NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early top-25 power rankings for 2021-22 season

The “Muss Bus” is in full gear, with the Razorbacks coming off an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament and a successful season mixing transfers and talented freshmen. The most talented was Moses Moody, who led Arkansas with 16.8 ppg. The star guard is very likely to leave for the NBA Draft, but this team has plenty leftover to stay at the top of the SEC.

Junior guard JD Notae, second on the team with 12.8 ppg will be back as the lead guard, while freshman Davonte Davis will be a consensus breakout candidate for next season. Same with center Jaylin Williams, whose minutes were erratic in his first year with Arkansas but has plenty of promise.

On the wings, they have effectively replaced former transfer Justin Smith with another in Au’Diese Toney. The 6’6 forward from Pittsburgh averaged 14.4 ppg and 5.9 rpg this past season. He plays in a similar way as Smith so the transition shouldn’t be too hard on both sides.

There’s also JUCO forward commit Akol Mawein, along with four-star small forward Chance Moore. And with an Eric Musselman team, don’t be surprised that Arkansas adds another 1-2 more impact transfers on the roster.

With Notae leading the way (as a starter this time) and the freshmen likely to take a major step forward, the Razorbacks will be a threat to make another second weekend run in the Big Dance.