Eric Musselman praises incoming five-star freshman Anthony Black

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman hauled in quite the recruiting class to Fayetteville this season. Among that No. 2 class in On3’s 2022 Consensus Team Rankings is guard Anthony Black. A consensus five-star, Black committed to the Razorbacks after leading Duncanville High School to a 6A Texas state championship.

Before arriving on campus, Black had business to handle down in Tijuana as a member of USA Basketball’s National Team that competed in the 2022 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. On Black’s way to a gold medal, his new head coach says he loved what he saw and heard about his recruit during the trip.

“We watched the (Team USA) games all on livestream. I’ve talked to several of the coaches that were there with him,” said Musselman. “(Leon Rice) shared some great stories about AB in huddles and in practice to shed some light on how he was interacting with those guys.”

After the victory in Mexico, Black has since joined his teammates on campus. Missing a handful of practices would normally set a player, especially a college freshman, behind the eight ball. Musselman says that has not been the case. In fact, he compared Black’s knowledge of the playbook to the expertise of an experienced NFL quarterback.

“His first practice was (Thursday). He comes in and literally knew almost our entire playbook that we put in so far. I was kind of speechless,” said Musselman. “He literally was asking about third and fourth options on plays. We got some guys that have been here since day one that are still trying to figure out the second option. (It’s) almost like in a quarterback room. I thought I was with an NFL veteran QB who was asking questions after just missing a couple OTAs.”

It’s not just the basketball IQ that stands out with Black. It’s his size as well. At 6’6, he’s built like the uncommonly tall, long guards that have found success in the sport in recent years. That size helps him to be a solid scorer and playmaker, but it also gives him an advantage on the defensive end. When you package it all together, Musselman believes Black will be a team favorite as much as he is a fan one.

“With his size, it’s really unique at the guard spot. He will be able to alter shots, contest and challenge perimeter shots with his length and size. I think what’s going to happen is guys are really going to like playing with him, which is a characteristic that’s probably not talked enough about,” he said. “He’s got a high IQ, he plays both sides of the ball. I think guys are really, really going to like playing with AB.”

Black will look to meet the expectations he, Nick Smith and Jordan Walsh have brought to the program as the Razorbacks best class in recent memory. Everyone will get their look at them when Arkansas takes their European Tour from August 6th to the 16th.