Eric Musselman Looks to Sixth Man for Some 'Pop' in Substitutions

Last year JD Notae made a name for himself coming off the bench, now it's Chris Lykes and he's having same impact

When Arkansas coach Eric Musselman looked down the bench last year, JD Notae is who he brought in to get things going.

The only thing that's changed this year is the guy he's looking to find.

"As a coach, I like to look down there and feel like we have some pop," he said after the 93-80 win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday night.

This year he's looking for senior transfer Chris Lykes.

"Last year, I felt like if we got down in a game that JD could come in and change the complexion," Musselman said. "I feel the same way about Chris. We’ve talked about it, and I think he’s become comfortable in that role."

"It kind of takes me back to my freshman year," Lykes said after leading the Hogs with 26 points (8-of-16 on field goals, including 4-of-7 behind the arc). "My role was just to come off the bench and bring energy. I was the spark plug. I play a lot of minutes if I'm playing well, so I just try to embrace the moment and produce when I'm out there."

He was all of that against the Panthers. Lykes hit the floor looking to have some impact.

"My mindset today was to be a little more aggressive," Lykes said. "I talked to Stanley (Umude) earlier before the game, and I think I was just thinking too much out there the first couple of games. I just took a more aggressive approach on offense and then made sure I was more locked in on defense."

Musselman thinks filling the sixth man role will help Lykes down the road.

"Every player wants to start, but we have not gotten any resistance from him whatsoever," he said. "Wherever he plays next year, he’s probably going to come off the bench. So, it’s not bad to learn that role."

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