re: Arkansas Basketball Recruiting Thread *Muss Years Archive - do NOT delete*

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2. ARKANSAS
Arkansas feels like the biggest threat to snatch Richardson’s commitment away from his father’s alma mater. Things on his visit to Fayetteville are said to have gone swimmingly, and the Razorbacks’ staff seems to genuinely like their chances as the four-star wing’s recruitment heads down the home stretch. Richardson had his father in tow when he hit campus for an unofficial visit in September of last year, which is particularly notable due to the fact that Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman coached dad in the NBA in the early 2000s.

There seems to be little separation between the Razorbacks and Spartans for the time being, as the two programs are, by far, Richardson’s most likely landing places.

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Malachi Moreno’s visit to Arkansas

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The 6-foot-11 forward is fresh off a visit to Indiana last weekend and now Eric Musselman and his crew will try and stake their claim at one of the most promising bigs in the 2025 class. It will be a tall order to stand out, Moreno has seven visits, both official and unofficial, lined up over the next two months, but if any coach in the country can step in and make the type of positive impression that you just can’t shake it’s Musselman. Moreno had a big summer with Indiana Elite in the adidas 3SSB, serving as a shot eraser and consistent lob threat on the offensive end.

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Four-star senior Jalen Shelley didn't need much time to make up his mind after a weekend official visit to Arkansas.

The four-star wing from Texas who is attending Branson (Mo.) Link Academy for his senior season confirmed to 247Sports on Monday that he has committed to Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks.

“I was just waiting until the time felt right," Shelley told 247Sports. "They have believed in me and have a lot of confidence in me. People who trust me I trust them and I feel like they will develop me to the fullest and get me to where I want to be the quickest."

A long and athletic 6-foot-8 wing (who looks like he may have grown to 6-foot-9), Shelley is a slashing lefty who loves to put the ball on the floor and attack gaps in the defense. He can really get out and run in transition, has some passing instincts and is the type of high octane and versatile player who should be a natural fit in Musselman's system. It's something that was driven home during his trip to Fayetteville.

“Coach Muss likes to have long and athletic players that can play multiple positions one through five," said Shelley. "Me being versatile I can do a lot of those things and think I can really fit any situation that he needs me in and I'm looking forward to making an impact."

Currently ranked No. 67 overall in the class of 2024 by 247Sports, Shelley is Arkansas' first commitment from the class of 2024. He's looking forward to getting to campus and is excited to have made his college decision.

“I feel really good about my decision. I appreciate all the fans that have been supporting me throughout this even from the other schools that I wasn't able to pick. It just feels great to know that I've got my decision out of the way.”

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Arkansas basketball and head coach Eric Musselman picked up the first commitment of the 2024 class today in talented four-star wing Jalen Shelley, who chose the Razorbacks over a list of finalists that included Louisville, Marquette, Ohio State, LSU, Colorado, Houston and Texas A&M.

The 6-8 native of Frisco (Texas) who has transferred to prestigious Link Academy right up the road in Branson (Mo.) for his senior season ranks as the No. 67 overall prospect and No. 17 small forward in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports. Shelley comes in at No. 47 overall and 14th among small forwards in the industry generated composite rankings.

He joins former Razorback and current Boston Celtics wing Jordan Walsh as Arkansas commitments to come out of Link Academy and is the third native Texan to join the program from the high school ranks alongside Walsh and recent NBA lottery pick and Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black.

Shelley is on the heels of an official visit to Arkansas where he spent time with the team and coaching staff, sat in on a practice and attended the football game against Kent State. The visit came just under one year from his first trip to Fayetteville in 2022 where he made an unofficial stop on campus as his brother, Jason, took to the gridiron as Missouri State’s quarterback against the Razorbacks.

A long, rangy lefty, Shelley has long been an intriguing prospect with high upside and athleticism coupled with the ability to excel in transition and is primed to blossom in his new surroundings at Link. He has also developed into a more reliable catch-and-shoot threat from the perimeter. Shelley fits the mold of long, versatile wings who have found success over the years under Musselman.

Shelley averaged 18.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a junior at Prestonwood Christian last season, leading his team to the TAPPS Class 6A State Championship where he scored a team-high 17 points in the title game. He earned district MVP honors and was an all-state selection by the TAPPS and TABC.

With the foundational piece in place in Shelley, Arkansas will now turn its attention to filling out the rest of the 2024 class. The Razorbacks have upcoming visits scheduled with top-25 four-star Isaiah Elohim next weekend as well as top-50 wing Rakease Passmore in October. The Hogs remain very much in the mix for several others, including Amier Ali, Annor Boateng, Jase Richardson and Naas Cunningham.

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Tre Johnson, Link Academy & Houston Hoops: There wasn’t a prospect in the country who Ignite trailed more obviously this summer than Johnson. Nor was there a program, college or professional, that trailed Johnson as consistently as Ignite. As we detailed on the show in August, Baylor and Texas are among his top college options, but Ignite looms larger for him than perhaps any other prospect in the country right now.

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BRANSON, Mo. – For years, Branson has been a family vacation destination for Midwesterners looking to check out a show, hit a theme park or spend some time on the water at nearby Table Rock Lake. Now, the not so sleepy town of nearly 13,000 in southwest Missouri is home to a legitimate high school powerhouse. Link Academy began operating a prep school team seven years ago and two years ago, they added an elite high school team and have instantly turned into one of the country’s premier programs.

In year one, Link advanced all the way to the finals of the prestigious Geico National Tournament. In year two, they won the entire thing. Now in year three, head coach Bill Armstrong and his program have a bullseye affixed firmly on their backs. Despite returning just one player from last season’s National Championship squad, expectations are once again high for the Lions.

On Monday, 247Sports was on hand for their first practice of the season and came away impressed.

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During each of Link’s first two seasons, a five-star from the state of Texas was vital to their success and that should continue in year three. In season one it was now Boston Celtic Jordan Walsh, last year it was current Baylor freshman Ja’Kobe Walter and this year it’s going to be top five senior shooting guard Tre Johnson.

After winning a state title as a junior in Texas, Johnson is looking to test himself during his senior season and he was outstanding during Monday’s workout. With Baylor head coach Scott Drew and three assistants on hand to see him, Johnson was burying jumpers from all over. He looked to have added some muscle since July and was playing with more physicality and most of all his motor was running non-stop. He won nearly every sprint, competed in every drill and then put on a shooting clinic during a post practice shootaround. This weekend’s planned visit to Alabama is being rescheduled for October.

Johnson isn’t the only big-time newcomer to the Link backcourt. Top 30 senior point guard LaBaron Philon is now on campus as is his summer teammate with Team Thad, 2025 top 15 combo guard Jasper Johnson. During Monday’s workout Philon – who recently visited Cincinnati and has visits to his other finalists Kansas, Ole Miss and Alabama coming up over the next month – was hitting gaps, pushing tempo and showing the ability to mix his inside/out scoring with setting the table for teammates. As for Johnson, the lean southpaw was feeling it with his jump shot and really made his presence felt as a scorer from the wing who has to be accounted for at all times on the floor.

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On Monday, Arkansas had assistant Anthony Ruta in to see four-star wing Jalen Shelley. Fresh off of his official visit to Fayetteville, the 6-foot-8 forward chatted with his future coach in the bleachers and hit send on messages to his various social media accounts announcing that he has committed to Arkansas. Kind of a fun moment to watch happen in real time. As for how he practiced, Shelley had a very good day. At 6-foot-8 (and maybe still growing) he’s likely going to see a lot of time as a small ball four man and he was active on the glass, really getting out in transition and making good decisions in the half court. All in all, it was a really nice practice for him.

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Mustaf decides Thursday, haven't heard much on him so guessing we are more or less out?

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CLASS OF 2024:

Tre Johnson (6-6, 190, SG) | 5-star, No. 5 nat'l (-1 since last update)
Jayden Quaintance (6-9, 230, C) | 5-star, No. 9 nat'l (+5 since last update)
Karter Knox (6-5, 205, SF) | 5-star, No. 14 nat'l (-3 since last update)
Jase Richardson (6-2, 175, CG) | 4-star, No. 34 nat'l (+20 since last update) *has previously visited Arkansas
Jaeden Mustaf (6-4, 205, CG) | 4-star, No. 39 nat'l (+3 since last update)
Annor Boateng (6-5, 205, SF) | 4-star, No. 41 nat'l (+6 since last update) *has previously visited Arkansas
Isaiah Elohim (6-5, 190, SF) | 4-star, No. 42 nat'l (-1 since last update) *visiting Arkansas 9/16
Rakease Passmore (6-5, 180, SF) | 4-star, No. 48 nat'l (+5 since last update) *visiting Arkansas 10/6
Naas Cunningham (6-7, 180, SF) | 4-star, No. 54 nat'l (-19 since last update)
Amier Ali (6-8, 175, SF) | 4-star, No. 60 nat'l (-2 since last update)
Jalen Shelley (6-8, 190, SF) | 4-star, No. 65 nat'l (+3 since last update) *committed to Arkansas 9/11

CLASS OF 2025:

Cameron Boozer (6-9, 215, PF) | 5-star, No. 1 nat'l
Darryn Peterson (6-5, 195, SG) | 5-star, No. 2 nat'l
Caleb Wilson (6-10, 185, PF) | 5-star, nat'l No. 4 (-1 since last update)
Meleek Thomas (6-4, 175, PG) | 5-star, nat'l No. 8 (-1 since last update)
Jasper Johnson (6-4, 170, CG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 9 (+3 since last update) *has unofficially visited Arkansas
Jacob Wilkins (6-7, 160, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 15 (+14 since last update) *son of Dominique Wilkins
Cayden Boozer (6-3, 190, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 17 (-6 since last update)
Trey McKenney (6-4, 225, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 18 (-3 since last update)
Dorian Jones (6-3, 160, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 28 (+9 since last update)
Malachi Moreno (6-11, C) | 4-star, nat'l No. 30 (+20 since last update) *visited Arkansas 9/9
Sadiq White (6-7, 170, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 31 (-9 since last update)
Terrion Burgess (6-8, 200, PF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 32 (-7 since last update) *visited Arkansas 9/9
King Grace (6-4, 165, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 33 (+3 since last update)
Tounde Yessoufou (6-6, 211, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No 36 (-13 since last update)
Jovani Ruff (6-5, 175, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 38 (-11 since last update)
BJ Davis-Ray (6-5, 175, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 42 (-12 since last update)
Nigel Walls (6-10, 185, PF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 48 (+10 since last update)
Will Riley (6-7, 180, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 49 (-5 last update)
Jeremiah Green (6-2, 165, CB) | 4-star, nat'l No. 54 (no change since last update)
Hudson Greer (6-6, 175, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 58 (-1 since last update)
Shelton Henderson (6-5, 200, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 59 (+44 since last update)
Chris Cenac (6-8, 185, PG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 60 (-1 since last update)
Kayden Edwards (6-2, 165, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 64 (+7 since last update)
Cam Ward (6-6, 180, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 65 (-3 since last update) *has unofficially visited Arkansas
Jackson Keith (6-5, 190, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 67 (-1 since last update)
Tylis Jordan (6-7, 180, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 68 (-1 since last update)
Isaiah Sealy (6-5, 180, CG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 72 (+17 since last update) *visited Arkansas 8/3
Jermaine O'Neal Jr (6-4, 175, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 79 (-15 since last update) *visiting Arkansas 10/28
Bryce Heard (6-5, 187, CG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 84 (-5 since last update) *visited Arkansas 9/9
Carlsheon Young (6-4, 180, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 86 (no change since last update)
Jalen Reece (5-10, 155, PG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 93 (-3 since last update)

CLASS OF 2026:

Jalen Montonati (6-7, 165, SF) | 5-star, nat'l No. 8
Sam Funches (6-10, 195, C) | 5-star, nat'l No. 10
Jaxon Richardson (6-5, 170, SF) | 4-star, nat'l No. 15
JJ Andrews (6-5, 195, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 25 *has visited Arkansas
Aidan Chronister (6-7, 170, SG) | 4-star, nat'l No. 29

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