FAYETTEVILLE — Ready or not, SEC play is here for the Arkansas basketball team.
A top-25 showdown with Baylor in the Big 12/SEC Challenge looms next month, but the Razorbacks are otherwise through the non-conference portion of their schedule.
Arkansas will head to LSU on Wednesday with an 11-1 record, top-10 ranking and high-flying reputation as one of the most exciting and entertaining teams in the country. With eight more in their last game, the Razorbacks have thrown down 59 dunks — and that’s just during the regular season.
Ten different players have contributed to that total, which includes many highlight-worthy dunks.
With that in mind, Best of Arkansas Sports has compiled a list of the best dunks by Arkansas through non-conference play. We start with No. 11-20, plus the “best of the rest,” and will unveil the top 10 on Tuesday…
Top Arkansas Basketball Dunks: 20-11
20. Jalen Graham’s fastbreak poster vs. UNC Asheville
The Razorbacks were already on cruise control midway through the first half against UNC Asheville when Ricky Council IV threw a bounce pass to Jalen Graham streaking to the basket on a fast break.
Graham went up and threw down a one-handed slam over Drew Pember, the Bulldogs’ 6-foot-10 transfer from Tennessee who came into the game ranked seventh nationally in blocked shots per game (2.92).
19. Anthony Black with authority over Orange Bassano
Sure, this wasn’t a regular-season game. It wasn’t even against an NCAA opponent. The Razorbacks’ trip overseas featured some questionable competition, but what can’t be questioned is the athleticism packed into Anthony Black’s 6-foot-7 frame. Not bad for a point guard.
18. Ricky Council IV back-door cut and reverse vs. San Jose State
Davonte Davis drew the San Jose State defense in with a drive down the middle of the lane and Ricky Council IV made them pay. His back-door cut along the baseline was unimpeded, so he added a little flare to the dunk — not to mention the slick pass from Devo to get him the ball.
17. Ricky Council IV fastbreak finish vs. Creighton in Maui
In the midst of an epic match-up with Creighton at the Maui Invitational, Anthony Black grabbed a rebound, dribbled it to about mid-court and dished a perfect bounce pass to Ricky Council IV streaking to the basket. Council took care of the rest, cutting the Bluejays’ four-point lead in half.
16. Trevon Brazile over Anthony Black+Jalen Graham in Red-White Game
After a four-game foreign tour, the Red-White Game at Barnhill Arena gave fans their first opportunity to see these highly touted Razorbacks in person. Trevon Brazile treated the crowd by jumping over a couple of his teammates to throw down a dunk.
15. Jalen Graham takes the elevator to finish lob vs. UNC Asheville
The rout was already well underway by the time this second-half dunk happened, but it was impressive nonetheless. Joseph Pinion and Jalen Graham had a two-on-one fastbreak situation and UNC Asheville chose to stop Pinion.
Even though Graham was calling for him to throw it off the backboard, the freshman opted for a lob instead. The 6-foot-9 Arizona State transfer made him look good.
“I kinda just threw it up,” Pinion said afterward. “I’m very thankful that Jalen was there to just go grab it, because that was a terrible pass.”
14. Jordan Walsh back-to-back fast-break hammers vs. Bradley
Considering how freakishly athletic he is, perhaps one of the most surprising stats over the first 10 games of the season was the fact that Jordan Walsh had only one dunk. He tripled that total in a span of 12 seconds as Arkansas went on the 11-0 run that essentially separated itself from Bradley for good midway through the first half of the annual game in North Little Rock.
Both of them were fast-break slams. Walsh started the first himself with a steal in the lane and then Davonte Davis jumped in front of a pass to start the second. Anthony Black assisted both of them.
13. Ricky Council IV steal and slam vs. Troy
In their first game back from Maui, the Razorbacks found themselves in a dog fight with Troy. They got a boost from Ricky Council IV late in the first half when the Trojans’ ball handler bringing it up the court bobbled it ever so slightly and the Wichita State transfer came up with it. Once he had the ball, there was nothing Troy could do to stop what happened next.
12. Trevon Brazile scrapes elbow on rim vs. Fordham
At first glance, this may have seemed like a basic alley oop from Ricky Council IV to Trevon Brazile. Upon a closer look, though, you’ll realize that Brazile got up so high that he actually scraped his elbow on the rim and had to get it taped up.
11. Jalen Graham detonates vs. Bradley in NLR
The aforementioned back-to-back dunks by Jordan Walsh may have been more meaningful, but Jalen Graham put an exclamation point on the blowout with a thunderous posterization of Bradley’s Malevy Leons. The only bad thing about the play was Walsh receiving a technical for taunting by patting his head.
Top Arkansas Basketball Dunks – Best of the Rest
Trevon Brazile near the FT line vs. Valencia in Europe
(last highlight of this clip)
Nick Smith Jr. lob to Ricky Council IV on the break vs. Valencia in Europe
Anthony Black steals, saves, dishes to Nick Smith Jr. for slam vs. Oklahoma
Anthony Black lob to Trevon Brazile from outside the lane vs. Rogers State
Ricky Council IV backdoor cut leads to two-handed tomahawk vs. UNC Asheville
Davonte Davis lob to Ricky Council IV on back screen vs. Louisville
Joseph Pinion rocks the cradle on the break vs. UNC Asheville
Nick Smith Jr. putback slam vs. Rogers State
Ricky Council IV backdoor cut + reverse slam vs. South Dakota State
Makhel Mitchell and Anthony Black back-to-back vs. Louisville
Ricky Council IV exclamation point vs. Oklahoma
Anthony Black beats full-court press with authority vs. San Diego State
Barry Dunning Jr. loose-ball poster vs. Orange Bassano in Europe
Nick Smith Jr. lob to Jordan Walsh out of pick-and-roll vs. Valencia in Europe
Anthony Black long-range lob to Jordan Walsh vs. Catalan Elite in Europe
Jordan Walsh steal and slam vs. Oklahoma
Anthony Black pick-and-roll + lob to Trevon Brazile vs. North Dakota State
Ricky Council IV fastbreak tomahawk vs. Louisville
Ricky Council IV baseline buzzerbeater in Red-White Game
Ricky Council IV between the legs off of a lob in dunk contest
Andrew Hutchinson contributed to this ranking.
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