On the first day of the NCAA’s week-long early signing period, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman got 60% of his highly touted recruiting class officially in the fold.
Branson (Mo.) Link Academy 5-star Jordan Walsh (6-7, 200), Morrilton 4-star Joseph Pinion (6-6, 180) and Mobile (Ala.) McGill-Toolen Catholic 4-star Barry Dunning (6-6, 205) all signed national letters of intent on Wednesday.
“We’re really excited about the three student-athletes that signed today and now are officially a part of the Razorback basketball family,” Musselman said. “And you know, I think speaking of family, it really starts with not just the player/student athlete but also the family – meaning the inner circle, moms, dads, coaches – that have all been a part of the recruiting process.
“And we feel like all three of these guys’ families have been really bought into what we’re about, what our culture is about. And then obviously all three we believe are really, really talented players and are going to have a huge impact on us.
“All three guys, just because they can play multiple positions, I think are a really good fit for us.”
Magnolia 4-star guard Derrian Ford (6-5, 205) plans to sign with Arkansas Sunday at 5:03 p.m. while North Little Rock 5-star guard Nick Smith (6-5, 185) has not announced if he will sign early or in the spring.
Those five players – all top 100 players, per ESPN – have Arkansas with the second-best class by 247 Sports and fifth by Rivals.
Walsh is the seventh-best player in the 2022 class, per ESPN.
“Jordan Walsh, you know he’s such an explosive athlete,” Musselman said. “He was my favorite guy to watch at that wing position and actually he’s got some unique abilities to be a passer, too. He’s a grab-and-go guy, like he can grab a defensive rebound and ignite your fast break.
“He’s an electric athlete to watch. People are going to love watching him play in Bud Walton. He’s got explosive dunks, he’s got creative passing ability off the bounce, he can make three-point shots.”
Musselman feels fortunate to land an out-of-state 5-star talent in Walsh, who is from Desoto, Texas.
“Certainly any time a player is a top-10 talent and a 5-star, they're hard to get involved with even,” Musselman said. “But his dad, John, and his mom, Sandra, they were open, and his brother. When they came on campus, we would have been like deeply hurt if he hadn’t been a Razorback player because we felt a real connection to the entire family, I can tell you that.”
Pinion, ESPN’s 93rd-best player in the 2022 class, was the first of the five to pledge to Arkansas on Oct. 23, 2020.
He averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per game as a junior while shooting 58% from two-point range, 40% from three and 74% at the free throw line.
“I think the thing with Joseph is he was the first one to step up in this class and say, ‘Hey, I want to be a Razorback player,’” Musselman noted. “I think that’s always a powerful message when somebody believes in what’s going on and wants to commit at an early stage.
“He obviously is a great shooter with deep, deep range. He’s got incredible passion to be a Razorback player. His dad and his mom and his sister, they’ve been to several football games and I think he’s really, really excited about getting on campus.”
Pinion is healthy this year after overcoming a knee injury that plagued him early in his junior season.
He led Morrilton to the Class 4A state championship game last season, ending Magnolia’s 52-game winning streak in the semifinals before falling to Little Rock Mills in the title game.
“He’s become more and more healthy playing now without the knee brace,” Musselman said. “He gives us good length and a guy that can play the 2-3 spot.”
Dunning, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Alabama last season and ESPN’s No. 76 player, was the first one to sign. He did so Wednesday morning at his high school.
Dunning averaged 21.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a junior for the Yellow Jackets and added 51 steals and 44 blocks.
“Barry is multi-faceted,” Musselman said. “He’s another really, really versatile player. He’s great off the elbows. He’s a really, really, really good passer, and a willing passer. Very well coached. He understands spacing.
"He’s got a really high basketball IQ with the ball in his hands and when the ball’s not in his hands. A guy that can score with his back to the basket, can score around the rim, can face up, but I think his passing right now really separates him.”
Arkansas had an inside connection with Dunning.
“Another family that when they came on campus, we kind of felt when he was here, even the first day, is this guy going to possibly commit?" Musselman said. “There was a real bond.
“Barry’s mom’s brother is (former Arkansas-Little Rock and NBA player) Pete Myers, who actually played for my dad (Bill Musselman) in some minor league all-star games. And obviously Pete played for the Bulls and was a long-time NBA coach and long-time NBA executive.
“My very first phone call with Barry’s mom, she said, ‘You’re lucky your dad’s still not coaching, because that’s who Barry would play for,’ because she remembered when my father coached at South Alabama.”
Musselman said that coaches have to make decisions on who to spend a great deal of time recruiting.
“When you have these phone conversations, you’ve got to figure out who do you invest your time on? And who do you have a real chance with?” Musselman said.
“When Barry’s mother said that, we all felt as a staff that we had to really go all in, even though we knew that he’s from Alabama, and Alabama’s got a great program and Auburn’s got a great program, and a lot of the SEC schools were recruiting him.”