Anthony Black, 5-star PG, commits to Arkansas
Sophia Dalton Five-star point guard Anthony Black has committed to Arkansas, he announced on Monday. Black, who will participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday, chose the Razorbacks over finalists Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, TCU and the G League.
A 6-foot-7 point guard from Duncanville, Texas, Black is the No. 22 overall player and No. 3 point guard in the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rating. He was the third-highest ranked uncommitted prospect prior to Monday’s announcement.
Black is the sixth player in an Arkansas class that ranked No. 2 nationally before his commitment. He joins fellow five-star guard Nick Smith (No. 6 overall) and forward Jordan Walsh (No. 18) as the Razorbacks continue to build momentum off back-to-back Elite Eight runs. All six Arkansas commitments are top-100 recruits.
(Photo: Brian Rothmuller / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What Black brings to Arkansas
Brian Bennett, senior college basketball writer: Black is a very intriguing prospect as a 6-foot-7 point guard who soared up the recruiting rankings after giving up football. He has an excellent feel for the game, is an unselfish and willing passer and can defend just about any player on the floor.
His jump shot needs to continue to improve, but he’s already shown a willingness to work on his game and develop, and with all the other things he brings to the floor, he doesn’t need to score a lot to make a major impact.
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How has Arkansas been so successful at recruiting
Bennett: This should officially retire “Eric Musselman only succeeds with transfers” narrative. Black’s commitment gives Arkansas three five-star players in this cycle, joining Jordan Walsh and Nick Smith, the latter of whom has a chance of being the best pro prospect in the entire 2022 class. With three other four-star prospects in the fold, this is shaping up as the best recruiting class in Razorbacks history.
At least a few rotation players from this year’s second straight Elite Eight squad should stick around, and Musselman will stay active in the transfer portal. This could very well be a preseason top 5 team in the country for 2022-2023.
Strengths, weaknesses of Black's game
Sam Vecenie, senior writer: Given that Black is currently ranked at No. 22 on the 247 Sports composite ranking, I get the impression that we may be a bit higher on him than the consensus seems to be among recruiting experts. Black is the kind of 6-foot-7 playmaking guard that tends to have an awful lot of success as they move up levels of competition. His feel for the game is absolutely outstanding. He sees the floor exceptionally well as a passer, particularly out of ball-screen actions. He gets all of his teammates involved and keeps it moving around the perimeter. The ball doesn't stick with him like it does with other elite guards.
This is a dude that knows how to play winning basketball. More than that, he's also developed his craft as a scorer. The jumper might take a bit of time because it comes out of his hand with a bit of a funky spin, but he has developed a little floater game in the paint and, at his size, has the length to finish. We'll also note how much we love Black's on-ball defensive effort. It's genuinely hard to get by him, and he's switchable onto guys 1 through 3 at the very least at this point. He looks like a one-and-done prospect.