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.
#ProHog @StanleyUmude_ finished with 15 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes of play last night for the @DetroitPistons! 🔥 https://t.co/cIKU2pdWDT pic.twitter.com/3fUm6sS5ku
— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) November 7, 2023
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.