Arkansas Basketball Head Coach Eric Musselman has a reputation for building his rosters with experienced transfers. He’s hard at work looking for transfers who can make an immediate impact.
The Eric Musselman era has begun for the Arkansas Razorbacks and fans, so far, seem to be impressed by the new direction of the program. After nearly a decade of old-school basketball under Mike Anderson that mimicked the Nolan Richardson glory days, nothing wrong with that by the way, Musselman has brought a fresh and new-age style to Fayetteville that includes an emphasis on social media, analytics, and recruiting.
The vibe is similar to what the Razorback football program is transitioning to under Chad Morris, with the difference being that Musselman is taking over a basketball program that is in much better shape. While All-SEC center and possible lottery pick Daniel Gafford is gone, Arkansas returns a promising young core of talent that won 18 games and performed admirably in the NIT without the services of Gafford.
There is plenty of talent to build from. Jalen Harris was fourth in the SEC in assists and will return as one of the more experienced point guards in the conference. Isaiah Joe burst onto the scene, earning SEC All-Freshman team honors and breaking the school record for single-season three-pointers made with 108. He averaged 14 points per game and will be one of the most feared shooters in the SEC. Mason Jones showed flashes of greatness. He averaged 13.6 points per game as a 6’5″ wing and will seek consistency next season after notching 30 point games against Mississippi State and Florida but disappearing in others.
Those three combined with very promising youngsters in 6’8″ forward Reggie Chaney and 6’2″ combo guard Desi Sills, as well as veteran reserve forwards Adrio Bailey and Gabe Osabuohien, give the Razorbacks more firepower and depth than many new coaches inherit when they take over a program.
With that being said, there are still holes to fill and the future to consider. Arkansas needs to add some shooting to Musselman’s “pace and space” offensive scheme, and they will need to fill at least some of the void left from the loss of Gafford. Musselman will also need to balance a poorly managed roster that lacked upperclassmen last season. It will be vital to ensure that there are several open scholarships for a loaded 2020 in-state class. With that being the case, it is logical to assume that Arkansas will be scrolling through the transfer portal daily to fill the 2019-20 roster.
Luckily for the Razorbacks, this is right up Musselman’s alley. He, out of necessity, built his programs at Nevada with talented transfers and saw some of the greatest success in program history. He will have a more fertile high school recruiting base in Arkansas, but that does not change the fact that he is a transfer guru that can bring in impact help immediately. In fact, he has already gotten started.
Just two weeks into the job, Musselman received a commitment from his first visitor in 6’7″ UNC-Wilmington grad-transfer Jeantal Cylla. Cylla is a strong, versatile floor spacer that can score inside, off the bounce, and stretch his jumper out beyond the arc. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Seahawks and fills the stretch-4 void that has plagued Arkansas for years.
With a minimum of two and a possibility of up to four scholarships to play with for the upcoming season, Musselman has been extremely active on the recruiting trail looking for immediate help. While a rush of names will enter the transfer portal in coming weeks as spring classes finish up, I fully expect Arkansas to save a scholarship for a late surprise. Arkansas has been linked to numerous grad-transfers recently, but there are some names that have appeared much more frequently. Here is a look at five prospects, including one surprise, that are currently getting the most buzz around Fayetteville.