NWADG Basketball

5 NORTHWEST ARKANSAS BASKETBALL | 11.22.2020 1923 E. Joyce Blvd. | Fayetteville, Ark. 479.695.8011 | butterfieldtrailvillage.org Planning for a move to the perfect retirement community doesn't happen overnight, but at Butterfield, we make that time of preparation almost as fun as actually residing in one of our impressive living options. As a Carriage Club Member, you'll get to enjoy a range of premier amenities – before you move in! Call to schedule your private consultation and tour today. Cottages Apartments Village Homes CARRIAGE CLUB Your Pan Best Retirement *Certain activities are on pause during the Covid pandemic Jackson, Smith and Tate are senior graduate transfers who signed last spring and are immediately eligible this season. They are the Razorbacks' only scholarship seniors. For those who think of one-and-done college players strictly as star freshmen at Kentucky or Duke who leave as first- round NBA Draft picks just when they're getting to know their way around campus, increasingly now seniors are one-and- done, too. The NCAA transfer portal, which allows players who have graduated to have immediate eligibility at a new school, has dramatically changed recruiting and the college basketball landscape. Now coaches needing an influx of talent and experience pursue graduate transfers — the vast majority of whom are seniors — and few if any do it better than Arkansas coach Eric Musselman and his staff. Whenever it was reported last spring that a graduate transfer was going into the portal and schools that were on the player's radar were mentioned, the list inevitably included Arkansas. Musselman and his staff ultimately weren't interested in every player who became available, but they for sure knew about them all and did their research. Jackson, a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from New Mexico; Smith, a 6-7 forward who transferred from Indiana; and Tate, a 6-6 guard who transferred from Northern Kentucky; all said the UA was among the first schools to contact them when they went into the portal. "Is that any surprise that we had a player in the portal on speed dial?" Musselman said. "However many are in the portal, they're on speed dial for us." Jackson, Smith and Tate had plenty of good transfer choices along with Arkansas Among the other schools that contacted Jackson – who averaged 11.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season – were Louisville, Cincinnati, Memphis, Ole Miss and Arizona State. When Jackson transferred to New Mexico after his freshman season at Connecticut, he first turned down an offer from Musselman, who at the time was Nevada's coach. "I feel like he'd been there from day one," said Jackson. "He always was the first to contact me whether he was at Nevada or Arkansas." Nevada and New Mexico play in the Mountain West, so Jackson faced Musselman's Wolf Pack teams. "I loved their style of play," Jackson said. "I also just feel like being in the position I am and seeing the success of other players that came into his program, it just made sense for me to come to Arkansas." During the 2018-19 season when Nevada was ranked No. 6 and had a 14-0 record, Jackson had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals in 28 minutes off the bench to lead New Mexico to an 85-58 victory over the Wolf Pack. "Vance stepped up against a ranked team and dominated the game," Musselman said. "When he verbally committed to us, I would say seven to eight of the guys off the Nevada team texted me, because our guys had tremendous respect for him." In three seasons at Connecticut and New Mexico, Jackson has hit 157 of 444 (35.3%) three-pointers. "Vance's strength as a player is definitely shooting the ball," Smith said. 'Every time he shoots the ball, we think it's going in. The more open shots we can get him, the better off we'll be." Jackson has made 68 starts in 94 games. "Vance is experienced," Musselman said. "He can play the three and the four, and if we really want to play small ball, we'll be able to play him at the five. "We think he has the ability to be a good rebounder based on instincts. He's a player that on any given night is capable of having a big scoring night. "He can score in the post. He's got a nice turnaround jump shot over his left shoulder. He can face up and put it on the floor a little bit, and he can hit a three." Smith averaged 10.4 points and 5.2 rebounds last season at Indiana. He played in 98 games for the Hoosiers, including 73 starts. Three of Smith's starts came against Arkansas in a home-and-home series and an NIT game in Bloomington, Ind. Smith said the Razorbacks were a tough team to play, but that those matchups didn't influence his decision to transfer to Arkansas over other choices that included Maryland, Iowa State and Illinois. "I just really wanted to come down here and play for Coach Muss," Smith said. "I've seen what he's been able to See THREATS, Page 6

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