FAYETTEVILLE — In mid-September, Desi Sills approached Arkansas first-year coach Eric Musselman with some unfortunate and heartbreaking news.
A native of Jonesboro and a former basketball standout for coach Wes Swift and the Hurricane, Sills wanted to return to his hometown for the next-to-last weekend of the month. He felt like he needed to, even if it meant missing a practice or two.
One of his best friends since seventh grade, Ja’Quaun Smith, passed away on Sept. 13 following a car accident. He was 20 years old.
A full-time student at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, according to his obituary, Smith died at Region One Medical Center in Memphis. The funeral service was set for Sept. 21.
“He was like, ‘You do what you’ve got to do. See you Monday,’” Sills recalled Musselman saying after learning of the incident. “I said, ‘I appreciate it for giving me the opportunity to go to the funeral.' It’s showing respect from him to me and to (Smith’s) family also.”
No player on the Razorbacks’ roster in 2018-19 closed the season as impressively as Sills. That, plus a productive offseason, has the sophomore envisioning an outstanding season for himself. So it only made sense to dedicate the upcoming season to his fallen friend, who Sills said he first met on a football field in junior high.
“It’s a lot going through my mind, but I’ve just got to be ready and mentally prepared,” he added. “Even though I know I lost a loved one, I know he’s with me up there. He’s with me right now. I just want to give a shoutout to him for the opportunity I got to be with him.
“That’s just my dog, and I love him so much.”
Arkansas assistant Corey Williams, formerly the head coach at Stetson and Musselman’s first staff addition in late April, has seen Sills' growth firsthand in a short period of time. Fairly closed and guarded by nature, Sills has confided in Williams more than once, opening up about various aspects — good and bad — of his day-to-day life.
For Williams and the Razorbacks’ staff, building personal trust with players is vitally important.
“You don’t just get into his circle so easily,” Williams said. “He’s not so apprehensive about sharing things with me. … I think he continues to get better. He wants it. He really, really wants it.
“Desi has really bought in. He’s done everything pretty much at a high level. I think he’s realized he has a long way to go, but he’s certainly tapping into some successes that lead to feeling confident about what he can and cannot do and still understanding his role.”
Leading up to SEC Media Day on Oct. 16, Musselman stood in front of his new team and posed a not-so-simple question: "Who do you guys think should represent us?" The coach noted he had already decided that sophomore guard Isaiah Joe would accompany him to Birmingham for the event. But that still left one spot open.
Musselman said there was chatter that perhaps graduate transfer Jeantal Cylla had earned the right as a result of his work in the offseason. Jimmy Whitt, a grad transfer from SMU who began his career with the Razorbacks, was another name mentioned by a couple of players.
But by the end of the meeting Sills had received the most feedback, and teammates deemed him most deserving.
"A lot of that is because of the work that he’s put in," Musselman said. "He seemed really appreciative when we got on the plane. He thanked me several times for bringing him and I said, ‘It really wasn’t me. It was your teammates that felt you’d be a great representative for us.’"
That, though, was not the first time he had been placed in high regard by the rest of the roster.
Prior to the Red-White game in Barnhill Arena on Oct. 5, Musselman tasked the team with voting on which player they believed put together the best offseason. There were three categories: leadership, hard work and who got in the gym after hours.
Sills graded out the highest among his peers, Musselman said.
"I thank them so much, because they recognize my hard work," Sills said. "I took this offseason very personal in every aspect to elevate my game. Shoutout to my teammates that voted me the hardest worker. That means I accomplished a lot because they notice how many hours I’m putting in here."
The commitment to improving his game is what led to a breakout month to close a solid freshman season. Sills averaged a career-high 9.8 points in a career-best 23.8 minutes per game and knocked down 14-of-21 3-point attempts in March. He started Arkansas' final eight games, and the offense clicked with him on the floor, scoring at a 1.10 point-per-possession clip, according to HoopLens.
The Razorbacks shot 44 percent from 3-point range in that span, too. He also finished 48.6 percent from 3 on the left side of the floor and 42.1 percent on the right, according to shot chart data collected throughout last season.
"(I was) putting too many hours in here, sometimes coming in three times per day just to work on my craft, because I know this team needs more shooters," Sills said. "In case Mason isn’t on or Isaiah isn’t on, I can step up to the plate. (Former coach Mike Anderson) gave me the opportunity to showcase my true talent, because I was never a defensive player. I love defense also, but I was a scorer coming out of high school.
"Now, coach Muss is giving me the opportunity, even more open, and giving me the green light this year."