By Clay Henry
The white boards in Keith Smart’s office are the ultimate in eye candy for a basketball junkie. You see what’s important for a player to see if they pop into the office of the Arkansas assistant coach.
As I scanned the room waiting for Smart to arrive from a meeting for a long interview, I found pure gold, or maybe when multiple Snickers are plopped into your plastic pumpkin at the door of your favorite neighbor on Halloween.
It was Smart’s “Sikem List.” An editor might argue for “sic em,” but I got the point, especially when I saw the names from last year in this order: Devo Davis, Ricky Council, Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh.
You know what those guys could do, stop the other team’s best offensive threat. They were defensive water moccasins or attack dogs, depending on your preference.
“They are my Swiss Army knives on defense,” Smart said. “They can cover anyone.
“I have not put my list together yet, but I think we have really good (candidates) to make the (Sikem) list.”
Davis, the senior with the elite defensive reputation, will top the list. But there are other defensive dandies on this team, starting with Houston transfer Tramon Mark.
“You knew what you were getting with Tramon,” Smart said. “He came from Houston. They play with a mindset of toughness there. He’ll be on the (Sikem) list.”
Without a doubt, toughness is the most important quality to play for Eric Musselman. Smart has many years under Musselman, both as a player as a young pro and as an assistant coach.
“I know what he demands,” Smart said. “It’s toughness. What these transfers and our freshmen have to understand is the intensity in our practices, our culture. Even some of our older players have not been in a system that is this demanding as far as intensity … I spend time in the summer with our players one on one so that they understand what is expected in practice. It’s not easy and toughness is a quality that maybe even some of the older players have to learn.”
It’s a wonderful culture that is handed down from the returning players.
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