Pick-up games heat up Bud Walton Arena hardwood
"Knock on Wood" by Terry J. Wood
The action is hot at Walton Arena.
Sure, basketball season is still a good four months away, but you can't tell that to the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Since July 1, the Hogs have been holding informal pick-up games at Walton Arena and the combination of a determined group of returning Hogs and five fresh faces has made for some competitive hardwood combat.
A new NCAA rule allows freshmen to be placed on scholarship in time for summer classes, and new Razorback basketball coach Stan Heath has all of his troops in class for the second session of summer school.
Under NCAA regulations, the nightly pick-up games and weight-room sessions are not mandatory, just suggested, but any Hog who chooses not to attend is getting behind.
I've seen enough pick-up games to know you can't place a lot of merit in them. They are a worse predictor of the upcoming season than spring football practices.
However, the intensity and competitiveness of the Hogs in those pick-up games does bode well for the future.
It took a moment to pick out just who the new players were, but the easiest to discern was point guard Eric Ferguson.
The cocky young man's play and actions on the court had New York written all over them, and that's a good thing.
At 6-2 and with a year of prep school under his belt, Ferguson carries himself a bit differently than your average freshman guard.
He has leadership potential, the ability to run the break and find the open man, and unlike Arkansas' last true point guard, it appears that he can shoot.
Kendrick Davis is the other new freshman guard, and he looks good, too. The lefty from Houston is probably more of a combo guard than a true point guard, but he's smooth and has skills. His jumper has range and he, like Ferguson, knows how to feed the big guys.
Wen Mukubu, a 6-5 wing man from Miami, Fla., by way of Zaire, is fast, fluid and tough. He plays to win and knows how to get to the basket and finish. He threw down a thunder dunk in traffic that would remind you of Derek Hood.
From the upper stands, Rashard Sullivan doesn't appear to be as tall as advertised. He moves and shoots too well, has too good of a handle and just doesn't appear to be a big guy.
But when you see him up close, he's every bit of 6-8 if not taller. Sullivan is not as flashy as Ferguson, Mukubu or Davis, but his game appears solid all around and he has good hands and knack for coming up with the ball.
Sullivan runs the floor well and can take the ball between his legs in stride. As he matures and spends more time in the weight room, he will only get better.
The fourth new Hog is Arkansas' own Jonathan Modica of Smackover. He is 6-5 and solid. Pound for pound, he may be the strongest basketball Hog to enter the program since Corliss Williamson.
Modica is an all-around player. He can shoot, score around the basket, dish and finish, but the most impressive aspect of his game at this juncture is his tenacity on the boards.
Modica is strong, knows how to use his body but more importantly is relentless at collecting missed shots. It seems like a passion for him, which means he's going to get plenty of playing time his first year.
One of the biggest worries of Razorback fans when Nolan Richardson was dismissed was the immediate future of the team.
Richardson and Hog fans were counting heavily on this recruiting class to get the program back on track.
It is too soon to tell if this class will be the one for that formidable task, but from first look, it appears Heath did an excellent job of salvaging a good deal of the talent Richardson signed last November as well as adding valuable pieces to the mix.
This class looks more than solid to me, and I'm looking forward to what Heath and his staff can do with a full year to recruit.
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