Arkansas is expected to go on another deep run into the NCAA Tournament come March. And after that, they are expected to have a couple of NBA Draft picks in 2023. One of those is point guard Anthony Black. He was nothing short of superb for the Razorbacks as a fellow five-star recruit, Nick Smith Jr., was out. And he has stayed great even with Smith’s return to the lineup.
Arkansas’ Anthony Black (6-7, Fr.) has been a major standout from this year’s freshmen class & it goes beyond the stat-sheet too.
The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie listed Black as an ‘serious candidate’ for the No. 3 spot on his board, behind Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. pic.twitter.com/6eRMgX95iD
— 60 and 36 (@60and36) December 17, 2022
Anthony Black Breakdown
The 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard gives off some Shaun Livingston vibes but is a bit more comfortable shooting from beyond the arc. He is a smooth player and excellent in transition and the half-court. Here are his stats through 11 games this season.
- 12.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.8 SPG
- 53.3 FG%, 39.3 3P%, 72.3 FT%
- 18.4 PER, 112.4 ORtg, 87.6 DRtg
Black being a tall playmaker is something in demand at the NBA level. He doesn’t go out of his way often to score on his own, but he is excellent at setting up his teammates. He’s also got great energy when he’s on the floor and his length makes him an excellent defender. He can guard three positions and is a solid athlete. He’s got sticky fingers and finds his way into passing lanes when people least expect it.
.@PatBradley22's Top Freshmen in the SEC 🏀 🔝
1. Anthony Black, Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh – Arkansas
2. Brandon Miller – Alabama
3. GG Jackson II – South Carolina
4. Cason Wallace – Kentucky
5. Julian Phillips – Tennessee pic.twitter.com/e4Ot5jEgPq— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 8, 2022
Black’s unwillingness at times to take over games as a scorer could be detrimental, but it would fit with most teams at the NBA level. The Spurs wouldn’t mind having a guy who can get Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson easier shots while playing point guard instead of having to rely on a center like Jakob Poeltl to do it too often. The freshman’s jumper looks nice and he hits it at a good clip but should benefit from more volume (almost similar to Franz Wagner in that regard) at the next level.
The young man will have to get stronger to play consistently in the NBA. But he is a good enough athlete to compete and get minutes immediately for a team like the Spurs. Black may not score in bunches, but he definitely makes a team better and would be a steadying influence on a team.
