Arkansas Basketball: 2019-20 Season Preview

The Arkansas Razorbacks are gearing up for an exciting 2019-20 season! Here’s a preview of what to expect from the team this year.

2019-20 Arkansas Basketball Roster

The 2019-20 Arkansas basketball roster will feature a mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers. The Razorbacks return 10 lettermen from last season, including four starters. Headlining the group is All-SEC performer Mason Jones, who averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds per game as a junior.

The newcomers include a highly touted freshman class that was ranked among the top 25 in the country by most recruiting services. The group is headlined by 5-star center Isaiah Joe, who was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas as a senior in High School

2019-20 Schedule

The 2019-20 Arkansas Razorbacks Basketball Schedule is rapidly approaching. Here’s a look at what to expect from the Hogs this season.

The first thing to know about the 2019-20 Arkansas Basketball Schedule is that it is loaded with big non-conference games. The Hogs will face off against some of the best teams in the country, including Louisville, Gonzaga, and Memphis. They’ll also have a chance to make a statement early in the season with a matchup against Oregon in Portland.

In conference play the Hogs will have their work cut out for them in a loaded SEC. They’ll have to face Kentucky and Tennessee twice each, along with road games against LSU, Auburn, and Missouri. But if they can navigated that gauntlet, they’ll be in good position to make a run at an NCAA tournament berth.

2019-20 Season Outlook

The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team is gearing up for the 2019-20 season with high hopes. After a disappointing 2018-19 campaign that saw the Hogs finish just 16-16 overall and 6-12 in SEC play, first-year Head Coach Eric Musselman has his work cut out for him in his second season at the helm.

The good news is that Arkansas returns a solid core of experienced players, led by senior guard Mason Jones. Jones was one of the SEC’s top scorers last season, averaging 20.1 points per game He’ll be joined by fellow senior Jimmy Whitt, who averaged 13.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season.

The Hogs will also have junior Isaiah Joe back in the fold after he missed the end of last season due to injury. Joe is one of the best three-point shooters in the country and he’ll give Arkansas a much-needed boost on the offensive end of the court.

Musselman will also have a talented group of newcomers to work with, including freshman guard Desi Sills and junior college transfer Jalen Harris. Sills is a highly-touted recruit who should make an immediate impact while Harris provides some much-needed experience in the backcourt.

With a more experienced roster and a talented group of newcomers, the Razorbacks are looking to take a significant step forward in 2019-20 and challenge for an NCAA Tournament berth.

Key Returners

Arkansas will look to build on a successful 2018-19 campaign that saw the Razorbacks reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. head coach Mike Anderson returns for his eighth season at the helm, and he’ll have a experienced core of players to work with.

Senior guard Mason Jones is the team’s leading returning scorer after averaging 15.2 points per game last season. Jones is also a strong defender, and he’ll be counted on to provide leadership for a relatively young Arkansas team.

Junior forward Isaiah Joe is one of the best shooters in the country, and he proved it last season by knocking down a school-record 105 three-pointers. Joe averaged 13.9 points per game as a sophomore, and he’ll be looked to for more scoring this season.

Sophomore guard Desi Sills was one of the SEC’s best sixth men last season, averaging 9.8 points in just 21 minutes per game. Sills is an explosive scorer who can provide instant offense off the bench, and he should see increased playing time this season as a result.

Key Departures

Arkansas will have to replace a lot of production from last year’s team with the departures of Jaylen Barford, Daryl Macon, and Anton Beard. All three were significant contributors on the offensive end of the court, averaging a combined 34.4 points per game The biggest void left by their departures will be on the perimeter, as the Hogs will lose 60.6% of their Three-point shooting from a season ago. The good news for Arkansas is that they do return a number of experienced players who saw significant playing time last year and should be able to step into larger roles this season.

Newcomers

The 2019-20 Arkansas Basketball team will have a new look, as the Razorbacks have five newcomers on the roster.

Head coach Eric Musselman will have to rely on his newcomers to make an impact this season, as the Razorbacks lost a lot of talent from last year’s team. Daniel Gafford, who was Arkansas’ leading scorer and rebounder last season, declared for the NBA draft after his sophomore year and is expected to be a lottery pick. Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon, who were also key contributors for the Razorbacks last season, also graduated.

Arkansas’ five newcomers are freshmen Moses Moody and Reggie Chaney, transfer Justin Smith (Indiana) and graduate transfers Jimmy Whitt (SMU) and Jalen Harris (Nevada).

Moody is a 6-foot-6 guard from Little Rock, Arkansas who was ranked as the No. 25 player in the 2020 class by ESPN. He is expected to be one of the Razorbacks’ top scorers this season.

Chaney is a 6-foot-8 forward from Little Rock who was ranked as the No. 49 player in the 2020 class by ESPN. He is expected to be a key contributor on both ends of the court for the Razorbacks this season.

Smith is a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in two seasons at Indiana. He will be eligible to play for the Razorbacks immediately after transferring from Indiana.

Whitt is a 6-foot-3 guard who averaged 16.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season at SMU. He will be eligible to play for the Razorbacks immediately after graduating from SMU.

Harris is a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game last season at Nevada. He will be eligible to play for the Razorbacks immediately after graduating from Nevada

Position Breakdown

The Arkansas Razorbacks are gearing up for another exciting season of basketball. Here’s a look at the team’s position breakdown as they head into the 2019-20 season:

Guards
The Razorbacks have a strong group of guards this season, led by senior Jaylen Barford. Barford averaged 16.9 Points per game last season and will be counted on to provide a scoring punch again this year. Other key guards include sophomore Isaiah Joe, who shot nearly 45 percent from three-point range last season, and freshman Desi Sills, who was rated as one of the top prospects in the state of Arkansas.

Forwards
Senior Darious Hall is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder after averaging 12.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season. He’ll be joined in the frontcourt by junior Adrio Bailey, who is a versatile player that can contribute on both ends of the court. Sophomore Ethan Henderson and freshman Reggie Chaney round out the group of forwards and are expected to see significant minutes this season.

Center
The Razorbacks don’t have a lot of size in the middle, but they do have a talented group of big men led by junior Daniel Gafford. Gafford is one of the top prospects in the country and is expected to be a difference maker on both ends of the court. Junior Dwight Murray Jr. and sophomore Jalen Harris are also expected to see time at center this season.

Coaching Staff

The Arkansas basketball team will have a new Head Coach this season, as Mike Anderson was fired in March and Eric Musselman was hired soon after. Musselman has a wealth of experience, both in the collegiate ranks and in the NBA, but he has never coached in the SEC before. He will be joined by a mostly new staff, as only two assistant coaches from last season’s staff will return.

Musselman will look to turn around a Razorback team that has struggled in recent years The Hogs have not made the NCAA tournament since 2015 and have only won one NCAA tournament game since 2005. They have also lost 20 or more games in four of the last five seasons. But with a new coach and several new players, there is hope that the Hogs can turn things around and get back to being a competitive team in the SEC.

Final Thoughts

It will be an exciting season for Kansas Basketball and fans should be hopeful for a strong showing in the 2019-20 campaign. The Razorbacks have a lot of talent on their roster, and they should be able to compete with anyone in the SEC. If everything goes according to plan, Arkansas could find themselves playing in the postseason come March.

Predictions

The Arkansas Basketball team is coming off a disappointing 16-16 season in which they went 8-10 in SEC play. Head coach Mike Anderson is entering his eighth season at the helm, and he’ll be looking to get the Razorbacks back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. The Razorbacks have a talented roster that includes SEC All-Freshman team member Isaiah Joe, who averaged 13.9 points per game last season. Joe will be joined by returning starters Mason Jones and Jimmy Whitt Jr. as well as senior Adrio Bailey, who was second on the team in scoring last season with 11.5 points per game. Arkansas will also have a new addition to their roster in Junior College transfer Desi Sills, who averaged 22.6 points per game last season at John A. Logan College With a talented roster and a favorable schedule, the Razorbacks are poised to have a successful 2019-20 season.