This year was supposed to be different for Arkansas basketball.

After three-straight years of reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, a breakthrough was due. Eric Musselman went into the transfer portal and brought a wealth of offensive talent to Fayetteville. The Razorbacks began the year ranked 14th in the country and felt that heights untouched since 1995 were within their reach.

Arkansas indeed found a different level, but not the ceiling-breaching tier it expected.

For the first time since 2010, Arkansas finished its season with a losing record. The final blow came Thursday afternoon in an 80-66 loss to South Carolina in the second round of the SEC Tournament. This year also marks the first time Musselman has finished with a record under .500 in his college coaching career.

"This is new territory. Right now the season ending stings," Musselman said "I have not been in this position. Hopefully the program is not. Hopefully we're playing deeper in this tournament, but more importantly hopefully we're playing in NCAA tournaments."

Musselman finds himself in a new position as his team took on a new identity. The 'Muss Bus' has been run on physical, borderline nasty defensive effort. The Hogs created turnovers and made finding an open shot feel like taking a final exam over Musselman's first four years at the school.

But this season, the defense faded. Arkansas was at its best when the offense was rolling. Scoring came-and-went, but defensive issues persisted from start-to-finish.

Arkansas ranked 341st in the country this year in scoring defense. According to KenPom, the Hogs' defense ranked 135th in efficiency. The previous low in that category under Musselman was 57th in his first season at the school.

What caused the downturn? Musselman didn't bring any elite defenders in through the portal or out of high school. Tramon Mark was terrific offensively, but he didn't create a fearsome backcourt duo alongside Davonte Davis. Khalif Battle, Jeremiah Davenport and El Ellis all had stretches over the season with significant defensive struggles that led to multiple games with little-to-zero minutes.

The players simply didn't click.

"I know Coach gets a lot of negative attention, but the whole coaching staff works really hard," Battle said. "At the end of the day, it's on the players. These guys, they spend overtime working on the game plan, watching film, doing a lot of detail-oriented stuff. It's on the players, the season."

More: Arkansas basketball season comes to an end in SEC Tournament loss to South Carolina

More: Arkansas basketball senior Khalif Battle hints he could return to Razorbacks next season

The roster will undoubtedly turn over next year. Mark, Battle, Davis, Trevon Brazile, Keyon Menifield and Layden Blocker are the only Hogs who logged meaningful minutes this season and still have eligibility.

It's safe to assume Musselman will try and get back to his roots, hunting defensive-minded players in the transfer portal to join whoever decides to return. His two high school signees — Jalen Shelley and Isaiah Elohim — are both long, athletic swingmen who would have been useful this winter.

It's time for the roster and its coach to respond to a first disappointing season in this new era of Arkansas basketball. Musselman is ready for the challenge.

"I'm probably more motivated right now at this moment than I ever have been," he said. "I can't wait to work."

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball reaches new low in Eric Musselman era