Exhibition Game Necessary Challenge for Eric Musselman

Third-ranked Purdue provides stiff test for Razorbacks with has high aspirations

Author:
Daniel Shi
Updated:
Oct 25, 2023 3:40 PM EDT
Original:
Oct 24, 2023

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Despite becoming only the second No. 1 team in NCAA March Madness history to lose in the first round last year to Farleigh-Dickinson, 7-foot-4 Zach Edey and the No. 3 Boilermakers will present quite the challenge for the Razorbacks in Saturday's charity exhibition game at Bud Walton Arena.

Edey comes off a season in which he averaged 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds in 34 games. He also was named the 2022-23 AP Player of the Year. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman drew comparisons to an NBA legend before Saturday's match-up.

"We've gone back to some of the notes we used when we played against Shaquille O'Neal (Musselman coached in the NBA from 1998-07)," Musselman said. "I did pull out some of the old scouting reports just because of the crowd you want Edey to play in. Meaning the five guys on the floor, how are you going to make him feel a little bit of pressure? You've got to obviously have more than just a Plan A to defend his post-up game, to defend his high-low game. He does a great job of faking like he's going to go set a screen or receive a screen and then get a lob pass."

Such high praise from a coach who has made three straight Sweet 16s underscores just how tough a challenge the game will be this early in the season, but it's not just Edey who has caught Musselman's eye.

"[Forward Trey] Kaufman-Renn is really really physical inside and was their leading scorer in their four games overseas," Musselman said. "They’ll play two centers together. There’s a possibility that Edey will play alongside Kaufman-Renn."

The two rosters are constructed differently. The Razorbacks only have seven returning players from last year's roster compared to 13 for Purdue. Musselman hammered the transfer portal to build his roster with six new transfers playing in a Razorback uniform for the first time.

"Just based on (Purdue's) returners and roles, understanding expectations," Musselman said. "They’re probably way ahead of where we are not only today, but where we’ll be even two weeks from today."

Musselman knows the steep challenge of facing a powerful Big Ten school will pay off in the long run, similar to when the Razorbacks played No. 12 Texas in an exhibition last year.

"We’re playing against a center that might be unlike anybody that we play all year," Musselman said. "We need to have some background, some body of work that we can refer to later in the year."

The exhibition will take place at 3 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network Plus. The season officially begins Nov. 6 against Alcorn State.