Tag: Pro Hogs

NFL Hogs update heading into the stretch run

Arkansas football has a number of players making major impacts on NFL rosters.

There are three weeks to go in the NFL regular season, and a bunch of former Razorbacks are helping their teams get ready to make a playoff push or stay in contention.

In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens are currently in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 seed and home field throughout the playoffs.

Meanwhile, in the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers occupy that spot, and have participated in three of the last four conference championship games.

If the Ravens and 49ers do ultimately end up meeting in Super Bowl LVIII, it would be a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII, which was won by Baltimore, 34-31 and was most remembered for the lights going out in the Superdome briefly.

Here are the current #ProHogs doing damage.

Pro Hogs: Joe goes 7 for 7 in OKC’s dominant win over Warriors

Isaiah Joe, filling it up per usual from distance. Oklahoma City may be a threat in the Western Conference this season.

All Arkansas fans know of Isaiah Joe’s prodigious 3-point ability from his two years here.

Joe is putting the rest of the country and the NBA world on notice nowadays with performances like last night.

The Fort Smith native had 23 points and went 7 for 7 from the perimeter in Oklahoma City’s 128-109 victory over Golden State.

It’s early in the season, but the Thunder are currently 8-4 in the Western Conference, just 1.5 games behind defending NBA champion Denver for first place.

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry, who is dealing with knee soreness and Draymond Green, who is serving a 5-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock and wouldn’t let go.

WATCH: Former Razorback Stanley Umude has career night in Detroit

Former Razorback guard Stanley Umude had a career night for the Detroit Pistons, one that caught the attention of his former head coach Eric Musselman.

Former Arkansas guard [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag] earned a roster spot with the Detroit Pistons after an impressive preseason. On Monday night, he proved that he can hang in the league when given a chance.

Umude played a season-high 16 minutes in the Pistons’ 120-109 loss to the Golden State Warriors and made the most of it. He finished with 16 points on 5-8 shooting from the field and 4-5 from three while grabbing three rebounds. Without Umude’s shooting, the game would’ve been much more of a blowout.

As you can see from the tweet posted above, Arkansas coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag], who Umude played for during the 2021-2022 season, took notice.

While Umude only spent one season in Fayetteville, as a grad transfer from South Dakota, he made a huge impact for the Hogs during that season. He appeared in all 37 games that year and helped lead Arkansas to their second-straight Elite 8 appearance.

In the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Umude put together a memorable performance against Vermont in the first round. Not only did he play all 40 minutes, but he led the team with 21 points (3-4 3PT) and grabbed nine rebounds. He was also the first Razorback to ever play 40 minutes in the NCAA Tournament and not commit a single turnover.

Here’s to hoping we continue to see Umude shine at the NBA level.

Pro Hogs Update: Portis, Moody off to hot starts through two weeks of NBA season

Bobby Portis and Moses Moody lead the way for former Razorbacks through two weeks of the NBA season. Here’s how all 11 Pro Hogs have fared so far.

There are currently 11 former Razorbacks on NBA rosters, tied with Michigan and Gonzaga for fifth-most of any college basketball program this season.

Through two weeks of the NBA regular season, no former Hogs have been as impressive as [autotag]Bobby Portis[/autotag] and [autotag]Moses Moody[/autotag].

Portis has appeared in every game for the Milwaukee Bucks thus far, and has provided the team with production and veteran leadership. Moody, in his third season with the Golden State Warriors, just had the fourth year of his rookie contract exercised on Oct. 31. That came just days after he made his first start of the season, where he recorded 13 points (5-8 FG, 2-5 3P), three rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes.

Let’s go around the league and take a closer look at how all 11 former Hogs are doing so far in this young NBA season.

Seven Pro Hogs see action in first NBA preseason games

Seven former Arkansas Razorbacks saw significant action in NBA preseason games on Monday night. Here’s how they fared.

Football and postseason baseball typically dominate the October headlines, but what can sometimes get lost in all of that is the beginning of basketball season.

Last week, this year’s Arkansas basketball team put on their annual Red-White Showcase in front of 6,000 fans in Barnhill Arena. This week, former Razorbacks will take the floor as NBA preseason games began on Sunday afternoon and Monday night.

[autotag]Patrick Beverley[/autotag] (Sixers), [autotag]Ricky Council IV[/autotag] (Sixers), [autotag]Isaiah Joe[/autotag] (Thunder), [autotag]Bobby Portis[/autotag] (Bucks), [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag] (Pistons), [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] (Celtics) and [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] (Thunder) all got their first taste of playing time ahead of the NBA season.

Anthony Black (Magic), Dan Gafford (Wizards), Moses Moody (Warriors), Nick Smith Jr. (Hornets) will all be in action later this week.

Here’s a look at how each of those seven Pro Hogs that played already have fared.

Pro Hogs update: Cut day is here in NFL

Cut day for NFL teams is here, and Arkansas players are hoping to either make the 53-man roster or clear waivers and get signed to the practice squad.

The NFL regular season begins next Thursday, Sept. 7, when the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Detroit Lions at Arrowhead Stadium.

The rest of the Week 1 games will take place Sunday and Monday, Sept. 10 and Sept. 11.

Teams are beginning to trim down their rosters to get to the 53-man mark today.

This list will be updated throughout the day.

Kevin Kopps knocking on door to Majors after latest promotion

Arkansas’ former Player of the Year could soon crack the Padres’ 40-man roster and eventually make his way to San Diego.

Kevin Kopps’ final season with the Arkansas baseball team completely changed the trajectory of his career.

The 2021 National Player and Pitcher of the Year for the Razorbacks had been, until that season, a longshot to get drafted, nevermind near the Major Leagues. His senior season, though, saw him earn just about every plaudit available in college baseball.

And now, just over two calendar years later, Kopps is nearing a Major League call-up.

The San Diego Padres’ system right-hander was promoted Tuesday from the team’s Double-A affiliate San Antonio to Triple-A El Paso. Kopps was striking out 11 batters per nine innings with San Antonio while registering a 2.63 earned-run average

He was taken in the third round of the 2021 Draft by the Padres and age 26 could be in line for a call up to San Diego’s 40-man roster. That step would be needed before a trip to the Padres could happen.

Still, Tuesday’s promotion suggests the former Razorbacks dynamo could have a Major League future after all.

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WATCH: Landers catches touchdown in first preseason game

Matt Landers caught a 30-yard touchdown pass in Seattle’s first preseason game Thursday night against the Vikings.

It didn’t take former Arkansas wide receiver Matt Landers long to make some noise at the professional level.

On Thursday in Seattle’s 24-13 victory over Minnesota, Landers was targeted three times.

He turned one of those into a 30-yard touchdown.

The Seahawks will be back in action on Saturday, August 19, when they face the Dallas Cowboys at Lumen Field.

Pro Hogs currently on preseason NFL rosters

Plenty of Razorbacks find themselves on preseason rosters. Two games are taking place tonight with the Texans and Patriots and Seahawks and Vikings.

Arkansas has 27 players currently on NFL preseason rosters as it kicks into high gear on Thursday.

Tonight, Houston takes on New England at 6 p.m. on NFL Network and then Seattle tangles with Minnesota at 9 p.m.

Here is a look at all 27 former Razorbacks that are on 15 different rosters.

Could it be time for Orioles to call up Heston Kjerstad?

Heston Kjerstad is absolutely teeing off on AAA pitching and it’s probably only a matter of time before he’s in the big show.

The Baltimore Orioles are currently leading the American League East as the season turns towards August and the final stretch leading into the playoffs.

With the Tampa Bay Rays still hot on their trail, they may need to do something to give themselves some distance.

One thing they could do is call up former Arkansas outfielder Heston Kjerstad.

With those kinds of performances, it’s only a matter of time before the Orioles’ front office is essentially forced to.

Arkansas fans never got to see the final act of Kjerstad’s career here. He was on a tear in 2020 through 16 games before the season was cut short because of COVID-19.