Kansas basketball: Five things to know about the Arkansas Razorbacks
![DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 16: Makhi Mitchell #15, Nick Smith Jr. #3, Ricky Council IV #1 and Jordan Walsh #13 of the Arkansas Razorbacks look on against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 16: Makhi Mitchell #15, Nick Smith Jr. #3, Ricky Council IV #1 and Jordan Walsh #13 of the Arkansas Razorbacks look on against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 16, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/66193f4bf714c310768c80220cebea762ea7bac6fd03620806738cb02f6db08d.jpg)
3. Head coach Eric Musselman prefers to play the matchup game rather than having a lineup set in stone.
It is often unknown what Eric Musselman will do before a game. Aside from the consistent play of Nick Smith and Anthony Black, the Razorbacks do not have a lineup set in stone.
Ricky Council, Davonte Davis, and Makhi Mitchell are candidates to start every game. Musselman changes things up quite often — nine different players have started on the court at tipoff for the Razorbacks this year. Even Council, their leading scorer and a usual mainstay in their lineup was the sixth man in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal.
After having Council come off the bench vs. Florida in February, Musselman shared with On3.com the reasons why his rotation is so inconsistent.
"“How this lineup goes, I gotta dive into Georgia and look at matchups and see if we’re gonna keep it like it is or if we’re gonna change. All those things with where we are right now they’re still to be determined, how we go in to certain games.”"
Whereas Kansas starts the same five players no matter the circumstances, Musselman prefers to take it game-by-game. It will be intriguing to see what gameday changes he decides to make tomorrow.
It was previously mentioned that Kamani Johnson started at center in the Round of 64 matchup vs. Illinois. Musselman also might consider Makhel Mitchell, Makhi’s twin brother, to see extra minutes against Kansas. The senior forward is 6′ 10″, 245 pounds, and the only Jayhawk who could match his bulky frame is Ernest Udeh Jr.