Uh, Don’t Overlook Anthony Black Handing Out Praise

There is no evidence this year Razorbacks can win if point guard doesn't play like he is

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Maybe everybody is just getting used to seeing the floppy hair of Anthony Black in games.

The kid from Duncanville, Texas, might be the best point guard in an Arkansas uniform in decades. That's a strictly subjective opinion.

He's certainly the best all-around. Maybe that's why a lot of people weren't talking about the game he played in a 69-57 win by the 25th-ranked Razorbacks over Ole Miss on Saturday.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black on a free throw getting position on  Ole Miss Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black drives against Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black drives against Ole Miss Rebels forward Matthew Murrell on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Anthony Black goes for a loose ball against Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Maybe they just didn't look at the entire scoresheet.

Black led all scorers with 17 points, eight assists, five steals and three rebounds. Hogs coach Eric Musselman noticed.

"There are not many freshmen that are going to have 17, 8 and 5 steals," he said later. "I mean, five steals to me is as impressive as anything he did tonight."

That's not including how he handled the ball on so many possessions in a game and only turned it over twice. That's two times.

As you can tell in interviews and just casual conversation, Black seems mature beyond a freshman.

"You're seeing growth in his game on both sides of the ball," Musselman said.

Yeah, Black is the best point guard in decades around here and certainly the most versatile in so many different areas since Ron Brewer way back in 1975-78. Feel free to have a different opinion ... and be wrong.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman instructing Joseph Pinion in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call in a game against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

For Musselman's part, he appeared relieved more than happy in a press conference that sailed past 20 minutes (they are usually between eight and 12 minutes). He wasn't letting anyone ruin the moment, which has taken four games to experience again.

"We’re happy," he said. "We’ll have a good dinner tonight with family and friends. It’s a little bit better than the alternative. Our whole team really responded in the second half."

The first half was fairly close, but you could see Ole Miss starting to wear down. They simply didn't have the talent as deep as the Hogs' bench.

That went all the way down to freshman Joseph Pinion, who has improved to the point where he had 13 points in 17 minutes. He was three-of-six on three-pointers, played defense and made back-cut layup that gave the Hogs a three-point lead at halftime.

They just pulled away from the Rebels in the second half. A little spurt by Ole Miss at the end made the score look a little closer than it actually felt watching the game.

"This was the first game that showed that this is who Arkansas is and we’re going to be like this for a while," Jordan Walsh said.

It wasn't a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. Musselman will have plenty of teaching points on this one.

"In the first half we weren’t making shots," he said. "Maybe the flow wasn’t what we wanted offensively, but I thought in the second half defensively holding Ole Miss to 37%, defensive activity with steals, we were kind of doing what we do, which is create offense through our defense."

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, Nick Smith was at the game. Not in uniform but was on the sidelines during pregame warmups, then kinda disappeared after the game.

"There is no update," Musselman said. "He's back in town, he's rehabbing with our trainers and our doctors. He's still in the same situation."

Arkansas Razorbacks freshman Nick Smith Jr. on the floor during pregame warmups before a game with the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. (Andy Hodges / allHOGS Images)

Forget all those social media experts who have taken a wild guess or repeated one from somebody else in the past week or so.

"He's not at practice," Musselman said.

As we suspected, though, Musselman has figured out a way to adjust to whatever is going on there. His teams usually start figuring things out about this time in the season.

More importantly, they start winning.

HOGS FEED:

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BREAKING DOWN ALL 33 FOULS CALLED AGAINST ARKANSAS AT MISSOURI

DAN ENOS HIRED FOR REASONS OTHER THAN PLAY CALLING

WHAT MIKE NEIGHBORS LEARNED IN CLOSE LOSS AT LSU HE WILL PROBABLY WANT TO USE WITH HOGS

SEC ADMITS THEY MESSED UP REVIEW, BUT NOTHING ELSE AND NO MENTION OF CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE HOGS

HOGS STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO CLOSE OUT A WIN, FALLING TO MISSOURI

A COUPLE OF POSSIBILITIES FOR RAZORBACKS' OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR OPENING

BRILES REPORTEDLY HEADED TO TCU, BUT WHO MIGHT FOLLOW?

MUSSELMAN SAYS LARGE SEC CROWDS POSSIBLY THE ISSUE WITH HOGS

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR RAZORBACKS TO HAVE AN ARGUMENT TO REACH NCAA TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR?

HOGS TIRED OF GETTING PUSHED AROUND BY SEC TEAMS

RAZORBACKS LOSING IS ONE THING, BUT BEING CLASSLESS ABOUT IT IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY

WATCH: VANDERBILT PLAYERS ATTRIBUTE WIN TO WHAT HAPPENED AT END OF FIRST HALF

WHAT SHOULD FANS EXPECT AS FAR AS RAZORBACK LINE-UP AGAINST VANDERBILT?

EXIT DOOR SWINGING OPEN SO MUCH FOR SECONDARY MIGHT BE GOOD NEWS

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