FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson wants to get an early start to the 2012-2013 basketball season.
The Razorbacks are finalizing plans to play a foreign tour in Italy during early August, Anderson said Thursday.
Arkansas will play four or five games in Italy against professional or club teams and also will get to have 10 practices on campus before the tour in accordance with NCAA rules.
Anderson said Arkansas’ newcomers, which includes November signees Anthlon Bell, Michael Qualls and JaCorey Williams, will be eligible to play on the tour with the returning Razorbacks, as well as any players who sign this spring.
The Razorbacks have eight underclassmen expected to return from last season’s team that was 18-14, including 6-10 in SEC play, but point guard Julysses Nobles will be the only senior.
“I think it will be big on all accounts for our whole basketball team,” Anderson said of a foreign tour teams are allowed to play every four years under NCAA rules. “It’s going to be another new basketball team when you add the other pieces we’re talking about.
“We’ve had some guys now that have had a year up under their belt and know how we want to play, and how hard they’re going to have to play.”
Anderson said the Razorbacks can use the extra practices and exhibition games to focus on improving their pressure defense, which is the backbone of his system.
“Defensively, we’ve got to get a whole lot better,” Anderson said. “It gives me an opportunity to get our guys to understand that early.
“Defense is what we are going to hang our hats on. Offense will come and go, but defense is going to really have to pay dividends for us next season.”
Arkansas played in Labor Day weekend tours in Cancun, Mexico, in the fall of 2003 and 2007 under coaches Stan Heath and John Pelphrey.
Anderson said that in his third season at Missouri his team played three exhibition games in Ontario over Labor Day weekend in 2008 — in addition to having 10 practices — and went on to reach the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and finish 31-7.
“We had some freshmen coming in, and we had some seniors, and we needed some seasoning,” Anderson said. “The bonding that took place was unbelievable, and I thought it really parlayed into the season. Those guys became a little closer, and I learned a lot about those guys.
“That’s why I think this can be really beneficial for us.”
August practices and games could be especially beneficial for Arkansas junior forward Marshawn Powell, who missed all but the first two games last season because of a knee injury. He averaged 19.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game before tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Powell has been going through the rehabilitation process since undergoing surgery, and Anderson said he expects Powell to be ready to start playing pickup games in June.
“For right now, the rehab is going at a good pace,” Anderson said. “Every day he’s there doing what he’s supposed to do. Hopefully, that recovery will be a lot quicker than even he anticipates.”
Powell lost several pounds preparing for this season and talked about how excited he was to play for Anderson.
“Just in those two games, you saw an excitement in a player,” Anderson said. “That excitement was displayed on the floor. This guy was averaging almost 20 points ... rebounding, running the floor and in the best shape he could possibly be in.
“I just think he’s tailormade for what we do. He has that toughness that he can go inside and score for you. He has the versatility that he can step out on the floor. He’s a rebounding machine when he wants to be and not only that, he’s an older guy now.”
Anderson said Powell can help fill a leadership void for the Razorbacks.
“One of the things we didn’t have enough of on this team was leadership,” Anderson said. “Hopefully, he can be a guy that can provide that.
“He’s a guy that can be an all-conference type of player, but he has some work to do to get to that point and hopefully he will.”
Powell also has been slowed by foot and wrist injuries during his Arkansas career, but Anderson said he’s been impressed by Powell’s positive mindset.
“Sometimes you worry about guys who have been hurt multiple times. It can get to the point where you say that it’s just not meant to be,” Anderson said. “But Marshawn, I tell you what, his attitude has been great up to this point. He’s hitting his books and getting them in line.
“I’m sure he’s getting prepared to get into the summer months where he’ll really be able to go out and play.”
Sports, Pages 21 on 03/23/2012