Potential targets for Arkansas’ last roster spot

With Jordan Walsh officially keeping his name in the draft and Devo Davis returning, Arkansas basketball is left with one open roster spot for next year’s team. With potentially the best guard room in the SEC, it’s expected that Eric Musselman will look to add another wing or big to round out the roster. Below are a few candidates to fill Arkansass’ last spot.

David Jones, 6-6 forward, St. John’s

The St. John’s transfer wing was second in scoring for former Arkansas head coach, Mike Anderson’s Red Storm, averaging 13.2 points per game. After losing Jordan Walsh, bringing in Jones could help fill a similar role for Arkansas, as he is able to play both on the wings or down low. Jones is not a great outside shooter, but can finish in the paint and plays extremely well on the defensive side of the ball. He ranks as the 4th best transfer available on 247Sports.

Alexis Yetna, 6-8 forward, Seton Hall

France native Yetna is looking for his third college team. He will be 24 years old in the fall, which could give Arkansas more needed experience. He missed the entire 2022-23 season from injury, but should be ready to return at the start of next year. Yetna averaged 8.1 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game for a fairly average Seton Hall team two years ago. He’s not a great shooter either but tends to play bigger than he is near the basket. Yetna could definitely be a nice bench piece for Eric Musselman to add through the portal.

Olivier Nkamhoua, 6-9 forward, Tennessee

A familiar name for Hog fans, Tennessee transfer Nkamhoua withdrew from the NBA Draft and is now looking for a new home. While it looks like he’s leaning towards committing to Juwan Howard and Michigan as of today, he would be a perfect fit in Fayetteville next year. A floor spacer, Nkamhuoa can play alongside Trevon Brazile in and out of the paint. He’s extremely athletic for his size, and one of the best portal still prospects available. He averaged 10.8 points per game and 5 rebounds per game in 2022-23.

Isaiah Miranda, 7-1 forward, NC State

Miranda is another one of the best transfers left on the market but in a very weird situation entering the portal. The former four-star recruit committed to NC State out of high school during the middle of last season, played a few games for the Wolfpack, then redshirted. Miranda then tried to test the NBA Draft waters but elected to return to college after not receiving the feedback he wanted. He’s an extremely talented and long forward who can play inside and out. He averaged 20 points per game and 12 rebounds per game as a senior in high school.

Jaiden Delaire, 6-8 forward, San Diego

Landing Delaire would be a full circle for Eric Musselman, with both of them playing for San Diego. Delaire is looking to make the jump back into the Power Five, after spending four years at Stanford before transferring to the Toreros. Delaire played just 12 games last year due to injury, but averaged a solid 9.2 points per game along with 5.3 rebounds per game. Delaire loves to use his big frame and excellent footwork to finish at the rim, similar to Jalen Graham.

Robert Carpenter, 6-7 forward, Kent State/Mississippi Valley State

Carpenter is another case of a player being overlooked due to injury. The forward transferred to Kent State in 2022 from Mississippi Valley State but missed the whole season due to injury. Carpenter could be an interesting piece if added; he’s averaging 19 points per game against SEC teams and averaged 16.7 points per game in the 2021-22 season. He shoots it consistently from the outside, but can also use his quickness to get to the bucket off pick-and-rolls.

While I do wish we would have targeted more of the guys in the earlier cycle of the portal, I’m happy where our team is as of right now. Getting another wing or big should put us in the conversation to be pre-season top ten once again. The Muss Bus continues to roll, and the last seat should be filled fairly soon.