NCAA Basketball: Updated WTE 2022-23 power rankings after transfer deadline

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

2021-22 record: 28-9 (13-5 in SEC)

Weirdly enough, there isn’t much of an update for Arkansas, because they did their work in the transfer portal in late March. After losing key pieces such as Trey Wade, Au’Diese Toney, Chance Moore, and Connor Vanover in the frontcourt, the team landed four different transfers in a span of a week.

Trevon Brazile started 23 games as a freshman at Missouri and has long-term potential as an athletic power forward. Jalen Graham was an All-Pac 12 player at Arizona State and is a 6’9 power forward, while Rhode Island twin transfers, Makhel and Makhi Mitchell are 6’10 centers and provide physicality and even more frontcourt depth. And that’s without mentioning Jaylin Williams, Arkansas‘ starting center who is undergoing the NBA Draft process but if he returns, makes the team potentially the one to beat.

The backcourt is much younger compared to the frontcourt but may be even more talented, despite losing leading scorer JD Notae. Devo Davis is coming back, joined by the No. 2 overall recruiting class that includes top-10 overall prospect Nick Smith and five-star recruits, Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh. That doesn’t even include a trio of four-star guards, Barry Dunning,  Joseph Pinion, and Derrian Ford.

There’s plenty of depth and talent on the roster, possibly even too much at the moment. But head coach Eric Musselman has been able to make it work before and if the freshmen are as good as advertised, could be his ticket to the Final Four.