Arkansas basketball: Projected rotation for 2023-24 season
Eric Musselman was able to finalize his roster for next season with the addition of Memphis transfer, Chandler Lawson. Now that all of the pieces are in place, it’s time to look ahead and see what Arkansas basketball has with their roster.
Musselman is notorious for his short rotations of playing seven or – at maximum – eight guys for the majority of the minutes. That will most likely not change next year.
Arkansas has a lot of experienced guys – especially in the backcourt – that will be vying for extremely limited space at the top of the depth chart. We know Musselman will shake things up throughout the season, but here’s what I believe is the most likely rotation for Razorback basketball next season.
Starter: El Ellis (Guard)
Height: 6-3
Last Season: (at Louisiville) 17.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals, 41.0 FG%, 31.9 3PT% and 81.0 FT%
Projected Role: Primary Facilitator and Scorer – El Ellis transferred to Arkansas after two seasons at Louisville. Ellis’ role for next season will be somewhat similar to what fans saw with JD Notae in 2021-22. He’ll handle the ball, get Arkansas into their sets and direct traffic while possessing the ability to go get a bucket at all three levels, if and when things break down. Ellis will have much more offensive help than Notae did, so I’m going to stop short of saying he’ll have a special season like Notae’s 2021-22.
Starter: Devo Davis (Guard)
Height: 6-4
Last Season: 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 41.5 FG%, 34.6 3PT%, 71.9 FT% and 33.1 minutes
Projected Role: Secondary Facilitator and Defensive Leader – Devo Davis is back for another season in Fayetteville after testing the professional waters. Davis will be part of a talented and experienced, yet crowded backcourt next year. His role will likely remain the same as it has in years past. Devo is going to do what Devo does. He’ll wreck havoc on the defensive end – likely guarding the opposing team’s best player – and give you a burst of energy and scoring on the offensive end.
Starter: Tramon Mark (Guard)
Height: 6-5
Last Season: (at Houston) 10.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 39.0 FG%, 32.8 3PT%, 78.4 FT% and 29.4 minutes
Projected Role: Lockdown Defender – Tramon Mark was a huge addition for Eric Musselman this off-season. He brings three years of experience at Houston to Fayetteville and gives Arkansas another tenacious defender to pair with Devo Davis. He’ll primarily score in off-ball situations because his shot creation lacks, but he can knock down outside shots occasionally. Look for him to have a similar role to Au’Diese Toney and Stanley Umude from 2021-22, although Mark is currently a much better player, individually, than those two.
Starter: Trevon Brazile (Forward)
Height: 6-10
Last Season: 11.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals, 48.1 FG%, 37.9 3PT% and 27.1 minutes. Missed all but nine games due to injury.
Projected Role: Stretch Big – A torn ACL after just nine games sidelined Trevon Brazile last season, and he will look to pick up where he left off. He had become a difference maker for the Hogs before his injury as he could stretch the floor and open things up offensively, while blocking shots and providing a solid paint presence on defense. He’ll likely be used similar to last year and will hopefully be able to get back to his old self.
Starter: Makhi Mitchell (Center)
Height: 6-10
Last Season: 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 blocks 66.2 FG%, 65.2 FT% and 20.1 minutes
Projected Role: Traditional Big – Makhi Mitchell is back for year two in Fayetteville after being the starting center for almost all of last season. Mitchell will likely start alongside of Trevon Brazile and be tasked with rebounding and defending the paint. He’s a solid pick-and-roll threat on offense, but the majority of his role will be to rebound and defend inside.
6th Man - Starter Minutes: Khalif Battle (Guard)
Height: 6-5
Last Season: (at Temple) 17.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 41.0 FG%, 35.0 3PT%, 89.8 FT% and 32.2 minutes
Projected Role: Primary Scorer – Khalif Battle is an exciting addition to this Arkansas team. He can hit threes at an insanely high clip and is automatic at the free throw line. Battle will likely assume a role similar to JD Notae’s first season with Arkansas where he came off the bench to provide a scoring boost. While he may not start, Battle should see the same amount of minutes as a starter.
End Rotation: Jalen Graham (Forward)
Height: 6-10
Last Season: 5.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 65.5 FG%, 37.1 FT% and 9.4 minutes
Projected Role: Offensive-Minded Big – Jalen Graham kicks off the portion of Eric Musselman’s rotation that changes drastically throughout a season. Graham struggled mightily last season on the defensive end, but was able to provide sparks offensively when he did play. He’ll likely see action when Mitchell or Brazile need rest or find themselves in foul trouble. He’s got a decent edge over rookie Baye Fall as the first big off the bench.
End Rotation: Layden Blocker (Guard)
Height: 6-2
Last Season: Averaged 15.8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 27 minutes per game in the EYBL playing for Bradley Beal Elite during summer of 2022.
Projected Role: Secondary Facilitator – Layden Blocker has the potential to surprise a lot of Arkansas fans next season. He’s got insane floor speed and athleticism. His ball handling is decent enough that he’s able to get to the rim and showcase his exceptional finishing ability. He’ll likely be tasked with initiating the offense when Ellis or Davis are not on the floor. Blocker could crack into the main rotation later in the season, but will be the second guard off the bench after Khalif Battle.
Bench: Chandler Lawson (Forward)
Height: 6-7
Last Season: (at Memphis) 5.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 56.7 FG% and 19.5 minutes
Projected Role: Rebounding Wing – Chandler Lawson committed to Arkansas just two days ago and is the final piece of next season’s roster – for now. He likely won’t see a big role, but could be used sparingly in a similar manner that Kamani Johnson was the last couple of seasons. He does a lot of things similar to how Jordan Walsh impacted games at the end of last season, which could lead to early minutes as well.
Bench: Keyon Menifield (Guard)
Height: 6-1
Last Season: (at Washington) 10.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, 41.0 FG%, 33.0 3PT%, 69.8 FT% and 28.7 minutes
Projected Role: Secondary Scorer and Facilitator – Keyon Menifield had a pretty solid freshman season at Washington. However, he’s joining a crowded backcourt rotation that will be extremely difficult to crack into. He and Layden Blocker will likely be in competition for the role of second guard off the bench behind Khalif Battle.
Bench: Baye Fall (Forward)
Height: 6-10
Last Season: Averaged 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a junior at Denver Prep Academy.
Projected Role: Athletic Big with Stretch Potential – Baye Fall is an interesting case because he is extremely gifted athletically but extremely raw. That will likely keep him from seeing consistent playing time in favor of Jalen Graham. Fall will have a fair share of opportunities but won’t have much of a leash to make mistakes and keep a defined role.
Bench: Joseph Pinion (Guard)
Height: 6-5
Last Season: 2.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 44.7 FG%, 38.2 3PT% and 5.7 minutes
Projected Role: Spot-Up Shooter – Joseph Pinion is the only freshman from last year’s team to return to Fayetteville for another season. He saw a fair share of playing time last season because Arkansas needed his shooting. A breakout game against Missouri in January gave fans hope, but Pinion couldn’t hit enough shots to justify his subpar defensive ability. He will have a tougher time seeing action this season in a crowded backcourt, but his shooting ability could give him opportunities.
Bench: Jeremiah Davenport (Forward)
Height: 6-6
Last Season: (at Cincinnati) 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 35.1 FG%, 33.0 3PT%, 83.0 FT% and 25.6 minutes
Projected Role: Off-Ball Scorer and Rebounding Wing – It’s tough to see Jeremiah Davenport seeing much playing time with a healthy roster. He was a streaky shooter during his time at Cincinnati and struggled to impact the game much when his shot wasn’t falling. Chandler Lawson offers a similar skillset to Davenport’s which could keep him on the bench.
