Daniel Gafford Says He’s Returning for Sophomore Season

After a disappointing end to the season, Arkansas got a big boost for next year with Daniel Gafford’s latest tweet.

Gafford is coming back for a second year and that relieves a major issue that would have been there for Mike Anderson had he gone pro. He led the team in rebounds (6.2 per game), blocks (2.2 per game), and was third in scoring (11.8 per game). Now with nearly half of the 2018 team graduating, Arkansas has a reliable talent in the middle to be their rock and leader.

This is a huge boost for the starting five for next year. The 2018 recruiting class has talent, but is largely guards and power forwards. Had Gafford left, Arkansas would have been pretty undersized in the post. Now players like Reggie Cheney, who played in prep school alongside a lengthy traditional center (Bol Bol), and Ethan Henderson can come into Fayetteville and play in a role more suitable for them.

Expectations for next year still won’t by sky high for this team, nor should they be with the amount of scoring leaving the team. The return of Gafford makes things a lot better for next season though, and in an SEC that is consistently improving, the Hogs still have to talent to compete for some postseason play.