Watkins making most of added playing time

Arkansas' Manuale Watkins (21) reaches up for the basket over Iona's David Laury (13) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Fayetteville, Ark., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014. Arkansas won 94-77. (AP Photo/Sarah Bentham)

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas sophomore guard Manny Watkins has gone from barely playing last year to being a key contributor off the bench.

Watkins, 6-3, is tied for sixth in minutes played with Jacorey Williams at 16.8 per game for the Razorbacks (6-2) after playing a total of 27 minutes in eight games all of last season.

Manny Watkins at a glance

COLLEGE Arkansas

POSITION Guard

HEIGHT/WEIGHT 6-3, 205

CLASS Sophomore

HIGH SCHOOL Fayetteville

AGE 20 (Born Oct. 24, 1994)

NOTEWORTHY Walk-on who has played 134 minutes in the first eight games this season — 16.8 per game — after playing 27 minutes in eight games all of last season. … Has 18 steals to lead the team, including five against Wake Forest. … Averaging 4.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. … Father, Melvin Watkins, is an Arkansas assistant coach. … Was set to sign scholarship with Missouri State, then changed his mind to walk-on at Arkansas. … As a senior at Fayetteville he averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds to help the Bulldogs to a 26-4 record and runner-up finish to North Little Rock in the Class 7A state tournament.

While Watkins is enjoying his expanded role, the walk-on from Fayetteville High School said he isn't taking anything for granted.

"I'm still paranoid every night," Watkins said. "I watch film after every game for an hour before I go home. I've got to do everything I can, because I know that nothing is permanent or given."

Watkins, the son of Arkansas assistant coach Melvin Watkins, is averaging 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists and has a team-high 18 steals.

"It's like he's sitting there just analyzing the game and waiting on his turn to get in," Arkansas sophomore All-SEC forward Bobby Portis said. "Once he gets in, it's like instant impact."

Watkins has been part of a group of reserves who lift the Razorbacks defensively with steals, deflections and taking charges.

"When he comes out on the floor, the energy level just picks up tremendously," Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said. "He epitomizes what I'm about, that you've got to use everything you've got to hopefully give an advantage for you team.

"All the little things add up to big things -- to winning is what it amounts to. I think he cherishes that role with this team."

Watkins said it's fun being a defensive catalyst.

"If I get a steal or dive on the floor and the crowd gets into it, I love that, and it gets the guys going, too," he said. "Then somebody else will dive on the floor and it's just like a ripple effect."

Watkins averaged 15.0 points as a senior at Fayetteville and said he was used to being a "go-to player" on offense, so focusing on defense has been a change.

"I've honestly worked really hard," he said. "I'm glad it's showing in the light a little bit."

Melvin Watkins, a senior point guard on North Carolina-Charlotte's 1977 Final Four team, said he had to adjust his game from high school -- where he was a 6-4 center -- to college and that he talked to his son about doing the same thing.

"You have to learn to adapt to what the team needs," Melvin Watkins said. "Manny has realized his role on this team is more on the defensive end."

After Manny Watkins helped Fayetteville to a 26-4 record and runner-up finish to North Little Rock in the Class 7A state tournament as a senior, he was set to sign a scholarship with Missouri State. Instead, Watkins went to Walton Arena to talk with Anderson about walking on at Arkansas.

Watkins said he told Anderson he believed he could help the Razorbacks and wanted a chance to show what he could do.

"He was like, 'Well, just come on then,' " Watkins said.

Melvin Watkins said he told his son he'd support his decision if he wanted to walk on Arkansas, but that he wouldn't get any special treatment because his father was on the coaching staff.

"Obviously, he didn't get any breaks last year, because he didn't play much at all," Melvin Watkins said.

While Manny Watkins averaged 3.4 minutes and 0.6 points in his 8 games as a freshman, he learned a lot going through practices and being on the bench and in huddles during games.

"It's one thing to be watching from the stands, but it's another to actually be there every day as part of the team," Melvin Watkins said. "So I wouldn't call last year a waste for him."

Anderson said before this season that Watkins might be the team's most improved player and would get a shot to be in the rotation, especially with the loss of four senior guards.

" I knew I would get my shot at some point," Watkins said. "So I just knew when that time did come, I'd take it and run with it."

Melvin Watkins said his son worked tirelessly in the off-season to improve all aspects of his game.

"Sometimes you've got to wait your turn and then take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself," Watkins said. "You can pout and complain or you can say, 'OK, I'm going to learn and then make it happen for myself.' I think that's what he's done to this point."

Melvin Watkins chuckled when told his son said he is "paranoid" about playing time.

"I tell him every day not to get comfortable, that you'd better keep working, keep learning and keep getting better," Melvin Watkins said. "You can't rest on what you've done to this point, because if you look at it, we haven't done anything yet.

"There's a lot of basketball left to be played, and a lot of different things can happen."

Melvin Watkins said he's proud of his son, but he doesn't focus on his play compared to other Razorbacks.

"You want all your players -- your kids -- to be successful," Watkins said. "It just so happens he's my biological kid, but he's in the same group as all our players."

Sports on 12/11/2014