FAYETTEVILLE — The first installment of a weekly look at Arkansas basketball.
Offense ahead of schedule
The whistle blew with 17:08 left in the second half of Arkansas’ 101-73 blowout win over Bucknell on Sunday.
The call was on Bison guard Stephen Brown, the 5-foot-11 160-pound senior who was tasked with guarding Arkansas guard Jaylen Barford and was chasing him around the perimeter. Until he ran into Daryl Macon’s screen, that is. Brown, desperate to fight over and continue to lock-and-trail Barford, ran through the screen and was hit with the foul.
The play was telling. Macon, Arkansas’ most gifted offensive player, sacrificed his body and set a solid screen within the flow of the offense.
That wasn’t an isolated occurrence, either. In the opening weekend, Arkansas scored a blistering 131.5 points per 100 possessions, per play-by-play data from HoopLens.com. KenPom.com tallied it at 128.9. Either way, elite stuff. UCLA led the nation with a raw 121.1 offensive rating last year.
Arkansas won’t be that efficient all year. The Razorbacks will play tougher defenses and won’t shoot 55 percent from the floor or 40 percent from 3-point range for 30-plus games.
But the way Arkansas operated was reason for optimism.
The ball often hummed in the halfcourt as crisp read-and-react offense unfolded. One action flowed into the next as guards screened for each other, bigs held court in the high post and an unclogged paint was fully taken advantage of.
What’s more encouraging is the offense’s performance against both zone and man defenses.
Samford employed a zone in Arkansas’ 95-56 opening win Friday. The Razorbacks carved it up, spacing the floor, utilizing the high post and overloading the zone by using a baseline runner or smart cuts.
In the first, sophomore Adrio Bailey takes advantage of the attention drawn by freshman center Daniel Gafford posting up. He smartly makes a basket cut and is rewarded with a nice pass for a layup.
In the second, sophomore C.J. Jones is operating as a baseline runner, moving side-to-side against the zone. Senior Anton Beard finds him for the lightly contested corner 3.
In the third, the ball movement drags the zone out of position and senior Trey Thompson has an easy high-post pass to an open Jaylen Barford on the wing.
Arkansas’ guards smartly penetrated the middle of the zone, breaking it down and finding open shooters.
Beard slashes into the middle of the zone, causing Bucknell to collapse before zipping it to Macon on the wing. Macon further contorted the defense by putting the ball on the floor and attacking the close out, drawing help before slipping it to Thompson for the open baseline jumper.
Bucknell went the man-to-man route Sunday and Arkansas didn’t miss a beat.
The offense achieved traction by going through a steady diet of pindowns and other off-ball movement that prevented the Bison from loading up.
This is a great sequence. Macon is running his tail off on the baseline to get open. When he does, he gets the ball in the corner and surveys the floor. C.J. Jones flys off a Trey Thompson screen and cuts through when he doesn't get the ball. A tick later, Barford is cutting to the top of the key. His momentum allows him to catch the pass, free himself with a quick jab step and get into the lane for a bucket.
Maybe the most impressive part of it all is that it took place with Arkansas up big in the second half. The Razorbacks were still working and moving in unison despite the big lead.
It isn’t unusual for there to be rust early in the season as teams adjust to new personnel and re-acclimate to live game settings. But Arkansas’ offense was sharp. The Razorbacks operated with purpose, generally prodding defenses until they found a good shot.
Ball and player movement wasn’t always there last season, but the Hogs shared it and cut with vigor, a credit to seniors like Barford and Macon, now entering their second year in the program. Arkansas averaged a gargantuan 1.125 points per possession in the halfcourt, per Synergy Sports, putting it in the 91st percentile.
The schedule will get tougher, no doubt, but the performances over the weekend were a great starting point.
Macon Dishes
Just for a second, imagine trying to guard Macon.
He’s a knockdown shooter with range, comfortable pulling from anywhere inside, say, 28 feet. So you have to play up on him.
But he’s quick, too, with the ability to put it on the floor, blow by defenders and create havoc for the rest of the defense. So you can’t get too close or you’re toast.
Add in a tight handle and Macon becomes one of the toughest covers in the SEC, evidenced by his extreme efficiency last year. Perhaps his go-to move for freeing himself is a nasty in-and-out dribble. He employs it in transition and the halfcourt alike and it almost always works.
But there’s a difference this year. Last season, Macon frequently used it to create space for off-the-dribble 3-pointers, which he canned at an above-average clip.
That part of his game hasn’t gone anywhere, but he used the in-and-out dribble in other fashion in the opening weekend: to set up one-handed dimes to bigs in the dunker spot.
Both of those are big-time plays, combining top-shelf ballhandling with high-level passing. The result: two easy Gafford dunks.
Macon was a skilled passer as a junior and his vision was apparent. But he looks more evolved as a playmaker early on this year.
He's looking for the pass more frequently, understanding the gravity he possesses as a scorer and using it to set teammates up. It's no small development that Gafford and Bailey are catching his dump-offs. Last year, Arkansas' bigs often had a hard time corralling his dishes in traffic, either because of iffy hands or not being ready for the ball. Credit Macon for learning to take a little zip off the one-handed flips and his new recipients for making good on his faith.
He balanced being a scorer and distributor brilliantly in the first two games, averaging 18.5 points and six assists. He had eight dimes against Samford and four more against Bucknell. It’s early, but encouraging. Macon only had four or more assists in eight of 36 games last year.
He’s already showing a nice chemistry with freshman center Daniel Gafford.
In addition to the dump off, the two hooked up a couple times in the span of a minute in the second half of the Bucknell game.
Really good synergy. Both times, Bucknell anticipates a side pick-and-roll. Macon’s man pushes him to the sideline and Gafford’s jumps to ‘Ice’ the ball screen, essentially double-teaming Macon. Reading this, Gafford lays back. Some bigs pop to the perimeter against Ice, but Gafford’s jumper is a work in progress, so he makes himself available in the lane as an outlet. Good spacing allows Macon to sling him the ball and he’s able to convert a soft floater. Good luck defending that finish.
Macon is exhibiting heretofore unrevealed flair as a playmaker. Combining that with his scoring prowess makes him an almost impossible guard for opposing defenses.
Adrio Bailey, staring fools down
Poor Wyatt Walker.
Samford’s 6-9, 240-pound big thought he had an easy two early in the second half of Friday’s game. Then Bailey materialized out of nowhere, emphatically swatting the ball away and following it up with a prolonged look back at the fallen junior.
So much attitude.
The sequence provided a snapshot into Bailey’s mindset for the opening weekend. He was going to play aggressive and try to embarrass people on both ends of the floor.
That’s a far cry from his performance in the two exhibition games, particularly the second, when he was benched to start the second half and yanked after less than a minute when he did finally check in. He seemed like he was going through the motions, a huge no-no for a player who’s main role is to inject the game with energy and change it with his athleticism.
Anderson hinted at a revitalized Bailey leading up to the opener and the 6-7, 217-pound sophomore delivered in a big way, averaging 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
His help-side rim protection was impactful. He averaged nearly four blocks per game as a high school senior, so the potential was there, but he made promise a reality in the first two games.
On offense, he was ready and available around the rim, finishing with authority when he was on the receiving end of drop-offs.
He made 10 of 13 shots, converting almost everything around the rim and taking mid-range jumpers without hesitation, a positive sign after he played timidly in the exhibitions, turning down shots and overdribbling out of indecisiveness when he got the ball. His aggressiveness, even if doesn’t always work, is important to an offense that wants to make every player a threat.
He did a lot of little stuff, too.
He had the four blocks, but altered plenty more. He ran the floor hard. He set sturdy screens to free guards up in the halfcourt and made a few smart cuts and passes. He defended well on the ball, both against his position and switching onto guards.
These are important contributions for a role player who needs to thrive as an energy guy.
Energy Adrio is a difference-maker, the kind of player who could take over the starting spot at the 4 if he keeps it up.
Open shots off inbounds
Arkansas only allowed nine points on 12 opponent baseline out-of-bounds plays, according to Synergy, a strong number any coach would be pleased with.
But the Razorbacks yielded a number of quality looks Samford and Bucknell were simply unable to convert, particularly open corner 3-pointers, arguably the best shot in basketball.
Arkansas zones up on baseline out-of-bounds plays and stays in the zone when the ball is entered into play. The Razorbacks were generally solid in the halfcourt zone last year and should be better this year with added length, but they gave up some good looks, especially against Bucknell.
The Hogs were fortunate none went down. An extra 3-pointer here or there wasn’t going to make a difference in either game this weekend, but could against a better opponent. An area to clean up moving forward.
Handoff trickery
When it is in peak form, Arkansas’ offense can put a lot of strain on the defense it’s facing.
Constant motion is tough to defend, especially when the lane is open and bigs are operating at the elbows or on the perimeter. Guards are whirring off screens, including some Barford-Macon actions that weaponize the two best scorers on the floor and can lead to panic that will compromise a defense.
Senior forward Trey Thompson is arguably the best passer on the team and potentially the best-passing big in the SEC. Planting him in the high post serves to give him a view of the floor and open up the paint for cutters and drives.
Thompson can reward backdoor cuts with bounce passes or create separation for guards by executing dribble hand-offs while using his 6-9, 260-pound frame as a screen, allowing teammates to create separation while going downhill.
DHOs are tough to defend and are part of a popular baseline out-of-bounds play the Razorbacks run. The Hogs line up in a flat (or low) look, with all four players standing close to the baseline, guards spaced to the corner at each 3-point line and a big on each block. Generally, the big catches it at the elbow and the action ensues, sometimes with a DHO.
But there's also the wrinkle of faking the handoff and making for the basket. Because of the screening component involved, the big defending Thompson, in this case, has to help his guard, which allows Thompson to leverage the threat of a handoff into an open driving lane.
Nice play, with an ambitious pass to Bailey gone awry. If they’d have been on the same page, it would’ve been a highlight dunk. Thompson later converted an and-1 finish after faking a handoff.
He wasn’t the only one to employ the tactic. Bailey did the same later on in the first half, but predictably with a bit more athleticism involved.
Dunk it all, Adrio.
Reading an overplaying defense and taking advantage is smart basketball. The fake DHOs are just one more component defenses have to worry about and make for a smart baseline out of bounds action.
Creative Bison
Bucknell is, by all accounts, a very good basketball team.
The Bison won 26 games a year ago, including a win at Vanderbilt, nearly beat West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament and return their top 10 scorers this season.
That’s what made Arkansas’ dominant performance so impressive.The Bison simply couldn’t get stops on defense and struggled offensively in the first half before a mini-run scoring outburst early in the second against what was likely a somewhat lethargic Razorback defense playing with a big lead.
But the Bison, coached by Nathan Davis, ran some creative stuff. Take this two-possession sequence midway through the first half with the game still relatively close.
On the first, Bucknell runs Hammer, a play popularized by the San Antonio Spurs.
Guard Stephen Brown drives baseline while weakside wing Zach Thomas receives a flare screen to the corner. Bailey is caught unaware and Brown hits Thomas with a skip pass for a wide-open 3. Splash.
The next possession, Brown runs a side pick-and-roll with forward Nate Sestina, but not before a little window dressing to confuse Arkansas. Wing Nate Jones cuts up off the baseline and screens the screener, Sestina, before popping to the top of the key. Sestina’s man, Bailey, switches, but gets preoccupied by the ball screen and the result is another open 3.
Good stuff.
Side note: Samford and Bucknell combined to attempt nearly half (47.1) of their shots from 3-point range, a number that put Arkansas 291st in the country. The Hogs were at 36.7 percent, about average, last year.
It’s only two games and both teams prioritize shooting the 3, while a tradeoff of Arkansas’ pressure defense is occasionally living with a few open 3s in order to hopeully force turnovers. What’s more, some of the attempts from each team were pure desperation, late-clock forces resulting from the offense’s inability to gain any traction. Arkansas can live with those kind of shots.
The Razorbacks’ pressure also muddled the flow for Samford and Bucknell, rendering the aforementioned creative playcalling ineffective at times.
Gafford’s ball-screen defense
When fall practice officially began, Gafford’s pick-and-roll defense was still a work in progress.
That’s not a surprise, nor is it a shock that it is still an area of improvement early in the season for a freshman still adjusting to Division I ball.
Arkansas’ preferred defense against ball screens is to blitz or switch them. The Razorbacks often hedge, as well. Switching, when pulled off correctly, makes it difficult for the offense to gain any advantage, the whole purpose of a screen.
In early October, assistant coach Melvin Watkins, the big man coach, indicated Gafford had some work to do on switching, citing the need to learn angles and situations, as well as the importance of avoiding ticky tack fouls 25 feet from the basket.
It’s safe to say Gafford has made some strides when switching onto guards, based on his play in exhibitions and the first two games. He’s done a good job giving ballhandlers some cushion to be better positioned to defend the drive while still playing close enough to contest a potential jumper. Having a 7-2 wingspan helps.
But he’s got plenty of room to grow.
On the first, Gafford is caught out of position, unable to hedge, which allows Bucknell guard Jimmy Sotos a clear path to the lane. Great help by freshman Gabe Osabuohien results in a charge.
On the second, Beard switches his footing to ‘Ice’ the screen and force Bison forward Zach Thomas to the sideline, but Gafford is late, which gives Thomas an angle to the hoop. The result: an open elbow jumper for center Nana Foulland.
On the third, Gafford hedges and recovers, but is a tick late and grabs Foulland while fighting to regain position, resulting in his second foul and a trip to the bench.
On the fourth, Gafford switches onto guard Kimbal McKenzie but leaves him once the junior gives the ball up, sagging down to try and take away the threat of a lob over the fronting Osabuohien. But this leaves McKenzie wide open and starts a chain reaction that leads to an open shot.
He did have his good moments, too.
On the first, he switches onto Brown and hangs with him, using his length and quickness to take away a shot. Then, he recovers and blocks the dump-off. Impressive sequence.
On the second, he soft hedges (or pushes) at the level of the screen, using his hands to poke the ball away and spark a fast-break layup.
Of course, that’s also one of a few examples of Gafford being a little reachy last weekend. He fouled out of both games in less than 20 minutes. His aggressiveness will pay off in time as he learns what is and isn’t a foul, what he can get away with at this level.
Paying attention to how Gafford defends ball screens will be interesting to track. He is a raw player with a lot of potential on both ends, but someone who has all the tools to anchor a defense in time.
Watching his progression may be frustrating at times, but his level of activity and elite physical tools give him a big advantage.
Watkins’ TV debut
Recently graduated former Razorback Manny Watkins made his television debut Friday as the SEC Network Plus analyst in Arkansas’ season-opening win win over Samford.
The former defensive stopper has always been gregarious. Need proof? Check out some of his quotes from the team’s postseason banquet in April. Funny stuff.
That personality translated to the broadcast, where he came across as a natural in a color commentator role alongside play-by-play guy Brett Dolan. His enthusiasm and sense of humor shone through. I particularly enjoyed his retort after Dolan pointed out Melvin, a long-time Anderson assistant, by referring to him as Manny’s dad:
“When I first got to Arkansas, I was coach Watkins’ son. Now, that's Manny's dad. I flipped the script."
Having just graduated and with a father on the staff, Watkins can speak from a position of authority on Arkansas basketball, which is a step up from past broadcasts of this ilk. While his rooting interest is no big secret, he did a nice job complementing Samford in a blowout and walking the line between being a professional and embracing a role on what is essentially a home broadcast.
Watkins isn’t the only former Razorback who will team up with Dolan in the nonconference. Kikko Haydar will be courtside for the Dec. 5 matchup with Colorado State and the Dec. 19 game against Oral Roberts.
Watkins will handle Friday’s game against Fresno State. Expect him to build on a solid debut.