NCAA Basketball: UConn, Purdue rise on top 25 power ranking after Feast Week

9. Arkansas (5-1)

Arkansas as a program has been in a fantastic place since Eric Musselman took over three years ago. But we’re not going to focus on the past, which does include some Elite Eights, but instead on a really good roster in Fayetteville this year. The Razorbacks faced their first big test of the season this past week and performed quite well in Maui.

The Razorbacks got the Maui Invitational started without much drama, gliding to an 80-54 win over a dreadful Louisville squad, getting 26 points from exciting freshman Anthony Black. Their semifinal in Maui turned into a thriller, dropping a hard-fought 90-87 game to #10 Creighton. Black shined again with another 26-point outing while Ricky Council IV added 24 points for this explosive backcourt. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Arkansas clawed back from an early deficit and beat #17 San Diego State 78-74 in their final game in Maui, getting 20 points from Trevon Brazile off the bench.

We didn’t talk about Jordan Walsh or Davonte Davis or either of the Mitchells; the point is that this Razorbacks roster is brimming with talent. They had a fantastic overall performance in Maui, even after that tough loss to the Bluejays in the semifinals. Overall, this defense has looked elite and the offense did what it had to do in that shootout against Creighton. Things settle down for the Razorbacks next week, getting much easier home dates with Troy and San Jose State.