Category: Pro Hogs: Non-NFL

Warriors even series against Lakers as former Hog Moses Moody looks strong

Golden State and Los Angeles feel like they could go to seven.

Moses Moody’s two seasons in the NBA have not gone the way expected considering his draft position, but the former Arkansas guard has shown flashes often enough that many in the league think he will be a regular for a long time.

Moody had one of those flashes Thursday night.

His Golden State Warriors tied their second-round series against the Lakers via a 127-100 blowout. Moody scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 26 minutes.

For the season, Moody averaged 4.8 points in 13 minutes a game over 63 games for the Warriors. His best individual game came in the regular-season finale against Sacramento as he scored 25 points on 10 of 14 shooting with four boards and four assists.

Those kinds of games are not the expectation every night. The key for Moody’s cracking of the rotation as more than the 10th or 11th man is have more performances like he did Thursday, similar to the way Isaiah Joe had things come together for him in his third season in 2022-23 with Oklahoma City.

The Warriors and Lakers play Game 3 on Saturday in Los Angeles.

Dominic Fletcher earns first call-up to Major League Baseball

Former Arkansas outfielder Dominic Fletcher is making his first trip to The Show after raking at Triple-A.

The Arizona Diamondbacks called up former Arkansas outfielder Dominic Fletcher for the team’s series finale Sunday against Colorado.

Fletcher, who is making his first trip to The Show, was hitting .323 with an on-base percentage of .417 and slugging .523 at Triple-A Reno. Ostensibly, Fletcher is taking the place of outfielder Jake McCarthy who was optioned to Reno on April 25. The official corresponding move was Arizona sending Anthony Misiewicz.

Fletcher was named Arizona’s No. 13 prospect entering the season by The Athletic’s Keith Law. The Diamondbacks selected Fletcher out of Arkansas in the second round of the 2019 draft. His brother, David, has spent most of the last four seasons as the Los Angeles Angels’ starting second baseman.

Fletcher slashed .298/.360/.497 during his three years in Fayetteville from 2017 to 2019. He was not in the Diamondbacks’ starting lineup Sunday and will likely serve as the team’s fourth outfielder.

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Watch: Former Hog Bobby Portis, Gator Udonis Haslem bow up in Bucks’ loss to Heat

Bobby Portis was goaded into a heated exchange with Udonis Haslem on Wednesday night.

Losing stings. But when you think you’re taking lip from a 42-year-old guy off the bench on top of losing, things can get ugly.

Former Hog and current Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had such an exchange Wednesday night.

During the second quarter of the Bucks’ eventual Game 5 loss to Miami, benches cleared when Portis and long-time Heat center Udonis Haslem traded words. Officials stepped in before things became too chaotic, but the heat was clear.

 

The Bucks were eliminated about 90 real-time minutes later. Portis may have entered miffed considering Milwaukee was the No. 1-seed in the Eastern Conference.

Portis averaged 14 points and almost 10 rebounds a game during the regular season. A technical foul to him was the last thing Milwaukee needed.

Haslem is in 20th year in the NBA. You don’t have a career that long without knowing a thing or two about the mental aspect. Especially true when you haven’t played in more than 16 games in a season since 2016 and haven’t been a regular starter since 2013. Literally 10 years.

Regardless, the Gator beat the Hog on Wednesday.

2023 NBA Draft: Anthony Black rises, Nick Smith Jr. falls in latest mock

This latest NBA mock draft has one former Hog trending up and another trending way down.

Eric Musselman has had at least one player drafted to the NBA in each of the seasons he’s been coaching the Razorbacks.

His first year it was [autotag]Isaiah Joe[/autotag], then [autotag]Moses Moody[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag]. This year, there’s a real chance that we could see five Razorbacks drafted. [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Council[/autotag] have officially declared for the draft. [autotag]Devo Davis[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] have both declared for the draft while maintaining their eligibility.

Out of all five players to declare for the draft, Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. are virtual locks to be taken in the first round. Where they will be drafted is the only mystery right now.

Adam Finklestein of 247Sports.com released his latest NBA mock draft and it was pretty shocking at first glance. Anthony Black was projected to go at No. 6 to the Orlando Magic. Meanwhile, Nick Smith Jr. had fallen out of the lottery and is projected to go No. 21 to the Brooklyn Nets.

Black has been projected as a late lottery pick in most other mock drafts to now, so this represents a significant move up draft boards. For Smith, he’s been flirting projected in the mid-to-late lottery since the beginning of the season. Seeing him falling out of the lottery and all the way down to No. 21 would be disappointing and surprising.

At the end of the day, this is just another prediction and a lot can change between now and June 23. The NBA Draft combine starts on May 16 and will help give teams a clearer picture of potential prospects.

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WATCH: Former Hog Drew Smyly has perfect game bid end in heartbreak

Former Arkansas and current Chicago Cubs pitcher Drew Smyly sees his bid for a perfect game end in heartbreaking fashion.

Throwing a perfect game is the hardest thing to do at any level of baseball – let alone in the MLB. It requires a pitcher to be fully engaged and on the mound for nine innings to successfully accomplish what has only been done 23 times.

Former Arkansas pitcher [autotag]Drew Smyly[/autotag] was just six outs away from completing the 24th perfect game in major league history when it all went horribly wrong.

On the second pitch of the eighth inning, Dodgers outfielder David Peralta hit a dribbler down the third-base line. Smyly trotted to scoop up the ball and throw it to first for a routine out. However, just as Smyly was about to grab the ball, Smyly’s catcher, Yan Gomes, ran right into his back. Both players fell to the Wrigley Field grass.

Peralta reached first with ease and was credited with a hit – ending Smyly’s chance at history.

The one positive in this heartbreaking development was that the Cubs picked up an impressive 13-0 win over the Dodgers. The former All-SEC ace did make some history, though, becoming the first Cubs pitcher to be perfect through seven innings since 1993.

What a heartbreaking way to end a perfect game bid.

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Former Hogs golfer earns entry into Masters with first PGA Tour win

Former Arkansas golfer Taylor Moore will play for golf’s most prestigious jacket next month after winning Valspar.

Taylor Moore’s lung collapsed four years ago, just over a year after he left the Arkansas golf team.

Now, he’s a millionaire headed to the Masters.

Moore, 29, won his first PGA Tour event Sunday, shooting a 10-under par, one stroke better than Adam Schenk to capture the Valspar Championship. He birdied his final 10 holes, but had to wait on Schenk to finish.

Schenk hit his tee shot into the trees then left himself a 41-foot putt for par. He had to have that score on that hole to force a playoff with Moore. The ball hit the lip of the cup and rolled out, providing Moore with his first win.

Moore is in just his second full season at the PGA level, earning his tour card after finishing fourth on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021. At Arkansas, Moore was named a 2016 All-American. He also won the Saguaro Amateur in 2014.

Moore’s cut of the purse for the Valspar Championship was almost $1.5 million. The win also earned him automatic qualification into the Masters Tournament, which will take place April 6-9.

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Former Hogs star Dusty Hannahs named to Team USA

Former Arkansas sharpshooter Dusty Hannahs will represent the United States as they try to qualify for the World Cup.

Dusty Hannahs was a sharpshooter for his two seasons at Arkansas. The only thing that’s changed from that sentence is that he’s no longer at Arkansas.

Hannahs was one of 12 players named to United States’ Men’s World Cup Qualifying roster on Tuesday. He will play with Team USA for two games during the squad’s final qualifying window against Uruguay and Brazil on February 23 and February 26. The United States needs just one win to automatically qualify for the World Cup.

Hannahs has spent this season with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBA G League. In 28 games, with 20 starts, he has averaged 17.3 points per game playing 31 minutes a night. 

During his two seasons with the Razorbacks, Hannahs led the team in scoring both years, averaging 16.5 points and 14.4 points per game while shooting 41% from 3-point range and almost 90% from the free-throw line in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. 

Arkansas made the NCAA Tournament during Hannahs’ senior season. The Razorbacks lost by seven points in the second round against No. 1-seed and eventual national champion North Carolina in Greenville, South Carolina.

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Razorbacks in the NBA: Mid-Week Report (Nov. 13-17)

There are six Pro Hogs in the NBA currently, here’s a look at how they’ve performed over the past few games.

It’s hard to remember a time where Arkansas basketball had as many former players on NBA rosters as they do right now.

The resurgence of Arkansas basketball under Eric Musselman has led to there being a spotlight on the program and a renewed sense of pride in being a former Razorback.

All six former Hogs that are playing in the NBA right now are contributing to their teams and carving out solid careers. The past two seasons have seen a pair of former Razorbacks (Bobby Portis and Moses Moody) win an NBA championship and hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in June.

It’s a great time to be a fan of all things Arkansas basketball, and Razorbacks Wire has you covered when it comes to keeping you up to date on the NBA careers of all former Hogs.

Here’s a look at how they fared in games played from Nov. 13 through Nov. 17.

Former Razorbacks pitcher Ryne Stanek wins World Series ring

Ryne Stanek was an Arkansas’ ace. Now he’s a World Series champion with the Houston Astros.

Former Arkansas pitcher Ryne Stanek is a World Series champion.

His Houston Astros team beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-1, on Saturday night to win the franchise’s second World Series. The Astros won the series 4-2.

Stanek, a reliever, pitched in two of the six games, registering an inning total with two strikeouts. For the season the 31-year-old right-hander pitched 54 2/3 innings with a 1.15 earned-run average and a 1.23 WHIP. His 2.2 WAR was a career high.

Stanek pitched for the Diamond Hogs for three seasons from 2011-13. His senior year he started 16 games, throwing 97 1/3 innings with a 1.39 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP. Arkansas lost in the Kansas State Regional to end the season.

Houston’s title is the second in franchise history. The Astros’ first came in 2017. Former Arkansas pitcher Dallas Keuchel was a part of that team.

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Report: Former Hog Isaiah Joe set to sign with Oklahoma City Thunder

The former Philadelphia 76ers guard was waived Thursday but carve a role as a floor-spacer with the Thunder.

Former Arkansas guard Isaiah Joe is set to sign a free-agent deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to multiple reports.

Joe spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers who selected him in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft. He played in 55 games with one start last year for the Sixers, but found himself outside the team’s rotation plans heading into this season.

The rebuilding Thunder have room and need a floor-spacing shooter. Joe is a career 35% shooter from 3-point range, though that is expected to improve with regular playing time. He could find himself as the top shooting guard off the bench behind starter Josh Giddey. The Thunder also have first-round pick Jalen Williams on the roster, though Williams is more of a forward.

Joe, a native of Fort Smith, played two seasons with the Razorbacks out of Northside High School. He averaged 16.9 points per game his sophomore year.

Arkansas opens its preseason, per se, on Sunday with the Red-White scrimmage inside Barnhill Arena.

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