Much was made before the season about Arkansas' many newcomers.
Some predicted a talented group, which included some highly-decorated junior college players, would help the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament.
Juniors Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon added another dimension to the Hogs as double-digit scoring threats on the perimeter. They indeed have helped put the Hogs in position to clinch an NCAA Tournament berth. Odds are if Arkansas beats Georgia at Bud Walton Arena on Saturday, they’re berth is set in stone.
While Barford, Macon and others have made a difference, it is the three seniors being honored before the Georgia game that have been the heart and soul of the team. Two of them are unlikely heroes. Another is a talented big who didn’t realize his potential until later in his career.
Manuale Watkins, Dusty Hannahs and Moses Kingsley have done their part to lead an inexperienced team with many new faces. It took most of the season, but it looks like Arkansas - which had won five straight before a midweek loss at No. 12 Florida - is peaking at the right time.
Arkansas coach Mike Anderson knew this team was talented and deep. What he may have been concerned with was the team chemistry with only five players returning from the year before.
That’s where trio of seniors came in. Hannahs initially, gave up his starting spot to Macon and came off the bench. Hannahs didn’t complain, but Anderson realized Hannahs was better as a starter and both have played better since Hannahs made it back in the starting five.
Kingsley hasn’t lived up to his SEC preseason Player of the Year tag, but he didn’t show outward signs of discouragement. He has continued to play hard and been a strong defensive presence.
When Arkansas dropped back-to-back games to struggling Missouri and Vanderbilt in February, it appeared its postseason hopes were fading fast. Fans were pondering Anderson's future.
I thought then that if the Hogs were to pull out of the funk, it would be the seniors that led the way. Hannahs was abrupt with reporters when asked about the back-to-back losses and seemed determined not to let his senior season end with a thud. All three have played well since those losses.
Hannahs leads the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game. It is the second consecutive season the Pulaski Academy product has led the team in scoring. He scored more than 16 points per game last season after transferring from Texas Tech.
Hannahs came to Arkansas with the reputation as a 3-point marksman. He has proven to be much more than that. As his two-year career has gone on, Hannahs improved his driving ability and his ability to finish at the rim. His athleticism is deceptive, but he plays with hustle and showed in the 15-point comeback at Vanderbilt that he never quits.
Watkins is a great story and has the kind of game that makes teams great. He is the son of assistant Melvin Watkins and a former walk-on. His perseverance and hustle stand out, and his ability to do the little things and make big shots have made a big difference this season.
He only scores 5.8 points per game, but he is one of the most valuable players on the team because of his versatility and defensive abilities. He is a consummate role player which every successful team has.
Many would say Kingsley has underachieved, and he probably has even though more talent around him has contributed to less touches and thus an 11.9 points per game average, which is down four points from last year.
Kingsley also averaged close to 10 rebounds per game last season and is down to just under eight this year, but he has played better later in the season. He leads the team with 2.6 blocks per game and has continued to be a menace in the paint for opponents.
Like his classmates, he plays hard and has a positive attitude. How he plays opposing big men could determine how far the Hogs make it in the postseason. A couple of big offensive games would go a long way to restoring the reputation he had earned last year as one of the nation’s elite posts.
Arkansas’ improvement has been a team effort but it wouldn’t have happened without the trio of seniors leading the way. If the Razorbacks make a deep tournament run look for those three to be in the middle of it.
Nate Olson is a contributor for WholeHogSports