NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team backcourts for 2021-22 season

There was massive improvement for Eric Musselman and Co. in year 2 at the helm. The Razorbacks saw a 5-win increase to their record and a gigantic leap from 10th to 2nd place in the SEC standings. Coach Musselman’s squad was able to reach the Elite 8 and gave national champion Baylor their closest game of the entire March Madness tournament.

The loss of star freshman Moses Moody to the NBA Draft would typically be a huge loss, however, Musselman was his typical self this offseason and signed a massive influx of backcourt talent to reload. In fact, this year’s team may even have a higher ceiling than last season. JD Notae and Davonte Davis return to this team this season and give the Razorbacks a likely duo of double-digit scorers. Both Notae and Davis were also part of the team’s six players to average over one steal per game last season pushing this year’s team towards replicating their 31st ranked defense.

Much like Notae’s transition from Jacksonville to Arkansas, South Dakota transfer Stanley Umude arrives in Fayetteville with a strong chance to duplicate this success next season. Umude has improved his production in every season at the division 1 level and has been very efficient scoring the ball in his career. He adds valuable size on the wings in the wake of Moody’s departure, as well as that of Justin Smith and Jalen Tate, and stands to play multiple roles on this year’s team.

Umude boasts a good chance to start on this year’s team but will see plenty of depth behind him should he need it. The arrival of Au’Diese Toney (Pittsburgh) and Jaxson Robinson (Texas A&M) give the roster flexibility again to employ the same tactics that led Arkansas to their Elite 8 run. Toney has consistently improved in his college career as well and has the means to stretch the floor on a regular basis, while Robinson didn’t receive the chance to showcase his skillset in College Station.

However, the arrival of talented guard Chris Lykes from Miami (FL) puts this team in a great position to send wave after wave of punches to their opponents. Lykes has experienced some injuries over the last couple of seasons, but his ability to put the ball in the net has been irrefutable. Healthy again, he has found a fresh start and a deep roster to seek a national title run.

If any of these players find themselves in difficulty this season, freshman Chance Moore and redshirt freshman KK Robinson have big opportunities to carve out significant roles with the Razorbacks. This roster is one of the best in the SEC conference and will surely keep teams like Kentucky on its heels.