FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is in the midst of 10 practices leading up to its Aug. 6-16 trip to Spain.
The Razorbacks opened an hour of practice to the media all five days last week. Here is a player-by-player breakdown of last week and how it could translate to the upcoming season.
Adrio Bailey, F, Fr., 6-6, 204
Bailey is like a bigger, slightly less athletic version of fellow Louisiana native Michael Qualls when comparing the two as freshmen. But there’s no shame in that — Bailey is undoubtedly one of the two best athletes on the team. His explosiveness could lead to him carving out a role sooner rather than later, even with Moses Kingsley, Dustin Thomas and Trey Thompson seemingly locked into big-minute roles.
He displayed good defensive instincts last week, contesting shots around the rim and bothering offensive players with his activity. On offense, he wasn’t shy about attacking the basket. His aggressiveness was apparent all week, which, combined with his athleticism, give him a chance to earn playing time. He’s altered his jumper and spent the summer improving his range, showing potential in that area after being largely restricted to playing in the paint in high school. As the game slows down for him, his explosiveness and motor could make him a valuable role player as a defender and offensive rebounder this year. Big picture, he has the tools to develop into a bigger role that perfectly fits Anderson's system.
Jaylen Barford, G, Jr., 6-3, 202
Barford is a shoot-first guard who excels at using his exceptional strength to attack the rim. His ability to collapse the defense should free up others for open shots, looks he’ll be able to generate judging by the 6.5 assists per 40 minutes he averaged in JUCO play last year.
He has a polished mid-range game. He’ll attempt his share of pull-up long 2-point jumpers and often counters with a fadeaway mid-range jumper when walled off. It’ll be interesting to see how he balances attacking the rim and shooting from the mid-range.
He has a tendency to fade away with a leg kick on his jumper at times. When balanced, he is an effective perimeter shooter and is also a very good foul shooter, which should come in handy given that he will likely draw quite a few fouls. Defensively, his upper-body strength should be an asset. He gave consistent effort and showed promise on that end of the court in practice last week.
Anton Beard, G, Jr., 6-0, 198
This is a big year for Beard, a chance to get back on track. He wasn’t bashful about calling his sophomore year a lost season after his legal troubles. At his best, he’s a tough defender, dangerous perimeter shooter, opportunistic penetrator and capable distributor. Last year, he was rarely any of those, but there are reasons to believe he can regain the form he found during SEC play as a freshman when he was an integral part of Arkansas’ best team in the Mike Anderson era.
Obviously the extra work afforded by the trip to Spain helps him, as does being able to partake in all offseason activities. Last week, he appeared relaxed and in control, letting the game come to him and making the correct decisions more often than not. Another reason to think Beard can rebound is the surrounding talent. Last year, he often played on a second unit where he was the go-to scorer, a far cry from his freshman year when he was surrounded by Bobby Portis, Michael Qualls, Rashad Madden and Alandise Harris. This year, he can pick and choose his spots, play off others and make plays for others — an important role that he appears ready to take on. His toughness, defense and ballhandling will earn him playing time. Arkansas hopes he’s rediscovered his scoring touch after an offseason in the gym.
Arlando Cook, F, Jr., 6-8, 215
In all likelihood, Cook would be the Razorbacks’ fourth big, behind Kingsley, Thomas and Thompson, if the season started today. His best bet for consistent playing time appears to be carving out a role as an energy big off the bench. He competes hard, all the time. Effort is a skill and he gives it.
Offensively, he was inconsistent around the rim at times last week and may struggle to finish against bigger competition. He has an unorthodox jumper and spent most of the live portion of the practices passing up mid-range looks. Defensively, he doesn’t shy away from contesting shots around the rim and had some success as a shot blocker. His work ethic and competitiveness were impressive and will need to remain so.
RJ Glasper, G, Fr., 5-10, 168
The lone walk-on on this year’s roster, Glasper’s play during summer pickup games created some buzz. It’s clear he is not an ordinary walk-on. It’s also clear that there are five older guards ahead of him and fellow freshman C.J. Jones.
Glasper’s quickness is a strength, on both ends of the court. Offensively, he combines it with a tight handle to create space and break down his defender. He’ll rely on it to compensate for his height and a bit of a low release point on his jumper. How he adjusts to playing bigger competition in college will be interesting to watch. Defensively, he has very quick fit that should allow him to hound opposing ballhandlers as he gets stronger.
He was a scoring machine in high school and could wind up looking like a steal a few years down the line, a sparkplug-type. For now, there appears to be a logjam ahead of him.
Dusty Hannahs, G, Sr., 6-3, 210
No returning player in the SEC made as many 3-pointers (81) as Hannahs did last year. Even with so much roster turnover and so many moving parts, he’s the player to pencil in as the Hogs’ leading scorer in 2016-17. It just comes naturally to him.
He won’t have Anthlon Bell gunning opposite him or Jabril Durham hitting him in stride off pindowns this year, but new backcourt mates Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford are both good passers and excel at getting their own shots. They should take attention away from Hannahs. For as good a shooter as Hannahs is, his ability to put the ball on the floor and score in a myriad of ways is probably underrated. Defenses will try to run him off the 3-point line, but he has moves and counters to fall back on.
Defense isn’t his strong suit, but the better personnel around him should free him up to always be matched up with the opposing team’s worst offensive backcourt threat. He appears to have made strides in the weight room during the offseason and is sneakily one of the stronger players on the roster. Even with the new additions and added depth in the backcourt, Hannahs will be near or at the team lead for minutes played.
Brachen Hazen, F, Fr., 6-8, 202
The Indiana product has a few tantalizing skills for a 6-8 player — good hops and a solid jumper. He produced a few of the biggest highlights of the week by finishing alley-oops with impressive dunks. His shooting mechanics are sound and he was a good shooter in high school. He turned down open looks at times as he appeared to be processing the game instead of reacting, to be expected as he adjusts to the speed of college ball. He often ran into trouble when, after passing on a jumper, he put the ball on the floor and tried to make a play off the bounce.
He’s added 10 pounds of muscle since reporting to campus and appears to have a frame that’ll allow him to add more weight. He needs to add strength, both for rebounding and defensive purposes. He displayed a knack for finding the ball off the rim and sliding into openings to nab boards, but struggled to hold his boxouts against older, bigger players at times. Defensive was a struggle. He again struggled with bigger players and had trouble moving laterally at times.
To carve out a role as a freshman, he will need to become a consistent floor spacer, taking and making some of the shots he passed up. His skillset is intriguing, but he may not be ready to contribute in a big way right out of the gate.
C.J. Jones, G, Fr., 6-5, 175
Jones has as high a ceiling as anyone on the team. He’s likely the best athlete on the team, has great length and possesses a very nice perimeter shot — he’s one of the better shooters on the team. That said, he’s behind five older guards who all figure to have spots in the rotation.
Parts of his game are raw, at this point. His handle is shaky at times when he doesn’t get low enough. Last week, he largely floated around on offense, which could also be the result of playing with a lot of older players. He did have one drive and kick that was interesting. Defensively, his length can create problems for opposing guards and allows him to jump passing lanes. His footwork and positioning is a work in progress. He needs to add strength.
His athleticism, shot and length could get him on the court this year, even with his shortcomings, but it seems more likely that he will redshirt or play a reserve role as a freshman. Moving forward, he has the natural talent to become a very good player, if he develops. If and when the light comes on, he could be a big-time contributor.
Moses Kingsley, F, Sr., 6-10, 230
With a big senior year, Kingsley could be a first-team All-SEC, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, first-round pick type player. Arkansas needs that to happen. He’s far and away the Razorbacks’ best frontcourt player.
His elite athleticism and motor earned him notoriety at the Nike Basketball Academy. Last year, he blocked 3.2 shots per 40 minutes. It wouldn’t be a shock to see him get in the 4-4.5 range this year, even as he works to be a more disciplined defender. He played 29.5 minutes per game out of necessity a year ago and appeared to wear down a bit as the season wound down. He will likely average near that same mark this year, but has more help around him and should be better prepared to face different looks from opposing defenses in year two.
For his NBA stock, his jumper (28 percent) and free-throw (63.7) numbers need to improve. Regardless, he is Arkansas’ most important player. A 15-10-3 type year is doable. If Kingsley produces numbers that like, with better support around him, the Razorbacks are in business.
Daryl Macon, G, Jr., 6-3, 185
Macon may be Arkansas’ best on-ball defender, most-skilled passing guard and second-best perimeter shooter. There’s no doubt he is going to play big minutes this year.
He tirelessly hones his shot, dedication that is evident on the court. He is probably a safe bet to take and make the second-most 3-pointers on the team behind Hannahs. But he can also get into the paint off the bounce and plays with great pace. He has good athleticism and can finish above the rim. Last week, he was a willing, intuitive passer who made a lot of heady feeds leading to baskets. It’s clear he has good court vision. Arkansas may not have a pure point guard, but the need for one is a bit overblown. Macon, Barford and Beard should do fine as primary ballhandlers.
Defensively, he has quick feet and quick hands, a combination that makes him a rugged on-ball defender. When Arkansas faces teams with quick, penetrating point guards, Macon looks like the player who’ll be called upon to check them.
Dustin Thomas, F, Jr., 6-8, 225
Thomas impressed maybe more than any other player last week. He appears to be the heavy favorite to start next to Moses Kingsley in the frontcourt and fits the Anderson mold for a 4 with combo forward skills, in the same vein as a Carroll, Clarke or Harris.
He wasn’t a particularly good shooter at Colorado, but corrected some mechanical issues with his shot during the year he sat out and appears to be a good mid-range shooter with 3-point capability. He’s creative with the ball in his hands and can make plays off the bounce for himself, but also others. He impressed with some heady ballhandling and passing last week. It appears he’s capable of leading the break and making the correct play, which will be a valuable asset.
Defensively, he has the tools to be solid. He’s quick and has a lot of bounce. He could struggle against bigger 4s, but those don’t show up on many rosters anymore. With the offensive firepower on the team, he may not average more than 8-9 points per game, but he is far more capable than any player Arkansas had at the 4 last year.
Trey Thompson, F, Jr., 6-9, 270
Thompson also had an encouraging week and seems to be one of the three best bigs on the team. If his play last week is any indication, he will merit more playing time than simply serving as Kingsley’s backup.
He displayed a smooth mid-range shot with range out to the 3-point line. More importantly, he looked confident taking it. Last year, he averaged less than five shot attempts per 40 minutes, easily the lowest rate on the team. It’s unlikely he averages more than 6-7 points, tops, but if his newfound confidence in his jumper — and the results — are for real, he’s better suited to play next to Kingsley and space the floor, keeping the lane unclogged for the collection of guards who can get to the rim. He is the best passer on the team, so finding time for him in a rotation that doesn’t feature a natural distributor seems like a good idea.
He wants to lose 5-10 pounds before the season starts, but showed off improved lift last week. The Hogs are banking on his continued improvement as a defender, which should be aided as he sheds weight and gains quickness. With Kingsley in LA most of last week, he stood out among mostly less-experienced players. If he can carry that production and confidence over to the season, he will play quite a bit.
Manny Watkins, G, Sr., 6-3, 222
He may not rack up the requisite playing time or numbers to be an all-SEC defensive team member, but Watkins has the ability to hound opposing guards. His combination of size, strength and defensive acumen make him a must-play even with the influx of guard newcomers on the roster.
He will again likely be a below-average perimeter shooter, which hurts spacing, but that's OK because he can thrive as a cutter and opportunistic scorer on offense so long as his defense is exemplary. He has quick hands and a knack for pouncing on openings that opposing ballhandlers present. Most importantly, he understands the scheme and his role in it and doesn't try to overstep his role. The combination of experience, intelligence and defensive instincts should overshadow his offensive shortcomings and earn him big rotation minutes as a senior.