Hogs are a top 10 squad even without Holland

It certainly stung a little bit on Wednesday morning with the news of Ron Holland taking the G-League path instead of committing to the Razorback Basketball team.

However, not all is lost at this point. There’s plenty to look forward to. There’s pending decisions from Devo Davis and Jordan Walsh. Even if this team loses both of them to the NBA Draft it’s going to be ok. Arkansas is coached by the greatest assembler of transfer talent in the country. He’s not dubbed “The Importer” without reason.

This roster in its current state is still going to be stacked.

Current Razorback Basketball Roster

G Devo Davis*
G Joseph Pinion
G Layden Blocker
G Khalif Battle
G Keyon Menifield
G Tramon Mark
G El Ellis
F Jordan Walsh*
F Trevon Brazile
F Jalen Graham
F Makhi Mitchell
F Jeremiah Davenport
F Baye Fall

It’s still subject to change since there could be two open slots available. With plenty of elite talent remaining in the portal without much contact being announced there’s still a thought that Musselman and his staff are playing chess while we play checkers. Is there a surprise brewing? Maybe. But, it’s ok to be optimistic about the current state of the team.

Guard play

There’s still some elite guard play for the Hogs next season whether it be on offense or defense. I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face: Mark is going to be the best two-way guard in the country. Not a single player in college basketball will play for Kelvin Sampson and start every game if you can’t play defense. Now, after transferring to Arkansas he is set to be an alpha defender and likely play extensive limited as a Razorback.

As a junior, the former Houston Cougar shot 39-percent from the field, 32-percent from three and 79-percent from the stripe. Mark is primed and ready to make an impact.

Ellis will also relish in the role as an off-ball shooter. He was the best player on the court for Louisville last season. About 90-percent of the time he possessed the ball more than any other player. Due to being ball dominant instead of his natural 2-guard spot he still put up solid numbers at 18 points per game on 41-percent from the field, 31-percent from three and 81-percent at the line. It’s reasonable to expect his offensive efficiency to rise due to playing more at the two.

The Brazile impact

I like the look of the offense when Brazile is on the floor. His ability to stretch the court spacing is key, especially with the added shooting of guys like Ellis, Mark and Davenport. Keeping players healthy will be key and with Brazile the lane will no longer be full.

There remains the expectation that the offense will flow similarly to the first two Musselman teams at Arkansas. More outside shooters equates more driving lanes.

Two facilitators at PG

Menifield and Blocker have me excited for the fast break which something was dearly missed throughout last season. Both of them can shoot the ball at an exceptional clip and distribute at a high level.

Other Notes

Of course, Jalen Graham will be a walking bucket and can spell Brazile or Mitchell at any given moment. During the month of February there was a stretch that the former Arizona State transfer shot 28-32 from the field. Instant offense off the bench will keep opponents on their heels next season.

Finally, Mitchell’s ability to be physical whether it be rebounding or a loose ball situation will be key to this team. In the right matchup, 6’9 forward can generate plenty of offense when needed, too.

Fans, there’s plenty to like about this team going forward. Even without having Holland, the number one player on the class, they’ll be a preseason top ten team with the potential for another deep March Madness run.