FAYETTEVILLE — During his radio show on Jan. 2, Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman was asked by a fan how he expected the Razorbacks to handle the physicality of opposing teams in Southeastern Conference play.
Arkansas’ fourth-year coach responded by noting that physicality is not something he and his coaching staff are overly concerned with given the makeup of the roster and the team's front-court options. He then complimented the toughness of a few players, including junior guard Davonte Davis and freshman guard Anthony Black.
But one remark in particular from Musselman stood out. And if it holds steady, it would greatly benefit the Razorbacks as they navigate league play as well as a game at No. 19 Baylor on Jan. 28.
“We have some guys that are finesse, but we also have some pretty good toughness,” he said. “Makhi Mitchell is as tough as anybody in our conference. I don’t think he’s going to back down from anybody.”
Mitchell, the 6-9 transfer from Rhode Island, has raised his level of play since Arkansas returned from the Maui Invitational in late November. In the last 8 games, he has averaged 9.5 points on 67.3% shooting, 7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 blocks per game in 22 minutes.
Mitchell blocked just 3 shots in the Razorbacks’ opening 6 games of the season and added 5 points and 3.7 rebounds.
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His emergence as a consistent rim protector and rebounder on both ends has been key and a touch under the radar. According to KenPom data, Mitchell ranks 45th nationally with a block rate of 8.3%.
In two SEC games, that figure is 9.8%, which is sixth best in the league. He had three blocks at LSU and two against Missouri.
“Makhi has done a great job for us defensively,” Musselman said Thursday. “Like I said, rolling and catching the ball in traffic off our pick-and-roll game and (he has) certainly done a great job protecting the rim.”
According to CBB Analytics, he has a block percentage of 9.9% in the last 10 games and a steal rate of 3.2% in the same span. Among active players, his 21 rejections this season are 13 more than second most on the team (Black).
Mitchell’s 18 steals are fifth among Razorbacks — one fewer than freshman wing Jordan Walsh, who has played 60 more minutes this season.
HoopLens data shows Arkansas has allowed 0.84 points per possession during Mitchell’s 87 defensive possessions in SEC play, and 1.04 PPP in 53 defensive trips in which he has been off the floor. In those games, he helped the Razorbacks slow LSU forward KJ Williams and Missouri forward Kobe Brown.
Williams, averaging 19.3 points entering the SEC opener against Arkansas, finished with eight points. On Wednesday, Brown was 3 of 7 from the floor for 11 points, which was 4.6 points below his season average.
Arkansas will need more of the same from Mitchell on Saturday at No. 22 Auburn. The Tigers are led by 6-10 forward Johni Broome, a Morehead State transfer averaging 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds this season.
He ranks in the top five in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage in SEC games, according to KenPom data. Broome finished with 22 points and 12 rebounds in Auburn’s loss at Georgia on Wednesday.
“It was good to see him knock down a couple of threes,” Pearl said of Broome after the loss to the Bulldogs. “We can build on it. He shot the ball. He made one at Washington and he made some at practice. I thought he could be a stretch 5. He hadn’t shown any ability in the fall or summer, but he has recently.
“That could help us a little bit offensively.”
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According to Hoop-Math statistics, Broome is 52 of 81 (64.2%) at the rim this season and has 26 offensive rebound putbacks. Arkansas native Chris Moore (6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds per game) is second on the team with six.
Additionally, Moore has 23 rim scores and Dylan Cardwell, an energizing forward for Auburn, has 26. Mitchell at some point will likely have to contend with both players.
Mitchell has also provided plenty of early offense for the Razorbacks, scoring the team’s first points in eight of the last 10 games. And he has done so four times after halftime.
Musselman said Thursday that the Razorbacks like to try to get Mitchell going in the opening minutes of halves.
“I think you want to reward a guy that’s a defensive anchor for you, and I think any time you can score or touch the ball … Coach (Chuck) Daly used to talk about engagement,” Musselman added. “You kind of get engaged in the game quickly if you feel a part of it. Often times in the past – not necessarily this year, but in the past – we’ve tried to run a first play of the game that multiple people touch the ball to feel some involvement early on.
“Certainly trying to get him going early and then maybe see a ton of energy at the defensive end and on the glass becomes important for us to start games off.”