NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Houston lead in updated way-too-early top 25 ranking
By Joey Loose
7. Arkansas
Throughout the early offseason, one of the initial winners was certainly Arkansas, as coach Eric Musselman appears to be quite the recruiting wizard. Last year’s Razorbacks made a second straight trip to the Elite Eight, toppling Gonzaga in the process, and are set up well to contend for another deep postseason run.
Their rising stock fell just a bit in recent days, with JD Notae and Jaylin Williams both deciding to stay in the NBA Draft pool. However, Arkansas landed three 5-star recruits, highlighted by the nation’s top guard in Nick Smith. Fellow guard Anthony Black and forward Jordan Walsh should contribute from the get-go, while Musselman landed a slew of transfers to fill out the roster: big man Trevon Brazile from Missouri, center Jalen Graham from Arizona State, and wing Ricky Council IV from Wichita State.
There may be more additions in the future, but this roster is deep with talent and intrigue. Musselman continues to throw punches on the recruiting trail and has put this team in position to make waves each and every season. There’s no guarantee of a third straight trip to the Elite Eight (or even further into the Dance), especially with most of the roster consisting of new faces, but it’s hard to bet against this program right now.