Arkansas Basketball: Kingsley, Hannahs, JUCO prospects to lead Razorbacks

Mike Anderson and Arkansas basketball are searching for a return to the NCAA Tournament.

The SEC is at a crossroads.

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The Kentucky Wildcats are expected to be one of the top five teams in the country this season, but beyond John Calipari’s perennial contender, the SEC is at void of a true challenger.

In fact, the SEC looks like a glorified mid-major conference heading into the 2016-17 season. Texas A&M is losing four valuable veterans. Florida doesn’t have enough experience in big games. South Carolina is lacking in the front court. Georgia has J.J. Frazier and Yante Maten but have questions beyond those two players. Auburn and Mississippi State are a year or two away. Vanderbilt is undergoing a coaching change. And LSU lost the best player in the country, Ben Simmons.

There is one team that could break through in the SEC in 2016-17 though. They surely won’t be a National Title contender or even a top-25 team, but they have the requisites to finish second in the SEC standings behind Kentucky.

Mike Anderson’s squad returns three of their top five scorers, including SEC Player of the Year candidate Moses Kingsley, sharp shooter Dusty Hannahs and junior point guard Anton Beard.

Kingsley, who is a senior power forward, nearly averaged a double-double last season (15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game) and should be even better in 2016-17. He might not be the best scorer on the roster (Hannahs takes that role), however, he is the team’s most important player due to his skills on the block, his toughness on the glass and ability to protect the rim.

Hannahs is an efficient player and Beard is an experienced point guard who is reliable with the ball in his hands.

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Beyond those three returnees, the Razorbacks did a superb job of adding diverse players (three freshman and three JUCO prospects) on the recruiting trail.

The best freshman in their class is three-star power forward Brachen Hazen, who will be joined by power forward Adrio Bailey and shooting guard C.J. Jones. None of these three will have major roles in year one, but Hazen adds positional versatility and could be used on occasion off the bench.

Anderson really hit the jackpot with his new JUCO additions.

6’8″ power forward Arlando Cook ranks as the sixth best junior college prospect in the country as he averaged 16.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per game for Connors State College. He was one of only 21 players in the NJCAA to average a double-double and grabbed an absurd 18 rebounds in a game against Murray State College.

With guard Anthlon Bell gone, 6’3″ guard Jaylen Barford (Motlow State CC) gives the Razorbacks another ball handler on the perimeter. Barford is ranked as the top junior college transfer by 247Sports, as he earned First Team All-American honors by the NJCAA. After averaging 26.2 points (led the nation), Barford was named Player of the Year in the Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.

The final JUCO prospect is 6’3″ guard Daryl Macon. The native of Little Rock, Ark. earned Third Team All-American NJCAA honors by averaging 23.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for Holmes CC. Macon is an effective three point shooter, hitting at least one three in 17 of 18 games.

The Razorbacks will likely continue to use their trademark pressure to halt opposing guards in their tracks and will use three-guard lineups to their advantage.

And don’t be surprised if both Kingsley and Hannahs receive All-League honors, while Cook, Barford and Macon make immediate impacts.

Next: Do the Blue Devils have any flaws?

It would be a drastic surprise if the Razorbacks beat Kentucky once (never mind challenge them at the top of the league), but if anyone is a sleeper and anyone has the potential to stick as the number two team in the conference, the Razorbacks can.