Former Razorback Stepping Up NBA Game in March

A lot has been made of former Razorbacks Jaylin Williams and Isaiah Joe and the contributions to the magical season going on over in Oklahoma City, but there's one other former Arkansas NCAA Tournament star who is heating up in March while making his own mark on the NBA.

Former Hogs' guard Anthony Black has begun to assert himself in Orlando. In his past five games, he's put up 75 points, 23 rebounds, 17 assists, five steals and five blocks. That stretch includes a 4-1 run that included the East leading Cleveland Cavaliers, West No. 2 Houston Rockets and the Lebron James led Los Angeles Lakers.

Los Angeles forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by Orlando guard Anthony Black. — Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is guarded by Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

While his iconic hair is now braided down, Black is beginning to look more and more like the player Eric Musselman shaped him into while at Arkansas. After a year and a half of trying to find that confident swagger that made him a terror on both ends of the floor in college, he's finally found his bravado and Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is glad he's finally come around.

"I will say this, and I've said it when we were home, and I'll say it now: When Anthony Black is aggressive both offensively and defensively, he is a problem," Mosley said after the 108-103 win over Cleveland back on March 16. "And that's what we ask him to do on a consistent basis.

"Defensively, you saw he turned the tide of the game when he picked up, got steals, was aggressive ... That's the type of defense we know he can play."

One thing Black wasn't known for at Arkansas was his ability to shoot the three, but even that appears to have picked up. Included in his 5-of-7 from the floor against the Cavaliers was a 3-for-3 night from beyond the arc.

"Offensively, being aggressive, getting downhill, attacking the basket, stepping into his shot, he just had such a command while he was on the floor and that's exactly what he [is] and what he can be on a regular basis," Mosley said.

His teammates have noticed the uptick in Black's performance as of late also.

“I feel like I’ve been sitting there after a lot of these games and talking about him, because, you know, we need him playing just like that,” forward Franz Wagner said after Black put up 17 points, five rebounds and six assists in a win over the Lakers. “He’s one of those guys who, today, his mentality was that, just to be in attack mode. I think he can feel when he’s like that and it gives everybody else a lot of juice.”

The late run spurred by the success of Black has solidly positioned Orlando in eighth place in the East with a chance to move up to seventh if they can knock off the flailing Dallas Mavericks and hold off an Atlanta team that will have two chances to pass the Magic in the final standings.

Either way, Black has done enough to ensure his team will be part of the NBA playoff play-in series, which means he gets to experience a bit of spring tournament action once again. Meanwhile, his former team will look to get to its third Elite 8 in five years when the Arkansas Razorbacks take on Texas Tech Thursday night at 9:09 p.m. on TNT and Tru TV.

Former Razorback Stepping Up NBA Game in March

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