Hogs ready to show off at Red-White
FAYETTEVILLE - This time last year a sidelining shoulder injury to a Razorback like Arkansas freshman walk-on RJ Glasper weathers now might have cancelled the annual intrasquad RedWhite basketball game for lack of numbers.
Grad assistant former active Razorback Kikko Hayward had to play in last season’s Red-White just to make a quorum.
Not so this year. For even with Glasper of Forrest City idled and apt soon to have surgery, Coach Mike Anderson said Thursday, the Red-White show will go on Sunday afternoon at Walton Arena.
This year both teams have a reserve for Sunday’s tip-off is at 4 p.m. and preceded by a 3 p.m. autograph session for fans with the Razorbacks.
Admission is free with all attendees urged to donate canned food or an otherwise non-perishable food item to donate for the Jane Gearhart Food Pantry benefitting those in need in Northwest Arkansas.
Last season’s Razorbacks could have qualified as a team in need given the injuries, defections and suspensions paring the roster to nine scholarship players.
Twelve scholarship players adorn the Razorbacks roster. So the teams drafted for Sunday’s game by “celebrity” nominal coaches Pat Bradley, the former Razorback shooting guard now working for the SEC Network, and sports radio talk show host Bo Mattingly, each will have one reserve plus a starting five.
“We have six guys on each team, so trust me, they’re going to get a whole lot of playing time,” Anderson said. “They’re going to get a lot of conditioning and it
should be a fun game. It’s been real competitive in practice.
Senior center Moses Kingsley, voted Preseason SEC Player of the Year by media attending this week’s SEC Basketball Media Days in Nashville, highlights Bradley’s White team along with forwards Arlando Cook, a junior college transfer, and Adrio Bailey, a freshman, and junior 2-year letterman guard Anton Beard of North Little Rock, and junior college transfer guard Daryl Macon, formerly of Little Rock Parkview, and freshman guard C.J. Jones.
The Red first drafted senior shooting guard and returning letterman Dusty Hannahs of Little Rock via Pulaski Academy, and returning senior guard Manuale Watkins, and junior college transfer point guard Jaylen Barford, and forwards Trey Thompson, the junior 2-year letterman from Madison via Forrest City High, Dustin Thomas, a junior redshirted last year upon transferring from Colorado, and freshman Brachen Hazen.
Anderson said the teams were drafted so that when Hannahs, the Red’s first pick, was drafted that shooting guard Macon automatically went to the White.
Thompson and Thomas, the bulkiest forwards, automatically went to the Red since 6-10 Kingsley was drafted by the White.
Kingsley and Hannahs accompanied Anderson to Arkansas’ Wednesday portion of SEC 2017 Tip-Off Media Days in Nashville, Tenn.
“I thought they did a good job representing our team,” Anderson said. “We have got some more talent without a doubt and it’s an opportunity for us to mold that talent together to become one. Last year with nine scholarship players we were limited in some areas. And even as we started playing some of our best basketball coming down the stretch we kind of ran out of gas. Hopefully this team shapes up into December and January and starts playing its best basketball in February. “
While of course citing the “honor” that Kingsley received as voted SEC Preseason Player of the Year by SEC Media Days media and that Hannahs is on the national watch list for the postseason Jerry West Shooting Guard Award, Anderson said power forward could be the most deeply improved spot over last season.
“The forward position that was missing last year, the quick forward, the versatile forward, we have a couple of guys,” Anderson said. “Dustin Thomas is capable of getting us some productivity in that position. Trey isn’t necessarily a quick forward but he is a big forward and he’s a third-year guy. Having those guys in place with some good, young talent. Adrio Bailey is a highlight waiting to happen. Brachen Hazen has probably put on 10 or 15 pounds. I am impressed with the fundamentals he brings to the table.”