By Otis Kirk
Special to News-Times
The White team and Daryl Macon jumped out to a 6-0 on Friday night and never looked back in a 95-69 win over the Red squad before an estimated crowd of 5,000 fans in Bud Walton Arena.
Macon hit a pair of 3-point shots in the opening minute of the game to get the White squad rolling. In the end, all six scholarship players for the White team scored in double figures. True freshman Daniel Gafford led the way with 23 points and 15 rebounds to show why he was a highly-decorated recruit coming out of El Dorado High School. Macon followed with 17 including four 3-pointers in 10 attempts as well as adding eight assists and four boards. Macon was asked following the game what he thought about Gafford.
"He's exactly what I thought he was," Macon said. "He was explosive and he's just gonna get better every day. You just got a glimpse of him tonight. That's not even all of it. When you play for 20 straight minutes it's tough. You got a glimpse of it not everything he has."
The White squad led 53-36 at intermission and built the lead to 36 points 79-43 on a Gafford dunk with 13:07 remaining in the game. Macon talked about hitting the two jumpers to start the game.
"I have a chip on my shoulder right now," Macon said. "A point to prove. Each and every game I'm gonna come out strong. It's our team picked sixth and individually I personally thought I should have been on first or second team (Preseason All-SEC), but at the end of the day it's a personal opinion. This is how I'm gonna play from here on out so at the end of the season they won't have a choice."
Despite the one-sided loss, sophomore C.J. Jones showed why some are hoping he will soften the loss of Dusty Hannahs from last year's team. Hannahs was a noted outside shooter, but Jones hit four 3-pointers in nine attempts for the Red team and finished with 24 points to lead all scorers. What did you work on prior to the season?
"Mainly my defense and my ball-handling," Jones said. "Catching and making a move into the basket."
In addition to Gafford and Macon, the White squad had Jaylen Barford and Darious Hall with 14 points each and Gabe Osabuohien with 11 points. Dustin Thomas had a complete game with 12 points, seven rebounds, nine assists and three steals.
The Red team also had Anton Beard and Adrio Bailey with 18 points each. Bailey also added 10 rebounds and five assists. Beard also had seven assists and four rebounds.
The White squad blistered the nets for 55.1-percent shooting from the floor including 31.6 from behind the 3-point line. They made 13 of 17 free throws for 76.5 percent. The White team also won the battle of the boards grabbing 46 rebounds to 30.
For the Red team, they shot 42.3 percent from the floor and only 23.8 from 3-point land. Another stat that Anderson won't be happy with is they shot only 50 percent from the charity stripe making four in eight attempts.
It was also a night two members of the Red team will probably try to forget. Trey Thompson only hit one field goal in six attempts though he did pull down four rebounds with five assists. He also had six personal fouls. Transfer Jalen Harris made one field goal in five attempts and only had one assist. He finished with five fouls.
Arkansas will return to the court on Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. CT to host Central Oklahoma in an exhibition game.