Move Aside, LSU: Arkansas Has Its Own “Big Baybe” Now

Abayomi Iyiola

-Evin Demirel

For a while, it appeared the Razorback basketball roster has stopped playing musical chairs. In early August, Stetson big man Abayomi “Baybe” Iyiola announced he’s transferring to Arkansas, which meant the Hogs were maxed out on scholarships for the 2019-20 season at the time.

Iyiola is the fifth transfer brought in during the Eric Musselman era, and he’s the second big man behind Connor Vanover. The 6’9″, 210 power forward led the Stetson Hatters in scoring (10.8), rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (37) last season. He played Corey Williams, the former teammate of Michael Jordan who was the head coach of Stetson before joining Musselman on the Arkansas staff this offseason.

Here are Iyiola’s college stats:

via sports-reference.com

Iyiola, an Atlanta native, projects to add 15-25 pounds of muscle while he sits out the 2019-2020 season due to NCAA rules. As a junior, he’ll play for the Hogs in 2020-2021 and finally give the program its own “Big Baybe” to challenge the longstanding monopoly that rival LSU has had on the nickname with former star Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

Footage of Iyiola at Stetson is hard to find, but you can get a sense of his ability to move well laterally from the video below. He shows nice form on his jumper at :57 and great extension on defense at 1:30:

YouTube video

How many more scholarships does Musselman have left?

Iyiola is the most recent filled scholarship on Eric Musselman’s 2019-2020 roster. Since then, forward Gabe Osabuohien transferred out of the program to West Virginia. That makes Iyiola the program’s 12th scholarship player, one below the max a Division I team can carry. Keyhawn Embery-Simpson, Ibrahim Ali and Justice Hill had previously transferred out. Also, Isaiah Moss decommitted from the Hogs.

The current roster:

PFs/Centers

Connor Vanover

Reggie Chaney

Ethan Henderson

Emeka Obukwelu (walk-on)

Adrio Bailey

Abayomi Iyiola

Wings/swing guards

Mason Jones

Isaiah Joe

Jeantal Cylla 

Khalil Garland [No longer playing for the team. Instead he will serve as a student assistant. He never played in games due to a medical condition]

Jimmy Whitt 

Point guards/pint-sized combo guards

Desi Sills

Jalen Harris

Jimmy Whitt

JD Notae 

Jonathan Holmes [No longer listed as part of the team]

Ty Stevens [walk on]

As of early October, the most discussed possible Razorback transfer is Isaac McBride, the lethal 6’1″ combo guard who was the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas after averaging he led Baptist Prep in Little Rock to a 30-4 record and third straight state title. McBride averaged 28.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, while converting 47.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.

He was especially impressive against elite AAU talent in summer 2018:

YouTube video

McBride, a Kansas signee, spent the summer of 2019 in Lawrence, KS, but in September he announced he was transferring out because the program was not a good fit.

Within days, he was taking an unofficial visit to Arkansas.

It’s unclear where McBride will end up playing. “His late-September departure from Kansas — he never played a game for the Jayhawks — means he’ll likely enroll at another college for the spring semester of the 2019-20 school year,” reporter Kevin McPherson writes. Then, barring a waiver from the NCAA for immediate playing eligibility, McBride wouldn’t play in games until the ’20-21 campaign.

There’s also the question of whether Arkansas wants to spend its last scholarship on McBride. On the surface, McBride would be a great fit for Musselman’s system given his prolific and accurate three-point shooting, as well as his clutch playmaking abilities.

But there is a wild card in the room, too…

UPDATE: Kyree Walker as a Razorback

One of the most tantalizing potential prospects for Arkansas, and likely the most talented, is a current high schooler. Kyree Walker is a consensus five-star, 6-5, 200 pound combo guard now classified as part of the class of 2020 (though he flirted with reclassifying to 2019 for a long time).

The Razorbacks are a strong contender to get the Arizona native. Musselman has been recruiting him for years, so the two have a strong bond.

Walker had a visit scheduled for Arkansas on October 4-6, but postponed it to week or two after that. The visit will be “probably next week or the week after” his Dad, Khari Walker, told McPherson on October 1. “We’re super excited to get there.”

On top of that, 247 Sports predicts Arkansas has a 60% chance of landing Walker (compared to 20% for Arizona and Kansas). That’s an improvement from late summer, when the crystal ball prediction had the odds evenly split between Arkansas and Arizona at 25%, with those pesky Jayhawks in front at 50%.

It looks like the recent NCAA notice of allegations that outlines major violations against the Jayhawks men’s basketball team and coach Bill Self, which likely had a role in McBride’s exit, is helping Arkansas.

Kyree Walker is a prime candidate to graduate high school early and join the Hogs after the first semester. He would join Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones to form an absolutely lethal perimeter trifecta, a core that — if all three players develop great chemistry and improve individually through the rest of the year — would evoke comparisons to the legendary “Triplets” Sidney Moncrief, Ron Brewer and Marvin Delph in terms of sheer offensive firepower. (Moncrief, however, brought a level of rebounding and defensive genius none of these three can approach.)

“One of the more college-ready players in the class, Kyree Walker is already well-built for a wing. He has a strong 6-foot-5 frame and is blossoming as a three-level scorer. Due to his size, he carves out space nicely for himself as a creator and is also a strong rebounder. Walker has an insane motor that seemingly never runs out and this helps him improve on the defensive end as well. He is growing continuing to refine his game in many different ways as the expectation is that he can be a multi-positional college player.”

-Lukas Harkens, BustingBrackets.com

Walker would join a 2020-21 squad that — along with a big like Reggie Chaney — would put serious small-ball stress on any defense in the nation.

YouTube video

Of course, we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves here.

There is the possibility that Walker won’t even play in college. “According to recent sourced reports by Adam Zagoria of New York Times Sports, Kyree Walker has also been considering forgoing college altogether and jumping into professional basketball in ’19-20, with China being one of the potential pro launching spots,” McPherson reported.

Still, the fact such a high-caliber recruit with no ties to the Natural State is seriously considering Arkansas is a testament to the respect Musselman has across the country.

Interested in learning more about the legacy of the original “Triplets” and Arkansas legendary Barnhill Arena? Check out the post below:

http://www.bestofarkansassports.com/the-greatest-barnhill-arena-photos-then-and-now/

Who are the Razorback basketball transfers?

Jimmy Whitt, Mike Anderson’s most highly ranked recruit from 2014 through 2016, has returned to Fayetteville.

https://twitter.com/JimmyWhitt33/status/1133105367683162113

After three years at SMU, Whitt announced in May that he’s committed to play under new head coach Eric Musselman. In mid-June, he returned to the UA campus to start his Razorback 2.0. career. “I don’t know how many times you get a second chance at the school you started at,” Whitt told reporter Dudley Dawson. “There was a feeling inside me that I wanted to give the school and fans something I couldn’t give them the first time around.”

Whitt had 16 points and 6 rebounds in Arkansas’ red-white game in October 2019. “Jimmy has done a great job since he’s been here,” Musselman said. “There are certain guys that when the lights come on, their personality comes out a little bit more. And certainly, if I could say three guys that when the lights come on, or when we’ve gone more live scrimmage.

“Even behind closed doors in practice, Jimmy, and Connor, and Isaiah have been three guys that seem, again, we haven’t done anything other than a few live segments in practice and then today. But those three guys seem to like the lights being on.”

As a graduate transfer, he’s eligible to help wreck SEC defenses alongside Isaiah Joe and Mason Jones in the 2019-2020 season. The 6-5 Whitt averaged a team-high 35 minutes per game for the Mustangs as SMU’s point guard. Whitt averaged 12.3 points per game, and team-highs in rebounds per game (6.4) and assists per game (4).

In the last two years, he has added strength to unleash a more explosive finishing ability than what Hog fans saw in Fayetteville before. “I think I am a better player all around,” Whitt said, according to WholeHogSports.com. “I think I have translated my game into being a stat sheet stuffer kind of player. I have recorded double-doubles and a triple-double these past three years.”

In a late June teleconference, Musselman spoke to what he expected out of Jimmy Whitt in 2019-2020:

“His wingspan is incredible. He’s got the wingspan of a power forward or center. Great anticipation defensively. A guy who can play the point or slide into the off guard. He can guard bigger players because of his athleticism. He’s an extremely good rebounder from the guard position.”

-Eric Mussleman on Jimmy Whitt

And, if the below video is any evidence, he and Hogs point guard Jalen Harris could hook up for dynamic alley-oop sequences next season:

YouTube video

Few Arkansas fans expected such an about face when Whitt announced he was transferring away from Fayetteville in spring 2016 after his freshman season as a Razorback.

Fans had expected much from the four-star recruit out of Columbia, Mo. Instead, the 6’5″ Whitt averaged only 6.1 points and 1.7 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game. As Doc Harper recounts for Arkansas Fight, though “Whitt did not have the type of impactful freshman season most were expecting, he did show enough flashes that make me believe he’ll grow into a really nice player. Whitt’s season started off well. He actually started the team’s first 10 games and reached double figures in scoring in five of the first six games.”

“After that point, he seemed to disappear for a while. He simply wasn’t very good in January save for a season-high 15 point outburst against Missouri in his hometown of Columbia. He only scored 8 points in the team’s next five games that closed the month, including a scoreless stretch in 35 minutes of combined action in three straight games against Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas A&M.”

“However, Whitt seemed to close the season with positive momentum, reaching double figures three times in February and only going scoreless once. He also seemed to find more confidence in his jump shot. Five of his six made threes on the season were in February.”

That famously funky shot of Whitt’s is as funky as ever. Whitt has actually regressed as a three-pointer shooter since his Arkansas days, as you can see below:

Jimmy Whitt Over the Years

Via sports-reference.com

The “SOS” in the far right column stands for “strength of schedule.” Outside of the three-point shot, Whitt has thrived in his all-around game and mid-range shot against inferior talent to what he’ll return to in the SEC. The question of how well he’ll (re)adjust to the SEC defenses is a similar one hanging over Arkansas football’s Ben Hicks, the quarterback who transferred from SMU to Arkansas this winter.

Hicks, though, will carry a much larger load for his team’s offense. Whitt won’t lead the 2019-2020 Razorbacks in minutes and will probably start. It’s difficult to know where he projects at the moment because the actual Razorback roster next season isn’t yet settled.

Here’s a good breakdown from Hog basketball reporter Kevin McPherson:

“A quick, bouncy slasher with plus-arm-length who finishes at a high clip, a tireless rebounder, a dependable facilitator, and a tough defender … Projecting fit in Muss’s pace-and-space offense: Not everybody has to be a 3-point shooter in this offense, and ball movement via the pass won’t be the only effective way to make the defense work as Whitt’s driving and slashing ability will create opportunities for him and others, his offensive rebounding (2.1 per game last season) will be a plus from the backcourt, and his ability to run out in transition or get behind a halfcourt defense and finish above the rim will bring an added dimension to the offense.”

-Kevin McPherson on Jimmy Whitt

It’s also unknown how Musselman and his experienced Razorback basketball assistants will develop Whitt. Musselman, like most analytics-based coaches, eschews the mid-range shot in favor of the three-pointers and drives to the basket for higher probability shots or foul shots. Jimmy Whitt’s bread-and-butter, however, is the midrange shot.

All the same, Whitt wants to play professional basketball. A big reason he chose to play for Musselman is because of Musselman’s experience coaching at that level and developing players at Nevada.

Whitt heard first hand about Musselman from his brother, Marcus Whitt, who was a graduate assistant for Musselman at Nevada in 2017-18. “I’ve seen what Coach Muss had done with some (graduate transfers) at Nevada,” Whitt said. “The guys he did it with, transfers like myself. I got to see and hear about his philosophy and coaching style.”

It’s probable Musselman sold him on developing the driving and perimeter parts of his game. Those skills, in turn, will earn Whitt extra hundreds of thousands of dollars — and potentially extra millions — in the following years.

Whether as a point guard or combo guard, Whitt is entering a spot where Arkansas already has plenty of depth.

How Eric Musselman developed transfers at Nevada

Musselman built Nevada into a mid-major powerhouse by taking in multiple transfers a year and maximizing their development. For Hog fans, his track record of developing transfers is one of the biggest reasons for hope heading into 2019-2020.

But how, specifically, did they improve?

I’ll break that down on a season by season basis below. I’ll start with his first year at Nevada, 2015-16, and add to that in the coming weeks.

Transfers into the 2015-16 Nevada program (This team won 24 games, a 15-game improvement from the previous season.)

Two players joined the program after having played at a previous school, but only Marcus Marshall played for Nevada in 2015-16. The other transfer, Jordan Caroline, sat out a season.

Marcus Marshall –

All stats above are via sports-reference.com

***

Want more Razorback basketball insight? Make sure to read my post about Musselman’s defensive philosophy here:

http://www.bestofarkansassports.com/eric-musselman-explains-hogs-new-rush-the-quarterback-defense/?fbclid=IwAR0S8Z3hUJvwrB9XT79zalHHrkQTehvJI7Xd2PcjixcZdmkeXTvbZc1MKKo

Who are the other Arkansas basketball transfers?

JD Notae

The rest of the SEC, take note: Eric Musselman is building a serious contender in Fayetteville. If the breakthrough doesn’t happen in 2019-2020, then circle 2020-2021.

That’s the first season two of Musselman’s most recent commitments — Janaud “JD” Notae and Connor Vanover — will take the court at Bud Walton Arena to add firepower to an already deep program.

This 6-2 guard from Jacksonville announced on May 22 he’s committed to Arkansas. It wasn’t much of a surprise, given just a week before he retweeted the news about Vanover’s decision.

JD Notae appears to be the real deal. The sophomore transfer’s Jacksonville squad wasn’t the greatest last season, going only 12-20, but he averaged 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 42.7% from the field (32.0% on threes) and 73.0% from the free throw line.

In October, 2019, Eric Musselman described Notae as “a guy that at times has dominated practices. And then there’s times where he turns the ball over a little bit and gets a little bit sloppy. But the year of development that he’ll have, his developmental year we’ll call it instead of a sit-out year, is vital to us because he is a player that is really, really good one-on-one player.”

JD Notae “can create his own shot. He has consistently shot the three ball pretty well. Now it’s just a matter of getting JD to understand good shot, bad shot, and the value of taking care of the basketball. But from a skill level standpoint, he can be a really, really good player for us as we look into the future.”

“I bring playmaking and scoring, but also defense,” JD Notae had told the Democrat-Gazette’s Richard Davenport in the spring. “I can guard bigger people and I feel that I’m a good defensive rebounder.”

Notae, who grew up in Covington, Ga., credits his Patrick Beverley-esque rebounding ability to playing against his older brother and cousin as a youth.

“It just comes from getting roughed up by my older brother and cousin coming up. Nothing was easy,” Notae (pronounced No-Tay) told Davenport. Notae’s cousin played football at Iowa State.

Below is his complete line through both seasons, via sports-reference.com. In 2018, he was the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year.

Notae had to be a featured player in Jacksonville, but his field goal percentage should increase when he plays more of a supporting role. Expect him to get more open shots at Arkansas than at Jacksonville when defenses most collapse on the likes of Isaiah Joe, Jalen Harris, Mason Jones and possibly Kyree Walker.

Notae, who visited he Razorbacks on May 14-15, reportedly drew interest from Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Western Kentucky, Creighton, Colorado State, Bradley and others, according to basketball reporter Kevin McPherson.

“A tough, gritty competitor who finds multiple ways to impact the game — whether scoring the ball, rebounding, facilitating, or being a dog on defense … Projecting fit in Muss’s pace-and-space offense: A tough, jack-of-all trades producer fits in any system, his overall shooting efficiency gets a passing grade, and Notae will have a redshirt season to learn and adapt to Musselman’s philosophies.”

Kevin McPherson on JD Notae, per Hogville.net

“Notae said he’s visited North Carolina-Greensoboro and is also considering Buffalo in addition to the Hogs,” according to McPherson.

Check out his surprisingly lengthy highlights reel below. Notae has a nice, compact form but appears to be more in the realm of a shooting combo guard, someone who could provide some juice off the bench.

YouTube video
PS: If you’ve ever wanted to get depressed looking at an empty, horribly lit arena, definitely check out the part starting at 1:18.

Below is more info on the only Arkansas native transfer (or high schooler) yet to commit to Musselman:

Connor Vanover

In mid May, Connor Vanover, a 7’3″ 225 pound Little Rock native who went un-offered by Mike Anderson, became the Razorbacks’ second transfer commit of the Eric Musselman era. He plays “stretch five” and isn’t hyper-mobile, but has a devastating outside shot and could be an effective player with a rugged power forward (think Reggie Chaney) and the right mix of slashers.

A few months into his Hogs career, Vanover is already showing what a force he is on the court. In the October red-white game, he scored 15 points and had 7 rebounds. What him rain down perimeter fire in the clip below:

YouTube video

Connor is a “unique player. There’s not many guys at his size who can shoot the ball,” Musselman said. “And he’s a great passer and he’s a willing passer. He’s a really good teammate. Probably the neatest thing in such a short timeframe is I thought when Connor came onto campus, he was introverted, didn’t say much.”

“Now he’s one of our most talkative players, and it’s been really cool to see maturity and confidence. When you talk a lot on the floor, it’s usually the guys that are really confident. And I think that Connor’s confidence continues to grow on a daily basis.”

As a freshman at Cal, he averaged 7.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and over a block per game. He started 15 times and had a tantalizing three-game stretch at the end of the year, averaging over 17 points, 6 rebounds and nearly 3 blocks per game.

“Connor has tremendous upside,” Hogs coach Eric Musselman said. “He is an incredibly unique player. At 7-3, he can stretch the floor offensively by shooting the 3-pointer and be a rim-protecting shot blocker on the defensive end.”

Listen to Vanover describe his own pick and pop game here:

YouTube video

“Vanover’s quick release and efficiency from 3 make him unique for someone his size, and his shooting touch with a couple of back-to-the-basket pet moves make him a weapon both in the low- and mid-post, effective rim-protector … Projecting fit in Muss’s pace-and-space offense: Vanover’s ability to shoot all the way out to the 3-point line will not only give Musselman another perimeter weapon, but pulling the opponent’s big away from the basket will help clear out the lane for slashers, plus Vanover is a good passer, and regardless of the systems he’s played in or the minutes he’s gotten Vanover has typically been productive and that will be important as Musselman looks for reliable and consistent contributors”

-Kevin McPherson on Connor Vanover

Vanover entered the transfer portal after his coach was fired. Former Cal head coach Wyking Jones went 16-47 in two years in Berkeley. Former Georgia coach Mark Fox will replace him.

Connor Vanover visited Arkansas on May 9-10. That followed a visit to Vanderbilt on May 7 and 8. He had a great visit to Fayetteville, said his mother, Robyn Irwin Vanover, according to Razorback recruiting insider Dudley Dawson and is deeply familiar with the Razorbacks. Besides his Arkansas upbringing, Robyn Vanover played for the Hogs and Connor played at Findley Prep with current Razorback Reggie Chaney as his teammate.

Check out how the two mesh on the court here:

YouTube video

As a perimeter shooter on offense (filling a role similar to Milwaukee’s Brook Lopez or Toronto’s Marc Gasol at the NBA level) Vanover projects to complement the inside-oriented Reggie Cheney well starting in 2020. He will likely sit out 2019-2020 and then have three seasons to rain down fire upon the heads of mere mortals.

Currently at 225 pounds, Vanover said he wants to add enough muscle to get up to the 235-240 pound range by the time he hits the court for Arkansas. “I’m still growing and getting stronger, so the weight is going to go steadily up. I can’t just put a number down and say I want to be 240 because I may not get that the next two years or I may get it by next year,” he told recruiting reporter Richard Davenport.

“I’m just trying to be as strong and mobile as possible,” Vanover added, according to WholeHogSports.com. “I think a good weight number would be like 235, but I really don’t know how possible that is just to slap a number and say get to it because I’m just trying to stay strong, stay conditioned and be able to play while also gaining weight.”

Musselman’s “pace and space” offense, which Connor Vanover should thrive in, is yet another sign of the differing philosophies of Musselman and former Hogs coach Mike Anderson.

Below check out more about the newest Hog Isaiah Moss, and how he should complete the most dynamic deep-shooting backcourt in Arkansas history:

http://www.bestofarkansassports.com/big-ten-sharpshooter-isaiah-moss-chooses-hogs-over-kansas-oregon/

What about Arkansas basketball transfers out of the program?

It’s vital for the Razorbacks to keep their own top players from transferring away. Guard Keyshawn Embery-Simpson has already entered the transfer portal. A few weeks later, it was announced that center Ibby Ali would also enter the portal. Read more about that here:

http://www.bestofarkansassports.com/in-interview-about-mike-anderson-nolan-richardson-warns-of-transfers/

By far, one of the most important Razorbacks is Isaiah Joe, who finished with the fifth-best three point shooting season for an NCAA freshman last year. Joe projects to be even more vital on a 2019-2020 team that will shoot more three-pointers in Musselman’s system.

“He’s got such a beautiful stroke and a better ball handler than maybe I saw on film,” Musselman told beat reporter Kevin McPherson. We just want to continue to work on his individual skill and continue to get him stronger, but he’s an incredible talent and an incredible young man as far as attitude.”

“We’re going to really need his leadership because he got such great experience this year playing as a young guy.”

More on Musselman’s Basketball Transfer Philosophy

Beyond in-game tactics, the philosophical differences between Anderson and Musselman extend into the recruiting world as well. While Anderson occasionally used grad and undergrad transfers, he was more smitten with the JUCO transfer products. Musselman, however, has made no bones about loving non-JUCO transfers to a higher degree than almost any other college coach. In the same way that Kentucky coach John Calipari fully embraced and adapted to the NBA’s one-and-done rule, so did Musselman embrace and take advantage of the NCAA’s transfer rules to build a mid-major powerhouse program at Nevada.

His success using both undergrad transfers and fifth-year grad transfers is one reason Calipari said of Musselman: “Eric is one of the best in our sport… He has an uncanny feel for the game, and ability to read where the game is at. More importantly, is his ability to motivate and teach his players what it takes to improve and win. He is as good as it gets.”

So it’s no surprise that Musselman addressed his transfers philosophy in a rally during his first trip to Little Rock as head Hog in April. “It is the nature of where our society is in sports, and basketball probably has more than the other sports. [except soccer] You see a lot less of it in baseball than basketball and football,” he said.

Razorback football coach Chad Morris chimed in: “I’d agree with what coach is saying. We have a part of our recruiting department that checks the transfer portal every morning.”

“I can check it for ya,” Musselman quipped. “I check it every morning, lunch, dinner — I’ll check the football one, too.”

When Musselman checked the portal the following morning, he would have seen two of his former Nevada players had entered it. In the following weeks, he saw a flood of other players join them.

When it comes to his philosophy on choosing transfers and recruits, “you have to try to project how much upside a player has and how much an effect you can have on that particular player from a player development standpoint,” Eric Musselman told ESPN 99.5 FM’s John Nabors and Tommy Craft.

Besides the intangibles like competitiveness, drive and attitude, there’s another set of factors to consider. “When you get a prospective student-athlete on campus, how does he fit with everybody? Is his inner circle — mom, dad or whoever he comes with on a visit — how is that external family going to fit into your internal Razorback family?

“All of those things are really, really important when you’re trying to decide who is going to be apart of your program.”

With some of the players listed below, Musselman never had to consider these questions. Others, however, did make visits to the UA campus. Below is a historical list of Arkansas basketball transfer candidates in Musselman’s first season:

UPDATE: Musselman’s first graduate transfer to commit to the Razorbacks is Jeantal Cylla.

Coming from UNC-Wilmington, the 6-foot-7, 215 pound power forward averaged 13.7 points on 42.7 percent shooting while grabbing 4.6 rebounds. He made 84.8 percent of his free throw attempts.

 “Cylla’s catch-and-shoot and one-dribble-and-shoot offensive game pops, as does his craftiness getting to and finishing around the basket … Projecting fit in Muss’s pace-and-space offense: With the stated goals being to put multiple 3-point shooting options on the floor along with getting close-range shots and free-throw opportunties, Cylla checks a lot of boxes and his efficiency (field goals, 3-pointers, and free throws) from a season ago are head-and-shoulders better than the other combo-3/4 options on the roster … Early reports from practice and/or pick-up games: Disclaimer that it’s very early, but initial reports are that Cylla has stood out and impressed as both a shooter and handler (think defensive rebound and push, as well as shot creation) … Role projection for ’19-20Starter or 6th man.”

-Kevin McPherson on Jeantal Cylla, per Hogville.net

Cylla is now signed with the Hogs. Scroll below for more background info on him and other Razorback basketball transfer possibilities from the past.

Who were Razorback basketball transfer possibilities in the past?

Below is a list of some players who looked hard at becoming Razorbacks:

Ithiel Horton

One possible Razorback transfer was Delaware freshman transfer Ithiel Horton. Horton is a 6’3″ rising sophomore from Delaware who averaged 13.2 points per game with 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists last season. [UPDATE: Horton chose Pitt]

Horton visited Arkansas in early July and afterwards said he “really enjoyed” it. “Coach Musselman definitely made me feel like he wanted me,” Ithiel Horton told Rivals.com. “He told me he wouldn’t have got me on the plane and he wouldn’t have brought me down if he didn’t think I could fit in at that level and those guys.”

“No doubt in my mind he’s a coach I could play for,” added Horton, who will sit out the 2019-2020 season. “His style, he likes to lay off the kid and let them decide for themselves. I was looking out there and I was thinking I could play with those guys. They welcomed me with open arms and they made me feel very safe.”

Horton’s final two choices are Arkansas and Pitt. He plans to make his decision in mid July. Here are some clips which show his range (he made 41% of 5.8 three-point attempts per game):

YouTube video

Eric Musselman, however, may not even fill the 13th scholarship spot. “You don’t want to fill a scholarship to plug a hole, or fill a need, if you don’t really feel good about the prospective student-athlete,” he said in a late June teleconference.

“So we’re gonna have patience with that last roster shot. Obviously, we’re going to continue to work hard and see what players are available, but this late there’s probably a small pool of available players.”

YouTube video

KJ Lawson

KJ Lawson, a junior, struggled at Kansas last year, playing less than 10 minutes a game. However, when he’s able to get minutes, the 6’8″, 210 pound stretch power forward has proven his ability to contribute at a high level.

Click the “2” below for more about Cylla, Lawson and other past potential Razorback transfers:

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