To say that things have gone well for Arkansas Basketball under Eric Musselman is a giant understatement. The Razorbacks are coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, suffering nine-point losses to Baylor and Duke over the last two seasons. Over that time, they have averaged over 26 wins and have been an elite defensive team according to analytics, while also being a top-50 (or so) team on offense.
Since arriving in Fayetteville Musselman has been one of the most aggressive recruiters in the country, both in the high school ranks and in the transfer portal. Every offseason it seems as though the Razorbacks are in the mix for every major transfer available and over his three seasons, he has welcomed 12 transfers to the program, including five this season.
If Arkansas wants to repeat the past two years’ performance or go even further, it will be done a little bit differently this year. The roster is going to look completely different because junior guard Davonte Davis is the only player of the team’s nine-man rotation that is returning to the team, with NBA defections and the transfer portal hitting the program hard.
With so many new faces on the roster this season, chemistry will be as important as the talent being brought in, if not more. This season should be Musselman’s first test as Arkansas’ head coach, but he comes loaded for the fight with a full arsenal that includes the aforementioned five transfers and the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Let’s take a look at what to expect from the 2022-23 Arkansas Razorbacks.