Razorbacks recruiting patiently for 2021 cycle
Not a subscriber? Subscribe for free for 30 days w/code HAWGS30
NEW USERS | RETURNING USERS
Seven SEC teams and more than 80 teams overall already have one or more commits in their 2021 hoops recruiting class. Meanwhile, the University of Arkansas has none.
We know the Razorbacks will have at least three or four scholarships open after the 2020-21 hoops season. They'll graduate transfers Jalen Tate, Justin Smith and Vance Jackson, and likely lose sharp shooting junior Isaiah Joe for good to the NBA next year.
They've offered almost 40 rising seniors, and almost all of them are in the Rivals150. So, why doesn't Eric Musselman have a 2021 commit yet?
The answer: An abundance of caution.
"We're going to be extremely patient in recruiting this class and try to eliminate as many mistakes as possible," Eric Musselman said Monday. "Whether there's an NBA draft, a Major League Baseball draft, an NFL draft, college recruiting, you're not going to bat a thousand. So you just try to do it as best you can from an evaluation standpoint and gather as much information. Right now, it's really hard and challenging to get a lot of information, so we're going to be a little bit slower than in the past as far as how we go about things moving forward."
Due to the coronavirus, the evaluation process has halted almost entirely. AAU basketball is still being played across the nation but coaches aren't there to witness it in person. They're limited to watching reduced quality live streams and highlight tapes. They can't pick up on body language or attitude, and they can't tell whether they're coachable or arguing with their coaches.
Instead of in-person visits where athletes are accompanied by their families, coaching staffs are getting to know prospects on the phone and trying to discern interest and character through virtual communication.
The time coaches spend on the road at games and in the offices of high school head coaches can be the difference between landing a bang or a bust.
The Razorbacks did have a commit in the class up until April, but Dallas native Duncan Powell ended up decommitting after seven months. Powell was a 4-star and the No.100-ranked player in the nation while he was committed to Arkansas, though since decommitting, he's lost his 4-star status and he hasn't received many high major offers.
There have been plenty of prospects who've included the Razorbacks in their list of favorites but the Hogs are in no rush. Talented prospects may slip away while Musselman and staff try to nail their evaluations but at the end of the cycle, there's always the transfer portal.
It's exciting for fans to be in the top 10 in the recruiting rankings (and to sign the best prospects in the state) but Musselman has signed more transfers to his roster than high school athletes since arriving in Fayetteville and it's not going to change.
Recruiting transfers, especially ones that you're familiar with like Musselman was with almost all of his additions so far, greatly reduces the odds of a miss. Because of their experience, their available statistics and hours of game tape, transfers are simply easier to factor into your roster and your needs.
The Hogs will still likely get a couple high school athletes for the 2021 class but when they do, the athlete will have been evaluated to the fullest possible extent.
Check the HawgBeat Hoops Big Board for the latest on the Razorbacks 2021 targets