Tag: razorbacks basketball

Arkansas among six programs in the running for Emoni Bates

Eric Musselman may not be done bringing in talent from the transfer portal just yet.

Since the conclusion of Arkansas Basketball’s season, head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has made a splash in the transfer portal, landing four transfers including [autotag]Trevon Brazille[/autotag] from Missouri.

Could the 2023 roster take on another talented player from the transfer portal?

Emoni Bates, a small forward from Memphis, has listed Arkansas in his top-6 options for a transfer destination, Bates tells On3.

In a statement to On3, Bates is thankful for his time as a Memphis Tiger but is ready to find another home.

I’d like to thank Coach Penny, my teammates, and the entire coaching staff at the University of Memphis for giving me the opportunity to be a Tiger. Thank you Tiger Nation for embracing me and all of you who supported our team throughout this season. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal.

Bates, the No. 1 overall prospect from the Class of 2022, averaged 9.7 points per game in his freshman campaign at Memphis before missing most of the season due to a back injury that he suffered in late January.

Along with Arkansas, Bates is considering Michigan, DePaul, Seton Hall, Louisville, and Eastern Michigan.

Arkansas’ Trey Wade trades hardwood for gridiron

Former Razorback forward Trey Wade is going pro… in football?

Arkansas Football had three players to be drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, and three more were invited to camps as undrafted free agents.

On Monday, that number grew to seven players, but not in a way that you would think.

[autotag]Trey Wade[/autotag], who played his final eligible basketball season with Arkansas following a transfer from Wichita State, has been invited to attend rookie mini-camp with the Arizona Cardinals.

Razorback fans were shocked in mid-April, when head basketball coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] announced on twitter that Wade was getting ready to turn pro, but in football instead of basketball.

In his lone season at Arkansas, Wade started in 24 games while appearing in 37. He averaged 3.6 points per game, and pulled down 96 rebounds. The Cardinals will work Wade at the tight end position, according to reports.

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Arkansas Basketball: Connor Vanover finds a new home

Connor Vanover isn’t going far to find his new home.

After a month of being in the transfer portal, a former Razorback has found a new home not too far away from Fayetteville.

[autotag]Connor Vanover[/autotag], a Little Rock native and former forward for the Arkansas Razorbacks, has announced that he will be transferring to Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

In two seasons, Vanover appeared in 44 games for the Razorbacks, starting in 37 of those. The 7-3 forward averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during his career at Arkansas. Vanover saw most of his playing time during his redshirt sophomore season in 2020-21, where he played an average of 17 minutes per game, starting in 27 games.

In the season-opener against Gardner-Webb on November 13, Vanover scored 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds in the 86-69 win over the Bulldogs. Vanover would go on to start in ten games at the five for the Razorbacks this season, but his playing time went down significantly due to the emergence of Stanley Umude’s production.

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Arkansas Basketball leads SEC in five-star signees

According to 247sports, eight five-star recruits from the 2022 cycle have signed with SEC programs. Who are they, and where are they going?

The Southeastern Conference has become a hotbed for top talent across the nation. That does not change for the 2022 recruiting cycle, as the conference leads all other conferences in five-star signees.

There are 29 five-star recruits for the class of 2022 according to 247sports, eight of those talented athletes have elected to sign with members of the SEC. Perennial power Kentucky has signed a couple, and risers Alabama and Auburn have signed their share of top talent as well. But, there is one program that outshines the rest of the conference in recruiting for the year.

With the signing of [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] on Wednesday, Arkansas now takes the top spot in the SEC with three five-star signees to join their programs for next year.

Black joins [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] as five-star rated athletes by 247sports for the Class of 2022. Black announced his commitment on March 28 during the Powerade Slamfest during McDonald’s All-American week in Chicago, Ill. 

The eight five-star athletes are split among four programs: Arkansas (3), Kentucky (2), Alabama (2), and Auburn (1). Here is a look at the eight five-stars that have signed with SEC schools:

Trevon Brazile is ranked high among transfer to commit

247sports ranks Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile highly on their list of The 10 best players to commit (so far).

Head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has wasted no time filling spots left by several key contributors to the success of the 2021-22 season by signing four players from the Transfer Portal, in addition to five of the best high school players from around the nation.

One of those transfers is among the nation’s best, says 247sports.

[autotag]Trevon Brazile[/autotag], who transferred to Arkansas from Missouri following his freshman season on March 30, is ranked No. 2 of the Top 10 best players to commit (so far) list from 247sports.

In the piece written by Eric Bossi, Brazile is described as a player that was relatively unknown during his high school career but exceeded expectations once he arrived in Missouri.

During his lone season in Columbia, Brazile showed flashes of brilliance thanks to his length, defensive range, ability to finish lobs, and emerging potential as a jump shooter. Other SEC coaches raved about his potential and NBA types have been reaching out to learn his backstory. Eric Musselman has earned his reputation as a transfer whisperer, and he’s got an awful lot to work with when it comes to Brazile.

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.

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Umude plays key role in first game of Portsmouth Invitational

In his first game at the Portsmouth Invitational, Stanley Umude played a key role in his squad’s double-overtime win

On Wednesday, JD Notae began his stay at the Portsmouth Invitational, a week-long tournament that features 64 of college basketball’s top seniors and gives them the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of NBA and International Scouts, and he proved why he is one of the best guards in the country by scoring 16 and grabbing nine rebounds.

Thursday, it was [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag]’s turn to shine.

Umude, who competes for Mike Duman Auto Sales alongside Isaiah Whaley of UConn, Fabian White of Houston, and Alex Barcello of BYU, among others, helped his squad secure the 81-77 double-overtime win over Portsmouth Partnership by hitting two free throws near the end of the game.

Umude finished the game with 11 points and six rebounds, being one of four players to reach double digits in the game.

The second game of Umude’s week will take place Friday at 6 p.m. CT against Sales Systems, Ltd., which is headlined by Josh Carlton of Houston.

For more information on the Portsmouth Invitational, including schedules, results, and broadcast information, visit PortsmouthInvitational.com.

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Anthony Black sets official signing date

Arkansas fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Anthony Black has set a date to sign with Eric Musselman’s program.

Since the beginning of the offseason, head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has hit the recruiting trail hard and has seen positive results.

Despite losing talents such as [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag], [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag], and [autotag]Au’Diese Toney[/autotag], Arkansas Basketball has signed players from the Transfer Portal that have the skills to reload as the Razorbacks head into the 2022-23 season.

One of the key commitments that has not put pen to paper yet, is five-star guard from Duncanville, Texas, [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag].

Black, who committed to Arkansas on March 28 during the week of the McDonald’s All-American game, joined Nick Smith and Jordan Walsh as fellow All-Americans and five-star pledges to commit to the program. The issue is that he has yet to sign.

Arkansas fans can now breathe a sigh of relief, as Black announces that he will sign his letter of intent on Wednesday, April 20, at his high school according to Richard Davenport of WholeHogSports.com.

Black is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the nation, and the No. 2 overall prospect from the state of Texas. According to 247sports, Black received 21 offers, and took visits to six different programs.

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Notae scores big in first game of Portsmouth Invitational

To prepare for the NBA, JD Notae is getting one last chance to be a collegiate athlete at the Portsmouth Invitational in Virginia.

In his curtain call as a collegiate athlete, [autotag]JD Notae[/autotag] is making a statement to NBA scouts.

Notae, as well as [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag], are competing in the Portsmouth Invitational this week in Portsmouth, Va. alongside 62 of the best seniors in college basketball.

This week, Notae is competing on the K&D Rounds Landscaping squad alongside Garrison Brooks of Mississippi State, Terrell Brown Jr. of Washington, and Brandon Horvath of Utah State, among others. In his first game of the invite, Notae scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds in K&D Rounds Landscaping’s 107-103 loss to Roger Brown’s on Wednesday.

Notae will compete again Thursday afternoon against Jani-King, which is headlined by Syracuse’s Buddy Boeheim.

As for Umude, his first game will tipoff at approximately 8 p.m. CT. Umude is competing for Mike Duman Auto Sales, and is teammates with players such as Isaiah Whaley of UConn, Fabian White of Houston, and Alex Barcello of BYU.

For more information on the Portsmouth Invitational, including schedules, results, and broadcast information, visit PortsmouthInvitational.com.

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Where does Arkansas rank among Jay Bilas’ way-to-early Top-10?

Oh, so NOW Jay Bilas puts respect on the Razorbacks name?

ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas caught heat from Arkansas fans prior to their Round of 64 matchup with Vermont on March 17, calling for the No. 13 seed Catamounts to upset the No. 4 seed Razorbacks in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

“One of the matchups I think is going to be really interesting is Vermont vs. Arkansas,” Bilas said following Selection Sunday. “Arkansas doesn’t shoot the ball great, although they are very athletic, but they don’t shoot it great — and Vermont does. Vermont runs a five-out offense; they take care of the ball; they’re very smart and they’re all seniors. Vermont dominated the America East, and I think they’ve got with Ryan Davis and Ben Shungu a great opportunity to win that game.”

Arkansas would go on to defeat Vermont, and win their next two games in the NCAA Tournament, including an upset of No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga, to advance to their second-straight Elite 8 appearance.

Arkansas’ finish, plus the plethora of talent that head coach [autotag]Eric Musselman[/autotag] has coming in from high school as well as the Transfer Portal, has made a believer out of Bilas, as he has ranked Arkansas No. 1 in his way-to-early top-10 released on Monday.

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Griffin McVeigh of On3 added his thoughts on Arkansas in response to Bilas’ selection of the Razorbacks for the No. 1 spot:

Eric Musselman has been relentless on the recruiting trail, bringing in the No. 3 class in the 2022 cycle. Three different On3 Consensus five-star prospects will be in Fayetville next season, with in-state shooting guard [autotag]Nick Smith[/autotag] highlighting the group. Small forward [autotag]Jordan Walsh[/autotag] has signed his national letter of intent, while [autotag]Anthony Black[/autotag] recently made his commitment. The transfer portal is also a place Musselman has excelled in before and won’t be afraid this go around either. It’s been two straight Elite Eight for Arkansas. They will be wanting to get over that hump and make their way down to Houston for the Final Four in 2023.

Jay Bilas is not the only one to have Arkansas as the top-team in the nation heading into the 2022-23 season. ESPN’s Jeff Borcello recently named Arkansas as his No. 1 team heading into next season.

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Notae, Umude invited to compete in Portsmouth Invitational

JD Notae and Stanley Umude get one more chance to compete as collegiate athletes.

Two of the major players in Arkansas Basketball’s success during the 2021-22 season will compete one more time as collegiate athletes.

Senior guards [autotag]Stanley Umude[/autotag] and [autotag]JD Nota[/autotag]e have been invited to compete in the Portsmouth Invitational that will be played April 13-16 in Portsmouth, Va. CC McCandless of Pig Trail Nation reported the news.

According to the Portsmouth Invitational website, 64 of the best college basketball players, who are seniors, from across the nation participate in a four-day, twelve-game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team. NBA greats such as John Stockton, Scottie Pippen, and Jimmy Butler have competed in this event during its 67-year history.

The selection process is also explained on the website as well:

  • Players must certify that they have not been “paid to play” in any basketball game or tournament in accordance with NCAA By-Laws 2-3(I).

  • Players are selected for invitation to the PIT by the Player Selection Committee.

  • The PIT considers players from NCAA Divisions I, II and III; as well as NAIA for inclusion in the tournament.

  • When a player is selected, an invitation is sent to the men’s basketball office at their school. They are given a deadline to respond in order to reserve their spot in the tournament. Failure to respond by the deadline may result in the player being dropped for consideration and another player being invited in his place.

Both transfer student-athletes, Notae and Umude both contributed greatly to Arkansas’ successful season that ended with their second consecutive Elite 8 appearance.

In his only season as a Razorback, Umude averaged 11.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. For Notae, he emerged from being a solid bench option to one of the most valuable pieces to Arkansas’ success by leading the team in points with 18.3 points per game. Notae appeared in 36 games in 2021-22, starting in 35 of them.