NBA praises Arkansas as Ivy League of NCAA basketball

July 18, 2022

Several players in Summer League teams received heavy criticism for not understanding the basics of basketball including performing a pick-and-roll and reading the defense. Many conference hosts expressed their disappointment and said that the emerging players needed a proper "education" on how to play basketball.

One of the most criticized for not knowing the basics of playing basketball was Jaden Hardy. Hardy was especially criticized for not being able to pick-and-roll and move with the ball to avoid double team. Conversation then arise that Arkansas is the Ivy League of basketball due to the program's success in developing young talents.

The lack of quality coaching at the amateur level is attributed to the players' basketball coaching environment. They said that coaches would instead focus on the player's value rather than the game's mental aspect.

The nature of the program also reportedly results in developmental holes for players who are expected to be one-and-done. The NBA's perception is that once a coach sees a potential one-and-done player, they tend to avoid investing a lot of time in the player to improve their long-term skills.

The Summer League's goal is to help the young players develop chemistry with the team and get them to understand the basic concepts of playing basketball.

Musselman's hard work results in Arkansas' success

Eric Musselman, the head coach of the Arkansas basketball program, should conduct a radio segment where he would talk about the program with every recruit who visits the facility. He should also play for players who think he is too hard on them.

The success of the program and the way it prepares its players for the NBA is attributed to the work of Musselman. He is the only college basketball coach consistently praised for his approach to training his players.

The same scenario occurs every year for players who participate in the NBA combine. After going to the combine, a broken record is broken.

The success of the Arkansas program has caught the attention of NBA scouts and executives. They realized that the players from the school were more knowledgeable about the details of the game than those from other programs.

The videos that used to show the players' hard work in practice have been replaced by videos that feature the coach talking about the various aspects of the game. These videos also teach the players how to avoid getting into bad situations against certain opponents.

Arkansas as Ivy league in college basketball

What makes a school's teaching different from other schools is not the general curriculum. Instead, it's how the students learn.

The key to making a school a better place is having the depth of learning that Musselman instills in his players. For instance, in many places, athletes can go to play ball, but in Arkansas, they can't.

In Arkansas, athletes have the opportunity to get an education in basketball. On Tuesday and Saturday, they play games to demonstrate their skills.

It's this type of teaching that has Arkansas fans watching as the teams with less talent perform well against those with better talent. After January 15, when the season appears to be over, the focus of the players is on improving their skills.

It's this type of teaching that has Arkansas athletes having the necessary skills to succeed in the NBA. Many former Arkansas basketball players would have been sent to a foreign country after college. Instead, they were able to stay in the state and continue their careers.

The success of coach Musselman and the Arkansas basketball program will be regarded as an Ivy League school by NBA scouts. They know that the players who come from Arkansas are some of the best in the country.

Jake
Jake Williams
Jake Williams is a sports gambling expert. He's been writing in the sports betting and DFS industry for over a decade. He specializes in MLB and NBA, along with College Basketball and College Football.