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Jeff Borzello
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Paul Biancardi
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Basketball Recruiting- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
The Muss Bus is getting crowded.
Top-20 senior Anthony Black announced his commitment to Arkansas on Monday night, giving Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks their third five-star prospect in the 2022 class.
Black chose Arkansas over perceived favorite Gonzaga, as well as a final list that also included Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and the G League.
“I believe in Coach Muss and he knows what it takes to make it to the NBA. He coached there and has coached players to get there,” Black told ESPN. “He is super intense and he will push me to be my best, stay on me and make me better. He has coached big guards in the past.”
A versatile 6-foot-7 perimeter player, Black is ranked No. 20 overall in the ESPN 100 for the 2022 class. He is the No. 9 small forward in the class, but is capable of playing either guard spot and is comfortable at multiple positions. Black was one of the breakout players nationally last summer, going from unranked to on the radar of nearly every high-major program.
As a senior at Duncanville High (Texas) this past season, he won the 6A state championship. He played just 15 regular-season games due to transfer regulations, but averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.2 steals.
Black’s positional size, length and basketball acumen stand out. His greatest strength is in his high-level playmaking ability and his ability to make the game easy for others. He snaps his wrist quickly on passes in tight spaces, understanding to throw the ball away from the defense. An effective assist-maker and ball-mover, Black hits teammates in stride for layups or in their shooting pocket for rhythm jumpers.
As a defender, Black owns a long frame with lateral quickness and mobile hips that allow him to slide and open up on the ball. He shows excellent anticipation on help-side defense, positioning himself to take a charge, get a steal or rotate to the open man. He is dangerous as a defensive rebounder who can advance the ball himself in transition.
Black is the sixth ESPN 100 prospect in Arkansas’ 2022 class, joining five-stars Nick Smith (No. 6) and Jordan Walsh (No. 10), as well as four-stars Derrian Ford (No. 70), Barry Dunning ( No. 75) and Joseph Pinion (No. 89).
It’s a group that was ranked No. 3 in the country before Black’s commitment and could push Kentucky for No. 2. Duke, with its three top-five prospects, is cemented at No. 1.
“I believe with the class coming in, we can win a lot of games. I am all about winning,” Black said. “Playing with Nick Smith here at McDonald’s (All American Game), you can see he is a dog. He is about his business. He takes the game seriously. He likes to score and I like to get others shots. We can help each other out on and off the court.
“With Jordan Walsh being from Dallas, we have a good relationship. He plays really hard too. The other guys are very good too. We can push and support each other.”
Arkansas’ season ended in the Elite Eight for the second straight year, with the Razorbacks falling to Duke on Saturday. With at least two starters expected back next season, along with the incoming recruiting class, Musselman’s team will be in contention to open the preseason ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25.
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