FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ basketball team has started practicing before the football team.
While the football Razorbacks will open fall camp Thursday, the basketball team already was getting up and down the court in Walton Arena on Monday during the first of 10 practices allowed under NCAA rules before going on a tour of Italy Aug. 10-19 that will include four exhibition games.
Razorbacks Coach Mike Anderson said the practices figure to be more beneficial to his team’s development than the games against Italian pro teams.
“The practices are bigger from the standpoint that these guys have never been through a full-scale practice, especially Razorbacks practices,” Anderson said, referring to several newcomers. “So they’ll get a firsthand chance to go through it, and then go through it again, to see if they can withstand it and see what it’s going to take.
“That’s going to pay off when we get into October, and then get into our season.”
Redshirt junior forward Marshawn Powell, who missed all but the first two games last season because of torn ligaments in his right knee, went through drills in the early part of Monday’s practice which was open to the media. Powell wore a knee brace, but ran well and dunked to finish fast breaks.
Anderson said Powell’s recovery is going well, but that he’s going to be eased back into practice and might not play in the exhibition games in Italy.
“He’s been working in some of the contact situations that we have,” Anderson said of summer workouts which were allowable under new NCAA rules. “But we’ll just kind of evaluate as we go and ease him into it.
“He is going the full length of practices. We’ve been holding him out of periods here or there, but I know he’s excited to have the chance to get back on the court.”
Anderson said how Powell practices before the team leaves for Italy will determine whether, or how much, he plays in the exhibition games.
“He’s doing everything he can to get back and have an impact with this basketball team,” Anderson said. “So it’s good to have him around. Our guys respect him and they look up to him.”
Two junior transfers, forward Alandise Harris and guard Fred Gulley, didn’t practice Monday. Anderson said he doesn’t anticipate them practicing or playing games on the Italian tour because they’re not eligible to play during the first semester.
Harris, from Little Rock Central, transferred to Arkansas earlier this summer after playing at Houston. Arkansas has petitioned the NCAA on Harris’ behalf to seek a waiver allowing him to play this season rather than redshirt, but Anderson said the NCAA hasn’t issued a ruling.
Gulley, from Fayetteville, transferred to Arkansas in January, practiced with the team during the second semester last season and should be eligible to play in December this season after first semester finals are completed.
Brandon Mitchell, a quarterback and receiver on the football team, is listed on the basketball roster, but Anderson said it hasn’t been decided if Mitchell will play basketball after the football season, as he did last year.
Anderson said he and Mitchell visited earlier this summer and Mitchell talked about how he enjoyed the opportunity to play basketball.
Arkansas’ top returnees include Powell, sophomores BJ Young, Ky Madden and Hunter Mickelson and juniors Mardracus Wade and Rickey Scott. The newcomers making the Italian trip are Anthlon Bell, Coty Clarke, Michael Qualls, Dee Wagner and Jacorey Williams.
Sports, Pages 15 on 07/31/2012