2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team

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2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball
Arkansas Razorbacks logo.svg
NCAA Tournament, Elite Eight
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 6
APNo. 10
2020–21 record25–7 (13–4 SEC)
Head coach
Associate head coachDavid Patrick (1st season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaBud Walton Arena
(Capacity: 19,368)
Seasons
2020–21 Southeastern Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 5 Alabama† 16 – 2   .889 26 – 7   .788
No. 10 Arkansas 13 – 4   .765 25 – 7   .781
LSU 11 – 6   .647 19 – 10   .655
Tennessee 10 – 7   .588 18 – 9   .667
Florida 9 – 7   .563 15 – 10   .600
Ole Miss 10 – 8   .556 16 – 12   .571
Missouri 8 – 8   .500 16 – 10   .615
Kentucky 8 – 9   .471 9 – 16   .360
Mississippi State 8 – 10   .444 18 – 15   .545
Georgia 7 – 11   .389 14 – 12   .538
Auburn* 7 – 11   .389 13 – 14   .481
South Carolina 4 – 12   .250 6 – 15   .286
Texas A&M 2 – 8   .200 8 – 10   .444
Vanderbilt 3 – 13   .188 9 – 16   .360
*Ineligible for postseason due to self-imposed postseason ban.
† 2021 SEC Tournament winner

The 2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Eric Musselman, and played their home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks finished second in the SEC regular season and earned a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament's South Regional. Arkansas went on to make it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1995–96 season, and then to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1994–95 season. Freshman guard Moses Moody was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, 1st Team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, and AP Honorable Mention All-American. The Razorbacks finished the season with an overall record of 25–7, 13–4 in SEC play, and finished ranked #6 in the Coaches Poll and #10 in the AP Poll. Arkansas's season ended when they lost to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight, playing the Bears closer than any other team in the Tournament.

The Razorbacks cruised through a pandemic-shortened non-conference slate that originally featured a neutral site matchup against Oklahoma in Tulsa, Oklahoma and a bid to the MGM Resorts Main Event tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] The non-conference schedule included a game against an in-state program, the University of Central Arkansas, for the first time since a match against Arkansas State in the 1987 NIT and the first time in the regular season since playing Arkansas Tech in 1950.[2] The Razorbacks also defeated their eventual Sweet Sixteen opponent, Oral Roberts, in a non-conference game in Bud Walton Arena. Owning an 8–0 record heading into conference play, Arkansas started its SEC regular season with a road win against Auburn, but lost starter Justin Smith to an ankle injury that sidelined or limited him for the first third of conference play, which contributed to Arkansas getting off to a rough 2–4 start against SEC competition, including consecutive blowout losses on the road to LSU and Alabama.[3]

After the losses to LSU and Alabama, which were sandwiched around the toughest practice of the Musselman era, the Razorbacks turned their season around and did not lose another regular season SEC game, winning eleven straight conference matchups and eleven out of their last twelve overall in the regular season, with the lone loss coming on the road against Oklahoma State.[4] The conference winning streak included three wins against teams that beat the Razorbacks earlier in the season, two top-ten wins, and the Razorbacks' first top-ten road win since 2006.[5] Arkansas became ranked for the first time since 2018 on February 15, 2021.[6] The Razorbacks followed that up by being ranked in consecutive polls for the first time since 2015, then hosted their first ranked matchup in Fayetteville since 1998 when #6 Alabama came to town with a chance to clinch the SEC regular season championship before losing to Arkansas 81–66.[7][8]

After winning every game in the month of February, the Razorbacks were ranked #12 before closing out the regular season in second place for the SEC title with a 13–4 conference record, their highest finish in league play since the 2014–15 season and as high as they had finished since winning the conference and national titles in 1994. Arkansas entered the 2021 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament ranked #8, the team's highest ranking since the 1994–95 season.[9] After beating Missouri in the quarterfinals and losing to LSU in the semifinals, the Razorbacks earned a 3 seed for the NCAA Tournament, their highest seed since the 1994–95 season.[10]

Arkansas advanced to the Elite Eight after victories against Colgate, Texas Tech, and Oral Roberts. Arkansas had not made a Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1996 and had not made it to the Elite Eight since 1995.[11] The Hogs lost to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight. The Razorbacks finished the season ranked #10 in the AP Poll and #6 in the Coaches Poll; it was their first top-ten finish since 1995.[12]

Senior guard Jalen Tate was named to the All-South Region team after his performance in the NCAA Tournament.[13] Freshman guard Moses Moody was voted AP Honorable Mention All-American, 1st Team All-SEC, SEC Freshman of the Year, and SEC All-Freshman.[14] Junior guard JD Notae was named SEC Sixth Man of the Year.[15]

Previous season[]

The Razorbacks finished the 2019–20 season with a record of 20–12, 7–11 in SEC play to finish in a tie for 10th place. Junior Mason Jones won a share of the SEC Player of the Year award and was named a consensus First-Team All-SEC player.[16]

Arkansas started the season strong, going into conference play with an 11–1 record, including two road wins against Power Five teams, Georgia Tech and Indiana.

After winning their first-round game against Vanderbilt on March 11, 2020, the Hogs were slated for a rematch against South Carolina in the second round, but the SEC announced on March 12, 2020 that the SEC Tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an announcement following from the NCAA later that day that the whole tournament was cancelled, along with all other winter and spring championships, ending the Razorbacks' season.

They finished with 20 wins against 12 losses in coach Eric Musselman's first season. He was the first coach to win 20 games in his initial campaign at Arkansas since John Pelphrey won 23 in the 2007–08 season.[17]

Offseason[]

On August 1, 2020, star guard Isaiah Joe announced that he was withdrawing his name from the 2020 NBA draft and returning for his junior season.[18] Joe was a member of the 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team and earned preseason All-SEC recognition prior to his sophomore season, before going on to lead the league in three-pointers made, rank fourth in the NCAA for three-pointers made per game, as well as being named SEC Player of the Week on December 30, 2019 before having knee surgery on February 4, 2020, which sidelined him for six games.[19] Joe would have highlighted a group of three returnees with starting experience for the Hogs, but on August 17, 2020, sixteen days after his initial announcement, Joe reversed his decision and opted to declare for the 2020 NBA draft.[20]

Departures[]

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Adrio Bailey 2 F 6'6" 217 Senior Clarence, Louisiana Graduated
Reggie Chaney 35 F 6'8" 222 Sophomore Tulsa, Oklahoma Transferred to Houston
Jeantal Cylla 0 F 6'7" 215 Graduate Transfer Lake Worth Beach, Florida Graduated
Jalen Harris 5 G 6'2" 166 Junior Wilson, North Carolina Transferred to Georgetown
Isaiah Joe 1 G 6'5" 180 Sophomore Fort Smith, Arkansas Declared for 2020 NBA draft; selected 49th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers
Mason Jones 15 G 6'5" 200 Junior DeSoto, Texas Declared for 2020 NBA draft
Ty Stevens 12 G 6'2" 180 Junior Republic, Missouri Left the team
Jimmy Whitt Jr. 33 G 6'3" 175 Graduate Transfer Columbia, Missouri Graduated

Incoming Transfers[]

Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Justin Smith F 6'7" 230 Graduate Student Buffalo Grove, IL Transferred from Indiana after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.
Vance Jackson F 6'9" 230 Graduate Student Pasadena, CA Transferred from New Mexico after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.
Jalen Tate G 6'6" 170 Graduate Student Pickerington, OH Transferred from Northern Kentucky after graduating. Will have one year of eligibility beginning immediately.

2020 Recruiting class[]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Davonte Davis
SG 		Jacksonville, AR Jacksonville (AR) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Oct 12, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Moses Moody
SG 		Little Rock, AR Montverde Academy (FL) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Nov 9, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 87
Jaylin Williams
PF 		Fort Smith, AR Northside (AR) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Nov 23, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 82
Khalen Robinson
PG 		Little Rock, AR Oak Hill Academy (VA) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Nov 28, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 83
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 11  247Sports: 8  ESPN: 5
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Arkansas 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  • "2020 Arkansas Razorbacks Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 15, 2020.

2021 Recruiting class[]

Roster[]

2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
F 0 Justin Smith 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) GS Stevenson HS
Indiana 		Buffalo Grove, Illinois
G 1 JD Notae 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) RS Jr Newton HS
Jacksonville 		Covington, Georgia
F 2 Vance Jackson 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 238 lb (108 kg) GS Prolific Prep
New Mexico 		Pasadena, California
G 3 Desi Sills 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jr Jonesboro HS Jonesboro, Arkansas
G 4 Davonte Davis 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Fr Jacksonville HS Jacksonville, Arkansas
G 5 Moses Moody 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Fr Montverde Academy Little Rock, Arkansas
F 10 Jaylin Williams 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) Fr Northside HS Fort Smith, Arkansas
G 11 Jalen Tate 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 175 lb (79 kg) GS Pickerington HS
Northern Kentucky 		Pickerington, Ohio
G 12 Khalen Robinson 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Fr Oak Hill Academy Little Rock, Arkansas
F 13 Emeka Obukwelu 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 235 lb (107 kg) RS Sr Plano West HS
UT Tyler 		Plano, Texas
F 20 Kamani Johnson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) RS Jr Holy Spirit Preparatory School
UALR 		Brooklyn, New York
F 22 Abayomi Iyiola 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) RS Jr Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academy
Stetson 		Atlanta, Georgia
F 23 Connor Vanover 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m) 247 lb (112 kg) RS So Findlay Prep
California 		Little Rock, Arkansas
F 24 Ethan Henderson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Jr Parkview Arts & Science HS Little Rock, Arkansas
F 33 Bryson Morehead (W) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Fr Obra D. Tompkins HS Katy, Texas
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: August 20, 2020

Schedule and results[]

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
November 25, 2020*
6:30 p.m., SECN+ 		Mississippi Valley State W 142–62  1–0
  23 – Vanover   10 – Williams   7 – Notae  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
November 28, 2020*
5:00 p.m., SECN+ 		North Texas W 69–54  2–0
  18 – Smith   16 – Vanover   3 – Notae  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
December 2, 2020*
8:00 p.m., SECN 		UT Arlington W 72–60  3–0
  24 – Moody   9 – Tied   4 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
December 5, 2020*
4:00 p.m., SECN 		Lipscomb W 86–50  4–0
  18 – Moody   9 – Vanover   4 – Robinson  Bud Walton Arena (4,266)
Fayetteville, AR
December 9, 2020*
7:00 p.m., SECN+ 		Southern W 79–44  5–0
  14 – Davis   9 – Vanover   5 – Sills  Bud Walton Arena (3,256)
Fayetteville, AR
December 12, 2020*
7:00 p.m., SECN+ 		Central Arkansas W 100–75  6–0
  22 – Notae   10 – Vanover   11 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,189)
Fayetteville, AR
December 20, 2020*
1:00 p.m., SECN 		Oral Roberts W 87–76  7–0
  22 – Smith   17 – Smith   4 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,201)
Fayetteville, AR
December 22, 2020*
4:00 p.m., SECN 		Abilene Christian W 85–72  8–0
  21 – Moody   10 – Smith   5 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,110)
Fayetteville, AR
December 30, 2020
6:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at Auburn W 97–85  9–0
(1–0) 		 23 – Sills   6 – Tied   4 – Tate  Auburn Arena (1,824)
Auburn, AL
January 2, 2021
11:00 a.m., CBS 		No. 12 Missouri L 68–81  9–1
(1–1) 		 19 – Notae   10 – Moody   2 – Tied  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
January 6, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at No. 10 Tennessee L 74–79  9–2
(1–2) 		 19 – Notae   9 – Jackson   6 – Tate  Thompson–Boling Arena (4,191)
Knoxville, TN
January 9, 2021
2:30 p.m., SECN 		Georgia W 99–69  10–2
(2–2) 		 25 – Moody   7 – Davis   10 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
January 13, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at LSU L 76–92  10–3
(2–3) 		 22 – Notae   10 – Williams   2 – Tied  Pete Maravich Assembly Center (2,540)
Baton Rouge, LA
January 16, 2021
2:30 p.m., SECN 		at Alabama L 59–90  10–4
(2–4) 		 28 – Moody   9 – Moody   3 – Tate  Coleman Coliseum (2,055)
Tuscaloosa, AL
January 20, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN 		Auburn W 75–73  11–4
(3–4) 		 22 – Sills   7 – Williams   5 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
January 23, 2021
Noon, SECN 		at Vanderbilt W 92–71  12–4
(4–4) 		 26 – Moody   8 – Moody   8 – Tate  Memorial Gymnasium (83)
Nashville, TN
January 27, 2021
7:30 p.m., SECN 		Ole Miss W 74–59  13–4
(5–4) 		 19 – Notae   7 – Vanover   3 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
January 30, 2021*
3:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at Oklahoma State
Big 12/SEC Challenge 		L 77–81  13–5
  18 – Smith   7 – Smith   4 – Smith  Gallagher-Iba Arena (3,350)
Stillwater, OK
February 2, 2021
8:00 p.m., SECN 		Mississippi State W 61–45  14–5
(6–4) 		 13 – Tied   10 – Smith   5 – Tate  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
February 9, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN 		at Kentucky W 81–80  15–5
(7–4) 		 15 – Tate   7 – Moody   3 – Tied  Rupp Arena (3,075)
Lexington, KY
February 13, 2021
3:00 p.m., ESPN2 		at No. 10 Missouri W 86–81 OT 16–5
(8–4) 		 19 – Smith   6 – Smith   4 – Tate  Mizzou Arena (3,111)
Columbia, MO
February 16, 2021
6:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 24 Florida W 75–64  17–5
(9–4) 		 18 – Davis   10 – Williams   4 – Smith  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
February 20, 2021
7:30 p.m., SECN 		No. 24 at Texas A&M Cancelled due to COVID-19 issues within the Texas A&M program Reed Arena 
College Station, TX
February 24, 2021
8:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 20 No. 6 Alabama W 81–66  18–5
(10–4) 		 24 – Moody   12 – Smith   4 – Tied  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
February 27, 2021
1:00 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 20 LSU W 83–75  19–5
(11–4) 		 19 – Smith   10 – Smith   6 – Davis  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
March 2, 2021
5:30 p.m., SECN 		No. 12 at South Carolina W 101–73  20–5
(12–4) 		 28 – Moody   8 – Tied   5 – Notae  Colonial Life Arena (3,193)
Columbia, SC
March 6, 2021
4:00 p.m., SECN 		No. 12 Texas A&M W 87–80  21–5
(13–4) 		 28 – Moody   7 – Tate   5 – Davis  Bud Walton Arena (4,400)
Fayetteville, AR
SEC Tournament
March 12, 2021
6:00 pm, SECN 		(2) No. 8 vs. (7) Missouri
Quarterfinals 		W 70–64  22–5
  27 – Notae   8 – Tied   4 – Tied  Bridgestone Arena (2,155)
Nashville, TN
March 13, 2021
2:30 pm, ESPN 		(2) No. 8 vs. (3) LSU
Semifinals 		L 71–78  22–6
  28 – Moody   9 – Moody   5 – Davis  Bridgestone Arena (3,164)
Nashville, TN
NCAA Tournament
March 19, 2021
11:45 am, truTV 		(3 S) No. 10 vs. (14 S) Colgate
First Round 		W 85–68  23–6
  29 – Smith   13 – Smith   4 – Tate  Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 21, 2021
5:10 pm, TNT 		(3 S) No. 10 vs. (6 S) No. 21 Texas Tech
Second Round 		W 68–66  24–6
  20 – Smith   10 – Williams   4 – Williams  Hinkle Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 27, 2021
6:25 p.m., TBS 		(3 S) No. 10 vs. (15 S) Oral Roberts
Sweet Sixteen 		W 72–70  25–6
  22 – Tate   14 – Smith   6 – Tate  Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 29, 2021
8:57 p.m., CBS 		(3 S) No. 10 vs. (1 S) No. 3 Baylor
Elite Eight 		L 72–81  25–7
  14 – Tied   4 – Sills   6 – Tied  Lucas Oil Stadium (7,519)
Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Bailey, Eric. "OU men's basketball: Sooners reveal nonconference schedule". TulsaWorld.com. TulsaWorld.com. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  2. ^ Holt, Bob. "Hogs answer UCA's challenge". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  3. ^ Holt, Bob. "Smith's injury a first in his career". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  4. ^ Murphy, Tom. "Following LSU loss, Hogs endure longest practice yet". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  5. ^ Holt, Bob. "Arkansas beats top 10 team on road for first time in 15 years". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  6. ^ Holt, Bob. "Hogs in AP poll for 1st time since 2018". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  7. ^ Holt, Bob. "Ranking rarity: Hogs set to host first top-25 game since 1998". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  8. ^ Bordelon, Scottie. "Hogs jump 4 spots in latest AP men's basketball poll". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  9. ^ Bordelon, Scottie. "Hogs in AP top 10 for 1st time since 1995". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  10. ^ Bordelon, Scottie. "3-seed Arkansas draws Colgate in NCAA Tournament". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Holt, Bob. "Hogs set standard, reflect on season's big picture". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Bordelon, Scottie. "Razorbacks ranked No. 6 in final basketball coaches poll". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  13. ^ Holt, Bob. "Tate named to All-South Region team". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  14. ^ Associated Press. "The Associated Press Men's All-America Teams". apnews.com. The Associated Press. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  15. ^ Bordelon, Scottie. "Moses Moody named SEC freshman of the year". WholeHogSports.com. Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Inc. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  16. ^ https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2020/mar/10/mason-jones-named-ap-co-sec-player-year/
  17. ^ http://www.hogstats.com/results.php
  18. ^ Holt, Bob (August 2, 2020). "Joe makes call to remain Hog". WholeHogSports. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  19. ^ "Isaiah Joe". Arkansas Razorbacks. University of Arkansas. July 16, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  20. ^ Bordelon, Scottie (August 17, 2020). "Isaiah Joe re-entering 2020 NBA Draft". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. WholeHogSports. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
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