Arkansas fans can get their first look at the 2023-24 Razorbacks on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. inside Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville.
Led by fifth-year head coach Eric Musselman, the Razorbacks will be looking to return to the NCAA Tournament and reach a fourth-straight Sweet Sixteen — but go even further this time.
Returning faces Davonte "Devo" Davis and Trevon Brazile headline an Arkansas squad that is loaded with potential. Six new transfers, a pair of freshmen and some other returning pieces make up a roster that might have what it takes to compete with the nation's best.
Keeping up with basketball in the offseason is tough, especially with a Musselman-coached team. HawgBeat has you covered with some of the main things you should be looking for, players to keep an eye on and more for Wednesday's intrasquad scrimmage.
It's important to note that if you want to catch the Hoop Hogs, you have to be there live, as there will be no streaming of the game. HawgBeat will have live updates on The Trough premium message board throughout.
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Can this team really shoot?
There aren't many things to complain about when looking at Musselman's tenure in Fayetteville, but one thing his teams have lacked in recent years is legit shooters. So the Head Hog went out and grabbed some offensive threats in the transfer portal.
Back is sharp-shooting sophomore Joseph Pinion, a former three-star recruit out of Morrilton. Pinion played in just 24 games and averaged 2.4 minutes per contest as a freshman, but he has the chance to shoot his way into some more minutes if he can also hold up on the defensive end.
Cincinnati transfer Jeremiah Davenport was shooting the ball well during Thursday's open practice and he can provide some offensive firepower from deep. Davenport led the Bearcats in 3-pointers made on two occasions and he was second on the team with 13.4 points per game last year.
Guards El Ellis and Khalif Battle were both elite scorers at their prior stops. A graduate transfer from Louisville, Ellis scored a team-best 17.7 points per game in 2022-23. Battle ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference in scoring (17.9 points per game) with Temple last year.
You probably remember that Trevon Brazile is a talented scorer for his size and Devo Davis' 3-pointer really started to develop in the second half of last season. Even freshman point guard Layden Blocker is heralded as a talented scorer, and fellow freshman center Baye Fall showed he could score by hitting a three during Thursday's practice.
We still haven't even mentioned Houston transfer Tramon Mark, who started 37 games and averaged 10.1 points per game last year. Returning forward Jalen Graham is probably the most gifted scorer in the post on the team, and returning forward Makhi Mitchell told me Thursday that he really worked on his scoring ability during the offseason.
Will spacing improve?
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous factor to watch for during the showcase, but is important enough for its own section. Arkansas' spacing was abysmal last year, so much so that post players were hampered offensively and bad shooters were left open on the perimeter. The offense was so constricted that it made life difficult on the guards, including two first-round draft picks.
Adding better shooters theoretically should see the spacing improve, which, in turn could show improved post play with more isolation rather than double teams and sagging defenders in the paint.
While stretch forward Trevon Brazile is nearing a return, he isn't expected to participate in the Wednesday showcase. Musselman said Thursday that the target date to get Brazile back practicing fully is two and a half weeks.
"That target can move," Musselman said. "So I call it a moving target. The one thing that I think the medical staff's done a great job - I think TB's done a great job - is having patience throughout this and making sure that - he did play live last week, not with our team, necessarily, but we did do three-on-three work. Our staff talked to a lot of NBA people on how they go about it. So I'm happy with where he's at."
Brazile said Thursday he feels like he's at 100% health, but he also understands that he has to be patient and follow the proper timeline.
"I do everything in practice," Brazile said. "I do my own little live segment after practice or before practice until about the start of next week. Then I can start getting back into live. I've been feeling 100% for a couple weeks now. Now it's just putting the last finishing touches on it."
Even without him, though, the team should be able to space the floor a lot more, with guards and wings alike that can shoot from the perimeter.
Tying into spacing as well, another thing to keep in the back of the mind while watching the exhibition is how much small ball Musselman plans to run. There are so many strong guards on this team that the coaching staff almost has to go small ball to get them all on the floor.
Will defense improve?
Over the course of the entire season last year, Arkansas played pretty good defense, evidenced by its No. 17 finish in the KenPom defensive efficiency ratings. However, there were plenty of games last season where the Razorbacks got beat on the perimeter defensively due to a lack of lateral quickness or just bad defense in general.
Musselman added Mark and Ellis, two quick guards with high major experience. Mark has been praised as a quality defender throughout his collegiate career, and while Ellis has been widely regarded for his offense, he possesses the tools to be a very good defender.
Add to those two a returning Davis, who was named to the SEC All-Defense team last season, and incoming freshman Layden Blocker, who was heralded as a high-level defender out of high school, and the Razorbacks could have one of the stronger perimeter defenses in the SEC and maybe even the country.
It is also worth noting that guards not known for their defensive prowess, such as Pinion, Battle and Davenport could grow that aspect of their games, as well. Musselman has made it abundantly clear in his four years at the helm of Razorback basketball that he will not play student athletes who struggle to defend.
Who will separate themselves?
Arkansas fans know by now that once the season gets rolling, Musselman likes to stick to a seven- or eight-man rotation. With so many talented transfers, gifted freshmen and proven returners, it's going to be a headache to sort out who gets to play.
Luckily for Musselman, Wednesday is an opportunity for everyone on his team to play. But it's also an opportunity for some of the fringe guys to separate themselves from the others.
There are some players who we know are going to be in the rotation no matter what. Names like Devo Davis, Trevon Brazile, El Ellis, Tramon Mark, Khalif Battle and Makhi Mitchell are probably going to get plenty of minutes. Mitchell might be closer to fringe, but he started in 31 games last year.
Then you have the rest, all of whom could have an argument to stand out in Wednesday's scrimmage. The select few I really want to see something from are Jalen Graham, Joseph Pinion and Chandler Lawson.
Who will lead the team in scoring?
I present this question as one for the entire team and not both squads — Red and White (I'm assuming?).
Last year, Jalen Graham scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field. I'd give him a good shot of leading the team in scoring. Gone is freshman Nick Smith Jr., who scored 22 for the White squad last year.
Pinion's 12 points were the fourth most of any Razorbacks last year, as Brazile's 13 points checked in at third. It's important to note that Davis did not play in last year's Red-White Showcase for precautionary issues for an injury he was dealing with.
If I had to nail down a leading scorer, I'd probably give it to El Ellis or Khalif Battle. Those guys come off to me as just natural scorers, and we've heard that Battle might be the hardest to guard one-on-one on the team. Mark is another name that's been thrown out in regards to being tough to guard.
Which squad will win?
Last year, the Red squad beat White by a score of 64-59. That team featured a starting five of Anthony Black, Ricky Council IV, Joseph Pinion, Jalen Graham and Jordan Walsh.
The Red team last year had a starting five of Derrian Ford, Nick Smith Jr., Barry Dunning Jr., Kamani Johnson and Trevon Brazile.
Below are this year's teams with their stats listed below their names. Visit The Trough premium message board to give your take on which team will win and why.
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RED:
#3 - G El Ellis - GRAD-SR, 6'3", 180 lbs.
2022 stats (Louisville): 36.0 MIN, 17.7 PTS, 2.6 REB, 4.4 AST, 189-461 FG (41.0%), 59-185 3PT (31.9%), 128-158 FT (81.0%)
#4 - G Davonte Davis - SR, 6'4", 185 lbs.
2022 stats: 33.1 MIN, 10.9 PTS, 4.4 REB, 2.5 AST, 144-347 FG (41.5%), 47-136 3PT (34.6%), 46-64 FT (71.9%)
#5 - G Joseph Pinion - SO, 6'5", 195 lbs.
2022 stats: 5.7 MIN, 2.4 PTS, 0.6 REB, 0.1 AST, 21-47 FG (44.7%), 13-34 3PT (38.2%), 7-7 FT (100%)
#7 - F Denijay Harris - GRAD-SR, 6'7", 200 lbs.
2022 stats (Southen Miss): 24.1 MIN, 8.9 PTS, 5.6 REB, 0.6 AST, 105-186 FG (56.5%), 0-1 3PT (0%), 40-59 FT (67.8%)
#8 - F Chandler Lawson - GRAD-SR, 6'8", 210 lbs.
2022 stats (Memphis): 19.5 MIN, 5.0 PTS, 4.5 REB, 0.8 AST, 68-120 FG (56.7%), 7-14 3PT (50%), 32-52 FT (61.5%)
#11 - F Jalen Graham - 5th YR SR, 6'10", 220 lbs.
2022 stats: 9.4 MIN, 5.2 PTS, 2.3 REB, 0.5 AST, 74-113 FG (65.5%), 0-3 3PT (0%), 13-35 FT (37.1%)
#45 - F Lawson Blake - JR, 6'10", 240 lbs.
2022 stats: 1.3 MIN, 0.3 PTS, 0.4 REB, 0.0 AST, 1-4 FG (25%), 0-0 3PT, 1-3 FT (33.3%)
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WHITE:
#0 - G Khalif Battle - GRAD-SR, 6'5", 185 lbs.
2022 stats (Temple): 32.2 MIN, 17.9 PTS, 3.6 REB, 1.8 AST, 155-378 FG (40.6%), 77-220 3PT (35.0%), 97-108 FT (89.8%)
#1 - G Keyon Menifield Jr. (2023-24 redshirt) - SO, 6'1", 150 lbs.
2022 stats (Washington): 28.7 MIN, 10.0 PTS, 2.9 REB, 3.1 AST, 121-295 FG (41.0%), 35-106 3PT (33.0%), 44-63 FT (69.8%)
#6 - G Layden Blocker - FR, 6'2", 175 lbs.
HS Rankings: Four-star, #24 OVR, #7 PG
#10 - F Baye Fall - FR, 6'11", 200 lbs.
HS Rankings: Four-star, #36 OVR, #4 C
#12 - G Tramon Mark - JR, 6'6", 185 lbs.
2022 stats (Houston): 29.4 MIN, 10.1 PTS, 4.9 REB, 1.8 AST, 128-328 FG (39.0%), 39-119 3PT (32.8%), 80-102 FT (78.4%)
#15 - F Makhi Mitchell - 5th YR SR, 6'10", 240 lbs.
2022 stats: 20.1 MIN, 7.0 PTS, 5.3 REB, 1.1 AST, 104-157 FG (66.2%), 1-1 3PT (100%), 43-66 FT (65.2%)
#21 - G Cade Arbogast - GRAD-SR, 6'3", 175 lbs.
2022 stats: 1.3 MIN, 0.3 PTS, 0.1 REB, 0.0 AST, 1-4 FG (25%), 1-4 3PT (25%), 0-0 FT
#24 - G Jeremiah Davenport - GRAD-SR, 6'6", 215 lbs.
2022 stats (Cincinnati): 25.6 MIN, 9.1 PTS, 4.2 REB, 1.5 AST, 105-299 FG (35.1%), 72-218 3PT (33.0%), 44-53 FT (83.0%)
#2 - F Trevon Brazile - R-SO, 6'10", 220 lbs.
2022 stats: 27.1 MIN, 11.8 PTS, 6.0 REB, 1.0 AST, 37-77 FG (48.1%), 11-29 3PT (37.9%), 21-31 FT (67.7%)
Note: Trevon Brazile is not expected to participate in the Red-White Showcase. The target date for him to return to practicing fully was about "two and a half weeks" according to Musselman last Thursday.
