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With a win over Abilene Christian on Tuesday, Arkansas is 8-0 heading into conference play.
The schedule was relatively weak compared to normal years due to cancellation and COVID, but there was enough of a sample size to have some sense of what this team’s identity is, what they do well and where they struggle.
Here are HawgBeat's takeaways through those eight games...
Moses Moody looks like a one-and-done
Moses Moody is better than expected. As a heralded recruit, he figured to be an immediate contributor, even starter, but he’s averaging nearly 17 points and 6 rebounds, playing the most minutes on the team (29.6), and has the second-highest field goal percentage and three-point percentage on the team.
Just watching Moody play, it is clear he came to college well-prepared. The Little Rock native finished his high school career at Montverde Academy alongside other top prospects across the country, including top-ranked prospect Cade Cunningham.
Moody has shown great patience with his game and really lets it come to him. He attacks rebounds and finishes great at the rim, while also being a threat from all over the court. His midrange game is similar to that of former Arkansas standout Joe Johnson and his wingspan makes him a dangerous defender.
If Moody maintains this level of play throughout the season, he could play himself into a lottery draft pick, and is likely to become the program’s first freshman to be selected in the NBA Draft.
Three times as many scoring threats as last season
There are a ton of scoring options. That was expected going into the season, but some guys are scoring more than expected. Moody putting up almost 17 points per game is a bump from what most expected, as well as Jalen Tate averaging almost 10 and Connor Vanover averaging close to 9 points per game.
