Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black drives in the SEC Tournament against the Auburn Tigers. — (Steve Roberts / USA TODAY Sports)

NBA Scouts Will Be Watching to See if Razorbacks' Anthony Black Can Pass Final Test

Arkansas guard more than prepared, but is rest of NCAA Tournament field ready if he does?

Author:
Kent Smith
Publish date:
Mar 15, 2023 1:03 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – There is no doubt that over the course of the season, Arkansas guard Anthony Black has made himself a lot of money when it comes to the NBA.

However, on Thursday, scouts will be looking to see whether the freshman guard is capable of earning a much larger number at the front of all those zeroes.

That's because everyone with a stake in the draft will be watching to see how Black handles the aggressive defensive play of Illinois senior guard Terrance Shannon, Jr.

Shannon, whom Arkansas fans may recall from that heart-stopping game in the NCAA Tournament a few years ago against Texas Tech, is a much larger, more physical Davonte Davis.

At 6'6", 225 with a relentless attack and high-end footwork, Shannon is as close as college basketball is going to get to a Patrick Beverley type defender. If Black can prove that he can still effectively move the ball while also continuing to be able to get to the rim, it will solidify what scouts think of him from a potential standpoint.

Black may be the most improved player on the Arkansas roster over the course of a full season.

Sure, he could dribble fairly well and had a decent eye for passing back in November, but he lacked both mental and physical toughness and a willingness to do the small things that make the difference between losers and champions.

Black was an easy target to bang around and turn into a whiny, overemotional player. Players chirped and took cheap shots while he lost composure and focus.

Then, everything came to a head in a loss to Vanderbilt. The Commodores baited Black and he bit back hard in the worst way by going out of his way to stand over a fallen Vanderbilt player after growing frustrated with how he had been beaten and belittled throughout the game.

The second it happened, Vanderbilt had already won despite coach Jerry Stackhouse getting a technical foul in the aftermath. He single-handedly lit the fuse that turned on a mental switch within the Commodores that made them one of the best teams in the SEC by year's end.

After that, the learned not to react and how to play with much more emotional control. A kid with a Luka Doncic level reputation for complaining to officials in an unbecoming way suddenly grew up.

He still takes the beatings. If the film were to be run side by side, Black probably takes much heavier physical abuse than what used to set him off.

As for the trash talking, we warn our younger photographers about what they are going to hear primarily because of the things said to Black. It was worse late in the season than ever.

Yet, he no longer gets rattled.

During his time under Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, Black has matured both as a man and a player. His first step is no longer backward when a shot goes up for the Razorbacks and his ability to understand what is unfolding in front of him on the floor has made Black one of the sharpest point guards in the game.

There is little doubt that Black has developed in a way that makes him more than capable of passing this final test.

And if he does, the rest of the field better watch out.

The last time Black passed a big test like this, the Razorbacks were six points away from winning seven straight in SEC play against many of the teams that will make a lot of noise over the next few days.