Arkansas Basketball: Daniel Gafford’s return a pleasant surprise for the Razorbacks
Arkansas will be losing a ton of talent from this year’s team. But one of them won’t be Daniel Gafford, who will return for the 2018-19 season.
With the NCAA Tournament winding down, news will be coming out concerning the futures of college basketball players. There will be some who are transferring, while others will be declaring for the draft.
One of those players was supposed to be Daniel Gafford, who had a breakout rookie season for the University of Arkansas. He averaged 11.8 ppg and led the team with 6.2 rpg, while displaying NBA potential. The freshman rose on the draft boards throughout the year, projected by some analysts to be as high as a lottery pick.
But then came the news that was surprising, to say the least.
Surprise? Word on the street is Daniel Gafford (#16 in the ESPN Top 100) is heavily considering going back to Arkansas next season. Nothing final yet, but seems to be heading in that direction. 2018 is loaded with big men, while 2019 looks very weak right now (at every position).
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 26, 2018
It’s always good for a talented player to come back, but for Arkansas Head Coach Mike Anderson, this was an early Christmas gift. The Razorbacks are going through a transition, losing their entire perimeter to graduation. Jaylen Barford, Anton Beard, and Daryl Macon combined this season to average 45 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 9.5 apg.
Arkansas will be a very young team, with freshmen already signed to play for the 2018-19 season. The overall recruiting class is ranked around the top-25 and will give the program some good building blocks for the future.
That’s where Gafford comes in. He gives the Razorbacks a go-to player on offense, which allows the younger guys to develop at their own pace. A perfect example is Iowa from this year. The Hawkeyes were filled with talent, but with no clear lead guy, things unraveled quickly for them.
But that won’t happen to Arkansas, who has a guy that can handle carrying the offense. For Gafford personally, he’ll go from the fourth option at times to the clear No. 1. It’s not out of the realm that he could average nearly 20 ppg, if the development continues.
Next: How the Kansas Jayhawks reached the Final Four
This is a big opportunity for the upcoming sophomore to improve his game. He’ll have a ton of chances to prove it, but if things go well, Gafford can play himself into a top-10 draft pick the following season.