NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After a season full of constantly changing lineups and adjusting roles that saw some players on the court for 20-plus minutes one game, then not get off the bench in the next or vice versa, the University of Arkansas men’s basketball team finally has settled into a rotation.
Going into Arkansas’ SEC Tournament opener against Vanderbilt at 6 Central tonight at Bridgestone Arena, the Razorbacks have used the same eight players in the previous three games for all but 11 seconds of 125 minutes.
Arkansas guards Khalif Battle, Tramon Mark, El Ellis, Davonte Davis and Jeremiah Davenport and big men Makhi Mitchell, Trevon Brazile and Chandler Lawson played all 40 minutes of the Razorbacks’ 111-102 loss at No. 9 Kentucky and all 45 of their 92-88 overtime loss at No. 19 Alabama.
In the game in between when Arkansas beat LSU 94-83 at Walton Arena in Fayetteville, those eight combined to play 39:49 with Joseph Pinion getting in for the final 11 seconds after Mark fouled out.
The consistency of playing time for a small rotation Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman prefers has come after the Razorbacks used 17 different starting lineups, had 13 players start at least one game and none start every game.
Lawson, a 6-8 senior transfer from Memphis, and Mitchell, a 6-10 senior in his second season at Arkansas, are the only Razorbacks to play in all 31 games, though the two games Mark missed — against Duke and at Ole Miss — were the result of a back injury and migraine headaches.
Brazile, a 6-10 redshirt sophomore, missed seven games because of knee soreness. He has played in the past five games with three starts.
“I think one, it’s a group that’s continued to work,” Musselman said of the current rotation. “I think the other thing is just the health.
“When we’ve tried to add everything up — meaning practice and games and the different vehicles that we use from a statistical analysis — it’s just been the group that we’ve settled on down the stretch here.”
Midway through the SEC season, it would have been difficult to project the eight players now comprising the Razorbacks’ rotation.
In the ninth SEC game when Arkansas lost 95-74 at LSU on Feb. 3, Brazile, Davis and Ellis didn’t play. Battle played nine minutes and Davenport 11.
When the Razorbacks won the rematch against the Tigers a week ago, Battle played 34 minutes, Ellis 32 and Davenport 28.
Brazile is healthy and Davis returned to the team after taking a three-game break for an undisclosed reason.
Battle’s improved defense has resulted in him getting more minutes and the opportunity to score more. Ellis and Davenport continued to work hard in practice to earn playing time.
Mark has been a consistent scorer and improved his rebounding. Mitchell is playing the best of his five-year college career.
Lawson continues to provide steady defense and rebounding. Davis, a senior in his fourth season at Arkansas, adds a veteran presence.
“I think that it’s a more confident team than we were earlier,” Musselman said. “And I do think this particular group knows where shots are coming from and who they’re coming from.”
Battle, a senior transfer from Temple, and Mitchell have been a potent scoring combination.
“They’re playing a really good two-man game,” Musselman said. “They’ve been a hard cover for the opposing teams, whoever we’ve played.”
Battle is averaging 14.3 points per game on the season, but 28 in the previous seven games, including a stretch in which he scored 42 against Missouri, 36 against Vanderbilt, 34 at Kentucky and 29 against LSU. He’s hit 82 of 90 free throws in those seven games.
“With K.B., he’s such a good scorer, man,” Brazile said. “He’s so hard to guard and when he gets downhill, it’s hard not to foul such a great free throw shooter.”
Mitchell has averaged 13.5 points the past 12 games. Most of his points have come on pick-and-rolls and by drawing fouls. He’s hit 54 of 66 free throws over the 12-game stretch.
“’Khi’s a menace on the floor,” Brazile said.
Brazile is starting to become more menacing as well. He had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocked shots in 30 minutes at Alabama.
It was the most points Brazile had scored since the final nonconference game when he had 12 in the Razorbacks’ 106-90 victory over North Carolina-Wilmington on Dec. 30.
“I feel like if I’m put in the right positions to be successful, which I was [at Alabama], then things like what happened, will happen,” Brazile said. “But it felt good to knock the rust off. Obviously, I haven’t been on my game recently.”
Mark, a junior transfer from Houston, is averaging a team-high 16.7 points and has played more point guard of late. In the past five games, Mark is averaging 3.2 assists. In SEC play, he’s averaging 5.0 rebounds.
Ellis, a senior transfer from Louisville, is averaging 12.5 points and 3.0 assists the past four games.
Davenport, a senior transfer from Cincinnati, and Davis have been contributing off the bench.
“The combination together is good,” Musselman said of the eight-man group. “They complement each other.”
If the Razorbacks beat Vanderbilt today, they’ll play No. 15 South Carolina on Thursday. If they advance and beat the Gamecocks, they’ll play No. 12 Auburn on Friday. More games means Musselman likely will have to use more players.
“Guys that aren’t in the rotation obviously have to stay ready, especially in a tournament-type setting,” Musselman said. “What we’re worried about is obviously how to beat Vanderbilt.
“As you look beyond that — and I don’t think that any of the players can and I don’t think the coaching staff can — but I will say that for any teams that advance, the further you advance, depth can become more of a factor.”
Musselman mentioned freshman guard Layden Blocker as a player Arkansas will need if it advances.
“Layden has practiced really hard,” Musselman said. “I know that he’s staying ready to play, and that’s what you need to do.
“If you’re not getting the reps in a game, it’s important to stay mentally focused and get the reps and work on your [conditioning]. Any team that’s fortunate enough to advance, rotations can alter with each extra game that you have to play.”
But for tonight, look for the eight-man rotation Musselman has settled on to play most — if not all — of the minutes against Vanderbilt.