Arkansans hold court: State produces 3 of SEC's top 20 scorers

FAYETTEVILLE -- One state has produced three of the SEC's top 20 scorers this season.

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The answer might surprise you.

It's not Texas or Florida.

The two most populated states that are home to SEC schools -- Texas with 27 million people and Florida with 20 million, according to 2014 census figures -- each have only two of the conference's top 20 scorers.

Which state has the most scorers among the SEC leaders?

Try Arkansas and its population of 3 million.

Who knew that when Bill Clinton referred to his native Arkansas as "this wonderful small state" after being elected president in 1992 he was talking about basketball?

Kentucky freshman guard Malik Monk, a Lepanto native who finished his high school career at Bentonville, is averaging 19.4 points to rank third in the SEC and lead the No. 6 Wildcats.

Arkansas guard Dusty Hannahs, a fifth-year senior from Little Rock, ranks ninth in the SEC by averaging a team-high 16.3 points in just 23.7 minutes.

KeVaughn Allen, a Florida sophomore guard from Little Rock, is averaging 13.6 points to rank as the SEC's No. 18 scorer and lead the Gators.

Monk, Hannahs and Allen are among 11 scholarship players from the state of Arkansas on the rosters of six SEC teams.

"Being a native of Arkansas, I think that's really cool to have so many of us from the state around the SEC," Hannahs said. "It says a lot about our high school basketball."

Nine of the SEC's players from Arkansas have started this season, and the combined averages for all 11 are 107.1 points, 31.5 rebounds and 22.5 assists.

"Year in and year out, Arkansas puts out a lot of talented players," Ole Miss Coach Andy Kennedy said. "When Ole Miss had its huge turnaround in the 1990s, it happened with a lot of Arkansas guys."

Three consecutive NCAA Tournament teams for the Rebels from 1997-99 were loaded with Arkansans such as Keith Carter (Perryville), Jason Smith (Wheatley), Anthony Boone (West Helena), Jason Flanigan (Little Rock) and Jason Harrison (Little Rock).

"Arkansas always has produced guys that can play in the SEC," Kennedy said.

But now there seems to be more quality players from Arkansas than ever in the conference, and they're not just playing for the Razorbacks or Rebels.

If the 11 SEC Arkansans teamed up, they likely could make a nice run to the NCAA Tournament.

"I think it just shows Arkansas has a lot of talent, but everybody doesn't always have to go to Arkansas to play in the SEC," said Mississippi State point guard I.J. Ready, a senior from Little Rock. "For so many of us to be in the SEC, it means we love staying in the South.

"It's great we've got so many guys at different places. We know each other, and it's fun to play one another and talk and share our experiences. You can hear a lot of great stories."

An All-Arkansas SEC team would lack size with 6-9 Arkansas junior Trey Thompson (a Madison native who played at Forrest City High School), 6-8 Florida sophomore Justin Leon (Conway) and 6-10 Missouri freshman Mitchell Smith (Van Buren) being the only players over 6-5. But there would be plenty of ball handlers and scorers on the perimeter.

Ready, averaging 11.6 points and 5.1 assists, could score and get the ball to shooters such as Monk, Hannahs, Allen and Razorbacks junior guard Daryl Macon (Little Rock).

Macon, a junior college transfer averaging 11.6 points, also has been active defensively with 2.0 steals per game.

Arkansas senior guard Manny Watkins (Fayetteville) and junior guard Anton Beard (North Little Rock) would provide steady play and defense along with some rebounding and scoring.

Watkins has 24 assists compared with 4 turnovers and is averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds. Beard is averaging 8.3 points and has 26 assists compared with 8 turnovers.

Watkins played at Columbia (Mo.) Rock Bridge before moving to Fayetteville -- his father is Arkansas assistant Melvin Watkins -- for his junior and senior seasons.

"Arkansas basketball is really good," Manny Watkins said. "I had the luxury of playing high school basketball in two states, and I'd definitely say Arkansas basketball was a lot more challenging, just from top to bottom.

"Moving from Missouri to Arkansas made me a better player."

Vanderbilt freshman Payton Willis -- another former Fayetteville Bulldog -- is averaging 6.6 points, 2.6 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 19.7 minutes with five starts. He could back up Ready at point guard on an All-Arkansas SEC team.

Leon and Thompson would take high percentage shots when they got the opportunities.

Leon, a starter at Florida this season, is averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 55.1 percent (27 of 49). Thompson, averaging 11.8 minutes off the bench for the Razorbacks, is averaging 2.9 points and 3.4 rebounds and shooting 71.4 percent (10 of 14).

Smith is averaging 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 9.7 minutes off the bench and shooting 64.3 percent (9 of 14) in seven games for Missouri.

Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson said having so many in-state players throughout the conference reflects well on Nolan Richardson, who as a coach led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national championship, a runner-up finish to UCLA in 1995 and a 1990 Final Four appearance among 13 NCAA Tournament trips in 17 seasons.

"I think it shows the impact Coach Richardson had," said Anderson, who was Richardson's assistant coach at Arkansas. "Now we're seeing our state produce kids that play basketball year round and are playing with AAU teams that play all over the country.

"Kids today play more during the offseason than they do during the season. I think it has to do with the AAU coaching, the high school coaching and how these kids are dedicating themselves to the game."

More highly touted Arkansans are headed to the SEC to play for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas' November signees include 6-9 Daniel Gafford (El Dorado), 6-4 Khalil Garland (Little Rock Parkview) and 6-6 Darius Hall (Little Rock Mills).

"I just think we've got great momentum," Anderson said.

In-state juniors committed to the Razorbacks are 6-1 point guard Desi Sills (Jonesboro), 6-2 guard Isaiah Joe (Fort Smith Northside) and 6-9 forward Ethan Henderson (Little Rock Parkview). Little Rock Christian sophomore point guard Justice Hill also has committed to Arkansas.

"I think Arkansas has always been under-appreciated for basketball talent," Hannahs said. "Whether or not people notice, there's always somebody big coming out of Little Rock -- Joe [Johnson] or Bobby [Portis] -- and going to the NBA.

"Now it's starting to spread out all over the state. There are guys coming from small towns as well as the bigger cities. The competition just keeps getting better and better."

Sports on 12/15/2016