Top 10 transfers of the Musselman era
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman has developed quite the reputation using the transfer portal to bolster a roster.
The fifth-year Razorback coach has cited his experience in the NBA and the G-League as influences for using the portal as a sort of free agency in college basketball to add quality players and incorporate them into a system and develop chemistry quickly.
Because of this, in just four seasons as the Head Hog, Musselman has brought in a large amount of transfers. We at HawgBeat decided to rank the top 10 transfers from the Musselman era so far, but there are some caveats.
This list will only include players that have completed their playing career at Arkansas, so players like Trevon Brazile and Makhi Mitchell will not be included. Additionally, incoming transfers who have not played a minute for the Razorbacks yet will also not be included, for obvious reasons.
Multiple aspects of each player's impact will be analyzed in weighing their performances. The rankings will not merely be statistics-based, but will also include how well they played a role, the impact they made on winning, leadership qualities, etc. Without further ado, here are the top 10 transfer of the Musselman era:
10. Kamani Johnson (2021-23)
Kamani Johnson traded in his maroon and white for cardinal and white and drove three hours northwest to be a Razorback. The former Little Rock Trojan had an impressive couple of seasons in Little Rock, including an All Sun Belt selection, before enrolling in Fayetteville.
At 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, Johnson was an undersized forward who played with a great deal of physicality and worked hard every second he was on the court. What he lacked in overall talent, he made up for in his leadership abilities and ability to make winning plays. Just one example was the tip-in against San Diego State in the Maui Invitational to send the game into overtime during the 2022-23 season. The Razorbacks eventually won the game.
Johnson became a fan favorite in Fayetteville, immersing himself in the community and interacting with fans. In two seasons he averaged just 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds, per game, but he appeared in 53 games, including six NCAA Tournament games.
9. Trey Wade (2021-22)
Trey Wade is in a similar position to Johnson. He was an undersized forward, a fan favorite and a hard worker. Where he and Johnson differed, though, was how versatile the former Wichita State Shocker was.
Despite averaging just 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on the year, Wade was a vital part of the midseason turnaround for the 2021-2022 season. In the second half of the season, he had multiple double-digit scoring games, started each of the final 18 games, and became an asset scoring on the perimeter.
Additionally, he was a solid defender and leader who was able to right the ship and take Arkansas to a second consecutive Elite Eight.
8. Chris Lykes (2021-22)
Miami transfer Chris Lykes had high expectations upon his decision to transfer to Arkansas. While he may not have lived up to such lofty heights, he played a valuable role for an Elite Eight basketball team.
Fans to this day even seem to think back on Lykes' time with the Razorbacks poorly, but in actuality, he was a solid backup option at guard. Some ill-advised shots here, some turnovers there, and fans quickly soured on the 5-foot-7 point guard, but once he fully bought in and played his role, he was a crucial piece.
The latter half of the season saw Lykes become a free throw specialist. On the season, he shot 87.5% from the charity stripe, the highest on the team, and because of that he was called upon whenever there was a close game.
Lykes was clutch in multiple games: he was 10-10 from the free throw line against Kansas State; 8-10 against Cincinnati; 12-12 against Elon; 6-6 against Tennessee; 7-8 against LSU; and 7-7 against New Mexico State. Arkansas was 6-0 in those games.
This addition might anger some fans, but his ability to play a role and contribute to winning basketball was enough for him to earn a spot on this list.
7. Jimmy Whitt (2019-20)
The first major impact transfer Musselman landed at Arkansas, Jimmy Whitt's second go-around in Fayetteville was much better than his first. Initially a commit out of high school for former head coach Mike Anderson, Whitt transferred to SMU after his freshman year as a Razorback. Thanks to the transfer portal, the former Mustang enrolled at Arkansas a second time as a graduate transfer.
He was used in a variety of ways by Musselman, and stayed on the floor for 36.9 minutes per game throughout the entire season. This allowed the 6-foot-3 guard to put up a career high of 14.0 points per game, while also adding 5.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
Whitt did what was asked of him and played his role as the floor general of a program in desperate need of a rebuild and a reset. The team as a whole was short, lacked any sort of depth and was the least talented from top-to-bottom of the Muss era, but even so, without Whitt and a couple of returning pieces from the former era on that 2019-2020 team, there is no telling where Arkansas basketball could be right now.
6. Au'Diese Toney (2021-22)
A defensive machine, Au'Diese Toney filled a role that has become a regular feature of a Musselman roster: a long, athletic, versatile defender who can slash and score on the offensive end.
If it weren't for Davonte Davis, Toney would easily be considered the best defender of the Musselman era. He drew the opposition's best player every game, and more often than not got the best of the matchup. At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, the Pittsburgh transfer had the size and physicality to guard multiple positions, from the point guard spot all the way to the four-spot if necessary.
On top of his defensive prowess, Toney was an able scorer and rebounder, averaging 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
5. Stanley Umude (2021-22)
Part of the same transfer class as Toney, Wade and Lykes, Stanley Umude was arguably the most impactful in a talented trio of a transfer class. The transfer from South Dakota entered his lone season in Fayetteville as one of the most gifted scorers in the country, averaging 21.6 points per game and shooting 35.5% from three-point range on high volume.
There was a bit of an adjustment period for Umude, who was no longer the primary scoring option. Musselman wanted the 6-foot-6 wing to be a better and more consistent rebounder, which, by early January he had.
Umude started 21 of the final 22 games of the season and in that span averaged 5.0 rebounds per game. He became a reliable enough defender, good rebounder, and a consistent scorer and perimeter threat. On the year, the grad transfer averaged 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting a career-high 37.1% from beyond the arc.
To date, he still has one of the highest three-point averages in the Musselman era and was a much-needed secondary option to guard JD Notae.
4. Ricky Council IV (2022-23)
The second entry from Wichita State, Ricky Council IV put his abilities on full display immediately. A reigning Sixth Man of the Year in the American Conference, the wing looked to take on a starting role in Fayetteville. Council did not miss a single beat, relishing in the opportunity to put up strong numbers and many, many highlight reel dunks.
For the first eight games of the season, Council scored well above double figures, averaging 19.8 points per game. During this stretch, he led the SEC in scoring and was performing well in all facets of the game, rebounding at a high level, defending well and facilitating on offense to go with his high-level scoring.
In Arkansas' three NCAA Tournament games, only one of which Arkansas was favored in, Council scored 18.7 points per game, willing the Razorbacks back to the second weekend of the Tournament despite being on the undesirable 8/9 seed line.
3. Jalen Tate (2020-21)
Potentially the most underrated transfer Musselman has landed thus far at Arkansas, Jalen Tate played his role perfectly. A tall point guard, Tate commanded the offense and helped organize a team full of young talent and facilitated to them as needed, while taking charge when needed, as well.
A decorated veteran as a three-time Horizon League All-Defense selection and one-time Defensive Player of the Year, plus many other honors, Tate carried all of that experience with him to the SEC. He started all 32 games he appeared in for the Razorbacks, and in his career with Arkansas and Northern Kentucky he started a combined 115 of 125 games.
None of Tate's single statistics jump off the page, but when looked at collectively, his stat line across those 32 games as a Razorback is one of the most efficient in recent memory. He averaged 11.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 assists on 48.5% from the field, 34.2% from three, and 71.3% from the free throw line.
Taking into account his leadership characteristics, stat line, level of play as a whole, and the fact that he was the starting point guard for the first Razorback squad in over a quarter century to make the Sweet Sixteen, he is deserving of his recognition.
2. Justin Smith (2020-21)
The other grizzled vet to lead Arkansas back to the Sweet Sixteen and eventual Elite Eight, Justin Smith transferred to Fayetteville by way of Indiana and immediately made an impact. A midseason injury slowed Smith and the Razorbacks down quite a bit, losing five of six games during an early stretch in conference play. Once Smith came back healthy, though, the Hogs rattled off 11 of 12 to end the regular season before earning a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Smith's impact was gravely felt in his absence, and even more so in his presence upon his return. In that stretch to end the regular season, the former Hoosier averaged 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals. Those were all on pace with his total season average.
Come NCAA Tournament time, Smith took his game to a completely different level to help lead Arkansas to the Elite Eight. In four postseason games, he averaged 17.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game.
Not only was Smith one of the best transfers of the Musselman era, he is arguably one of the best Razorbacks in the 21st century.
1. JD Notae (2020-22)
Who else could this have been? Notae was such a major contributor for two supremely successful Arkansas teams with Musselman that he might as well be synonymous with the Musselman era.
The second multi-year transfer to make our list, Notae sat out due to transfer rules during Musselman's first year in Fayetteville. That year proved valuable, as the guard was able to learn the system and wait for his time to help run it.
As a junior, Notae earned SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors after scoring 12.8 points and hauling in 3.1 rebounds per game. That same year he played alongside Tate and Smith on an Elite Eight run that ended against eventual-champion Baylor Bears. The journey wasn't over for Notae at Arkansas, though.
Notae's senior campaign wasn't always easy. The roster was talented, but the team struggled to find a steady-handed point guard and suffered some bad early losses because of it, including against Hofstra in North Little Rock.
Eventually Musselman decided the ball should stay in Notae's hands as much as possible, and the Razorbacks made yet another run to the Elite Eight, and in the process Notae earned All-SEC honors while stuffing the stat sheet.
He finished the season averaging 18.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game, along with NCAA All Region honors.