FAYETTEVILLE – As good as the basketball talent was in Arkansas for the Class of 2020, it already looks like the 2022 crop has a chance to be even better.
So far, Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks have shelled out a staggering five scholarship offers to current sophomores across the Natural State, and the best one may be shooting guard Derrian Ford of Magnolia.
Ford, 6-3, 194, already holds offers from Arkansas, Kansas, Baylor, Florida, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas A&M and others, and many more are expected to come his way in the next couple of years.
“The latest offers that I have are Kansas, Wake Forest and Ole Miss. Those are the only three right now,” Ford said. “All of the coaches stay in contact with me. It’s just a blessing, just a blessing from God. I keep working hard and thanking God for this blessing.”
While Ford has built an impressive list of options very early in his high school career, Musselman and the Hogs of Fayetteville appear to be off to a very good start in recruiting him to the Hill.
“Their coaching staff is very amazing,” Ford said. “I visited up there not too long ago and it was just amazing. I got to meet all of the coaches, see all of the facilities, the campus, I just had a great time. They treat you like family. It’s more than basketball with them. The nutrition, oh my God, it was so good. And the hills, it was so nice up there, I just loved it all.
“He’s doing an amazing job. Coach Muss, I watch him all the time on Twitter. He interacts with the players when they’re training. That lets you know he’s not just on the sidelines coaching, he actually gets into it with his players. That’s what makes their bond so good and how far they came this season. That’s what made them accomplish so many goals this season, by Coach Muss interacting with them.”
In the 2020 class, Musselman finished with the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class by signing four instate four-stars in Jaylin Williams of Fort Smith Northside, North Little Rock native Moses Moody, Bryant native KK Robinson, and Devonta Davis of Jacksonville.
Ford said Arkansas’ ability to keep the home state talent at home definitely caught his attention.
“It just showed me that those guys are trying to show the country that Arkansas really does have talent down here,” Ford said. “I wish the best for them. I pray that they go all the way. That would be good for the state of Arkansas. It would really let other people in the country know that we really do have talent down here.”
While recruiting visits are on hold for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing pandemic, it hasn’t stopped Ford from maintaining a normal workout routine.
“Right now I’m just working out at a church gym every day that we go to,” he said. “We lift weights and then go to the gym, so that’s really just one workout for us. We take our time on the weights. We do it probably every day of the week, but we try to take our time on it and not mess up my body. We try to keep it balanced and try to help my nutrition out.”
In addition to Ford, Arkansas’ other instate offers for the 2022 class include Nick Smith of Sylvan Hills, Joseph Pinion of Morrilton, Kelel Ware of North Little Rock and Javion Guy-King of Little Rock Mills.