Arkansas looking to add age, size in late signing period

Javon Franklin

— Regardless of how this season ends, Arkansas basketball coach Mike Anderson knows what he wants to infuse into the 2019-20 roster.

“We have got to get older,” Anderson said Saturday after a 77-67 home loss to Mississippi State. “Older and we have got to get some size and guys who can make plays. That’s the biggest key. You have got to be able to put the ball in the hole, but you also have to have some age. That’s the biggest key right there.

“I made the statement that this is not the year to be young in the SEC and obviously inexperienced, but we are learning.”

The Razorbacks are reportedly expected to sign three players during the April 17-May 15 spring signing period to go along with November point guard signee Justice Hill, who enrolled in January and is redshirting this semester.

One of those older players could be former Little Rock Parkview star Javon Franklin (6-6, 210 pounds), who broke his leg in the first game of his sophomore season for Holmes (Miss.) Community College.

Franklin, who is scheduled to take an official visit to Arkansas on March 8-10, is redshirting this year with the injury and will have three years to play at his next stop.

“He has been doing really well in getting better,” Holmes coach Jason Flanigan said. “He has been doing some shooting and ball-handling drills, but we don’t want him to do anything live until he is 100 percent.

“He is going back to the doctor on Tuesday to get an update and then we will go from there.”

Franklin, who averaged 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.1 assists as a freshman at Holmes, is being recruited by Arkansas, Memphis, Ole Miss, Oregon, Auburn, Missouri, Kansas State and Seton Hall.

He will be visiting Arkansas when the Razorbacks host Alabama in the regular season finale.

“Javon has set his visit up to Arkansas and he is working to set up the others,” Flanigan said. “He will definitely take the four other visits just to make sure he is making the right decision.”

Holmes is 14-6 overall with former El Dorado star Czar Perry, a high school teammate of Arkansas center Daniel Gafford, averaging 13.4 points.

“He has played well for us,” Flanigan said. “Campbell is a school that is coming in to see him, but Cal-State Bakersfield has been the favorite for him because they were in here earlier and have been after him from the start.”

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Arkansas also expects to get spring visits from Woodstock (Va.) Massanutten Military Academy center Mahamadou Diawara (6-10, 220), along with Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep big man Raymond Hawkins (6-9, 230).

Diawara has not gotten an offer from Arkansas yet, but has named the Razorbacks his leader over Georgia Tech, Temple, VCU and Penn State.

Hawkins, who has family in Arkansas, announced a top five of Arkansas, Mississippi State, Buffalo, Arizona State and DePaul on Monday.

The Razorbacks have also recently offered Scotland (Pa.) Campus Hoops point guard Clarence “Frenchy” Nadolny (6-4, 180), a native of France.

Nadolny has also been offered by Georgetown, Iowa State, West Virginia and Dayton and others.

Arkansas is also expected to see Moberly (Mo.) Area Community College small forward Sean Miller-Moore (6-5, 190), who is originally from Toronto, in the near future.

Miller-Moore is averaging 18.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 58.6 percent from the field and 75.8 percent from the free-throw line.

He is also being recruited by West Virginia, Seton Hall, Massachusetts, Portland and Akron.