Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS

The Razorbacks return five contributors from last season's Elite 8 squad for 2021-22. Eric Musselman has now proven he can take a bunch of new pieces and build a cohesive unit out of them and he'll get to do it once more, but not to the extent he did last year thanks to the returners.

Devo Davis and Jaylin Williams were starters and crucial pieces to the Elite Eight run. JD Notae won the SEC's sixth man award, Connor Vanover played within his role and KK Robinson was sidelined with an injury for much of the season. On top of expanded roles, all five returners will help Musselman lay down the culture for the four transfers and one newcomer.

Devo Davis

Davis solidified himself as a starter in the latter part of the year, where he was the catalyst for runs in crucial games, like the opening round NCAA Tournament win over Colgate. A long, athletic guard, Davis was a defensive nightmare and thrived in the open floor and in a free offense where he could be creative and make his own reads.

In a freshman campaign that saw Davis score in double figures in 14 games, including each of the four NCAA Tournament games, he was not one of the primary scoring options. Moody, Justin Smith, Notae, and Jalen Tate all seemed to be the go-to scorers for most of the season. Davis played off the ball most of the time, but played on-ball towards the end of the year.

With the additions of scoring threats Chris Lykes, Au’Diese Toney, and Stanley Umude, as well as Notae returning and Robinson getting healthy, it will be difficult for any single player to establish themselves as the go-to scorer offensively. With his size and athleticism, though, Davis easily could be one of the top scoring options for next year’s squad.

The two knocks on Davis’ game last year were that he didn’t have a consistent outside jumper and he was loose with the handle at times. While it can’t be assumed that he will automatically progress or develop over an off-season, Davis has the work ethic that would make it likely he improves in both of those areas. The Jacksonville native has recently posted workout footage where he’s knocked down threes off the bounce and off the catch, and his handles are looking smooth.

Defensively, he will be the best or one of the best defenders on the team yet again, and maybe even look to earn conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. I fully expect Davis to maintain his starting position, be asked to handle the basketball more, and be a more dynamic threat and scoring option offensively.