Finding the right fusion through the transfer portal
Which transfer portal players that Arkansas has already contacted would fit with Khalif Battle and Tramon Mark
This year’s Arkansas Razorbacks basketball roster was flawed because it was redundant. As one player from the squad put it, the Hogs had “too many guys that do the same thing.” A team can have all the talent in the world—which this roster was touted as possessing—but if that talent does not mesh well together, it is wasted.
A good basketball roster will resemble a Jackson Pollock painting. Maybe slapdash looking. Maybe lots of colors, lines and smudges doing their own thing, but ultimately the audience can zoom out and see it coalesce into something with profound meaning.
So, how does Eric Musselman fuse the new players with whatever players are left from this year’s team? How does he create art out of a bunch of squiggly lines?
The two most essential recruits for Arkansas basketball
The two most essential recruits for Musselman to lock up in the coming days are two guys already in-house: Khalif Battle and Tramon Mark. Not only does Musselman need these guys for continuity’s sake, but at least one advanced metric says they were two of the most impactful Hogs this year.
According to Evan Miya, three players from last year’s roster had an Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin (I’ll abbreviate it ATEM moving forward) of ten points or higher. (An Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin is a fancy way of saying that with some adjustment for the strength of opponents, how much better a team was when an individual player was on the floor.)
Layden Blocker and his +11.0 ATEM, the highest figure for the Razorbacks this year, has already entered the transfer portal. Musselman could choose to make him a priority, but let’s say for argument’s sake that bridge has been burned and him returning is not an option.
The following two on the list for the Razorbacks are Battle and Mark with an ATEM of +10.6
If basketball is a simple game in which the goal is to score more points than your opponent, then bringing back dudes who will allow you to do that more efficiently has to be a focus for Musselman and his staff.
Frankly, he also needs to bring in more of those guys. Arkansas has already contacted about 30 players from the portal. The key to fielding a successful team next year isn’t finding ten amazing new guys (especially since Muss keeps his bench short anyway). We kind of saw that play out this season, and the team wasn’t great. The key is finding guys with high ATEM scores who fit next to Battle and Mark.
Arkansas has already contacted transfers who fit the exact bill.
How should Musselman surround Battle and Mark?
Drumroll, please! It’s list time.
Based on what we saw this year, the checklist for what Battle and Mark need around them to make the game easier on the offensive end is pretty clear. With three spots that will seemingly go to another guard and two bigs (I’m just using the guard/wing/big breakdown) Musselman will be looking for the following:
A lead ball handler: While both Battle and Mark can create for themselves, the degree of difficulty in their shots increases tremendously when trying to score in isolation. A strong facilitator would get both moving without the ball and help them get into catch-and-shoot looks and easier opportunities to attack the rim moving downhill. Bonus points if you can land a big who can also act as a secondary connector passing the ball.
Three-point shooting: It was easy for teams to sit back in a zone and dare the Hogs to shoot over them the way they were constructed last year. If Musselman can land three high ATEM guys who can space the floor, driving lanes will open up. Specifically, Mark (since Battle himself shoots 35% from three) would benefit from additional space to operate in the midrange and paint.
Additionally, if you can land three positive contributors on the defensive end who, with Mark, could help mask Battle’s defensive struggles, you have the makings for a solid five-man lineup.
Three are three players Arkansas has already contacted who would create a cohesive lineup with Battle and Mark.
Three transfer portal fits for Battle and Mark
1. Chris Manon, Guard, Cornell (+18.3 ATEM)
He has a high ATEM number (one that drowns any Razorback figure from last year).
He could also serve as that lead ball handler to take pressure off Battle and Mark. He averaged 3.0 assists per game last season, and had an assist percentage (what percentage of teammates field goals did he assist on while they shared the floor) of 25.4 percent.
Decent three-point percentage at 33.8 percent
Great defensive counting stats (2.2 steals per game) and advanced numbers (defensive rating of just 96.7 points per 100 possessions for opposing teams when he was on the floor.)
Would have an immediate impact on Arkansas’s point-of-attack defense.
Alternate player worth consideration: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Guard, Belmont (+14.2 ATEM)
2. Mikeal Brown-Jones, Wing/Big, UNC Greensboro (+11.6 ATEM)
Tweener forward who shot 43.1 percent from three-point range on decent volume for a big last season.
Slight negative rating on the defensive end this past season, but makes up for it with everything he brings to the table offensively. Metrics were positive the year before.
Averaged an assist per game, which would help him be an additional connecting piece.
Alternate player worth consideration: Amari Williams, Big, Drexel (+10.5 ATEM)
3. Maxime Raynaud, Big, Stanford (+6.0 ATEM)
I’m cheating on this one because I haven’t heard for sure that Arkansas has reached out. They absolutely should and should push hard.
Fantastic offensive weapon.
2.0 assists per game (assist percentage of 15.1 percent) is phenomenal for a big
Shot 36 percent from three last year and 42.1 percent two years ago. This makes him a dangerous weapon to roll to the rim, short roll and pass, or pop for the three when he is the on-ball screener.
Gobbles up defensive rebounds (27.9 percent defensive rebound percentage)
Alternate player worth consideration: Josh Cohen, Big, UMass (+14.9 ATEM)
The colors and textures are out there in the portal to help Musselman paint his masterpiece next season. If he is the portal master he hangs his hat on being, Arkansas could turn things around next season.