Tag: Nick Smith Jr.

Arkansas to partner with Topps in NIL trading card deal

Arkansas fans can soon collect trading cards of their favorite Razorbacks thanks to this new NIL deal with Topps and Fanatics.

Trading card fans rejoice, you will soon be able to add cards of top collegiate student-athletes to your collection.

Fanatics collectibles and Topps trading cards announced Thursday that a comprehensive agreement is in place to produce trading cards of football and basketball student-athletes beginning this fall, in an effort for athletes to earn profit through name, image, and likeness.

Flagship, the University of Arkansas’ program to aid student-athletes in finding NIL deals, also announced Thursday that Razorback student-athletes will have the opportunity to receive compensation by allowing their name, image, and likeness to be used on a trading card. One Razorback men’s basketball player, [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], has already signed a partnership with the company.

In a statement, Fanatics says that the trading cards will feature official university trademarks with NIL rights from both current athletes and former players, and student-athletes will receive payment based on popularity of card sales.

“Both the schools and athletes benefit through rights fees and royalties paid on the sale of collegiate cards. Higher profile universities and student-athletes command larger rights fees driven by demand from collectors.”

Several of College Football’s top players have already signed an NIL agreement with Topps, including Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett, and USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

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Two Basketball signees sign early NIL deals

It did not take long at all for these athletes to land their first NIL deals.

It did not take long for these highly-touted freshmen to ink their first NIL deal.

[autotag]Nick Smith Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], two headliners of the 2022 Arkansas Basketball recruiting class that ranks no. 2 in the nation, have announced their first NIL deals.

Smith has signed a deal with Topps, joining over 200 other student-athletes including Alabama’s Bryce Young and USC’s Caleb Williams who have signed agreements for their name and image to be featured on trading cards, in exchange for those athletes to earn profit.

According to On3’s Jeremy Crabtree, Fanatics said the agreements will include both exclusive and non-exclusive co-branded trading card products, incorporating official university trademarks and featuring current student-athletes and former athletes playing in the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

As for Walsh, he has agreed to partner with B-Unlimited, Inc. to release a line of apparel which features his name and image. The collection is supposed to be released later in the year.

B-Unlimited, based in Fayetteville, has partnered with several Razorback athletes including [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag], [autotag]Brady Tygart[/autotag], [autotag]Connor Noland[/autotag], [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], and [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], as well as other athletes from schools such as Ole Miss, Alabama, and Auburn.

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Jordan Walsh named best “two-way” player in 2022 class

ESPN’s Paul Biancardi gives a nod to one of the headliners in Arkansas’ 2022 recruiting class.

When you think of Arkansas Basketball’s 2022 recruiting class, there is no doubt that five-star and McDonald’s All-American [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] comes to mind.

Walsh is the no. 7 ranked small forward in the nation, and the no. 2 overall player from the state of Texas. He was one of three five stars to sign with Arkansas out of high school, joining fellow Texan [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] as well as [autotag]Nick Smith Jr[/autotag].

What makes Walsh stand out? His ability to excel on both sides of the ball. He does so well in both aspects, that ESPN’s Paul Biancardi has named Walsh as the best two-way player from the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Brandon Jenkins of 247sports says that Walsh is hard to play with defensively.

Walsh’s calling card may be on the defensive end where he is disruptive guarding the ball and contesting shots. He has a nose for the ball and looks to control the glass when motivated and he can lead the break after securing a defensive rebound. 

Arkansas ended the 2022 recruiting cycle with the no. 2 class in the nation, behind only Duke. Among the class, were three five-stars, three four-stars, and five transfers.

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Nick Smith Jr. sits at the top of the 247sports Top 150 list

Arkansas Basketball’s record-breaking 2022 signing class got more great news on Wednesday, as Nick Smith Jr was listed as the top player in the class.

Arkansas Basketball head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has had plenty to celebrate this year. He recently led his squad to their second-straight Elite 8 appearance in the NCAA Tournament and is bringing in one of the top signing classes in the nation for the 2022 recruiting cycle.

The nation’s No. 2 signing class according to 247sports just earned more star power, as a member of the said class has been ranked No. 1 overall for the class of 2022 in the 247sports Top 150.

[autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], a five-star guard from North Little Rock, has taken the top spot in the final update to the 247sports top 150.

“It’s cool, I mean I’ve never really been the No. 1 player in the nation before,” Smith said to 247Sports. “It’s been a good journey for me to show my talent on the court and it is definitely a blessing to see somebody think that I’m the No. 1 player in the class.”

What makes Smith the No. 1 player in the country? Eric Bossi of 247sports explains:

Today’s game dictates that guards must be capable of generating their own offense. Whether it be out of pick and roll action, with a shot clock winding down or just a situation where guy needs to go and make a play, if a guard can’t generate offense on their own, their ceiling will be limited. Smith can do all of that and he does it with an electric first step, bounce at the rim and some flair.

Joining Smith in the 247sports top-150 list, are the remaining four members of Arkansas’ record-breaking signing class. [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] (14), [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] (19), [autotag]Derrian Ford[/autotag] (69), [autotag]Barry Dunning[/autotag] (126),[autotag]Joseph Pinion[/autotag] (142).

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It’s official: Anthony Black is a Razorback

Anthony Black becomes the third five-star signee for Arkansas Basketball for the 2022 cycle.

While there was zero doubt about the commitment status of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], who announced his verbal commitment during McDonald’s All-American week in March, it is nice to know that pen has officially met paper.

On Wednesday, the five-star guard from Duncanville, Texas officially signed with Arkansas, giving the Razorbacks three five-star signees for the 2022 recruiting cycle.

While signing to Arkansas is a huge deal in itself, having a special guest at your signing makes it better. Especially, when it is a Razorback legend.

[autotag]Mason Jones[/autotag], who played at Arkansas during the 2019-20 season and currently plays professionally for the Los Angeles Lakers, joined Black at his signing ceremony at Duncanville High School.

Black is the No. 22 overall prospect for the Class of 2022, and is rated as the No. 3 point guard and No. 3 overall prospect from the state of Texas. Black is the third five-star to sign with Arkansas for the 2022 cycle, joining [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag], and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag].

Arkansas lands Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile

It’s officially transfer portal season, and head coach Eric Musselman is wasting no time in recruiting big-time talent to Arkansas!

After the announcement of five-star point guard Anthony Black to Arkansas basketball earlier in the week, it seems that head coach Eric Musselman has shifted focus to the transfer portal.

The Razorbacks landed their second commitment of the week as [autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag] of Missouri has announced that he will transfer to Arkansas. Brazile announced the news via Twitter Wednesday afternoon.

Brazile, a freshman for Missouri during the 2021-22 season, played in 25 games for the Tigers with 23 starts at the four position. In those games, Brazile averaged 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. In two games against Arkansas this season, the freshman from Springfield, Mo. averaged 5.5 points. In the February 15’s game against the Razorbacks, Brazile scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds in Arkansas’ 75-57 win in Columbia.

In high school, Brazile was the No. 38 small forward in the nation for the 2021 recruiting cycle. , and the No. 4 best recruit from the state of Missouri, and was rated as a three-star recruit by 247sports. Brazile received interest from Missouri, Cleveland State, Montana State, and Wisconsin before ultimately choosing the Missouri Tigers.

Brazile entered the transfer portal on March 22 following the departure of head coach Cuonzo Martin. According to Curtis Wilkerson of HawgSports.com, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Illinois also had interest in landing Brazile.

Arkansas Basketball currently has the second-best recruiting class for the 2022 cycle, and No. 1 in the SEC. The class includes three McDonald’s All-Americans in [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Smith Jr[/autotag]., and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], as well as the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year in [autotag]Barry Dunning[/autotag].

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How Arkansas signees fared in McDonald’s All-American Game

Here’s how Nick Smith Jr., Jordan Walsh, and Anthony Black performed in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game on Tuesday in Chicago, Ill.

The nation’s top high school basketball players met in Chicago, Ill. Tuesday to compete in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Game, and Arkansas basketball was well represented.

For the first time in program history, Arkansas basketball had three representatives to compete in the game. Class of 2022 signees [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], as well as recent commit [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] made history as they competed for the West team on Tuesday.

Having multiple participants in the McDonald’s All-American Game is not uncommon for Arkansas basketball, but it has not happened in some time. The last time that two future Razorbacks played in the game was in 1988, when Todd Day and Lee Mayberry played in the game. Since then, Arkansas has had 11 signees to play in the prestigious game.

Anthony Black, the nation’s No. 1 rated point guard, commits to Arkansas Basketball

Eric Musselman reels in another five-star! How are we feeling, Arkansas fans?

The nation’s No. 2 signing class for the 2022 recruiting period just got better.

Anthony Black, a five-star rated point guard from Duncanville, Texas, announced Monday night that he plans to commit to Arkansas, giving the Razorbacks three five-star recruits in the signing class.

Black made his announcement during the McDonald’s Powerade Slamfest on ESPN2, a skills competition taking place a day prior to the McDonald’s All- American Game in Chicago, Ill. Following his announcement, doing so by pulling a Powerade bottle with the Arkansas logo on the label, he says that he feels that head coach Eric Musselman will set him up for success the most.

“Being able to trust the coaches, and trust that they have my best interest in mind,” said Black when describing why he chose Arkansas. “We also want to win a lot of games and have a lot of fun.”

Black joins fellow Arkansas signees Nick Smith Jr. and Jordan Walsh as McDonald’s All-Americans, making this the first time in program history that three signees from the same class have been named high school All-Americans. Once his announcement was made official, the duo of Smith and Walsh joined Black for a photo opportunity.

Black was also asked what the game plan is once he joins Smith and Walsh in Fayetteville:

“The game plan is to just come in and win,” says Black. “We have not played together long, so we are going to come in and see how we can get each other better and push each other every day.”

Black is the No. 1 rated point guard in the nation for the class of 2022, and ranks No. 14 in the nation. Arkansas currently owns the No. 2 signing class for the 2022 recruiting cycle, and is the highest rated SEC team in recruiting according to 247sports.

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Arkansas target Anthony Black to announce college decision on Monday

Today’s the day, Hog fans. Could the nation’s top-rated point guard commit to Arkansas?

One of the nation’s highest-rated point guards for the class of 2022 is set to announce his college destination on Monday, and Arkansas is in the running to land him.

[autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag], a five-star point guard from Duncanville, Texas, plans to announce where he will attend college on Monday, ahead of competing in the McDonald’s All-American Game that will take place on Tuesday in Chicago.

Black has visited Arkansas twice during his recruitment, once during football season, and again during Arkansas’ 59-49 win over Tennessee on February 19 at Bud Walton Arena. After the game, Black said that he enjoyed the atmosphere of an Arkansas home game, and was glad that he got to experience it.

Black will be competing in the McDonald’s All-American Game for the West squad on Tuesday alongside Arkansas signees [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag], two athletes who Black has developed a friendship with, and says that both have worked hard to recruit him to join them in Fayetteville.

Black is the No. 1 rated point guard in the nation according to 247sports, and the 14th best prospect for the class of 2022. Along with Arkansas, Black is considering Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, TCU, and taking the professional route by joining the NBA G-League.

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UPDATE: 5-Star Arkansas commit Nick Smith Jr. eligible to play HS basketball this season

Arkansas 5-star commit and No. 6 commit in country now declared eligible to play senior season of high school.

Less than 48 hours after a firestorm of blowback regarding the status of Arkansas high school basketball player Nick Smith’s eligibility, the 5-star guard and Razorbacks commit is now eligible to play in the 2021-22 season for his new high school.

Smith’s was initially declared ineligible to play for North Little Rock High School after transferring from Sylvan Hills High School. Smith had played for Sylvan Hills, which is in the Pulaski County Special School District, for the previous three seasons, but chose to play his senior year at NLRHS. A member school with the Arkansas Activities Association, the athletic governing body of high school athletics in the state, had reported a violation with the transfer. After initial investigation, Smith was declared ineligible.

Wednesday afternoon, the superintendents of the two school districts announced they had signed paperwork to allow Smith to play for North Little Rock this season.

The violation in question arose from Smith’s personal training with trainers who also volunteer with North Little Rock. As the trainers had not signed a release form stating who they had trained when they began with NLRHS and Smith was among those trained, it constituted an impropriety.

Ultimately, the superintendents decided the impropriety was inadvertent and a Changing Schools/Athletic Participation document was signed making Smith eligible.

Smith is the No. 6 recruit in the country, per ESPN.