Coming off back-to-back third-round exits, Team Arkansas looks to finally break through and win the million.
Making the third round is difficult, so the fact that they were able to do it in back-to-back years is impressive. However, this team wants more. They roster eight players who played in last year’s TBT, including 5 from last year’s team. This team looks dangerous, and in the Butler region, they have a serious opportunity to come out on top.
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Current Roster:
- Adrio Bailey (Arkansas)
- Anthony Walton Jr. (Baylor)
- Brandon Wood (Valparaiso & Michigan State)
- Darious Hall (Arkansas, Depaul, & Central Arkansas)
- Drake Jeffries (Wyoming)
- Dustin Thomas (Colorado & Arkansas)
- Hunter Mickelson (Kansas & Arkansas)
- JD Notae (Arkansas)
- Jaylen Barford (Arkansas)
- Jordan Varnado (Troy)
- Shaun Doss (Arkansas Pine-Bluff)
Coaching Staff:
- Aditya Malhotra (Asst. Coach)
- Carter Vance (GM, Asst. Coach)
- Daniel Bandy (Asst. Coach)
- Monty Patel (GM, Head Coach)
Region: Butler
All-time Record: 6-5
First Matchup: vs. Eberlein Drive (July 19 at 1 p.m. on TBT Live)
Team MVP: Hunter Mickelson
Mickelson was a nightmare for opponents in TBT. In fact, Purple and Black, their second-round opponent, simply didn’t have an answer for him, and lost the game because of it. Once he gets the ball in the paint, it’s hard to stop him, and at 7’0, he is one of, if not the best rebounders at TBT. Last year, he averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks a game. If he can do this again, good luck to his opponents. He plays calmly never forces anything, and makes the lives of his teammates as easy as possible.
Make-or-break Player: JD Notae
Notae was supposed to play for Team Arkansas last year, but never ended up suiting up. He is listed on the roster now, but time will tell if we see him on the court. If he’s playing, he immediately becomes one of the best players in the tournament. Notae averaged over 18 points a game his senior season at Arkansas and has unlimited confidence, something that is so important in TBT with the Elam Ending. Arkansas’ ceiling is already high, but if Notae is playing, they immediately become a serious title contender.
Team Outlook
This Arkansas team has five players who averaged double digits last year, and that’s not including Notae. They’re going to score, and they’re going to do it at a high rate. Brandon Wood averaged 15 a game last year, and Jaylen Barford has had big-time scoring performances for this team in years prior.
They’ll face Eberlein Drive, a TBT favorite in Round 1. If they win that one, they potentially face a Butler alumni team in Butler. Last year, they lost to the Wichita State team in Wichita, so they’re hoping that history won’t repeat itself. If you want content from this team, it seems like you’ll be getting a lot, as the TBT website has seven content roles listed. If they go far, we’ll want all the content we can get, so the pressure is on for Team Arkansas.