FAYETTEVILLE -- Four University of Arkansas seniors and a strong candidate for SEC player of the year might be suiting up at Walton Arena for the final time Wednesday against LSU.
Seniors Adrio Bailey, Jimmy Whitt, Jamario Bell and Jeantal Cylla are nearing the end of their college eligibility. Junior guard Mason Jones, who is on a scoring binge like no one else in the SEC, will have a decision to make about whether to declare early after the season.
Jones was selected as the SEC co-player of the week Monday along with Kentucky's Immanuel Quickley, making Jones just the third player in conference history to earn the weekly award four times in one season. Vanderbilt's Shan Foster (2007-08) and Kentucky's Jodie Meeks (2008-09) are the others.
The 6-5, 200-pound Jones leads the SEC in scoring at 21.3 points per game in his bid to become the first Razorback to hold that distinction.
Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman was asked whether he thought Jones had a shot at being voted as SEC player of the year.
"Yeah, I'm not really worried about it," Musselman said. "If he got it, it would be great, but certainly there's a lot of good players in this league and a lot of players that are on teams that are in higher positions in the standings than we are. But he's had an incredible year without a doubt."
Jones was helped off the court late in the Razorbacks' 99-89 loss at Georgia on Saturday after scoring 22 of his game-high-tying 26 points in the second half. On Sunday, Jones said he was dealing with leg cramps, an issue that has cropped up for him before during the season.
Bailey is the lone senior to spend his entire career with the Razorbacks. He posted a Twitter message Sunday that had a hint of nostalgia, saying, "I love you Razorback nation," and was asked about it at a joint news conference with Whitt on Monday.
"Just Razorback Nation man, all the ups and downs," Bailey said. "Y'all been with me through it all. It's all love. I can't complain about nothing. I had a great four years here. I can't complain."
Bailey, a native of Campti, La., said Wednesday's matchup against LSU doesn't add much extra emphasis for him.
"It does give me an opportunity to play against somebody I grew up with, my longtime brother beyond basketball, Skylar Mays," said Bailey, referencing the senior LSU guard. "It'll be fun just to go out and play against my brother."
Bailey, who has started 28 of 29 games, is averaging 6.9 points and 4.5 rebounds. He has been hampered by foul trouble in recent games, fouling out three games in a row and five of the past seven.
LSU Coach Will Wade recognized Bailey's contributions against the Tigers.
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"Bailey's been absolutely ... a thorn in our side," Wade said. "He's from Louisiana, he hit a three here last year against us, he hit a three in the first game against us. He's ... their best statistical three-point shooter."
Whitt, the only Razorback to start in all 29 games, transferred back to Arkansas as a graduate from SMU this season after starting his career with the Hogs in 2015-16.
"It just comes full circle," Whitt said. "[Wednesday] is sort of like icing on the cake for that. It's my last game in Bud."
Whitt, a native of Columbia, Mo., was asked what compelled him to return to Fayetteville.
"It's a combination of a lot of things," he said. "The biggest thing is just to end where you started is unique. For me to leave and have the opportunity to come back, that's unique for me.
"It's cool that I get to end my story where I started it. To get to play with guys like, I was here when we were recruiting Adrio, I was here on his official. It's funny that I get to end my college career with him."
First-year Coach Eric Musselman was asked what Bailey and Whitt have meant to the program this season.
"Those two guys have had great years," he said. "When you think about player development and a player improving, Adrio had two three-pointers in his career and I think he's made roughly 16 [actually 15] threes. That's a dramatic improvement at 41%.
"Both of those guys have basically been in the starting lineup for us all year. They both had good, solid senior seasons. Jimmy's done a great job obviously from a defensive standpoint all year, and he's picked his spots from an offensive standpoint depending on the matchups in the game."
Whitt is third on the team in scoring with 13.8 ppg, behind Jones and sophomore guard Isaiah Joe (16.9), who could also contemplate whether to return as a junior or embark on a professional career.
Cylla is averaging 1.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 25 games, while Bell -- a five-year scholarship football player who made his mark as a defensive end this year -- has contributed 3 blocked shots and 2 rebounds in limited action in four games.
[Video not showing up above? Click here to watch ª https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZktOWtU9r8o]Sports on 03/03/2020