Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/1310134
12 NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BASKETBALL | 11.22.2020 VANCE JACKSON CLASS Fifth-year senior HEIGHT 6-9 WEIGHT 238 POSITION Forward HOMETOWN Pasadena, Calif. HIGH SCHOOL Prolific Prep LAST SEASON Averaged 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds at New Mexico. THE SKINNY Arkansas is the third college team for Jackson, who played at Connecticut as a freshman before transferring and redshirting at New Mexico and then playing two seasons for the Lobos. Jackson is a good perimeter shooter who for his career has hit 157 of 444 three-pointers (35.3%). He twice scored 29 points last season against San Jose State and Fresno State. JUSTIN SMITH CLASS Fifth-year senior HEIGHT 6-7 WEIGHT 230 POSITION Forward HOMETOWN Buffalo Grove, Ill. HIGH SCHOOL Steveson LAST SEASON Averaged 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds while starting all 32 games at Indiana. THE SKINNY Smith is a versatile, athletic player who runs the floor well on offense and can guard multiple positions on defense. He played in 98 games at Indiana with 73 starts, so he has plenty of experience playing at the highest level in the Big Ten. He played against Arkansas three times the previous two seasons — in a home-and-home series and an NIT game — as the Hoosiers went 1-2 in those games. JALEN TATE CLASS Fifth-year senior HEIGHT 6-6 WEIGHT 175 POSITION Guard HOMETOWN Pickerington, Ohio HIGH SCHOOL Pickerington Central LAST SEASON Averaged 13.9, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals at Northern Kentucky. THE SKINNY Tate was the Horizon League defensive player of the year last season and made the conference's all-defensive team each of the previous three seasons. Tate is known for his unselfish play, but he scored 37 points in two games in the Horizon League Tournament in leading Northern Kentucky to the championship. He played in 93 games for the Norse with 83 starts. and scored a career- high 31 points last season vs. IUPUI. BRANDON KIMBLE CLASS Fifth-year senior HEIGHT 6-7 WEIGHT 180 POSITION Forward HOMETOWN Indianola, Miss HIGH SCHOOL Indianola Academy LAST SEASON Averaged 4.8 points and 5.9 rebounds at Mississippi Valley State. THE SKINNY Kimble is a walk-on graduate transfer from Mississippi Valley State, which will be Arkansas' season-opening opponent on Nov. 25. He played in 29 games for the Delta Devils last season with 10 starts. EMEKA OBUKWELU CLASS Fifth-year senior HEIGHT 6-8 WEIGHT 235 POSITION Forward HOMETOWN Plano, Texas HIGH SCHOOL West Plano LAST SEASON Played six minutes in six games and had five rebounds. THE SKINNY Obukwelu is a walk-on who transferred to Arkansas from Texas-Tyler, an NCAA Division II school that plays in the Lone Star Conference. He averaged 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds as a sophomore at Texas-Tyler. DESI SILLS CLASS Junior HEIGHT 6-1 WEIGHT 202 POSITION Guard HOMETOWN Jonesboro HIGH SCHOOL Jonesboro LAST SEASON Averaged 10.6 points and 3.0 rebounds. THE SKINNY Sills is the only player with extensive game experience for Arkansas against SEC opponents. After starting 24 of the first 26 games last season, he played off the bench and averaged 14.7 points in the final six games. He closed the season with 20 points against Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament. Sills shot 32.9% on three-pointers on the season, but after a slow start he shot 45.6% )31 of 68) over the last 14 games. He goes hard to the basket and is a tenacious defender. JD NOTAE CLASS Redshirt junior HEIGHT 6-2 WEIGHT 195 POSITION Guard HOMETOWN Covington, Ga. HIGH SCHOOL Newton LAST SEASON Redshirted after transferring from Jacksonville (Fla.) University. THE SKINNY Notae broke his left wrist in the summer, but has recovered and is practicing. He averaged 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a sophomore at Jacksonville. He showed an ability to score against high level competition with 17 points against Notre Dame and 15 against Indiana as a sophomore and 22 against Michigan and 19 against North Carolina State as a freshman. ETHAN HENDERSON CLASS Junior HEIGHT 6-8 WEIGHT 210 POSITION Forward HOMETOWN Little Rock HIGH SCHOOL Parkview LAST SEASON Averaged 1.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20 games. THE SKINNY Henderson came on strong at the end of last season. He started six of the final seven games and hit 7 of 11 shots in that span and averaged 3.7 rebounds with 11 blocked shots. He played in 29 minutes in a victory at home over Tennessee last season and had 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. The coaching staff will look for him to provide energy off the bench. ARKANSAS MEN'S PLAYER CAPSULES BY BOB HOLT N O R T H W E S T A R K A N S A S