Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh against Vanderbilt. — Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black (0) talks with guard Jordan Walsh (13) as a teammate shoots technical foul shots during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Memorial Gymnasium. (Christopher Hanewinckel / USA TODAY Sports)

One National Podcast on Why Hogs' Anthony Black Rising

Aaron Torres on ESPN Arkansas about much more than talent shooting him up in draft

Author:
Andy Hodges
Publish date:
Jun 16, 2023 11:16 PM EDT

In this story:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It has not escaped notice how Arkansas' Anthony Black has shot up the projects for the NBA Draft and it probably has as much to do with his court management and maturity as just his raw skills on the raw skills.

Black is 6-foot-7 and Aaron Torres of the Aaron Torres Podcast talked with Phil Elson on Halftime with Matt Jones on ESPN Arkansas how that's exactly what he's seen for this year's draft, coming up Thursday. Black is a consensus No. 8 pick to the Washington Wizards, according to NBA.com.

"It feels like you hear more and more good stuff about him," Torres said on the show. "I'm not surprised at all because of the talent, the intangibles and the tangibles, your point about the size and everything like that. A player with his size, his skillset and his intelligence. When you hear Muss talk about the responsibility they gave him over the course of this year, that's a guy that as this draft process has unfolded it just feels like you hear more and more good stuff about him and I'm not surprised."

While this whole "small ball" may be cute and fun to talk about at the college level, the NBA seems to be going more and more with size. You can't coach that and it gives you a bigger starting point to develop from.

Add in the additional fact Black has only been a fulltime basketball-only player for a year. He was a football wide receiver at Duncanville, Texas, with several offers from Power 5 schools plus he played soccer. So much for the one-sport-only theory.

The NBA sees upside as much as what he's going to do as a rookie and the guess is it added to the toughness he had from the first game he played with the Hogs. That became apparent when Alabama literally tried to physically intimidate Black from the opening tip at Bud Walton Arena early in the year and he didn't back down an inch. The Crimson Tide gave up on that by the second half.

"I think he's going to take a major leap over the next 2-3 years as a development player," Torres said. "He's just starting to scratch the surface of his capability.