What is MA's best case realistic scenario this offseason?

[davehog]

I've been extremely intrigued by what the next steps that Mike Anderson will take this off season. It's fair to say that his job security is not great.
Curious as to what others would say as the best case realistic scenario is at this point.
Here's my thoughts:
Many Watkins graduates while still on scholarship so it counts towards the APR and can still be used for a fall scholarship.
1. Graduate transfer Aaron Ross
2. Sign Jaylen Fisher
3. Sign a big or get a transfer big (Dembele or the Ohio St transfer)
4. Kingsley comes back for his SR year

That would put us at 13 on scholarship with Manny being back to a walk on. Hoping he has enough hours to graduate this summer. That would be 3 scholarship SRs so MA would have 1 more for 2017.
I realize this is an optimistic list but not unrealistic expectations.

[Paul]

I think 2 & 4 are unrealistic.  No offense intended

[nwahogfan1]

A transfer big, best available plus for Moses to return.  That would be about as good as we could hope.

[hogwood]

Get a grad transfer. Get a 3-star HS player. Keep Moses. Get another commitment for 2017 and the first one for 2018.

Seems realistic to me and I'd say that would be some good work.

[hawgwileywyatt]

Get a grad transfer. Get a 3-star HS player. Keep Moses. Get another commitment for 2017 and the first one for 2018.

Seems realistic to me and I'd say that would be some good work.

That would be a pretty good haul. I'd say the same but without the expectation of getting a 2018 commit this summer.

[The_Iceman]

I think 2 & 4 are unrealistic.  No offense intended

2 & 3 are unrealistic. Moses coming back is probably like 50/50.

[Pork Twain]

Get an offer to go back and coach UAB for 2.3 million a year

[hogsanity]

1. Ross - does it really help the program, especially with all the juco guys coming in, to get a guy who only has 1 year to play?

2. - Fisher seems like a long shot

3-  How does a transfer big help this season when he has to sit out a year?

4. Kingsley comes back - obviously best case of the bunch if it happens. Sr 4 yr player who really came on last year.

[hawgwileywyatt]

1. Ross - does it really help the program, especially with all the juco guys coming in, to get a guy who only has 1 year to play?

2. - Fisher seems like a long shot

3-  How does a transfer big help this season when he has to sit out a year?

4. Kingsley comes back - obviously best case of the bunch if it happens. Sr 4 yr player who really came on last year.

Ross would be a huge addition to the team next year. He would probably start and that move would really help our bench depth. Right now we have no realistic targets that are better in my opinion. So we are probably saving a scholarship for 2017. Why not get 2 guys with that scholarship? Ross will come in and be gone in a year, thus freeing up the same scholarship for 2017. I think it would be a win win.

[HoopS]

1. Ross - does it really help the program, especially with all the juco guys coming in, to get a guy who only has 1 year to play?

Absolutely it would help. We could use him right now.

2. - Fisher seems like a long shot.

- AGREED

3-  How does a transfer big help this season when he has to sit out a year? 

Would be good for the following season on the court and for this coming season in practices

4. Kingsley comes back - obviously best case of the bunch if it happens. Sr 4 yr player who really came on last year. 

Could not agree more. Huge get if he stays and equally huge hit if he leaves.

[razoredge178]

Get an offer to go back and coach UAB for 2.3 million a year

Yes! Or buy a 1/2 acre off Nolan and build his retirement castle!

I've got a lot of gray hair because the lack of upward, sustained mobility by CMA, but I know he and his family love it here. I hope he chooses the "retirement" option vs. getting ran out of town. I can see him calling it a career if next season goes wayward.

[rude1]

The recruiting news has drawn suspiciously quiet, past history tells me that the staff has shot all or most of their late period bullets and haven't hit paper. Since they have enough to practice this time, they will hold the openings for next year. I think this is the most realistic scenario..

[hogsanity]

The recruiting news has drawn suspiciously quiet, past history tells me that the staff has shot all or most of their late period bullets and haven't hit paper. Since they have enough to practice this time, they will hold the openings for next year. I think this is the most realistic scenario..

and it lets them dangle the "next year" carrot infront of fans again.

[hawgwileywyatt]

The recruiting news has drawn suspiciously quiet, past history tells me that the staff has shot all or most of their late period bullets and haven't hit paper. Since they have enough to practice this time, they will hold the openings for next year. I think this is the most realistic scenario..

2017 recruiting has been active, which might be telling as well. But that is kind of what I am feeling as well as far as 2016 goes. Perhaps when Ross graduates we will get some news, but I'm not so sure.

[Biggus Piggus]

1. Ross - does it really help the program, especially with all the juco guys coming in, to get a guy who only has 1 year to play?

Most definitely, if the team really needs help up front.

[hogsanity]

Most definitely, if the team really needs help up front.

I like him as a player, just think it adds to the roster imbalance.

[Biggus Piggus]

I like him as a player, just think it adds to the roster imbalance.

Nonsense. He does not keep them from signing anybody - already short there. His spot can be refilled with the 2016-17 class.

[razorhead94]

I like him as a player, just think it adds to the roster imbalance.

Number always work themselves out.  You do; however, always get an impact player if you have the opportunity.  You need to win now.

[Pork Twain]

I like him as a player, just think it adds to the roster imbalance.

How does getting a grad transfer that will be gone after one year, affect the roster balance in any way?

[hogsanity]

Number always work themselves out.  You do; however, always get an impact player if you have the opportunity.  You need to win now.

Too bad he hasn't been here all along.

[King Kong]

Best case Moses is back and Ross transfers in. Add that to Hannahs, Barford and improved Foward play from guys like Thomas or Cook and we got something going.

[Sivad]

During his sojourn in Spain he falls in love with dancing the flamenco and decides to stay.

[HogBreath]

During his sojourn in Spain he falls in love with dancing the flamenco and decides to stay.

Are there Bears in Spain?

[RealHog]

Well its tough that you say "best case realistic", that hard to predict. I'll separate them for mine.

Realistic Best Case:

-Kingsley returns
-Sign Brachen Hazen
-Sign Jaylen Fisher or another Big

What I think will happen? I bet Kingsley returns and we sign Hazen, and go into 2016-17 with an extra scholly.

[Big Nasty 34]

Absolute best case scenario, not going to happen, is Calipari gets Cavs job and Monk comes to U of A lol.

[Hogfan1660]

I've been extremely intrigued by what the next steps that Mike Anderson will take this off season. It's fair to say that his job security is not great.
Curious as to what others would say as the best case realistic scenario is at this point.
Here's my thoughts:
Many Watkins graduates while still on scholarship so it counts towards the APR and can still be used for a fall scholarship.
1. Graduate transfer Aaron Ross
2. Sign Jaylen Fisher
3. Sign a big or get a transfer big (Dembele or the Ohio St transfer)
4. Kingsley comes back for his SR year

That would put us at 13 on scholarship with Manny being back to a walk on. Hoping he has enough hours to graduate this summer. That would be 3 scholarship SRs so MA would have 1 more for 2017.
I realize this is an optimistic list but not unrealistic expectations.

I hope that this is the scenario for next year but I have my doubts about it. In order for this to happen that means that our coaching staff would actually have to do minimal recruiting and planning to pull this off..... We all have seen how that has been turning out for Us!!! 😠😠😠😠😠

[Sivad]

Well, let's at least hope this offseason doesn't see a third of Mike's team arrested for felony counterfeiting charges again.

[redleg]

Anderson must get the Hogs to 20+ wins and in the NCAA Tourney to cool off the hot seat and keep the fans happy(ish).
If he can't do that then the UofA needs to start looking for a new head coach, because the Nolan-disciple experiment didn't work.
:razorback:

[daprospecta]

Anderson must get the Hogs to 20+ wins and in the NCAA Tourney to cool off the hot seat and keep the fans happy(ish).
If he can't do that then the UofA needs to start looking for a new head coach, because the Nolan-disciple experiment didn't work.
:razorback:

Fair enough but with the recent signing of Hazen to go along with a good 2016 class, I think we will have the pieces to be a tourney team next year.

[HoopS]

If Moses comes back and if Ross transfers, all the sudden you look at it 1-13 and find a lot of potential and options. Can do a lot of mix and matching as the games get deeper.

Barford
Hannahs
Ross/Watkins
Cook/Thomas
Kingsley

Beard
Macon
Hazen/Jones
Bailey
Thompson

Take Kingsley and Ross out and I still think we improve from this past season.

Barford
Hannahs
Thomas
Cook
Thompson

Beard
Macon
Watkins/Jones
Hazen
Bailey

[Pork Twain]

Always too many "ifs"

[HoopS]

Always too many "ifs"

always will be in the offseason. For all programs.

[Dominicanhog]

If Moses comes back and if Ross transfers, all the sudden you look at it 1-13 and find a lot of potential and options. Can do a lot of mix and matching as the games get deeper.

Barford
Hannahs
Ross/Watkins
Cook/Thomas
Kingsley

Beard
Macon
Hazen/Jones
Bailey
Thompson

You would hope that 2nd squad would not have the fall off we had last year..... I can't remember a time they opened up the lead they inherited, usually just the opposite... Hazen and Macon are shooters/scorers and Beard and Thompson should be much improved...

[HoopS]

You would hope that 2nd squad would not have the fall off we had last year..... I can't remember a time they opened up the lead they inherited, usually just the opposite... Hazen and Macon are shooters/scorers and Beard and Thompson should be much improved...

yep. And Bailey looks like an athlete who maybe could guard, rebound, get out on the break....

[Biggus Piggus]

First upgrade = Never having Bell and Hannahs attempting to play defense at the same time.

Second upgrade = Having good-sized guards going to the basket and being capable of rebounding.

Third upgrade = Point guard who doesn't shoot 40% inside, 28% outside.

Question = Will the Hogs have several good outside shooters? Only had two last season, and that was a major limitation.

Question = Will Arkansas have more than one low post scorer? Kingsley made 183 2-pt shots at a 55% clip. Next on the team was Hannahs with 93, shooting 48%. Then Bell with 83, making 42%. The second-best scoring big man was Trey Thompson, who made 37 shots all year -- 61% but hardly touched the ball. Arlando Cook made 57% in junior college, 155 baskets as Connors State's primary low post scorer. I could see Kingsley, Thompson and Cook being alright.

Question = What do you do on the wing?

Dustin Thomas is a 6-7, 225-pound combo forward from Texarkana, Texas. He played more than 20 minutes a game at Colorado, was an OK inside scorer, so-so rebounder, started awful but made major progress on ballhandling and free throws. Has he mastered anything? Does he fit as a wing player in MA's system, or a power forward?

Adrio Bailey is a 6-8, 205 combo forward from Lakeview HS in Campti, La., north of Natchitoches. Bailey averaged 20 ppg / 13 rpg, blocked 110 shots and made second team Class 2A all-state, double-doubling in almost every game. Great, he overmatched a bunch of short kids. Will he be like Michael Qualls was as a freshman, trying to develop a college position? Probably more likely to play down low vs. on the wing.

Brachen Hazen is a 6-8, 200 combo forward from Columbia City, Ind. (The height is according to the Indianapolis Star and the UCF SID.) He averaged 16 ppg / 9 rpg as a senior, 13/7 as a junior. Hazen was named to the Indianapolis Star's All-Star team as one of the state's 13 best prep seniors. Originally a November signee for Donnie Jones (former lead assistant to Billy Donovan during the Gators' great run) at UCF in the American Athletic Conference; but Jones was fired.

Hazen was expected to play early at UCF, serving initially as a power forward who could force opposing bigs to cover him on the perimeter.

C.J. Jones is a 6-5, 180 guard-forward from Birmingham, Ala. Jones averaged 28 ppg / 6 rpg as a senior for Central Park Christian. He is described as a former role player who rose up and became the lead scorer for a good program. Murdered opponents with a drive and pull-up game, hard to stop. Was always physical but has been getting taller. Jones hung 35 points on Chattanooga's Hamilton Heights (a team good enough to push Oak Hill Academy this season).

The most skilled wing players might be Jones and Hazen. Definitely a different situation that MA's had in his previous seasons at Arkansas.

[Hawg Red]

First upgrade = Never having Bell and Hannahs attempting to play defense at the same time.

Second upgrade = Having good-sized guards going to the basket and being capable of rebounding.

Third upgrade = Point guard who doesn't shoot 40% inside, 28% outside.

Question = Will the Hogs have several good outside shooters? Only had two last season, and that was a major limitation.

Question = Will Arkansas have more than one low post scorer? Kingsley made 183 2-pt shots at a 55% clip. Next on the team was Hannahs with 93, shooting 48%. Then Bell with 83, making 42%. The second-best scoring big man was Trey Thompson, who made 37 shots all year -- 61% but hardly touched the ball. Arlando Cook made 57% in junior college, 155 baskets as Connors State's primary low post scorer. I could see Kingsley, Thompson and Cook being alright.

Question = What do you do on the wing?

Dustin Thomas is a 6-7, 225-pound combo forward from Texarkana, Texas. He played more than 20 minutes a game at Colorado, was an OK inside scorer, so-so rebounder, started awful but made major progress on ballhandling and free throws. Has he mastered anything? Does he fit as a wing player in MA's system, or a power forward?

Adrio Bailey is a 6-8, 205 combo forward from Lakeview HS in Campti, La., north of Natchitoches. Bailey averaged 20 ppg / 13 rpg, blocked 110 shots and made second team Class 2A all-state, double-doubling in almost every game. Great, he overmatched a bunch of short kids. Will he be like Michael Qualls was as a freshman, trying to develop a college position? Probably more likely to play down low vs. on the wing.

Brachen Hazen is a 6-8, 200 combo forward from Columbia City, Ind. (The height is according to the Indianapolis Star and the UCF SID.) He averaged 16 ppg / 9 rpg as a senior, 13/7 as a junior. Hazen was named to the Indianapolis Star's All-Star team as one of the state's 13 best prep seniors. Originally a November signee for Donnie Jones (former lead assistant to Billy Donovan during the Gators' great run) at UCF in the American Athletic Conference; but Jones was fired.

Hazen was expected to play early at UCF, serving initially as a power forward who could force opposing bigs to cover him on the perimeter.

C.J. Jones is a 6-5, 180 guard-forward from Birmingham, Ala. Jones averaged 28 ppg / 6 rpg as a senior for Central Park Christian. He is described as a former role player who rose up and became the lead scorer for a good program. Murdered opponents with a drive and pull-up game, hard to stop. Was always physical but has been getting taller. Jones hung 35 points on Chattanooga's Hamilton Heights (a team good enough to push Oak Hill Academy this season).

The most skilled wing players might be Jones and Hazen. Definitely a different situation that MA's had in his previous seasons at Arkansas.

Tremendous breakdown.

[Biggus Piggus]

Looking at this roster, I think about Phi Slama Jama.

That team played five players around 30-35 minutes per game.

G Rob Williams (6-2 jr)
G Lynden Rose (6-3 sr)
G/F Michael Young (6-6 so)
F Clyde Drexler (6-6 so)
C/F Larry Micheaux (6-9 jr)

First sub: C Akeem Olajuwon (7-0 fr)
Next sub: G Eric Davis (6-2 sr)

What really made Houston go were the inside shotblockers + the versatile forwards who could defend, rebound, run in transition and dunk. The Cougars played a lot of other guys in token minutes, but the core was seven players (with two future legends).

I'm hoping Arkansas next season can depend on two low post players and a stable of combo forwards rotating in two positions, with several guards to man two positions. Probably don't have two future legends, but this setup ought to be pretty flexible.

[rzrbackramsfan]

If Moses comes back I see us winning a lot of games, coming first or second I the sec and getting in the tournament.  I also see myself and a few other laughing at a whole bunch of you THAT WERE FREAKING OUT during this rebuilding/Murphys law year.

[Nipsey Mussle]

Looking at this roster, I think about Phi Slama Jama.

That team played five players around 30-35 minutes per game.

G Rob Williams (6-2 jr)
G Lynden Rose (6-3 sr)
G/F Michael Young (6-6 so)
F Clyde Drexler (6-6 so)
C/F Larry Micheaux (6-9 jr)

First sub: C Akeem Olajuwon (7-0 fr)
Next sub: G Eric Davis (6-2 sr)

What really made Houston go were the inside shotblockers + the versatile forwards who could defend, rebound, run in transition and dunk. The Cougars played a lot of other guys in token minutes, but the core was seven players (with two future legends).

I'm hoping Arkansas next season can depend on two low post players and a stable of combo forwards rotating in two positions, with several guards to man two positions. Probably don't have two future legends, but this setup ought to be pretty flexible.

Guy Lewis isn't walking through those doors.

[Pork Twain]

always will be in the offseason. For all programs.

This is something people from sorry programs like to say to make themselves feel better.

[Pork Twain]

If Moses comes back I see us winning a lot of games, coming first or second I the sec and getting in the tournament.  I also see myself and a few other laughing at a whole bunch of you THAT WERE FREAKING OUT during this rebuilding/Murphys law year.

I hope you are right, but doubt you are.

[HoopS]

This is something people from sorry programs like to say to make themselves feel better.

that sounds cool to say but the reality is, many of the best programs in the country right now are not sure which players are staying in the draft or if they will have someone transfer out. Not even an arguable point.

Our question is will Moses leave his name in and will Ross transfer in. Neither are signs of being a bad program.

[Pork Twain]

that sounds cool to say but the reality is, many of the best programs in the country right now are not sure which players are staying in the draft or if they will have someone transfer out. Not even an arguable point.

Our question is will Moses leave his name in and will Ross transfer in. Neither are signs of being a bad program.

There are a LOT more ifs associated with our program going forward than just those two.

[HoopS]

There are a LOT more ifs associated with our program going forward than just those two.

sure. But you really can say that with most programs. This sport is static. Players come and go quicker than football. Very few redshirts. Lot of transferring. Constant worry about the good players going pro. It is what it is. Follow some other programs and you see that every off season is full of question marks. But additionally for us is that we have some JUCO's and while I like the ones we have, I always worry about them being fully qualified. So I do agree in that sense. And I also recognize we've had a good bit of turnover. I feel this season is key for MA to stabilize things and have some success.

[Pork Twain]

sure. But you really can say that with most programs. This sport is static. Players come and go quicker than football. Very few redshirts. Lot of transferring. Constant worry about the good players going pro. It is what it is. Follow some other programs and you see that every off season is full of question marks. But additionally for us is that we have some JUCO's and while I like the ones we have, I always worry about them being fully qualified. So I do agree in that sense. And I also recognize we've had a good bit of turnover. I feel this season is key for MA to stabilize things and have some success.

Agreed

[psooie]

Summer wish list would be

1) MK comes back for senior year
2) Ross comes in as a grad transfer
3) everybody signed makes it to campus in the fall
4) get 1 more verbal for 17 class bringing it to 3 with 1 spot left
5) get tubby smith to agree to a 4 year h/a series with memphis

if all that happens things are rolling again

[Biggus Piggus]

Guy Lewis isn't walking through those doors.

Thank God for that. What an idiot he was. Sleazebag who rolled the ball out there. Couldn't win a national title with Olajuwon and Drexler.

Of course I was talking about skills mix not "this is the second coming of Phi Slama Jama." You can make a lot work if you have good guards, flexible combo forwards, and somebody to reject shots.

[rzrbackramsfan]

I hope you are right, but doubt you are.

Brace yourself.