Arkansas forward Jalen Graham's start to the 2023-24 season hasn't been ideal, but he has plenty of opportunity to right the ship before SEC play begins on Jan. 6.
With back spasms plaguing the fifth-year senior's final season of eligibility, Graham has only been able to play in five of the 10 games to this point in the season. In that time, he's averaged 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 9.2 minutes per game.
After logging six minutes in Arkansas' win against Old Dominion on Nov. 13, Graham didn't see anymore playing time on the court until Nov. 29 against Duke.
That stretch away from basketball hurt the Hoop Hogs, who had to play three games in three days with a short turnaround at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas from Nov. 22-24.
"I stayed here and rehabbed," Graham said. “Rehabbed the whole week just working on my back and everything else to make me stronger. And it was tough not being there for my team, obviously. I was disappointed, but I’m glad I’m back and I’m just ready to help my guys out.
"It’s been challenging mentally more than anything I feel like. Obviously there’s the rehab but there’s days where I feel good and then the next day I wake up and it’s back to square one it feels like. When I took that break from The Bahamas and went to rehab and got my back right, that’s the best I’ve felt."
Graham played eight minutes in Arkansas' matchup with Furman before seeing a season-high 16 minutes in the Hogs' recent loss to Oklahoma. He played particularly well against the Sooners, as he scored eight points on 4-5 shooting with five rebounds.
"My back feels good, probably the best it’s been, so that’s a good thing," Graham said. "Whatever coach wants to do or however he wants to play me I’m here to play. I’m just excited to be back and I really just want the team to win."
Last season, Graham averaged 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds per matchup while showcasing a high-caliber offensive game. The Razorbacks need him to be at his best going forward.
"I think he knows what the expectations are," head coach Eric Musselman said Wednesday. "Certainly, getting him back in the fold, and he’s got to continue to work his way back into better physical condition. Just because he had the time off I think that’s affected him from a conditioning, wind standpoint."
Now that Graham is back, he's ready to start helping the team fix the issues that have led to its 6-4 overall record. One of the key points of emphasis to solve is ball movement, something the Razorbacks have struggled with this season.
"Not just sticking to the ball," Graham said. "We put in a rule where it’s a point 5 rule. So if you catch the ball you only have .5 seconds to dribble, pass or shoot. But you’ve got to get it out your hands. Just moving without the ball too. A lot of split screens and trying to move without the ball to try to get everybody going."
For Graham to really meet his full potential, he has to keep playing well on the defensive end of the court. The 6-foot-10 forward had two blocks against Oklahoma, a positive sign that that part of his game could be unlocking for the Hogs.
"I feel like I’m a good defender now," Graham said. "I’ve just been listening to Coach Muss and trying to take all the defensive concepts that we have. If you are able to do the defensive concepts here, it makes the defense pretty easy because you’ve got help and rotation and stuff like that. So just buying into that is what I had to do, and I think I’ve done that."
Arkansas fans will have a chance to see Graham and the Razorbacks play this Saturday, as the Hogs will travel to North Little Rock to take on Lipscomb (7-5) inside Simmons Bank Arena. The game will tip off at 5:00 p.m. CT and will stream on the SEC Network Plus.
