Ranking Departed Hogs By How Much They Could Help Current Team

Layden Blocker, John Calipari, Khalif Battle
Photo Credit: DePaul Athletics / Arkansas Athletics / Gonzaga Athletics

With an 0-3 start to SEC play and back-to-back road trips on the docket this week, Arkansas basketball is hovering over the panic button.

It’s not like the Hogs have any bad losses yet, per se. Especially not in conference play, where all three defeats have come against ranked opponents. The problem is that there really aren’t any easy games in the SEC gauntlet this year.

Arkansas’ next two games are away trips to LSU and Missouri, which is about as “easy” of a week as the Hogs are going to get – but everybody knows that counting on two consecutive SEC road wins is a fool’s errand. Even getting to just seven or eight conference wins is going to require Arkansas to pull out some wins against really good teams.

The most frustrating part of the season so far has been the fact that the Razorbacks’ biggest issues have been the fundamentals of the game. They’ve struggled mightily to do the basics – make free throws, finish at the rim, communicate well on defense and rebound the basketball on both ends of the floor. 

Those are things Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari said mostly come down to mental errors. The Head Hog was in disbelief when he found out just how terrible the Hogs shot on layups in Saturday’s 71-63 loss to No. 8 Florida.

“It was 2-16?” he asked, taken aback. “No way. There’s no way a team goes 2-16 next to the basket. Won’t happen. That’s wrong. It’s 2-10 maybe. Not 2-16. No way.”

Judging by the groans heard around Bud Walton Arena after all of those missed shots from close-range, it appears Razorback Nation couldn’t believe its eyes, either.

While it feels like it’s way too early to throw in the towel, the clock is definitely ticking on Arkansas to turn things around. The Hogs currently have just a 10% chance of receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, according to BartTorvik. The time is now for Arkansas to right its wrongs.

Given all of the elementary struggles, it feels like an opportune time to explore an entertaining hypothetical. The Razorbacks notably returned only Trevon Brazile from last year’s team, with everyone else either exhausting their eligibility or hitting the exit gates. But let’s imagine that more than just Brazile had returned. What are this year’s Hogs missing that these departed Razorbacks could supply?

Here’s a look at which former Razorback players could help correct the flaws on Calipari’s team in a universe where Arkansas’ roster wasn’t almost gutted wholesale  – ranked from most to least impactful.

Khalif Battle’s Scoring and Tenacity Sorely Missed

No matter how ugly things get in conference play this year, it will be really hard for Arkansas basketball fans to miss anything about Eric Musselman’s last year in Fayetteville. Still, shooting guard Khalif Battle was often a bright spot in an otherwise dreary year.

First off, Battle was a streaky but skilled perimeter shooter for the Hogs, shooting 35.3% from behind the arc. Considering that Arkansas’ best three-point display in SEC play so far was a measly 21.7% against Ole Miss, that volume scoring would be a welcome addition to this year’s team.

But perhaps the most important tool in Battle’s skillset was his ability to consistently get to the free throw line – and actually make his foul shots. He averaged 6.7 free throw attempts per game last season, which would lead this year’s team ahead of Adou Thiero’s 6.5 per game. Needless to say, Battle’s 87.3% from the charity stripe would also lead the team ahead of Boogie Fland’s 82.8%.

This year, Arkansas ranks dead last in the SEC in free throw attempts per game (18.6) and 12th in free throw percentage (70.8%). Simply put, the Hogs aren’t getting to the charity stripe enough – and when they do, they aren’t taking advantage of it. Missed foul shots are the easiest thing for fans to harp on because, well, they’re free, aren’t they?

Arkansas has already missed 25 free throws in just three SEC games. It missed 11 foul shots in an eight-point loss to Florida. You do the math on that one. Battle’s volume and efficiency from the charity stripe would be a welcome presence on this year’s squad.

Instead, the former Butler, Temple and Razorback guard is now starring for Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference. The Bulldogs currently own a 14-4 record and are ranked 18th in the AP Poll. Battle is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 45% from the field, 37.1% from behind the arc and – brace yourself – 91.5% from the charity stripe.

Layden Blocker Off the Bench Would Ease Depth Concerns

Arguably the most important piece to Arkansas’ puzzle this season has been true freshman guard Boogie Fland, who’s putting up numbers that rival some of Calipari’s best ever lead guards. The 6-foot-2 floor general is currently averaging 15.5 points and 5.8 assists while committing only 1.6 turnovers per game.

Fland has been the cog that makes the Hogs’ engine run. Conversely, the offense has struggled to create much of anything whenever he’s on the bench. DJ Wagner has been solid as a two-guard playing off of Fland, but is much more of a combo guard than a point guard. Johnell Davis spent a lot of time on the ball at FAU, but he’s kind of walked into a perfect storm of disappointment given his timid play at Arkansas so far and a certain overall trend in Razorback athletics.

When Fland is not on the floor, the Razorbacks have often looked lost offensively, leading to long droughts. A secondary playmaker that could come in and spell Fland has been a missing piece for Arkansas so far. That’s where former Arkansas and current DePaul guard Layden Blocker could come in.

During his freshman season, the Little Rock native was an exciting piece off the bench, exhibiting a lot of promise with his playmaking and slashing abilities. He also proved himself a capable on-ball defender, and showed a lot of energy and pride when he was on the floor. 

With these flashes and the spunk he brought to the team, Arkansas fans grew frustrated with Blocker’s lack of playing time amidst the team’s poor results. He averaged only 13.4 minutes per game, and announced his intent to transfer soon after the season ended.

DePaul has struggled this season, currently holding a 9-8 record, but Blocker has played in 16 out of those 17 games, averaging 21 minutes. He’s put up 6.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Respectable numbers, and you’ve got to think he would perform better on a more talented team.

If Blocker had stayed home and returned to Arkansas for a second season, perhaps the Hogs would have a more reliable ball handler to lead the offense off the bench and bring a spark with his athleticism and tenacity. This year’s team could certainly use an injection of Blocker’s home-state energy and pride.

Tramon Mark’s Experience and Toughness Could Have Helped Hogs

Arkansas has struggled with physicality in its first three SEC contests, with Calipari saying that the team ran into some “grown men” against Tennessee and felt the brunt of it in a blowout loss. Tramon Mark, the Hogs’ leading scorer last season, was always a hard-nosed player – especially on the defensive side of the ball.

He transferred in from a relentless defensive team in Houston, and it showed. Mark was probably Arkansas’ best on-ball defender last season, and he helped out-muscle a number of guards despite the team’s struggles. He also always had a focused, deadpan expression on his face that exuded a calm demeanor – much akin to Davis’ straight-faced expressions on the court. That cool facade is certainly something Arkansas could use more of this year.

The senior transferred to Texas, where he is currently averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He has dealt with a couple injuries that have kept him off the floor in four games.

The Longhorns are currently 11-5, and share Arkansas’ 0-3 mark in conference play. They’ll visit Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 26, when Mark will have a chance to show the Razorbacks what they’re missing.

Ranking Other Departed Hogs’ Hypothetical Impact

4) Joseph Pinion – Arkansas State (2024-25 stats: 10.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 45.1% FG, 39% 3PT)

Pinion’s sharpshooting ability could certainly help alleviate Arkansas’ perimeter shooting woes. The Morrilton native has found his footing in Jonesboro, though, helping lead the Red Wolves to multiple upset wins this season. He’s nailing 2.3 threes per game on 5.9 attempts per contest. A-State currently sits at 12-5 overall and tied for third in the Sun Belt.

5) Baye Fall – Kansas State (2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 62.5% FT)

Fall was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school, but he was also viewed as a very raw prospect who would need time to mature. He picked up the sport late while he was a teenager in Senegal, so he’s had much less time to hone his skillset compared to his peers – a very similar pathway to the one new Arkansas football defensive tackle David Oke followed while growing up in Nigeria.

Still, Fall’s incredible wingspan and rim-running ability could at least put some pressure on Arkansas’ other big men in practice and potentially help the team’s rebounding woes.

6) Davonte Davis – Oklahoma State (2.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, 31.9% FG, 19.2% 3PT)

Devo has struggled to get going in Stillwater after departing from Arkansas. Davis’ crafty playmaking always made him a valuable piece for Arkansas, though his sometimes erratic decision-making drove fans and coaches nuts. His last season in Fayetteville was statistically his worst – and things have gone even further downhill with the Pokes. It’s hard to see his skillset fitting in well with this year’s team.

7) Denijay Harris – Southern Miss (16.7 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 50.8% FG)

Sometimes, the grass isn’t always greener – and that was the case with Harris, who left Southern Miss to try his luck at Arkansas. While that didn’t go so well, he’s thriving again after transferring back to Hattiesburg, Miss. He never found a way to crack the rotation at the SEC level, but his imposing physicality would certainly be useful for Arkansas in practice this season.

Tracking Razorback Transfers Who Left in 2023 and Before 

  • Jaxson Robinson – Kentucky (12.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 42.6% FG, 33.3% 3PT)
  • Derrian Ford – Arkansas State (7.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 35.0% FG)
  • Barry Dunning Jr. – South Alabama (12.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 45.6% FG)
  • KK Robinson – Little Rock (2023-24 stats: 15.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.3 apg, 41.7% FG)
    • Has yet to play this season after suffering a knee injury.
  • Chance Moore – St. Bonaventure (14.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.1 apg, 48.4% FG)

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Aaron Torres talks Arkansas’ struggles this year:

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