Musselman Has Opportunity to Change College Basketball Forever

If Arkansas coach utilizes all this time invested in portal just right, then Razorbacks will have advantage next season

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Apr 6, 2023 8:55 PM EDT
Original:
Apr 6, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Trying to keep up with all the players Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman is reaching out to in the transfer portal can be exhausting.

At times the question is why is Musselman chasing after so many players? After all, he has no spots open on his roster right now and is limited on how many could possibly come open.

At other times the question is why is he bothering to call this or that particular player? Musselman is a great coach, but why invest time on a player who doesn't measure up to the quality he expects from those who are given one of the Razorbacks' precious few scholarships.

After watching film on one particular potential transfer, the valuable limited time wasted digging into a player who certainly had no business ever stepping onto the court as a starter in a Razorback uniform became frustrating. Musselman and his assistants have even less time, so why spend it on some of the guys they are calling?

The common theory is that a lot of these calls are merely smoke screens to throw other schools off the scent as to where Musselman is headed in regard to which transfers he truly wants. It also, theoretically, causes other coaches to spend time looking into a guy to see if there is something they might be missing that Musselman sees.

However, there is a potential explanation that makes much more sense. While there are officially 13 scholarships on a college team, there are 15 roster spots.

Those two final slots are reserved for walk-ons who are the darlings of the student section. The great heroes who fire at will in the final seconds of a game every now and then hoping to prove their presence in the box score.

But, in the modern world of NIL, that doesn't have to be. Just because those last two slots don't officially come with scholarships doesn't mean they can't come with money.

Businesses within the Razorback community can cover tuition and living expenses and much more if they choose, potentially allowing Musselman to stack the end of the bench with players who are solid mid-major fifth and sixth men or even better.

Theoretically, if Musselman fills all of his roster spots before Davonte Davis officially decides not to enter the draft, he could start for the Razorbacks as a well-compensated walk-on. There's no doubt after his performance against Kansas that businesses looking to add that trademark smile to their promotions will line up to show their appreciation.

The idea of combining a transfer portal shark like Musselman with an NCAA championship hungry state like Arkansas must be terrifying to other schools. If it's not an approach to walk-ons the Razorbacks are currently considering, it should be in the future.

Packing a roster from top to bottom with scholarship worthy basketball players is not only a possibility, it's an advantage, and Musselman is always looking for the next way to get an edge on his opponents.

So, if all this effort is because he's trying to usher in a new era of college basketball recruiting, then so be it.

There's not a more appropriate person to change how the transfer portal affects how walk-ons are thought of in the future.