FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) _ Mike Anderson had plenty of good will with Arkansas
fans when he was hired in 2011, thanks to his time as an assistant coach during
the school’s glory days.
Those 17 years next to former coach Nolan Richardson, including the 1994
national championship, never seemed as far away as they did during last season
when Arkansas finished 16-16.
That’s why, in an attempt to reclaim some of that good will lost over the
course of five seasons with only one NCAA Tournament appearance, Anderson
brought in an influx of top junior-college talent this year to go along with
Southeastern Conference preseason Player of the Year Moses Kingsley .
Whether the additions of guards Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon, along with
forward Arlando Cook, are enough to return the Razorbacks to their 27-win level
of two seasons ago is unclear. But it’s a start.
“The thing that excites me is we’ve got more pieces now,” Anderson said.
“Pieces to the puzzle that fit what we want to do.”
Arkansas spent much of last season unable to recover from the early departures
of former SEC Player of the Year Bobby Portis and All-SEC performer Michael
Qualls.
This season, the Razorbacks hope to mesh quickly around Kingsley, who
considered leaving for the NBA before deciding to come back for his final
season.
The 6-foot-10 Nigerian center emerged from Portis’ shadow last season to
average 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, and he had an early glimpse of
his new teammates during a 10-day, four-game team trip to Spain over the summer.
He liked what he saw, just as Arkansas fans hope the same in Anderson’s sixth
season.
“I feel like the team has help now,” Kingsley said.
Some other things to watch as Arkansas attempts to return to the NCAA
Tournament after missing it last season:
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI