FAYETTEVILLE — While Arkansas is able to get in some limited basketball practice time during two summer school sessions, the last week in July will present the Razorbacks a great opportunity.
Because Arkansas is touring Spain from Aug. 6-16, the NCAA allows the Razorbacks 10 practices days ahead of the trip.
“When you have this many newcomers on your team and new guys coming on board – seven for the most part – any time that you can get those guys to get some time on the floor together is great,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said on Monday's SEC Basketball Summer Teleconference. “We always talk about developing during the offseason and that is taking place.
“But to have those 10 practices, probably around July 26th or 25th…we will have those workouts and just get prepared for the trip....It will give us a little snapshot of our basketball team as we get ready for this trip and to play in those games.”
Arkansas is slated to play games Aug. 9 in Madrid, Aug. 11 in Valencia and a pair of games Aug. 13 and 14 in Barcelona.
“We will wholesale substitute and see what these guys can do in a game setting,” Anderson said. “So it kind of gives us a sneak preview in terms of some of the things we are going to be able work on in the fall and leading up into the non-conference schedule.
“We are going to use it to our advantage. In the years before we have used this trip to learn what we can become. We will use it to our benefit.”
All of Arkansas' players are on campus and going through summer workouts.
That includes junior college transfers Jaylen Barford (6-3, 202), Daryl Macon (6-3, 185) and Arlando Cook (6-7, 206), as well as high school signees Brachen Hazen (6-8, 195), C.J. Jones (6-5, 166) and Adrio Bailey (6-6, 204).
The Razorbacks will also add Colorado transfer Dustin Thomas (6-7, 225) and walk on Robert Glasper (5-10, 168) to the active roster.
“We are having a pretty good off-season,” Anderson said. “We have all of our players on campus – newcomers as well as guys coming back....We have three seniors that I hope will step into some of the leadership roles that is going to take place with this team.
“Our guys are working real hard getting ready for the trip to Spain in August. We have one of those foreign trips where we have four games and it gives us a chance to see cities over there – Madrid, Barcelona and (Valencia) – and it will give us a little cultural knowledge of how other people live.”