How Long Until Actual Improvement from Razorbacks?

Seasons still very early but non-conference play has shown no promise of turning corner

Author:
Jacob Davis
Updated:
Dec 13, 2023 1:53 PM EST
Original:
Dec 12, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — How long must Arkansas Razorback fans wait for the light switch to be flipped on the season? While Eric Musselman wishes there were 700 days between games instead of seven, this team assembled has not lived up to the hype surrounding it.

This was bound to happen at some point. The coach known as 'The Importer' by Jon Rothstein for his transfer portal behavior might have overdone it this season. The Razorbacks are put together by plenty of guards who were the best individual player on each of their teams.

Trying to glue them all together in a rotation and hoping for the best possible outcome for the season may not work this time. Arkansas lacks a go-to guy which is surprising given so many talented options on the roster. Khalif Battle has scored 20 points or more in four games this season, but has yet to prove himself in key moments.

Point guard El Ellis averaged 18 points per game at Louisville, but has not met as much offensive success in Fayetteville. Untimely turnovers, failed dribble drives and inconsistent shooting has put a damper on who many tabbed the potential best transfer in the signing class.

When Tramon Mark knocked down a game-tying three during an exhibition against Purdue, he mentioned wanting the ball in his hands with the clock winding down. His mid-range jumper has been solid this season but since his back injury against North Carolina, he hasn't found his groove.

The most surprising player to not have game changing offensive success has to be Trevon Brazile. Outside of his 19 point outburst against Duke when he hit four three-pointers, he's contributed a very quiet 10 points, seven rebounds per game. Coming off an ACL injury last December, Brazile was expected to be the piece that helped the Razorbacks get over the hump and into the Final Four.

However, he hasn't reached that point yet. If his performance against the Blue Devils could be replicated each night, that would be enough to keep Arkansas trending back in the direction of an NCAA Tournament bid.

More alarming issues regarding the team is a lack of perimeter defense as Arkansas ranks No. 280 in the country, allowing opponents to connect on 35% of their three point attempts. At one point, Musselman's Razorzorbacks were among the most dominant defensive teams when it came to attacking teams along the arc. His first team led the country in three point-defense, but the Hogs have fallen way off that mark as each season passes by.

“We’ve basically had the same defensive concepts for eight years,” Musselman said following Arkansas' home loss to UNC-Greensboro. “We might have to change some things for the lack of ability, especially with guard play, to keep the ball in front of us and also contest the three. That seems to be problematic to do both. Tonight, we were suppose to take away the three but certainly didn’t do that.”

Three-point shot attempts have risen over the years with the popularity of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson with the Golden State Warriors. Arkansas has defended at least 18 three point attempts in all but two games this season, many coming off extra swing passes and fast break sequences. Luckily, there is still plenty of time to figure a way out of such a predicament.

Lastly, the dribble drive and leaving the lanes open for easy lay-ups and dunks has kept Musselman awake at night for well over a month. Once Gardner-Webb figured out ways to expose the Arkansas defense, each team that's played the Razorbacks have used a similar game plan with generally the same success. The Razorbacks must adjust before it becomes too late.

“They kept attacking because we can’t keep the ball in front of us,” Musselman said. “So I would keep attacking, too. If the guards can’t keep the ball in front, there’s only so many times your back line is going to be able to block a shot. So you’ve got to stop the ball. We haven’t stopped the ball.”