This season, the Razorbacks have disappointed by almost all standards. Having had one of the better SEC programs for the previous five years, this one came into 2023–24 with a lot of good players and a well-respected coach.
Arkansas, which was ranked 14th in the preseason AP Poll, was viewed as one of the sport’s more promising teams. It included another outstanding transfer portal class under Coach Eric Musselman, as well as a few seasoned returnees. It was expected that Musselman would field a strong team once more because he has, in some respects, surpassed Bama’s own Nate Oats in terms of modern roster reconfiguration.Despite having a lot of potential on paper, Arkansas has struggled to gel as a team this season. With a 6-11 conference record, the Hogs are 11th in the SEC and have not won a game against a club in the top half of the rankings. In conference play, Arkansas has suffered defeats of 20 points or more to Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss, LSU, and Tennessee. Musselman’s squad will miss the Big Dance for the first time since 2019 unless they have a miraculous run in the SEC Tournament.
Tramon Mark and Khalif Battle, two seasoned transfer guards, lead Arkansas in scoring. With 16.8 points per game, Mark, formerly of Houston, leads the team; Battle, a Temple transfer, adds 14.0 points per game. Mark and Battle, who are both 6’5″, form a powerful backcourt that might pose a threat to an Alabama squad that may be forced to play without Rylan Griffen.
The main players in an athletic Arkansas frontcourt that hasn’t produced much as a unit are Trevon Brazile, Makhi Mitchell, and Jalen Graham.
