Hoops NBA Pro Hogs Update: Former Razorbacks gearing up for NBA playoffs
- By DanielFair
- The Trough
- 0 Replies
The NBA regular season is winding down to a close and the playoffs are about to begin, and the Arkansas Razorbacks have been well-represented in the Association this season.
In total, there are 11 former Razorbacks who are on NBA rosters this season. Some are earlier on in their careers, while there are a few that have been mainstays in their respective lineups over several years.
One name missing from this list is Patrick Beverley, who spent seven seasons in the NBA. He's now playing professional basketball in Israel after stints with the Bucks, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Rockets, 76ers and Bulls since 2017.
There are just three games left in the NBA regular season, and nine of the 11 former Razorbacks are on teams vying for a spot in the playoffs. With the playoffs set to potentially run all the way through June 22, HawgBeat takes a look at each Pro Hogs' respective seasons...
Ricky Council IV - Philadelphia 76ers
Arkansas career stats: 36 GP, 34.1 MIN, 16.1 PTS, 3.6 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.1 STL, 2.1 TO, 43.3% FG, 27.0% 3PT, 79.4% FT.
NBA stats (2024-25): 70 GP, 16.7MIN, 7.2 PTS, 2.8 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.4 STL, 0.7 TO, 38.8% FG, 26.3% 3PT, 79.7% FT.
Ricky Council IV went undrafted after he spent one year at Arkansas, where he came after spending two seasons at Wichita State. He's probably most known for his high-flying and ferocious dunks.
The Durham, North Carolina, native got picked up by the Philadelphia 76ers and quickly worked his way through the G League and onto the big stage. He's mainly come off the bench in Philadelphia and has averaged 7.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game this season.
Daniel Gafford - Dallas Mavericks
Arkansas career stats: 67 GP, 25.5 MIN, 14.3 PTS, 7.4 REB, 0.7 AST, 0.7 STL, 2.1 TO, 63.5% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 56.2% FT.
NBA stats (2024-25): 54 GP, 21.7 MIN, 12.2 PTS, 6.8 REB, 1.4 AST, 0.4 STL, 1.2 TO, 69.7% FG, 0.0% 3PT, 68.3% FT.
Daniel Gafford played for the Razorbacks in the 2018-19 season, and was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls. He's now with the Dallas Mavericks and has battled injury as of late, but is averaging 12.2 points and 6.8 rebounds this season.
Gafford, an El Dorado native, played for the Razorbacks in former head coach Mike Anderson's last two seasons in Fayetteville. He was named to the SEC All-Defensive First Team and was named First Team All-SEC in 2019; He was just the second Razorback to be named to both in the same season.
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Key home runs push Hogs past Arkansas State, 7-3
- The Trough
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The No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks (31-3, 11-1 SEC) won 7-3 over the Arkansas State Red Wolves (14-18, 5-7 Sun Belt) in a midweek bout Tuesday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayettevile.
Arkansas State right-hander Kole Turner was mostly excellent in his start, as he struck out six Razorbacks and exited in the fourth inning with two runners on base. Those two did come around to score thanks to a Charles Davalan two-run shot, which gave the Hogs a 4-2 lead at the time.
As a team, the Diamond Hogs went 11-for-33 at the plate with two long balls, 13 punchouts and five walks. Arkansas also had three stolen bases, all of which came from Nolan Souza.
Right-hander Tate McGuire made his second career start in the game, and he exited after three innings pitched with five hits allowed, two earned runs, one walk and two strikeouts.
Behind efforts from righties Ben Bybee, Dylan Carter and Carson Wiggins and left-handers Colin Fisher and Cole Gibler, the bullpen kept Arkansas State in check through 4.0 innings. That group allowed just one earned run and racked up five strikeouts to just two walks.
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Adou Thiero declares for 2025 NBA Draft
- By DanielFair
- The Trough
- 4 Replies
Adou Thiero declares for 2025 NBA Draft
Arkansas forward Adou Thiero will enter the 2025 NBA Draft.
arkansas.rivals.com
Arkansas forward Adou Thiero has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, he announced on his Instagram account Tuesday.
A 6-foot-8, 220-pound native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Thiero led the Hogs in points (15.1) and rebounds (5.8) per game while he also averaged 1.9 assists and 1.6 steals this season.
The former Kentucky transfer played a key role in Arkansas' resurgence down the stretch, but a knee injury suffered against Missouri on Feb. 22 left him sidelined all the way until the Razorbacks' Sweet 16 matchup against 3-seed Texas Tech on March 27.
Thiero scored a season-high 26 points (plus 10 rebounds) against UTSA on Dec. 7 and recorded eight 20+ point performances in total. Out of 27 games, Thiero scored less than 10 points just five times.
According to NBADraft.net, Thiero is currently projected as the No. 43 pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Most prognostications have Thiero slotted in the early-to-middle second round, but a good showing at the combine could see him move up.
Some players on Arkansas' roster have already made stay-or-go decisions and more are on the way, so be sure to follow along at The Trough premium message board for the latest updates on the Hoop Hogs this offseason.
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Adou Thiero Bio:
2023-24 (So. at Kentucky):Played in 25 games, while making 19 starts … Missed seven consecutive contests with injury from Dec. 29 – Jan. 23 … Led the team and ranked 12th in the SEC by blocking 1.08 shots per game (27 total), including four games with at least three rejections … Was second on the team with 4.96 rebounds per game while scoring 7.2 points per game … Led team in rebounding in eight games and scored in double figures five times … Voted to the College Sports Today “Glue Guy” roster … Posted first career double-double vs. No. 1 Kansas setting career highs in both points (16) and rebounds (13) … Had seven points, five rebounds and three blocks in the SEC Tournament against Texas A&M … Registered 12 points vs. Alabama … Played a career-high 33 minutes in the road win at Auburn, scoring 14 points and adding eight rebounds … Stuffed the stat sheet at LSU, tying a career-high with four blocks, adding nine boards, eight points, two assists and two steals … Scored 15 points, snared five boards and tallied three blocks vs. Gonzaga … Had seven points and a career-high four blocks in the upset of North Carolina … Charted nine points, six boards and three assists vs. Miami … Career-high three thefts vs. Saint Joseph’s.
2022-23 (Fr. at Kentucky):
Saw action in 20 games in his first collegiate season … Averaged 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in 9.5 minutes per outing … Led the team in steals in four games and paced the squad in blocks three times … Scored a season-high seven points, hauled in five boards, added a pair of assists and a steal in the road win at Arkansas … Hit a 3-pointer in the home win over Auburn … Scored four points and pulled down four boards in eight minutes at Mississippi State … Tallied four points and induced two steals in the upset win at Tennessee … Scored five points and had three boards at Missouri … Tallied five points and a pair of blocks against North Florida … Had six points in the win over South Carolina State … Had four points and five rebounds in his collegiate debut against Howard.
High School:
An ESPN 4-star … Averaged 23.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.9 steals and 2.3 blocks per game and directed Quaker Valley to a 27-1 record and a 14-0 mark in league play … Scored 18 points in the 2022 PIAA Boys’ Basketball Championships in the team’s only loss of the season against Neumann-Goretti … Finished his career with 1,624 career points which ranked as the third most in team history … Named the 4A Player of the Year, the WPIAL Player of the Year and the 2022 TribLive HSSN Boys Basketball Player of the Year … Logged 31 points, 17 rebounds and seven swats in the WPIAL Class 4A championship … Led Quaker Valley in scoring as a sophomore with 17.7 points per game … As a junior, he tallied 21.8 points per game while also averaging team-highs in assists (5.1), steals (2.2) and blocks (1.2) … Also competed in soccer and lacrosse … Worked with the Gear Up Ségou community service project.
Hoops Arkansas Basketball Roster Tracker - 25-26
- The Trough
- 4 Replies
-----------------------------------
This thread will be used to keep track of Arkansas basketball's roster movements throughout the offseason. As transfer commitments (or high school, cough cough Nate Ament) come in, we'll add them to the list with stats, highlights and more. We'll keep this pinned for convenience.
* - Denotes scholarship player
LEAVING:
*Sr. Guard Johnell Davis - Graduation
*Sr. Center Jonas Aidoo - Graduation
Sr. Guard Kareem Watkins - Graduation
Sr. Forward Lawson Blake - Graduation
*Jr. Forward Adou Thiero - Declared for NBA Draft
*Jr. Guard Melo Sanchez - Transfer
*So. Forward Zvonimir Ivisic - Transfer
*Fr. Guard Boogie Fland - Declared for NBA Draft
*Fr. Guard Casmir Chavis - Transfer
ELIGIBLE TO RETURN (Listing these players with 25-26 eligibility):
*Sr. Forward Trevon Brazile - As of now, return is hopeful
*Jr. Guard D.J. Wagner - 60/40 return, per JC's latest notes
*So. G/F Karter Knox - As of now, return is hopeful
*So. G/F Billy Richmond III - As of now, return is hopeful
*So. Guard Ayden Kelley
*So. Guard Jaden Karuletwa
NEWCOMERS:
*Fr. Guard Darius Acuff Jr. - No. 13 ranking
*Fr. Guard Meleek Thomas - No. 7 ranking
*Fr. Guard Isaiah Sealy - No. 88 ranking
*Fr. Forward Karim Rtail - International
LINK TO 2025 TRANSFER PORTAL BIG BOARD
Hoops Arkansas basketball ranked No. 20 in final AP Poll
- By DanielFair
- The Trough
- 1 Replies
The Associated Press released its final Top 25 poll of the college basketball season Tuesday, and the Arkansas Razorbacks ranked No. 20.
Arkansas received 321 votes and finished just behind Texas A&M at No. 19 and just ahead of Louisville at No. 21.
Tuesday's AP Top 25 was the first time Arkansas had been ranked since Dec. 30, when it was slotted at No. 23. The Hogs fell out of the poll on Jan. 6 after they were blown out by then-No. 1 Tennessee, 76-52, in the first game of the Southeastern Conference slate.
Arkansas finished the season with an overall record of 22-14, which included an 8-10 mark in SEC play in the regular season. The Razorbacks went 1-1 in the SEC Tournament with a win over South Carolina in the first round and a loss to Ole Miss in the second.
The Hogs were given a 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to their fourth Sweet 16 in five seasons. They dispatched 7-seed Kansas, 79-7,2 in the first round and then beat 2-seed St. John's in the Round of 32, 75-66.
In the Sweet 16 matchup against 3-seed Texas Tech in San Francisco, the Razorbacks seemed to be well on their way to an Elite Eight appearance, as they held a 16-point lead in the second half over the Red Raiders. But the Hogs folded down the stretch and ended their season with an 85-83 overtime loss.
Now, head coach John Calipari and his coaching staff are working in the transfer portal to build the roster for next season. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest news and updates surrounding Arkansas basketball.
Final AP Top 25
1. Florida (61)2. Houston
3. Duke
4. Auburn
5. Tennessee
6. Alabama
7. Michigan State
8. Texas Tech
9. Maryland
10. Michigan
11. St. John's
12. Kentucky
13. BYU
14. Purdue
15. Arizona
16. Wisconsin
17. Iowa State
18. Ole Miss
19. Texas A&M
20. Arkansas
21. Louisville
22. Clemson
23. Gonzaga
24. St. Mary's
25. Memphis
Arkansas basketball 2025-26 roster breakdown update
- By DanielFair
- The Trough
- 1 Replies
Arkansas basketball 2025-26 roster breakdown update
HawgBeat provides an update on Arkansas' roster breakdown.
arkansas.rivals.com
The Arkansas basketball season has been over for almost a week and a half now, and the coaching staff is working on building next season’s roster.
It’s been relatively quiet in recent days for the Hogs. There still hasn’t been a transfer portal commitment, and four roster spots have opened. Still, there's been some roster movement for the Razorbacks, and several spots have opened in recent days.
Freshman guard Casmir Chavis was the first player to enter the transfer portal, and Melo Sanchez and Zvonimir Ivisic followed suit not long after. Ivisic has since committed to Illinois, where his brother Tomislav plays.
The most recent roster move came from freshman guard Boogie Fland, who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft on Friday.
With the shakeup, let's take a look at who can and can't come back to the program, and some of the latest intel surrounding Arkansas' transfer portal targets.
Potential Returners
Potential Returners| Name | Pos. | Height, Weight | Class in 25-26 | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.J. Wagner | G | 6-4, 195 lbs. | Jr. | 11.2 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 3.6 Ast |
| Adou Thiero | F | 6-8, 220 lbs. | Sr. | 15.1 Pts, 5.8 Reb, 1.9 Ast |
| Trevon Brazile | F | 6-10, 180 lbs. | R-Sr. | 6.8 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 0.7 Ast |
| Karter Knox | F | 6-6, 220 lbs. | So. | 8.3 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 1.0 Ast |
| Billy Richmond III | F | 6-5, 205 lbs. | So. | 5.7 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 1.4 Ast |
| Ayden Kelley | G | 5-10, 170 lbs. | So. | 1.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast |
| Jaden Karuletwa | G | 6-5, 185 lbs. | So. | 0.0 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast |
As mentioned above, four Razorbacks from last year's squad have moved on. The departure of Sanchez and Chavis don't mean much in terms of on-court production, as they barely played, but it is notable because it clears up two scholarships to use for incoming players.
There were rumors in recent days about Fland returning to play college basketball, but those appear to have been squashed after his NBA Draft declaration.
Retention has been a big point of emphasis for head coach John Calipari as he builds the roster for next season. Late last season, he talked about how important that was for the success of fellow SEC programs like Texas A&M.
"Buzz said it best, the number one thing is retention," Calipari said on Feb. 15. "Like, we're playing teams that have been together and we're throwing guys together. I had no team. I'm not— no excuses. I still think I got a good group, but we had no team, no staff, no schedule, nothing...Buzz, his number one thing was retention. And guess what? It's paid off."
While fans may get impatient with the players from last year's team announcing their decisions to return to Fayetteville, it's important to remember that in this day and age of college basketball, these things take time. Athletes need to consult agents and their families, and they need to weigh all of their options before they make a decision. It's not always as cut and dry as it may have been in years past.
As far as who might return, all seven on the board above have the option. Right now, the staff wants D.J. Wagner back, so it's his choice if he decides to play in a Razorback uniform next season. There's also Adou Thiero, whose play this season caused him to jump up draft boards. His knee injury impacted that late in the season, so the possibility of his return to Fayetteville has gotten more interesting in recent days.
Freshmen Billy Richmond III and Karter Knox are two guys the coaching staff wants to retain, and so far there's been no indication that they're considering the portal. It also sounds like the Hogs are in a good spot to retain Trevon Brazile for his final season of eligibility as well.
Incoming Players
Incoming players
| Name | Pos. | Stars | Prev. School/Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | G | 5 | IMG Academy |
| Meleek Thomas | G | 5 | Overtime Elite |
| Isaiah Sealy | G | 4 | Springdale HS |
| Karim Rtail | F | Neptūnas-Akvaservis |
Right now, Arkansas doesn't have any transfer portal commitments, with all four incoming players coming from either the international or high school ranks.
There are three high school players in the class of 2025, which ranks sixth, according to Rivals. Five-star guards Acuff and Thomas headline the class, with four-star guard Isaiah Sealy opting to stay home and be a Razorback.
Both Acuff and Thomas played in the McDonald's All-American Game last Monday night, and Acuff finished his senior season with IMG Academy last week with a 75-57 loss to Wasatch Academy in the Chipotle National Tournament on Wednesday.
The Hogs also have one international player, Karim Rtail, coming to Fayetteville. The Lebanese forward announced his commitment on March 19 and has been playing professionally in Lithuania, where he averaged 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for Neptūnas-Akvaservis.
Calipari and his staff are also still heavily involved with five-star forward Nate Ament, who played with Acuff and Thomas at the McDonald's All-American Game last week. The two Arkansas signees got the opportunity to get in his ear about choosing the Razorbacks.
"My pitch to Nate has been, 'You want to come play with winners, and play with players that's going to be for you,'" Thomas said last Monday. "We're not just telling him to come to Arkansas just because we want another five-star, we want another very good player. I'm telling him to come to Arkansas because we feel he could be a real asset for our team."
Because Ament isn't officially signed at Arkansas, we're leaving him off the table above for now. He had originally planned to make his announcement on April 1, but decided to push back that decision. Arkansas feels good about its position with the Warrenton, Virginia, product.
Out of Eligibility
Out of eligibility| Name | Pos. | Height/Weight | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Aidoo | C | 6-11, 240 lbs. | 6.9 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 0.8 Ast |
| Johnell Davis | G | 6-4, 210 lbs. | 12.0 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 1.6 Ast |
| Lawson Blake | F | 6-10, 240 lbs. | DNP (Achilles injury) |
| Kareem Watkins | G | 5-8, 175 lbs. | 0.3 Reb, 0.3 Ast |
Two of Arkansas' most veteran players have no option to return, as both Aidoo and Davis are fully out of eligibility. Both dealt with injuries in the offseason that hindered their ability on the court throughout the season, but they turned it up late and the Razorbacks likely wouldn't have made their NCAA Tournament without them.
Blake was a walk-on for all four years of his Razorback career, and while he technically could get a medical redshirt from the NCAA because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the offseason, that's doesn't appear to be the plan.
Watkins rode the end of the bench and only appeared in three games in his final season of eligibility.
Latest intel in the transfer portal
To be clear, just because there's been no movement for the Hogs in the transfer portal doesn't mean the coaching staff isn't actively working in it.
The frontcourt has seemed to be where Arkansas has placed most of its interest, which makes sense as the Hogs lost their two centers — Ivisic to the portal and Aidoo without eligibility.
Arkansas has been connected to several high-level transfers, and the latest smoke surrounding Florida State transfer Malique Ewin. Nothing is official, and transfer portal recruiting changes by the minute, but things do seem to be trending well for him to commit to Arkansas.
There's also been movement between Arkansas and UCLA transfer center Aday Mara. He averaged 6.4 points and four rebounds per game, but if he comes to Arkansas it would most likely be in a backup role. He only averaged 13 minutes per game for the Bruins a season ago.
Another name that has been linked to Arkansas is South Carolina transfer forward Nick Pringle. The Hogs have been in contact with him since March 26, and sources have indicated to HawgBeat he's a realistic option for Arkansas.
Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer guard out of Sam Houston State, had been in talks with Arkansas for a while, but that talk has gotten quieter and it seems Arkansas is no longer in the race for his services.
The transfer portal world changes by the second, so what's true today may not necessarily be true tomorrow. Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest developments around Arkansas basketball's roster construction.
Arkansas dominates Game 3, easily sweeps Missouri
- By masonchoate
- The Trough
- 0 Replies
The No. 2 Arkansas Razorbacks (30-3, 11-1 SEC) cruised to an easy 16-2 win Sunday over the Missouri Tigers (11-20, 0-12 SEC) to secure a series sweep at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.
Hogs' first baseman Cam Kozeal had three extra base hits with two home runs, including a grand slam, to drive in six of the team's runs on the day. Right fielder Carson Boles earned his first career SEC start and he crushed a three run home run in the first inning, while catcher Ryder Helfrick logged three hits.
The Razorbacks logged 16 hits in the game, which pushed their total to 32 on the day, as they also tallied 16 knocks in the 14-4 win in the first half of the seven-inning doubleheader. Just like the Game 2 win earlier in the day, the Hogs had 11 hits with runners on base and eight hits with runners in scoring position. They had two innings with five runs and one with four runs in the contest.
Arkansas starting pitcher Landon Beidelschies struck out a season-high seven batters across four innings in the contest. He allowed two runs on four hits with one walk, although just one of the two runs were earned. The relief trio of Christian Foutch, Cole Gibler and Carson Wiggins combined for three scoreless, hitless innings and five strikeouts for the Hogs.
Beidelschies started his day with a leadoff walk that came around to score on a passed ball that was a dropped third strike that got by catcher Ryder Helfrick. Luckily for the Hogs, Beidelschies worked around traffic and stranded two runners to keep the damage at one run in the frame.
Arkansas quickly gained the lead in the bottom half of the first inning courtesy of a two-run double down the left field line from Kuhio Aloy, who made contact with a 67 mph curveball on the swing. Two batters later, Boles drove a three-run home run to left center field to begin his first SEC start on the right foot.
The Razorbacks ended up batting around in the bottom of the first inning to chase Missouri starting pitcher Tony Neubeck and bring on reliever PJ Green, who got out of the frame without allowing anymore scoring.
Beidelschies worked a 1-2-3 top of the second inning for the Razorbacks, who promptly extended their lead to 7-1 via a two-run home run from Kozeal to right field in the bottom half of the second inning.
Missouri plated its second run via an RBI single from centerfielder Kaden Peer in the top of the third inning, but that was all Beidelschies allowed in the frame to keep the Tigers from cutting too much into the Hogs' lead.
Arkansas added to its lead with an RBI sacrifice fly out from Justin Thomas Jr. in the bottom half of the third. Two batters later, Kozeal drove his second homer of the game to right field for a grand slam to make the lead a whopping 12-2.
Beidelschies tossed a three up, three down top of the fourth for his final frame of the evening, and the Tigers managed to keep the Hogs scoreless in the bottom half for the first time in the contest.
Junior right-hander Christian Foutch struck out two in a perfect top half of the fifth for the Hogs, who went down scoreless in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Freshman lefty Cole Gibler pitched a scoreless top of the sixth inning. Mizzou reliever Xavier Lovett returned to the mound for his third straight inning in the bottom half of the sixth, and he gave up a pair of two out RBI singles to Charles Davalan and Wehiwa Aloy that made the Hogs' lead 14-2.
After Lovett was tagged by Kozeal for a double, the Tigers elected to bring in another reliever — Cayden Nicoletto — who immediately allowed an RBI single to freshman Gabe Fraser. Kuhio Aloy added another RBI knock with a single to center that made the lead 16-2 before Nicoletto finally got out of the inning.
Freshman right-hander Carson Wiggins issued a one out walk in the top of the seventh inning, but that was his only flaw in the frame, as he shut things down to secure the series sweep.
Up next, No. 2 Arkansas will host in-state foe Arkansas State on Tuesday evening at Baum-Walker Stadium. First pitch against the Red Wolves is set for 6 p.m. CT and it will be nationally televised on SEC Network.
Box Score
