It's never too early to look at what's to come. During the next few weeks, we will give you a peek of what's ahead for teams in the Power 5 conferences and some other teams expected to be players on the national scene. Next up: Arkansas.
The public relations folks in the sports world tell stories -- positive stories even if they are based on troubling events. It’s their job to make everything sweet like lemonade no matter how negative the subject or storyline. That’s not easy, especially during murky times.
David Beall handles media inquiries and communications for Mike Anderson’s Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team.
Here’s a list of the headlines attached to some of his most recent releases about the program:
Arkansas falls short on Senior Day
Arkansas falls to Florida in the SEC tournament
Jimmy Whitt leaving Arkansas basketball program
Mike Anderson Statement Regarding Lorenzo Jenkins (after Jenkins left the team in April)
Kingsley to test NBA draft, will not hire an agent
On May 11, however, Beall distributed a release that salvaged a slice of the hope purged from the hearts of a fan base that watched Kentucky steal in-state prep star Malik Monk after their favorite program won just 16 games a year after reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The headline on that release? Kingsley is returning for his senior season.
"I am thankful for the opportunity to go through the draft process, but I'm excited to return to Arkansas for my senior year,” Moses Kingsley said in a statement from the school. “I feel like I can continue to improve and put myself in a better position for the future. I would like to thank my teammates, coaches and family for their support and I'm looking forward to putting that Razorback jersey on for one more year. We’ve got a big summer ahead! WoooPig!"
Kingsley’s return encompasses the full brunt of the offseason’s significant developments -- the departures, buzz about Anderson’s job status entering 2016-17, a 16-16 campaign and the possibility that their most critical force would turn pro. But Kingsley (15.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 55 percent from inside the arc), who earned all-SEC second team and all-SEC defensive team honors, made the smart decision to come back to Fayetteville for another year.
And now the 6-foot-10, 230-pound big man aims to duplicate the feats of former Arkansas star Bobby Portis, who led the Razorbacks to the NCAA tournament in 2015 while securing SEC player of the year honors and a first-round slot in that year’s NBA draft. It’s a fanciful idea. The Razorbacks need far more than an improved Kingsley to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament, a destination Anderson has reached just once since he returned to the school where he served as an assistant under Nolan Richardson.
The Razorbacks struggled in most areas in 2015-16. They finished 92nd in adjusted offensive efficiency and 101st in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.com. According to hoop-math.com, the team finished 328th in 2-point jumpers.
By the end of the season, the Razorbacks weren’t even the best team in the state. Arkansas-Little Rock, which defeated Purdue in the opening round of the NCAA tournament, snatched that title.
The good news for Arkansas is that Kingsley could evolve into an All-American. Dusty Hannahs (16.5 PPG, 43 percent from the 3-point line) led the team in scoring last season and is back for his senior season. Plus, Anton Beard (7.0 PPG) gives Anderson another veteran in the backcourt.
The team’s most promising additions are Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford, both junior college All-Americans last season. Both players could make an immediate impact.
Is that enough?
That’s the question.
Arkansas lost eight games by four points or less in 2015-16. That’s proof of a team that competed most nights but failed to finish. Yet, the reversal of a .500 season demands upgrades by unknown elements. Can Kingsley carry a bigger load? What more can Hannahs do to help? Will Beard finally live up to the hype accrued during his prep career? Can a pair of junior college standouts help? Will Anderson’s seat get hot?
A summer trip to Spain could help the team connect and build chemistry before the season, but the Razorbacks need buckets and stops. It’s that simple. Right now, however, it all seems so complicated.