Walsh, Council Make Noise on Day 2 of NBA Combine Scrimmages

CHICAGO, Ill. – Thursday was the last chance for former Razorbacks Jordan Walsh and Ricky Council to make an impression in front of NBA executives, and their energy showed it.

While Council had a solid day on defense the day before and a decent job shooting, Walsh struggled much of the day as neither looked incredibly comfortable. Council looked more comfortable in the second half of his game, but it wasn't their typical Razorback showing. However, both looked way more settled in on on Day 2 as their two teams faced one another Thursday afternoon.

Jordan Walsh

It was easy to tell Walsh clearly felt he had something to prove. He came out much more aggressive and forced his way into the action. His performance on the court was solid, but not overwhelming. However, his final stat line managed to hide some of the issues on the court. The freshman forward had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Had he been as efficient as he was down the stretch for Arkansas, his active nature would have easily earned him a double-double. 

The good news for Arkansas fans is, if he comes back, Eric Musselman now has tape he can point to that will show Walsh how productive he can be if he allows himself to play a more aggressive, active style. The change in mindset could be the difference between being a late second round pick this season and a lottery pick next year.

GAME NOTES:

Ricky Council

If there was one thing that executives got out of these combine scrimmages, it's that Council is by far the best defender in this draft. He was smothering and relentless both days. No matter who he had to pick up, despite being asked to guard projected lottery picks the entire length of the court, he not only made their lives miserable, he created offense off defense.

What probably stood out the most was his work on Bailey. The UCLA guard rocketed up draft boards the past few days with stellar performances against anyone who stepped to him except Council. The Arkansas guard made it where Bailey couldn't breathe and when he tried to show up Council like he did so many others, he paid dearly.

It was easy to tell Council was much more comfortable. He had 9 points on 50 percent shooting. However, he was a quarter inch from being in double digits on 57% shooting, but he narrowly stepped out of bounds just as he went up for an acrobatic dunk that was the best of either day. 

For much of the first half, his coaches had Council bring the ball up the floor, which instantly got him more engaged. Overall, he had an efficient night shooting while getting chances to flash his athleticism on offense. However, there is no doubt that his brand has been cemented as a lights out defensive player.

BAYLOR COACH SCOTT DREW ON COUNCIL

Drew was brought on to give comment on a list of players he's seen in person. However, as the analysts were naming players they wanted him to talk about, he cut them off and made it clear that the name that needed immediate attention was Ricky Council.

"Wait, wait, wait! Let's start with Ricky. He had 25 against us, so he's gotta go. He's someone who went from 12 a game at Wichita State to 16 a game at Arkansas. That's a really tough thing to do. He had a heck of a game against us. The only thing we did was win, so thank goodness for that."

GAME NOTES:

FINAL THOUGHTS

It was good to see Walsh and Council on the floor together one more time. They made it a point of lining up beside one another on free throw attempts during the few times they played at the same time, and Council went out of his way to not hurt what Walsh was trying to do. 

Walsh was obviously better the second day, but he struggled shooting the ball and didn't shine on defense like he did in the final weeks of the season, especially in on-ball situations. His performance as a whole probably makes him a late second round draft, which would most likely earn him a two-way contract. That means he would have a chance to play for the club that drafts him, but would spend most of his time in the G League. Even if he's a beast, he will only contractually  be allowed to play a certain amount of days in the NBA and wouldn't be eligible for the playoffs. 

Council definitely didn't hurt his projection as the No. 41 pick. If anything, he may have moved up a spot or two with his defensive showing. If selected in that range, it should guarantee him a full roster spot

Of the remaining Razorbacks, Anthony Black certainly has the most buzz. NBA executives are in love with his potential and how much he grew under Musselman. They also like how he developed from a maturity standpoint over the course of the past season. Unless he goes and does something ill advised, which is not the typical off-court nature of Black, he will definitely be a Top 10 pick.

As for Nick Smith, his stock fell throughout his time as a Razorback. Off the court issues related to a rather perplexing injury coupled with a low shooting percentage and looking overwhelmed in the NCAA Tournament hurt him a great deal. Executives have a lot of questions and didn't get a chance to get those answered any way other than verbally this week. Smith even refused to take basic measurements. 

While he sat out of scrimmages, several players took advantage, possibly knocking Smith down a few more draft spots. Despite Musselman talking him up rather heavily at the analyst desk, it's going to take a team that fell in love with Smith as a high school player to keep him in the lottery range.