Eric Musselman on how foreign tour will benefit Arkansas team chemistry next season

The Razorbacks are going on a European Vacation, with Eric Musselman playing the Chevy Chase role in what he hopes is an enjoyable team-bonding experience across the pond. At his most recent press conference, the Arkansas coach was asked what he’s excited about ahead of the team trip.

Musselman was thrilled to get extra practice time with his team. He’s allowed to hold 10 additional practices stateside before the Hogs head to the Eastern Hemisphere. Practice time in the summer is such an advantage during the years where the team is allowed to play abroad. Most programs, who don’t have foreign trips planned, won’t get that extra practice time, and will start up when the rest of the country does in the fall. So getting those 10 practices in the middle of the summer is a big bonus.

Likewise for the extra games against European competition, which Musselman believes “will be really beneficial.” Given that Arkansas welcomes 11 new players to the team and returns just two guys off of last year’s Elite Eight run, building a connection on this trip is important. “It’s good for everybody to get some chemistry on the floor,” said Musselman.

He continued to emphasize that Arkansas needs to bond and build that chemistry early on. With this trip, they have the opportunity to do just that.

He also added that he’s excited for the coaching staff to get a glimpse at their new guys in action. They plan to experiment and “play different rotations” throughout their time in Europe.

Arkansas Newcomers

Eric Musselman replaced his mass exodus with one of the best recruiting/transfer hauls in the country. Per the On3 Rankings, Arkansas secured the second-best recruiting class in the entire country. Headlined by three five-stars: Nick Smith (4th), Anthony Black (10) and Jordan Walsh (18). Coupled with a four-star and a pair of three-stars.

The Hogs also hit the Transfer Portal hard — as Musselman as done his entire career, even before the new rules made it a widespread phenomenon two years ago.

In 2022, Arkansas landed the Mitchell brothers — 6-10ish forwards Makhi and Makhel — who started at Maryland but played last season at Rhode Island and each averaged roughly 10 points a game. Additionally, they grabbed veteran big Jalen Graham from Arizona State and former Wichita State wing Ricky Council IV. Really, more depth and role pieces than much star power from the portal.

So these additions are hefty and highly-ranked, but the team as a whole is going to rely incredibly heavy on those top freshman to carry the load as scorers. That’s a lot to ask for a team not coached by John Calipari. But Nick Smith is the real deal as a bucket-getting wing. He needs to come through, though, for Arkansas to reach the same heights it did in 2021 and 2022.