Coach John Calipari and his 14th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks welcomed Southern University to Bud Walton Arena on Monday night and officially opened their season by blowing out the Jaguars 109-77 in front of a sparse home crowd. Playing with ease, grace and cohesion not usually seen/nor experienced ‘til spring, it was clearly evident from the jump why Coach Cal is so excited about this collection of cagers. He does tone down his glee, at times, but really has to work to do so. And after watching the first three games – I understand why he is so dang giddy.
Already, they are a deep team with nine interchangeable, long and lean components. Last season’s squad, as limited in depth and size as it was, still advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to a bigger and broader Texas Tech team.
These daze, thanks to N.I.L. (name, image, likeness), universities can simply go out and buy themselves any missing parts they deem necessary to compete, and that’s exactly why Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin transferred from the South – South Carolina and South Florida. The duo brought some much-needed girth and grit into the paint that should pair up nicely with the chiseled and multi-talented veteran Trevon Brazile, and shore up rebounding deficiencies from the past. Aside from being elite glass cleaners, both portalers also possess superior court vision and passing skills. Since Coach Cal likes to occasionally run offenses through his post players, it is a huge advantage to have some who are unafraid and capable of putting the ball on the floor.
Historically, Cal’s guards don’t turn the ball over often, and this backcourt should be no different. PGs D. J. Wagner and Darius Acuff, Jr., have the ball on a string, like a yoyo, making it nearly impossible for defenders to check them when they dribble drive. And of course everyone can shoot the rock, particularly newcomers Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. The latter has one of the quickest triggers I’ve seen in a while (think Scotty Thurman or Al Dillard), and Coach has given him the privilege to pull it. Bam!
In my eyes, the one thing that sets this team apart from others is total and complete athleticism. They are unbelievably gifted. Once you factor in that quickness with their overall length, well, those passing lanes shrink down to nada, and turnovers ensue – in bunches at times.
Another gauge of this somewhat incalculable stat is how many lob passes are thrown for dunks per game? Although this is not a traditionally kept statistic, it has loads of merit. Perfectly timed alley-oops are some of the finer moments in any contest and are becoming an integral part of them, everyday.
I bet the Hogs have thrown 20 lobs, so far; don’t be surprised if this team averages double-digit alley oops every time they take the floor. All nine superstars are capable of dishing out and receiving such dimes, while Brazile and Billy Richmond III take the art of catching and dunking to ridiculously sick heights. Guaranteed highlight film material, every single game.
Karter Knox sat out Monday night with a minor foot issue, and it provided NWA native, Isaiah Sealy, with some much-need PT. At 6’6”, Sealy fits seamlessly into the backcourt fulla tall and rangy brothers who can all dribble, drive, dunk, defend and deal. Sealy showed confidence with the rock in the second half against Southern, as he continually brought the ball up the floor against pressure and kick-started the Arkansas offense. Not bad for a true freshman outta little ol’ Chickendale, Ark.
All in all, this is the best BB team I’ve seen (on paper) in a minute; and seeing as how Cal made it to the Sweet Sixteen with last year’s squad, the sky truly is the limit for these fellas. If they can stay together and stay healthy, there is no telling how many games they can win.
Sure is nice having an elite basketball team simmering on the back burner while the FB program continues to burn in an utter dumpster fire, huh? If the powers-to-be hire someone other than Mr. Football to run the show, and we have to start all over again, the program may never recover. Sad but true.