GREENVILLE, S.C. — If Arkansas’ seven new players are nervous about playing in the NCAA Tournament, it certainly wasn’t evident on Thursday afternoon.
The Razorbacks (25-9) appeared confident and loose at Thursday’s press conference and practice held inside Bon Secours Wellness Arena in advance of Friday's 12:30 p.m. game with Seton Hall (21-11) at the same venue.
“Well, the first game it kind of scares a coach because you don’t know how they are going to come out, but this group has been pretty good,” Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson said. “Coming off the SEC Tournament, hopefully that gives our guys an idea if what it is going to be like to play in a setting like this here.”
Arkansas seniors Moses Kingsley and Manny Watkins both played in the tournament two seasons ago when the Razorbacks downed Wofford before losing to North Carolina in the round of 32.
“I mean, it’s really the same feeling,” Watkins said. “You’re here, but you’re not just excited to be here, you want to keep dancing. We’re not here just to say you are at the NCAA Tournament - the media, the hotel. I mean all that’s nice, but that’s not our focus. We’re here to dance.
“And obviously, I mean, we’re here, we’re seniors. It’s different than when you are a sophomore. It’s your last time getting an opportunity to play in March Madness. The sense of urgency is through the roof. And you’re just ready for the moment. Can’t wait.”
Kingsley and Watkins played a combined 36 minutes in a win over Wofford and loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago.
“Me and Manny played in the games, but we didn’t play that much,” Kingsley said. “But this year we are (some) of the key players on the team.
“And we know what it takes, because we played in those games two years ago. And we know what we have to bring to the game and what we have to play and what we have to tell the guys to bring to the game and execute.
"We’re not just here to play one game or happy to be in the tournament, we’re here to win games.”
Senior Dusty Hannahs is the third senior on this year’s roster, but was redshirting after transferring from Texas Tech that season and will be playing in his first NCAA Tournament.
“I was on vacation in Miami,” Hannahs said. “It was difficult. But that whole year I had gotten used to not traveling because I could never travel with them.”
This was Hannahs’ last shot to dance because he was not in the NCAA Tournament his first two years at Texas Tech.
“I was pretty confident it was going to happen this year, but after last year it was down because I didn’t even have a team that sniffed the bubble yet.
“…I knew when we were playing pick-up this summer we were going to have a special team. I could just tell. I could tell people’s mindsets were different. And from then on it’s been a grind and everyone’s focused and taking one game at a time.”