March Madness 2021: Sleeper teams poised for a potential deep run

Arkansas Razorbacks

Another team that the ‘experts’ seem to gloss over is Arkansas. The Razorbacks are 17-5 but have not been ranked all season until just this week. Eric Musselman deserves all the love and more. What he has been able to accomplish in his short coaching career is nothing but extraordinary. Going 110-34 at Nevada is remarkable in itself, but in two short years in a major conference, the Razorbacks are all the way back under his leadership.

This team believes and it’s because of Musselman. Winning an overtime game at Missouri was a very nice feat, but the locker room after the game proves everyone, from players to coaches, is 100% bought in. Everybody celebrating and Coach Muss partying with his shirt off shows the type of environment and culture he is instilling in Fayetteville.

This current Arkansas team might not be accustomed to playing important games this late in the season. However, four transfers Musselman has brought in have played important games at previous schools. They have juniors and seniors playing significant minutes, so the Razorbacks being inexperienced is a false narrative.

That experience from those other players will only help their best player, Moses Moody. The freshman is averaging over 16 points a game, while also snagging five and a half rebounds per game. Moody put up 28 points and 9 rebounds in their first game against Alabama. This tilt against Bama at home next week will provide a clearer understanding of where Moody and the Razorbacks stand.