defensive lateral quickness for a guy his size."
Mitchell recorded eight points and four rebounds in each of the first two games. Defensively, he's allowed very little in the paint and he also forced a pair of turnovers out on the wing against Fordham.
"He’s earned the starting spot, he’s earned the minutes that he’s getting right now," Musselman said. "It was not easy. I hardly played him overseas because you have a large learning curve about how our culture works, and he’s done … you’ve got to really, really compliment a young man who has changed habits and bought in with two feet."
2022 stats (per game): 22.5 min, 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 3.0 steals, 1.0 blocks, 0.0 turnovers, 66.7 fg%
Jalen Graham
The Arizona State transfer saw his first action of the season against Fordham and within about 30 seconds he had scored his first bucket and recorded his first foul.
He finished the contest with 10 points in 11 minutes played, and Musselman mentioned Graham without even being asked in the postgame press conference.
"We haven’t mentioned Jalen Graham," Musselman said. "I thought Jalen did a phenomenal job scoring the basketball. He’s really worked hard this week, much harder than he has in prior weeks. I thought it was important for him to get some minutes tonight. I thought he did a good job on the offensive glass and scoring with his back to the basket with spin moves."
Graham has earned the nickname "spin cycle" from his teammates, and he showed against the Rams that he's a talented scorer.
"He was just, like, finishing around the rim, getting rebounds, blocking shots," freshman Jordan Walsh said. "So he did everything. So I wouldn't be surprised if we see more of him in the future for sure."
2022 stats (only played one game): 11 min, 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 71.4 fg%
Makhel Mitchell
The twin brother of Makhi and also a Rhode Island transfer, Makhel hasn't seen much run in the first two games.
He played just 4:31 against Fordham after not seeing the court in Monday's win over North Dakota State. He was 0-1 from the field, recorded a steal and also turned the ball over once.
2022 stats (only played one game): 4.5 min, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover
