Completing 'circle': Whitt a stabilizer in second UA stint

Jimmy Whitt shoots over a Texas Southern defender in Arkansas' 82-51 win over the Tigers on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- A Nevada graduate assistant coach helped Jimmy Whitt return to the University of Arkansas men's basketball program.

When Whitt decided to explore his options of leaving SMU as a graduate transfer after last season, his older brother, Garrett, suggested he consider returning to Arkansas to finish his college career with Coach Eric Musselman.

Jimmy Whitt, a 6-3 guard from Columbia (Mo.) Hickman High School, played at Arkansas as a freshman during the 2015-16 season for Mike Anderson, who as Missouri's coach had gotten to know Whitt and his family.

After Whitt transferred to SMU, he never figured to be back in a Razorbacks uniform.

That changed when Anderson was fired at Arkansas after last season, and Musselman was hired after going 110-34 the previous four seasons at Nevada.

Garrett Whitt, who played guard at NAIA Columbia (Mo.) College for teams that went 122-17, was a Nevada graduate assistant during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

"My brother loved his time at Nevada, and I had been up there to see him and I got to know Coach Muss a little bit," Whitt said. "When I was considering leaving SMU, he told me I had to talk to Coach Muss.

"I came to Arkansas for a visit, and Coach Muss showed me some stuff I didn't know about my game -- some analytical things -- and I loved what he did at Nevada. He won a lot of games with transfers.

"When you're in that position, you want to be somewhere the coach has a proven track record with guys that are just like you."

Whitt said he also drew recruiting interest from Villanova, Oregon, Texas A&M and Virginia Tech, but Garrett Whitt's recommendation helped him choose Arkansas.

"My brother, I take his word like the Bible," Whitt said. "He'll never give me bad advice. When he said what he did, and I came up here and met with Coach Muss, I knew it was the right decision."

It's a decision that has worked out well for Whitt and Arkansas.

Starting at point guard, Whitt is averaging 14.9 points, a team-high 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 35.9 minutes to help the Razorbacks to an 8-1 start going into Saturday's game against Tulsa in Walton Arena.

"Jimmy's definitely an impact player," Arkansas sophomore guard Isaiah Joe said. "It helps him a lot being a grad. He knows exactly what he's doing.

"He knows how to set up plays and get everybody where they're supposed to be. He's a great defender and rebounder, and he's able to push the ball on the break. His vision is incredible. He's just a game-changer for us."

Whitt averaged 6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 17.1 minutes as a freshman for the Razorbacks while starting in 10 of 32 games. After redshirting at SMU, he started all 63 of the Mustangs' games the previous two seasons while averaging 10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 33.2 minutes as a sophomore, and 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 35.1 minutes as a junior.

"I feel like my life has gone full circle," Whitt said of hearing his name announced in Walton Arena this season. "I started here, and now I'm finishing my career here. It's comfortable being back."

Musselman said the Razorbacks have benefited from Whitt's calm demeanor and all-around game.

"Jimmy's even-keeled on a daily basis," Musselman said. "He doesn't get too high and he doesn't get too low, which is good for me to have a point guard like that. He's mature.

"He's a great defender that we can put anywhere. Every night he gets assigned the top player that he could possibly guard based on his size."

Whitt had a season-high 12 rebounds in Western Kentucky's 86-79 overtime victory against Arkansas on Saturday. His career high is 13 rebounds against Tulsa and Bradley as a sophomore.

"I think as a point guard, you kind of luck out," Whitt said of grabbing a lot of rebounds. "A lot of point guards really don't try to rebound. You watch games, and when the ball goes up, the point guard is trying to get an outlet pass or he's going back on defense.

"I think I can take advantage of that by being athletic and having long arms."

Along with Whitt's rebounding and defensive versatility, he's been a good scoring option. He twice has matched his career high with 24 points this season against South Dakota and Northern Kentucky. He scored 24 points against Cincinnati last season.

Whitt is shooting 52.3% from the field (58 of 111) and has hit 36 of 75 jump shots (48.0%) inside the three-point arc.

"We don't really run plays for Jimmy," Musselman said. "He just finds spots on the floor where he's comfortable shooting the ball from 12 to 17 feet, he gets it off quick and it goes in."

Whitt has hit 16 of 65 three-pointers for his career, but he hasn't attempted a shot from behind the line this season.

"I haven't addressed it with him," Musselman said. "He just does a great job of understanding his strengths and where he needs to be, and that's where he's taking his shots."

Whitt had 7 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists in the Razorbacks' 79-64 exhibition victory against the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

"Jimmy is an old-school player," said UALR Coach Darrell Walker, an All-American guard at Arkansas who played in the NBA for 12 seasons. "He's not going to do anything he can't do. He's not going to jump up and shoot threes. He's going to try to get in the paint -- the same way I did as a player -- and operate from there. I think he's just a stabilizing force out there for Eric."

Whitt said he hasn't felt the need to take a three-pointer with teammates who are better perimeter shoots in Joe, Mason Jones and Desi Sills surrounding him.

"If I can get to my shot every time that I'm comfortable with, then there is no point forcing up a shot I'm not comfortable with," he said.

Whitt gives credit to his father, James, for the development of his mid-range shot.

"I always say he taught me how to shoot a mid-range jump shot before a layup," Whitt said. "It's something that has set me apart."

Whitt is averaging a career high in points, but he said scoring isn't his focus.

"I pride myself on being dependable in a lot of different situations," Whitt said. "Sometimes if I need to score, sure, I'll step up and score.

"If I need to rebound, get an assist, play defense, I'll do that. I think the thing I've realized as I've gotten older, the team success is going to give everybody their individual success at the end of the day.

"I'm more focused on what I can do for the guy next to me rather than what I can do for myself out there."

Sports on 12/13/2019