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

Looks good, trying not to take anything too serious after Holland

5:30 CT, Think its on FB

Damn

Muss

Holland staying in Texas hurts, but this definitely softens the blow

Nothing wrong with diop but this turned out well for us. Muss can definitely add someone more impactful.

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Arkansas has landed a major commitment in the No. 16 overall prospect in the class of 2023 in Baye Fall. The 6-foot-10 five-star who attends Accelerated Schools (Colo.) chose the Razorbacks over Seton Hall, Rutgers, and Auburn.

“I chose Arkansas just from what my family and I have seen out there,” Fall said. “We went on a visit twice and saw amazing stuff. I like what they had planned to get me to the next level and better my future.”

“They showed me stuff that fits my game and what can help me be a pro the best way possible. They showed me a couple of their bigs in the past and how I’d fit the system.”

Baye took two visits to Arkansas that played a big role in this decision.

“My visits played a lot into this decision and opened my eyes to not only the basketball side of things but the people and the state,” he said. “I saw how they support the team and the support around the team.”

The entire staff made a joint effort to land Fall and heavily recruited him since day one.

“Coach Ronnie Brewer has been in touch since they first started recruiting me,” Fall said. “He’s been in touch every other day by texting me, and checking in on us. He played a big part in this. Outside of him all of their staff came out to see me whether it’s my games or at the house.”

Fall now joins Top 30 point guard Layden Blocker and has set a goal to win and develop as much as possible while at Arkansas.

“My goal is to get better most importantly just win and learn a lot from the team. I want to pick up everything I can from them, on and off the court and hopefully they can get me better the best way possible.”

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It took some time and he had the Arkansas fanbase sweating it out as he took visits, but five-star Baye Fall finally committed to Eric Musselman and the Razorbacks on Tuesday. Fall gives them high school recruit No. 2 to go along with four-star guard Layden Blocker from the class of 2023 moving them into the top 25 of the Composite team rankings for 2023.

A key Arkansas target for some time now, Fall is a 6-foot-10 center from Senegal who has played his high school basketball at various stops in the Denver area where he's currently finishing up his senior year at Accelerated Prep.

Ranked No. 16 overall by 247Sports and No. 3 at his position, Fall has been considered among the top big men in his class for some time. So, what are his strengths? Weaknesses? And most importantly, how can he got on the floor and help the Hogs?

First and foremost, Fall is a big time athlete. He runs the floor like a sprinter with his long strides and he gets to top speed in a hurry. He flies to the rim to finish lobs in transition, he slams home offensive rebound opportunities and he has very good lateral quickness. Those athletic gifts have posed problems for others at the high school level. He's too quick around the rim for most, gets off the floor quicker than most and has terrific instincts when it comes to tracking down loose balls.

Through the early part of the season he's averaging 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game for Accelerated and those athletic gifts are a big part of it. Fall has developed a nice jump hook and he's an excellent foul shooter which suggests that there's promise for him to develop his game facing the hoop.

Maybe that's where there's a little bit of a disconnect between the Fall that can leave an imprint on the game around the rim and the one who likes to play facing the rim and makes himself much more guardable.

Fall has shown enough glimpses of a faceup game to suggest that he can develop it over time. However, he seems to want to put the cart ahead of the horse at times and limits his effectiveness at times because he's hanging out on the perimeter trying to prove that he is a faceup guy or a wing. He already faces a disadvantage in the strength territory -- a major area to be addressed once he arrives on campus -- but he makes things even harder on himself when he plays away from his strengths and tries to do too much from the perimeter. Ye, he can still use his quickness to drive by more lumbering big men, but his handle is just ok and by playing on the perimeter he's a much easier matchup for undersized teams.

How quickly he'll be able to make an impact at Arkansas is going to have a lot to do with how he decides to play. Most likely, Musselman and his staff will encourage him to run the floor, protect the rim and play with energy in the lane. When he does those things with regularity, he can then afford to face the rim and take a jump shot here and there and that will be an incentive that the staff can use to get Fall to play to his strengths.

Clearly, he's very talented and has a high ceiling for improvement. If Fall listens to coaching and plays to his strengths, he can be very impactful from the moment he steps on campus. However, he's not a ready made player and along with adjusting to the physicality of college basketball taking a long look in the mirror and assessing what does and doesn't work for him is going to play a huge part in both his early and long term success.

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On3 Consensus five-star recruit Baye Fall has committed to Arkansas.

The 6-foot-10 class of 2023 center out of Denver (Colo.) Accelerated Schools ultimately chose the Hogs over Auburn, Seton Hall, and Rutgers. He also received offers from Texas, Kansas State, Colorado, and others.

He is the second addition to Arkansas’ recruiting class, joining four-star point guard Layden Blocker (No. 28).

Fall ranks as the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 3 overall center and the No. 1 player in Colorado.

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Fall on his commitment to Arkansas

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“I chose Arkansas because me and my family feel it’s the best place for me to accomplish what I want to accomplish,” Fall said to On3. “It’s the best place that can get me to the next level in the best way possible. Going on the two visits to Arkansas opened our eyes. Their play style fits me well. There are great coaches out there. I think I go there and get better and win at the highest level.”

What type of player is Arkansas getting in Baye Fall, in his own words?

“The program is getting a winner and a competitor,” he says. “I’m going to compete until my last breath, help the team win, get far in the tournament, win the conference, and be a leader on and off the floor. I’ll someone that will be there for my teammates and someone that is really coachable. I’m someone that’s going to be there for the people and the community.

“On the basketball side, I bring my defensive presence, versatility, and ability to guard five positions. On offense, I can go to work, be there for my teammates, the coaches and do whatever they need me to do.”

Fall has a message for Arkansas fans.

“I want to tell Hogs fans that I’m excited for my freshman year. It’s going to be a show and it’s going to be a lot of fun. We are going to be out there competing, getting dubs, and I’m just excited to be out there. I’m looking forward to meeting all the fans.”

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WHAT ARKANSAS IS GETTING IN FALL
At 6-foot-10, Fall is blessed with tremendous length that adds to his potential on both ends of the court. He’s a rangy forward that can play both the four and the five depending on the system. Fall is athletic and interjects that into the game whenever he’s on the court. He moves well, especially for his size.

Despite being a high-quality athlete, for Fall to take the next step in his progression, he needs to add muscle quickly. Defensively, he serves as a rim protector and does a good job of guarding pick and rolls, but needs to work on discipline at that end of the court. Offensively, he’s best suited out of the dunker spot, using his athleticism to high point missed shots and lobs from driving guards.

He’s shown an expanding skill set — outside shooting and post fades — at that end of the court, but simplifying his game might be the best thing for him to do at the college level.

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE RAZORBACKS
With the commitment of Baye Fall today, Musselman has his front court crown jewel secured for the class, but could look to add a seasoned big man out of the transfer portal. This commitments give Arkansas two total players out of the 2023 high school class, with Fall joining four-star point guard Layden Blocker.

As it stands today, the Razorbacks' recruiting class will likely be finished with the staff plugging holes via the transfer portal this off-season, unless they can secure a reclass big man.

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Eric Musselman and the Arkansas Razorbacks have made another five-star splash on the recruiting trail, landing the commitment and signature of long-time target and talented Class of 2023 big man Baye Fall.

The 6-10, 205-pound center chose the Hogs over a list of finalists that included Auburn, Seton Hall and Rutgers. He becomes the fifth in a growing list of five-star commitments for Arkansas during the Musselman era, joining Layden Blocker in the 2023 cycle and 2022 McDonald’s All-American trio Nick Smith, Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh.

With a player rating of 0.9945, Fall is currently the third-highest rated commitment for Arkansas in the modern rankings era, behind current Razorback Nick Smith and long-time pro Al Jefferson, who never made it to campus.

A native of Senegal, Fall made his way to Colorado just a few years ago and quickly made a name for himself in the recruiting world. He currently ranks as the No. 16 overall prospect, No. 3 center and No. 1 player in his state, according to 247Sports.

Fall is off to a strong start to his senior campaign at Accelerated Prep in Denver (Colo.). In two wins to start the season, the big man notched a pair of double-doubles, going for 13 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks against 1 for 1 Prep and following up with 19 points and 10 rebounds to go along with five blocks against Balboa (Cali.).

Fall had a tremendous spring and summer on the grassroots scene, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game with the Colorado Hawks on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. He earned a spot in the Top 30 Cream of the Crop Game at the Pangos All-American Camp, averaged a double-double and earned all-star honors at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and received an invite to the Adidas All-American Camp.

In 10 games during his junior campaign at upstart Denver Prep Academy, Fall averaged 14.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game against some of the nation’s top competition on The Grind Session Elite Circuit. As a sophomore, Fall was named to Colorado Class 3A State Player of the Year and a First-Team Max Preps All-American while leading Lutheran (Parker) to its fourth state championship, averaging 22.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.2 blocked shots per game on 65 percent shooting from the field.

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QUOTES FROM COACH MUSS

“We are extremely excited about the addition of Baye Fall to our program,” Musselman said. “Baye has been a top priority for our coaching staff since the beginning of our tenure at Arkansas. He plays with contagious energy and is an excellent two-way player who can affect the game on both offen­se and defense. Baye fits our NBA/Arkansas mold with his versatility and being a positionless basketball player. We believe the pairing of Baye Fall with Layden Blocker can give Arkansas one of the most exciting freshman duos in the entire country next season.” - Arkansas Head Coach Eric Musselman

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FALL'S COACH WEIGHS IN ON THE FUTURE HOG

"Baye is a guy who has an unlimited motor. He doesn't stop playing... ever. He's going to try to block every shot. Every time he gets the ball, he is going to try to score. He has that ability that you can't teach. I wish every player I coached had it. He can improve in some areas, but he knows that. He just has to polish up his footwork, work on his shot selection, and just think the game through more. But because he is such a beast on both ends of the floor, he gets away with so much because he plays so hard." - Accelerated Prep Head Coach Mike Haynes

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SCOUTING REPORT

“Fall is a physically gifted big man with size, length, athleticism, and mobility. He runs the floor extremely well, can slide his feet laterally, and is a bouncy leaper. His best potential lies on the defensive end of the floor, where he is already a high-level rim protector who can block shots on and off the ball. He also moves exceptionally well laterally for his size, allowing him rare versatility as a pick-and-roll defender, who can even be switchable in certain situations.

“Offensively, he’s a bouncy finisher around the rim and also has soft touch inside the paint, and maybe even some long-term floor-spacing potential. However, his overall approach can lack efficiency on that end. He rarely gets deep position or even makes himself as much of a lob-threat as he should be, and instead has a tendency to settle for a variety of fade-aways and other “tough twos.” Fall had an extremely high turnover rate through Adidas play with almost five turnovers per game and also tends to be an inconsistent defensive rebounder for his size. His biggest liability at the moment is a lack of strength. He’s very lean, in both his upper and lower body, and can get displaced easily on both ends of the floor and even bounce off of more physically developed big men.” - 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finklestein

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SEE THE NEW ADDITION IN ACTION

Arkansas fans who are excited to see the latest addition to the program live and in person will have the opportunity to do just that in the coming days as Fall is set to travel to the Natural State to compete in The Big Show Tip-Off Showcase at Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside on Friday, November 19th. Fall’s Accelerated Prep squad will face national power Link Academy at 8 p.m. (CT) as the headliner of the five-game event.

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Eric Musselman and his staff at Arkansas made waves with an unprecedented haul of signees during the last recruiting cycle, and they have doubled down in the 2023 class with another pair of five-stars putting ink to paper in the past few days, both of whom are now among the program's top 10 highest-rated additions in the online rankings era.

While this year's haul in the early signing period falls short of the historic 2022 class in terms of quantity, the additions of Arkansas native and Sunrise Christian (Kan.) standout point guard Layden Blocker (No. 25 nat'l) and Accelerated Prep (Colo.) big man Baye Fall (No. 14 nat'l) certainly stack up when it comes to quality.

The duo gives Arkansas an overall team score of 52.69, which vaults the Razorbacks to No. 23 nationally. The Hogs are the highest-ranked program in the country with only two commits, just ahead of Stanford and North Carolina.

With the early signing period in the books, it's once again time to update Arkansas' ten highest-rated hoops commitments in the modern era -- a list that seems to change every time the Razorbacks land a new addition under Musselman. As a side note, the debuts of Blocker and Fall to this list push Steven Hill and Daniel Gafford to the outside looking in.

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Looking at our offers out, nearly everyone we’ve now offered is committed elsewhere. I didn’t dig a ton to see if they had signed or not though.