Category: Pro Hogs: Non-NFL

PHOTO GALLERY: First look at Jaylin Williams as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder

Jaylin Williams is officially a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder!

Arkansas forward [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] became the third player in the [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] era to be selected in the NBA Draft last Thursday when he was selected 34th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“He’s going to be a great fit with the Thunder. He is a player that should be able to come in right away and contribute due to his high basketball I.Q., his ability to rebound and his play on dribble-handoffs,” said Musselman following Williams’ selection. “Our staff is extremely happy for Jaylin and his family.”

Williams has been a valuable member of Razorbacks Basketball over the last two seasons. In 63 career games at Arkansas, Williams has scored 499 points, pulled down 485 rebounds, and has a free throw percentage of 0.731.

During his sophomore campaign in 2021-22, Williams scored 10.9 points per game to go along with 9.83 rebounds per game for head coach Eric Musselman’s squad that ended their season in the Elite 8 for the second straight season.

Some notes of Williams’ introduction to the Thunder franchise, he met with fellow player of the same name who was also drafted by Oklahoma City, Jalen Williams. He also received his jersey number, he will wear No. 6 as a member of the Thunder.

The 2023 NBA Mock Draft features Arkansas in lottery, three likely picks

Nick Smith Jr. will almost certainly be a lottery selection while Jordan Walsh and Anthony Black are projected to be picked, too.

Arkansas coach Eric Musselman brought in the No. 2 recruiting class in the country and the No. 5 transfer portal class in the country. It has the Razorbacks reloaded and likely ranked inside the Top 10 come November.

In this day and age, it’s to be determined how long that crew will be together, but 2022-23 should be an extraordinary season featuring the most individual talent Arkansas has had in years.

For instance, freshman guard Nick Smith Jr. is projected to go No. 3 in next year’s NBA Draft.

“Smith is an electric shot-creating guard who goes hard on both ends of the court in ways that NBA executives love. He should be the best player for an Arkansas team that on paper looks like a legitimate national title contender,” his write-up reads.”

Fellow freshman Jordan Walsh is also likely to be projected in the late first round or early second round and five-star guard Anthony Black could be the same.

Former Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams was taken in the 2022 Draft on Thursday night by the Oklahoma City Thunder. His selection marked the fourth straight year the Razorbacks have had a pick taken.

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Arkansas native and former Razorback Moses Moody wins NBA Championship

Former Arkansas guard Moses Moody and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics to claim the crown Thursday.

Moses Moody is an NBA champion.

The rookie guard captured the title in his first season in the NBA when the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in Thursday’s Game Six of the NBA Finals, 103-90.

It was the Warriors’ sixth title appearance in the last eight seasons and their fourth win.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 34 points on 12 of 21 shooting, including going 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Moody played in four games of the series and 52 of the team’s regular-season games with 11 starts. He is expected to take on an even larger role next year.

Moody played high-school basketball at Little Rock Parkview and North Little Rock before transferring at Montverde Academy for his senior season. After high school, he chose Arkansas, where he was the highest-ranked recruit the Razorbacks had landed since Bobby Portis.

With the Hogs, Moody was named SEC Freshman of the Year and helped the Razorbacks to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1995.

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Team led by Arkansas graduate set to purchase Denver Broncos

Rob Walton, part of the Walton-Penner group, has agreed to purchase the NFL franchise for $4.65 billion.

An Arkansas graduate and the heir to the fortune of the world’s largest retailer has agreed to buy the Denver Broncos.

[autotag]Rob Walton[/autotag], a 1966 graduate of the University of Arkansas and the son of the late Sam Walton, the founder of Wal Mart, heads a group that has purchased the Denver Broncos for $4.65 billion dollars, which is the highest that anyone has paid for a professional sports franchise. reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Following the purchase, Walton released a statement regarding the purchase of the NFL franchise:

We are thrilled to be selected to move forward with the purchase of the Denver Broncos! Carrie, Greg and I are inspired by the opportunity to steward this great organization in a vibrant community full of opportunity and passionate fans.

Having lived and worked in Colorado, we’ve always admired the Broncos. Our enthusiasm has only grown as we’ve learned more about the team, staff and Broncos Country over the last few months.

We are excited to announce that Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO of Ariel Investments, has agreed to join our ownership group. Beyond her role at Ariel, Mellody is an influential leader in corporate and civic organizations across the nation.

Mellody currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation and is also a director of JPMorgan Chase. We know she will bring her strategic acumen and leadership perspective to our team.

Thank you to Joe Ellis and the staff of the Broncos for the first-class manner in which they have conducted this sale process. In addition, we thank Hogan Lovells for their guidance and support in this effort.

We look forward to earning the confidence and support of the NFL as we take the next step in this process. When the necessary approval procedures are met, our family is excited to share more with Broncos fans, the organization and the community.

According to Broncos Wire, the sale is subject to NFL approval, which could arrive within the next few weeks. Walton will become the team’s new majority owner with Greg and Carrie Penner serving as minority owners.

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Evan Lee makes Major League debut with Washington Nationals

Lee, who played for the Razorbacks during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, made his first MLB start on Wednesday.

A former two-way player for Arkansas baseball made his major league debut on Wednesday.

[autotag]Evan Lee[/autotag], who played for the Razorbacks during the 2017 and 2018 seasons, started his first Major League Baseball games on Tuesday for the Washington Nationals.

In the 5-0 loss to the National League Eastern Division-leading New York Mets, Lee struck out two batters while allowing three walks, two earned runs, and four hits in 3.2 innings of work, and unfortunately took the loss.

To prepare for his first start in the Majors, Lee started in seven games between the Nationals’ double-A and triple-A affiliates, the Harrisburg Senators and Rochester Red Wings. During his season in the minors, Lee struck out 37 batters in 30.0 innings while holding an ERA of 3.60.

As a two-way player for Arkansas in two seasons, Lee struck out 31 batters in 33 total innings. He also hit three home runs and drove in 23 runs at the plate in 92 at-bats.

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Chelsea Dungee set to begin coaching career

A former Razorback is achieving a lifelong goal of becoming a coach in Division I basketball

A former Arkansas standout is closing one door in favor of opening another.

Chelsea Dungee, who played at Arkansas from 2018-21 has been hired by Troy University to become an assistant coach on the staff led by head coach Chanda Rigby, Troy athletics announced Monday.

In a release, Rigby says that Dungee fits the description of what she was looking for in an assistant coach.

When this position came open, I knew I wanted to hire someone who would make a strong impact on current players and carry deep influence with recruits. Chelsea will be all of this and much more.  She worked her way up into being a top scorer in NCAA and a high draft pick in the WNBA. The passion that she possesses, and her desire to be great, will be infectious. With her presence, Chelsea will help us continue to elevate the brand of Troy Women’s Basketball in the recruiting world. Hiring Chelsea puts a big ‘W’ in our win column already!

Dungee, who was drafted fifth overall by the Dallas Wings of the WNBA 2021, says that coaching Division I basketball has been a lifelong goal of hers.

My collegiate and professional experiences have provided me with vast knowledge of the game and the ability to create and maintain healthy relationships through shared experiences. The feeling of giving back and contributing to the growth of young women is unmatched. I look forward to being a part of the Trojan Family!

As a senior in 2020-21, Dungee averaged 22.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 32.3 minutes per game. Dungee played in 14 games during her lone season in Dallas.

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JD Notae and Mason Jones similarities continue as former invited to Elite Camp

JD Notae is creating a path to the NBA with this invitation.

Mason Jones’ last season at Arkansas was the stuff of legend. JD Notae’s was the same.

Jones has made his hay as one of the G League’s best players after declining a final season in Fayetteville. He was the third leading scorer in the league this year and had another stint in the NBA with Los Angeles.

Now Notae could join him.

The first-team SEC guard was invited to the G League Elite Camp from May 16-17 month in Chicago. Those who perform best there will then be invited to the NBA Scouting Combine on May 22. Jaylin Williams, Arkansas’ sophomore forward who declared for the draft but did not hire an agent, will be at the Combine, as well.

Notae could have returned to Arkansas for a super-senior season but chose to sign with an agent, instead. He averaged 18.3 points and 2.3 steals last year en route to an All-American third-team honor.

Four former Hogs have eyes on NBA title as playoffs set to start

Arkansas had seven guys in the NBA this season. Four are in the playoffs, hoping for a NBA ring as the playoffs begin this weekend.

[autotag]Arkansas basketball[/autotag] had arguably its best season from former Razorbacks in the NBA in 2021-22. Now four of those ex-Hogs are seeking an NBA title.

The Razorbacks had seven players in the NBA at one point this season. It’s the most Arkansas has had in top pro league in the world at a time since 1999 when a different seven were on NBA rosters.

[autotag]Bobby Portis[/autotag], who won the NBA championship with Milwaukee last year, had even better individual season this year. [autotag]Moses Moody[/autotag] tied a record with Golden State in his rookie season to put his name alongside none other than Stephen Curry. [autotag]Patrick Beverley[/autotag] helped Minnesota to a play-in round win earlier in the week and remains one of the league’s best defenders. [autotag]Isaiah Joe[/autotag] took a step forward with Philadelphia. [autotag]Daniel Gafford[/autotag] started most of the season for Washington. [autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag] had a cup of coffee with the Lakers. Even [autotag]Joe Johnson[/autotag], the most successful former Arkansas player in the NBA the last couple decades, had a return to the top level.

Portis’, Moody’s, Beverley’s and Joe’s teams all made the playoffs. Play-in games continue Friday before the traditional No. 1 seed through No. 8 seed tournament begins Saturday.

This is a closer look at the Hogs vying for a championship.

These are the Hogs to declare early for NBA last 10 years and how they’ve done

JD Notae announced his intent to go pro Sunday. Bobby Portis, Daniel Gafford and Isaiah Joe are still in the NBA, while BJ Young and Michael Qualls are still playing professionally elsewhere, too.

Arkansas senior guard [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] unsurprisingly announced his intention to enter the NBA draft on Sunday, becoming the third player recruited by coach Eric Musselman in the coach’s three years at Arkansas to leave early.

Notae is not projected to picked, but could join the G League and play professionally in Europe.

During the last 10 seasons of Arkansas basketball, nine Razorbacks basketball players have decided to leave college early for a shot at the pros. Their success at the NBA level has varied, though all have played pro ball at some level for number of years after leaving the Hogs.

Notae may not be the last Arkansas player to declare. Sophomore forward [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] is projected second-round pick by The Athletic. He has not announced a decision either way.

Let’s take a closer look at those Hogs who have declared in the recent past and what has transpired for them in the professional ranks.

Former Hog Moses Moody sets NBA record with Golden State

Former Arkansas guard Moses Moody is coming into his own with the Warriors.

Moses Moody’s rookie year in the NBA didn’t quite get off to the start he had hoped for. But a year is more than a few months.

The former Arkansas guard is among the league’s best first-year players now in March. On Monday night, his Golden State Warriors fell to the Denver Nuggets, but Moody set a franchise record with 30 points, the most ever for a teenager with the Warriors.

His 36 minutes played were a career high, too. And they didn’t come on a bad team against another bad team. The Warriors are third in the Western Conference while the Nuggets are sixth.

Moses picked up his points shooting 10 of 23 from the floor, including 5 of 12 from 3-point range and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line. He dropped 22 points in the first half, the most scored in a half by a Warriors rookie since Steph Curry in 2010.

For the month, Moody is averaging 14.5 points in 20 minutes a game.