FAYETTEVILLE -- It's not a coincidence that the University of Arkansas basketball team's three senior graduate transfers all played for teams that previously faced Razorbacks Coach Eric Musselman.
The familiarity Musselman had with Justin Smith, Vance Jackson and Jalen Tate made the trio particularly attractive to Arkansas when they entered the transfer portal.
Smith, a 6-7 forward from Indiana, was limited because of four fouls when the Razorbacks beat the Hoosiers 71-64 last season, but he had 6 points and 8 rebounds in 25 minutes.
Jackson, a 6-9 forward from New Mexico, had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals when the Lobos beat Musselman's Nevada team 85-58 during the 2018-19 season.