Hannahs impresses in Europe

Arkansas' Dusty Hannahs goes through drills during practice Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

— Somewhat lost among the focus of players departed from Arkansas' basketball team is a potential impact transfer who sat out last season.

Dusty Hannahs practiced but couldn't play last season for the Razorbacks after transferring from Texas Tech. The Little Rock native, who was the state player of the year as a senior at Pulaski Academy, is perhaps Arkansas' best 3-point threat since Rotnei Clarke.

Hannahs showed off an improved offensive game earlier this month while playing for USA East Coast Basketball during a trip to Europe. Hannahs averaged 13 points per game playing against professional all-stars and a pair of national teams that were warming up for next summer's Olympic games.

At a Glance: Dusty Hannahs

Position: Guard

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 210 lbs.

Class: Redshirt Junior

Notable: Started 26 games in two seasons at Texas Tech...averaged 8.4 points as a freshman and 7.7 points per game as a sophomore...named state basketball player of the year as a senior at Pulaski Academy.

It was the second consecutive summer that Hannahs played overseas for the team, having played games in Estonia and Finland the year before.

"That first year he was giving us his shooting ability, but he wasn't giving us a complete game," said Guy Rancourt, head coach of USA East Coast. "Having a year to spend with the Arkansas staff and players, and in that system I think his confidence really rose.

"He really showed just how dynamic a scorer he can be; not just as a shooter, but in a multitude of ways."

Rancourt said Hannahs showed the ability to score off ball screens, off the dribble and in transition. USA East Coast played at a pace similar to the frantic one employed by Mike Anderson at Arkansas.

Hannahs scored 15 points against the Nigerian national team during a game in Paris. He followed that up with a trip-high 18 points in the first of two games against the Chinese national team in Italy.

The Nigerian team featured Al-Farouq Aminu, a forward for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, as well as Syracuse standout Michael Gbinije. The Chinese team included Yi Jianlian, the sixth pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

"Aminu was guarding me most of the game against Nigeria," Hannahs said. "I thought I stacked up well against him.

"When you're guarded by someone like Michael Qualls every day, it makes you learn how hard you have to work to get a basket. Everybody on our (Arkansas) team was long and athletic like the players we faced."

In the second game against the Chinese, a defensive box-and-1 strategy took away Hannahs' perimeter threat. After scoring a combined 50 points in the first three games, Hannahs was limited to two points in the finale - the team's fourth game in five days.

"They were trapping everything," Hannahs said. "Every time I came off a screen I was getting trapped. I deferred a lot."

But Rancourt said Hannahs did other things to keep the team close in the final game against China. It was indicative of the more all-around player he said Hannahs has become.

Rancourt called Hannahs' passing and defense "serviceable." However, it was his rebounding that stood out to the coach. Hannahs had five rebounds in the game against Nigeria.

"He put up good rebound numbers against NBA-caliber players," Rancourt said. "On the offensive end and defensive end he gave us more than the year before. My concern last year was whether he was just a stand-still shooter, and he's not. He's willing to go in there and get a little dirty, and grab that rebound."

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Dusty Hannahs averaged 13 points during four games with USA East Coast Basketball.

Hannahs credits his rebounding to an increase in strength as a result of his year in Arkansas' program. He calls Razorbacks' strength coach Adam Pettway "one of the best young trainers in America."

"He got my flexibility better and I'm taking care of my body better," Hannahs said. "I'm a lot more shifty and quick."

After an eventful off-season left the Razorbacks short-handed, Hannahs' could have a major role as a junior. He averaged 7.7 points and shot 36.9 percent from 3-point range in his final season at Texas Tech, and will be expected to help fill a gaping void on the offensive end of the floor.

Arkansas will have to replace at least 65 percent of its scoring from a year ago. It may be more as two returning players are indefinitely suspended pending the outcome of legal cases stemming from a counterfeit money investigation.

"I'm just going to do whatever Coach Anderson tells me and just play confidently and aggressively," Hannahs said of his role. "We're focused on winning and nothing individual."

Whatever the role, Hannahs said he grew his game overseas.

"It was my only games to play in a year," he said. "I'm going to take a lot of confidence from it."