Jalen Graham's emergence important for Hoop Hogs
Looking back through the history of college basketball, some of the best championship-winning teams had a glue-guy or role player that separated them from the rest of the bunch.
Sure, they had the talented go-to scorer or the elite shooter. But having guys on your roster that can be relied on to do their job and do it well is crucial to the success of any team.
For the 2023-24 version of the Arkansas Razorbacks, that player might just be Jalen Graham. Last season, the senior forward averaged 5.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in just 9.4 minutes per game. Scoring almost exclusively in or around the paint, Graham shot 65.5% from the field and only attempted a single three point shot.
His best performance came in an Arkansas 84-65 home victory over the Florida Gators. In a season-high 27 minutes, Graham shot 12-15 from the floor and scored 26 points along with seven rebounds. He dominated around the rim and showcased the type of efficiency that every team needs.
Named All-Pac 12 Second-Team during the 2021-22 season after averaging 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Arizona State Sun Devils, Graham already has a proven offensive track record. According to Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, the next step in Graham’s development must come in the rebounding department.
“I think anyone that watched us play last year understands that Jalen is a really, really talented offensive player,” Musselman said at SEC Media Day on Wednesday. “If you watched him at Arizona State, Coach Hurley used him as a go-to player. Second team All-Pac-12. We want him to continue to evolve as a rebounder in traffic and to rebound outside of his area. Those are two areas that we look for growth from him, to be a little more aggressive in getting loose balls.”
As previously mentioned, Graham is a more-than-proven offensive player. Alongside his 26-point performance against Florida, he scored 16 points against No. 4 Alabama and 16 points against South Carolina and made multiple highlight dunks throughout the season.
"I think the scoring, he's as hard to cover one on one as anybody in our league, both in the post, in midrange and facing up off the bounce," Musselman said. "He's got a great spin game when he puts it on the deck."
"He's practiced a lot better than he did last year. I think he's bought in to the total scheme on both sides of the ball. But offensively he's a really hard guy to cover, and he commands a double team. He's going to have to learn when people dig down or trap to get that thing out and get it back on a re-post. That'll be really important for him."
If Arkansas wants to make another deep run in March, it'll need Graham to refine the areas of his game outside of scoring buckets. The Razorbacks already have the high-flying forward Trevon Brazile and defensive stalwart guard Davonte Davis. Not to mention the uber-talented transfer portal and high school recruiting classes brought in during the offseason.
Graham will have every opportunity to be the ultimate glue guy and help lead Arkansas to its fourth-straight Sweet 16 — or even a national championship — in the 2023-24 season.
Fans can get their first look at Graham against outside competition since March when the Hogs take on UT Tyler at 6:30 p.m. CT Friday for a preseason exhibition at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. There will be no TV stream for the exhibition.