FAYETTEVILLE — University of Arkansas guard JD Notae wasn’t promised a starting job after he led all scorers with 30 points in the Red-White game a few weeks ago.
“He might be a guy that maybe comes off the bench and supplies his points that way,” Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman said. “We’re still trying to figure that out.”
Two games into the season, Notae has supplied lots of points off the bench.
Notae scored 16 points in 24 minutes Saturday to help Arkansas beat North Texas 69-54 in Walton Arena. He’s averaging 14.5 points — tied for third on the team — after scoring 13 in 24 minutes in a 142-62 season-opening victory over Mississippi Valley State.
“JD’s a guy that can make the spectacular shot,” Musselman said after the North Texas game. “We’ve got to get him to be a little bit more intense and not be so nonchalant at times when he’s out there both defensively and offensively.
“But we’ll keep talking to him because he’s a really talented offensive player. And he’s a really, really good rebounder as a guard.”
Notae, a 6-1 junior who redshirted last season after transferring from Jacksonville (Fla.) University, is averaging 5.5 rebounds. He’s also averaging a team-high 5.0 assists and has hit 9 of 21 shots, including 4 of 13 three-pointers.
In two years as a starter at Jacksonville, Notae averaged 15.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
“I try to do whatever it takes for the team,” Notae said. “If Coach wants me to come off the bench, I’ll come off the bench. I accept that role, and I’m just going to take that role and run with it.”
North Texas had tied Arkansas 19-19 with 8:02 left in the first half when Notae scored seven consecutive points on a driving basket, jumper and three-pointer to fuel a 10-0 run that helped the Razorbacks take a 38-27 halftime lead.
“JD definitely gives us a very dynamic scorer,” said senior forward Justin Smith, who led Arkansas with 18 points. “And having him come off the bench and score 16 points — not really worried about where he’s coming into the game, just going out and playing his game — is very valuable.
“We need him to score, we need him to go out and play his game, and he has the confidence and skill to do that. That boost really, really helps.”
Notae said he wants to be aggressive when he gets in the game.
“I know the position my team puts me in,” he said. “I got going a little bit in the first half. I just give the credit to my teammates. They got me open.”
After North Texas cut its deficit in the second half from 47-27 to 55-45 with 9:44 left, Notae scored five points as the Razorbacks pushed their lead to 67-48.
Notae scored Arkansas’ final basket when he hit a three-pointer over Zachary Simmons after the 6-10 senior had blocked his three-point attempt. Notae caught the ball that was sent back to him and made a fake to create some space between himself and Simmons, then fired up another shot behind the three-point line.
“I’ve never done that,” Notae said of hitting a three-pointer seconds after he’d had a shot blocked. “I just saw that there was like five seconds on the [shot] clock, so I just jabbed. He left me open, so I just shot it.”