Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

It seemed to fly under the radar in Arkansas, but one of Mike Anderson's big-man targets for the current recruiting class opted to go elsewhere. D.J. Bennett, a 6-foot-9 post player out of Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, recently chose to join Lon Kruger's Oklahoma Sooners.

Bennett had told recruiting services before the spring signing period opened that Arkansas topped his list. The Hogs may have decided to go in a different direction, one that spans the Atlantic Ocean.

Anderson and the Razorbacks staff are looking far and wide and still recruiting a big man to fill out the remainder of the class. Mouhamadou Jaiteh, a 6-11, 235-pound post player from France, has been in the Hogs' sights and reportedly will visit Fayetteville this month.

Jaiteh, literally and figuratively, stood out for a French Under 18 team in the Albert Schweitzer International Youth Tournament in Mannheim, Germany, in April. Against a United States team, Jaiteh had 25 points, 14 rebounds and six assists, leading the French in all three categories. In leading France to a victory over Argentina, Jaiteh had 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Bennett averaged nine points and six rebounds a game. It's impossible to tell how that might have translated to helping the Hogs next season had Bennett signed with them. Arkansas returns 6-11 rising sophomore Hunter Mickelson, who developed in high school and summer ball as more of a perimeter forward carrying just south of 200 pounds, but was forced into playing the post as a freshman last season. The Hogs will also return 6-8 junior power forward Marshawn Powell, who missed all but one game of last season with a knee ligament tear.

The Hogs signed 6-8, 205-pound Birmingham, Ala., forward JaCorey Williams last November for the 2012 class. Williams is regarded as more of a perimeter forward than an inside banger.

Other signees for 2012 are 6-3 shooting guard Anthlon Bell out of Memphis Bartlett; 6-5 swingman Michael Qualls from Shreveport (La.) Huntington; and a recent spring addition, 5-10 point guard Dee Wagner from Alexandria (La.) Peabody, who was voted Mr. Basketball in Louisiana by the state's writers and broadcasters association. Wagner reported offers from all the major schools in Louisiana, as well as Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin.

Another new addition for the Hogs is 6-6 swingman Alandise Harris, who has transferred from Houston. Harris, a Little Rock Central product who wanted to transfer closer to his family, would need a waiver from the NCAA to become eligible this winter.

Arkansas' departures from the 2011-12 team are forwards Michael Sanchez and Marvell Waithe, who have used up their eligibility, and rising senior guard Julysses Nobles, who recently asked for his release to transfer.

Nobles, incidentally, was on hand in Little Rock last weekend for the Real Deal in the Rock.

TEAMS WANTED: According to a website that colleges use to connect for scheduling, Arkansas is looking for some games early in the season — a lot of games.

A noticed placed on Basketball Travelers Inc. indicates that the Hogs are looking for nonconference games on these days: Nov.9, 13, 14, Dec. 15, 18, 22, 29 and Jan. 5. UA assistant coach Matt Zimmerman's contact information is included with the note: