The ninth in a nine-part series reviewing Arkansas basketball in 2018-19.
DANIEL GAFFORD
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-11
Weight: 235
Stats: 16.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, .9 steals, .7 assists, 2.4 turnovers
65.9 percent FG, 0 3-point attempts, 59.1 percent free throws
Per 40: 23.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 1.8 steals, 1.4 assists, 4.6 turnovers
SEC stats: 16.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, .8 steals, .7 assists, 2.2 turnovers
64.7 percent FG, 0 3-point attempts, 59 percent free throws
Best month: February - 17.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, 1.0 steals, .6 assists, 2.6 turnovers
63.7 percent FG, 0 3-point attempts, 64.9 percent free throws
Worst month: January - 13.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, .8 steals, .8 assists, 2.1 turnovers
66.2 percent FG, 0 3-point attempts, 52.3 percent free throws
Strengths
• Efficient. One would be hard pressed to find a player more efficient than Gafford was throughout his two years at Arkansas. He shot 63.5 percent from the floor in his career, which ranks second in program history, and in SEC games only, he finished 62.1 percent of his attempts. I wish I had charted his shots as a freshman, too, and been able to accurately lay out his shooting numbers at the rim in his entire time here. But I do have his sophomore numbers, and they're impressive.
According to shot chart data collected throughout the season with the exception of the UT-San Antonio game in North Little Rock, Gafford made 170-of-219 attempts at the rim in 2018-19. That comes out to 77.6 percent. Eighty-one of those buckets were dunks. Gafford catching under the rim was a death sentence.
There were only two games this season in which Gafford shot 50 percent or worse at the rim - Mississippi State and Florida in the SEC Tournament, his final game. He dominated games against Indiana (27 points, 12 rebounds), Montana State (8-of-8 at the rim), both meetings against LSU (20-of-23 at the rim combined) and Missouri (13-of-14), Texas A&M at home (8-of-10) and Alabama (8-of-12). He was also 6-of-6 in close at Texas Tech, which currently ranks third nationally in 2-point field goal defense at 42 percent. Florida arguably did the best job defending and irritating Gafford and he finished 4-of-7 attempts at the rim over two games.
Per KenPom, Gafford finished second among 86 eligible players - 40 percent of team's minutes played required - in 2-point field goal percentage at 64.7 percent. Mississippi State forward Abdul Ado was the only player with a better mark, but he attempted only 44 such shots. For the season, Arkansas shot 53.4 percent on 2-point looks when Gafford was in the lineup (good for 53rd in the country), and when he sat that figure dipped to 44.4 percent, which would rank 342nd nationally.
• Starred despite being used in a way that didn't showcase his strengths. One of the remarks most often made when draft analysts break down Gafford's game is that he will be used as a rim-runner at the next level seeing that his athleticism and soft hands allow him to cruise the floor in a special way. However, we all understand that's not how he was utilized throughout his Arkansas career. We saw some instances when Arkansas would place Gafford, who I described over the last two seasons as a unicorn and an extraterrestrial at various points, in pick-and-roll action, especially late in games when they needed a score, but Mike Anderson and his staff elected to largely plant him on the block and have the offense work through and, at times, around him.
Still, Gafford put up strong numbers and was a consensus first-team All-SEC selection after being the only player in the SEC to finish in the top five in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, blocks and offensive and defensive rebounds. He was also named to the All-SEC defensive team (7.92 percent block rate).
• Matured throughout the season. Gafford typically kept it real when speaking to the media in press conference settings and even the rare scrum. Last August after returning from the Nike Skills Academy in Los Angeles, Gafford said he slacked off a bit and "got lazy" in the weeks leading up to the camp, and it took him at least a day to find his footing again. Also, toward the end of his sophomore season, he had a telling media session in which he admitted he wasn't always the leader he needed to be throughout the year. His emotions got the best of him at times. Frustration overcame him. It was a pretty humanizing few minutes.
He was, though, the unquestioned leader in 2018-19 and he understood the team's success depended greatly on his production and that he had to keep a level head because all eyes on the roster turned to him in big moments. Anderson, shortly after Gafford's intriguing solo press conference, said he made great strides in his leadership and maturity from Texas through the regular season finale against Alabama. They butted heads in certain instances, but Anderson chalked it up to his passion for the game and wanting dearly to succeed.
Gafford's numbers improved year over year, and he became more mentally fit for the NBA game. I don't think there's any doubt about that.
• Gave great effort. One slight thrown Gafford's direction was he tired out easily. My response to that would be 1) he gave tremendous effort in a vast majority of his minutes and 2) we can't act as if running the floor in the freakish manner Gafford did at 6-11, 235 pounds is a breeze. Combine the way he consistently ran the floor with the physical beating he took being asked to constantly battle for post position and it's no wonder he wore down at times. Even the toughest of players would have.
Weaknesses
• Jumpshot never truly developed like many had hoped. While Gafford was very efficient around the rim and did a majority of his damage there, myself and many others wanted for him to showcase extended range. That's not to say Gafford should have spent a great deal of time spotting up on the perimeter, but he said in the preseason he was aiming to pull defenders away from the lane with an improved jumper. We didn't really see that or get a large enough sample size.
For the season, according to my shot chart data, Gafford was 3-of-15 on midrange jumpers. He hit one in the season opener against Texas, one in the win over Indiana in November and one versus Ole Miss on March 2. Gafford finished the year 0-of-5 on such shots on the left side of the floor, 1-of-4 between the elbows (Texas), and 2-of-6 on the right side of the floor (Indiana, Ole Miss).
• Struggled with turnovers. Through three games this season against Texas, UC-Davis and Indiana, Gafford turned the ball over 15 times. He coughed it up six times apiece in the first two games of the year. It was a bit of a troubling sign in part because Gafford never turned the ball over more than three time in any game as a freshman. The uptick in turnovers was part of the sophomore's growth process in dealing with added attention. Gafford was no longer the second or third bullet point on opponents' scouting reports. He was without a doubt priority No. 1 in the eyes of opposing coaches, and Arkansas' centerpiece.
One way teams challenged Gafford was sending 1-2 additional bodies his way on entry feeds, forcing him to act quickly and make a move or pass out of the pressure. He didn't respond well to the rush of defenders in November. He averaged a career-high 3.4 turnovers in the first month of the year, but gradually improved the next two months. Gafford finished with a team-high 76 turnovers this season. In four games in March, he turned it over only four times while averaging 20 points and seven rebounds.
Extra points
On floor: Offense - 1.08 PPP, 53.4 percent 2FG; Defense - 0.97 PPP, 47.8 percent 2FG
Off floor: Offense - 0.97 PPP, 44.4 percent 2FG; Defense - 1.08 PPP, 51.4 percent 2FG
Best Gafford quote: "I know that's not going to happen again in a million years probably." - Gafford when asked to describe his coast-to-coast sequence against Alabama
Best quote on Gafford: "The guy’s a pro. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say that while he’s in college, but I guess I would probably know one when I see it. He’s long, he’s athletic, he does a great job of picking and rolling. Unbelievable hands, so he’s a handful. That’s why he’s an All-SEC player and he’ll have a career playing basketball." - Alabama coach Avery Johnson
Season review series
Part 1: Jalen Harris
Part 2: Isaiah Joe
Part 3: Adrio Bailey
Part 4: Keyshawn Embery-Simpson
Part 5: Mason Jones
Part 6: Reggie Chaney
Part 7: Desi Sills
Part 8: Gabe Osabuohien