Eric Musselman shares how young players have handled hype

Arkansas came into the year with much higher expectations than a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament given the level of talent they brought back and brought in from high school and through the Transfer Portal. The Razorbacks really struck oil in the 2022 recruiting cycle, landing five-stars Jordan Walsh, Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. — the final of which was widely regarded as a top-five player in the country.

However, injuries and general inconsistency turned would-be national title contenders into a one of the more athletic and dangerous 8/9 seeds in recent history. They may not have a terrific resume or a stretch of consistent great play to point to, but these Hogs are surely capable of getting hot in a hurry just based on their talent alone.

Ahead of the NCAA Tournament game against Illinois, Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman lauded his rookies and what they’ve been able to contribute despite some of the turmoil throughout the season.

“I think all three of them have done really well,” said Muss, singling out Smith’s resiliency after a tough season full of injuries. “And obviously, you mentioned Nick, who has been in and out of the lineup, and he’s continuing to get his rhythm. That’s really hard on any player at any level, let alone a player that is playing in the SEC.”

Musselman then moved on to comment on Walsh and Black, saying, “Jordan has done a great job. He plays so hard. He can can play three different positions for us, Anthony has been an All-SEC player.”

With the sheer number of fifth, sixth and even some seventh-year guys still around due to COVID eligibility, it’s rare to see teams play so many freshmen heavy minutes — and even rarer to see those teams succeed. That’s why Eric Musselman gives so much credit to his youngsters.

“I think all of those guys have done a great job. Three guys that have started most of the year when they have been available. Not many programs have started three freshmen like we have, again, for the majority of the season. Obviously some guys have been in and out based on match-ups and so on, so forth. But I think those guys have done a great job. They’re playing in the NCAA Tournament, three freshmen that will have a big role for us tomorrow afternoon.”