This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

Dude is killing it this year.

Here are some season-summed stats (taking out UMSE because of course). Basically the team is much better on all fronts when he's on the court. Also, you can see Fland is clearly our best player. Z with the worst +/- rebound differential is a joke.

Point Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +11.9
2 Boogie Fland : +27.7
3 Adou Thiero: +1.7
4 Trevon Brazile: +14.7
9 Jonas Aidoo: -15.6
11 Karter Knox: -4.6
21 D.J. Wagner: 11.2
24 Billy Richmond III: -17.5
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: -1.8

PPM Diff (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +0.07
2 Boogie Fland : +0.49
3 Adou Thiero: -0.16
4 Trevon Brazile: +0.31
9 Jonas Aidoo: -0.10
11 Karter Knox: -0.03
21 D.J. Wagner: +0.03
24 Billy Richmond III: -0.12
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: -0.11

Assist Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +2.43
2 Boogie Fland : +3.37
3 Adou Thiero: +1.59
4 Trevon Brazile: -1.18
9 Jonas Aidoo: -3.24
11 Karter Knox: -2.58
21 D.J. Wagner: +0.53
24 Billy Richmond III: -0.41
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: +1.71

Rebound Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +0.70
2 Boogie Fland : -1.05
3 Adou Thiero: -2.59
4 Trevon Brazile: -0.08
9 Jonas Aidoo: +10.66
11 Karter Knox: +0.98
21 D.J. Wagner: +3.10
24 Billy Richmond III: -3.78
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: -3.90

Rebound Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +0.70
2 Boogie Fland : -1.05
3 Adou Thiero: -2.59
4 Trevon Brazile: -0.08
9 Jonas Aidoo: +10.66
11 Karter Knox: +0.98
21 D.J. Wagner: +3.10
24 Billy Richmond III: -3.78
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: -3.90

Steals Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : +2.67
2 Boogie Fland : +3.63
3 Adou Thiero: +0.48
4 Trevon Brazile: -1.49
9 Jonas Aidoo: -1.99
11 Karter Knox: -0.41
21 D.J. Wagner: -0.94
24 Billy Richmond III: -1.05
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: +1.57

Turnover Diff/40 (on vs off)

1 Johnell Davis : -3.81
2 Boogie Fland : -1.30
3 Adou Thiero: -3.06
4 Trevon Brazile: -1.24
9 Jonas Aidoo: +4.43
11 Karter Knox: +1.05
21 D.J. Wagner: +1.97
24 Billy Richmond III: +2.65
44 Zvonimir Ivisic: +2.19

The Arkansas Razorbacks knocked off the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines with an 89-87 win in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Arkansas trailed by as much as 15 points in the first half, led by as much as 18 in the second half and then led by just 1-point with less than a minute remaining in regulation.

Freshman guard Boogie Fland, a native of Bronx, New York, led the Razorbacks with 20 points, seven assists, one rebound and two steals. Fland knocked down two of the Hogs' nine made 3-pointers, and they shot 50.0% from the field as a team in the game.

Guard D.J. Wagner added 16 points, three rebounds and five assists for the Hogs, plus Trevon Brazile performed well with 15 points, six rebounds, three steals, one block and one assist.

Michigan shot 57.6% from the field and the Wolverines had two 7-footers, Danny Wolf and Vladislov Goldin, score in double digits with nine rebounds apiece.

Brazile was the star of the show in the first stretch of play, as he notched four points, two rebounds and one steal to help the Hogs grab an 8-7 advantage by the first media timeout.

The Wolverines then went on a run that featured seven straight made field goals and a 13-2 scoring advantage that gave them a 24-12 lead to trigger a Calipari timeout at the 10:08 mark in the first half.

Michigan forward Will Tschetter, who averaged 6.7 points per game entering the contest, reached 13 points in the game by the 8:31 mark, as his fourth made shot gave the Wolverines a 15-point advantage. The Hogs knocked down a couple of shots on the ensuing offensive possessions to trim the deficit to 33-21 by the under-8 minute timeout.

The Razorbacks found some offense of their own, though, and they five field goals in a row to trim the Michigan lead to 42-38 with less than three minutes to play. The Hogs were shooting over 50% from the field by that point and Fland and Thiero were already in double-digits.

After a pair of layups from the Wolverines, Arkansas went on a quick 7-0 run that was followed by a Michigan 3-pointer just before the half that made the Hogs' deficit 49-45 at the break. Michigan was shooting 61.3% from the field and 58.3% from three by the midway point.

The Razorbacks gained their first lead of the game out of the locker room, and Michigan head coach Dusty May called for a timeout after the Hogs went up 52-49 at the 17:09 mark in the second half. Arkansas grew the lead to as much as six just before the first media timeout at the 15.5-minute mark.

Fland nailed a corner three to put the Hogs up by 10, and they were out-scoring Michigan by 14 points in the second half by then. Wagner got involved with the 3-point barrage, as he knocked down the Hogs' third triple of the second half to make it a 65-55 lead. Wagner then continued a hot streak of his own by knocking down two more shots, including a three, to give the Razorbacks a strong 73-61 lead by the under-12 minute timeout.

Michigan then went into a stretch of play that was littered by turnovers, allowing Arkansas to extend to lead to 18 points, but the Wolverines promptly scored 6-straight to make it an 80-68 game with 8:30 left in regulation. Michigan's run extended to 12 points in a row to trim the deficit to just six points.

With the Razorbacks in the midst of 6-plus minute scoring drought, Michigan made it a 4-point ballgame with just more than three minutes left. That gap remained consistent until the Wolverines made it a 1-point margin with a layup from Wolf with just over a minute to play.

Michigan began to save time by fouling starting at with 32.6 seconds left in regulation and that eventually led to an 89-87 lead for the Razorbacks with just 3.7 seconds left and one more opportunity for the Wolverines, who couldn't knock down a buzzer-beater.

Up next, the Razorbacks will face the Central Arkansas Bears at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

Three Hogs were named All-SEC by the Associated Press: WR Andrew Armstrong (1st Team), RB Ja'Quinden Jackson (2nd Team), DE Landon Jackson (2nd Team)

First team offense​

QB — Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss, 6-2, 225, Sr., Kaysville, Utah

u_RB — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, 5-11, 201, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana

RB — Jarquez Hunter, Auburn, 5-10, 209, Jr., Philadelphia, Mississippi

WR — Tre Harris, Ole Miss, 6-3, 210, Sr., Lafayette, Louisiana

WR — Andrew Armstrong, Arkansas, 6-4, 202, R-Sr., Dallas, Texas

TE — Gunnar Helm, Texas, 6-5, 250, Sr., Englewood, Colorado

u-OT — Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, 6-4, 320, Jr., Humble, Texas

OT — Will Campbell, LSU, 6-6, 323, Jr., Monroe, Louisiana

OG — Tyler Booker, Alabama, 6-5, 325, Jr., New Haven, Connecticut

OG — Tate Ratledge, Georgia, 6-6, 320, Sr., Rome, Georgia

C — Jake Slaughter, Florida, 6-5, 308, R-Jr., Sparr, Florida

PK — Alex Raynor, Kentucky, 6-0, 185, Sr., Kennesaw, Georgia

All-purpose — Barion Brown, Kentucky, 6-1, 18-2, Nashville, Tennessee.

First team defense​

DE — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, 6-5, 254, R-Sr., Atlanta

DE — Princely Umanmielen, Ole Miss, 6-4, 255, Sr., Austin, Texas

DT — Walter Nolen, Ole Miss, 6-3, 305, Jr., Powell, Tennessee

DT — Alfred Collins, Texas, 6-5, 320, Sr., Bastrop, Texas

LB — Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, 6-3, 235, So., Denton, Texas

LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, 6-4, 243, Sr., Windermere, Florida

LB — Whit Weeks, LSU, 6-2, 228, So., Watkinsville, Georgia

u-CB — Jahdae Barron, Texas, 5-11, 200, Sr., Austin, Texas

CB — Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, 6-0, 193, So., Whitehouse, Texas

S — Malaki Starks, Georgia, 6-1, 205, Jr., Jefferson, Georgia


S — Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, 6-3, 227, Jr., Irmo, South Carolina

P — Jesse Mirko, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 222, grad, Fremantle, Western Australia

Second team offense​

QB — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, 6-0, 207, grad, Albuquerque, N.M.

RB — Raheim Sanders, South Carolina, 6-0, 230, Sr., Rockledge, Florida

RB — Ja’Quinden Jackson, Arkansas, 6-2, 233, R-Sr., Dallas

WR — Ryan Williams, Alabama, 6-0, 175, Fr., Mobile, Alabama

WR — (tie) KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Auburn, 6-1, 182, Sr., Norfolk, Virginia; Kyren Lacy, LSU, 6-2, 213, R-Sr., Thibodaux, Louisiana

TE — Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, 6-4, 235, Grad., Denton, Texas

OT — Emery Jones, LSU, 6-6, 315, Jr., Baton Rouge, Louisiana

OT — Armand Membou, Missouri, 6-3, 314, Jr., Lee’s Summitt, Missouri

OG — Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, 6-5, 315, R-Jr., Cumming, Georgia

OG — Cam’Ron Johnson, Missouri, 6-3, 310, Grad, Houston

C — Cooper Mays, Tennessee, 6-4, 310, Sr., Kingston, Tennessee

PK — Peyton Woodring, Georgia, 5-10, 185, So., Lafayette, Louisiana

All-purpose — Davon Booth, Mississippi State, 5-10, 205, Sr., North Las Vegas, Nevada

Second team defense​

DE — James Pearce Jr., Tennessee, 6-5, 243, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina

DE — (tie) Nic Scourton, Texas A&M 6-4, 285, Jr., Bryan, Texas; Landon Jackson, Arkansas, 6-7, 280, Sr., Texarkana, Texas

DT — TJ Sanders, South Carolina, 6-4, 290, Jr., Marlon, South Carolina

DT — Deone Walker, Kentucky, 6-6, 345, Jr., Detroit, Michigan

LB — Jalon Walker, Georgia, 6-2, 245, Jr., Salisbury, North Carolina

LB — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama, 6-3, 244, Jr., Erial, New Jersey

LB — Chris Paul Jr., Ole Miss, 6-1, 235, Jr., Cordele, Georgia

CB — Trey Amos, Ole Miss, 6-1, 190, Sr., New Iberia, Louisiana

CB — Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky, 6-1, 186, Jr., West Bloomfield, Michigan

S — Malachi Moore, Alabama, 6-0, 201, Grad, Trussville, Alabama

S — Andrew Mukuba, Texas, 6-0, 190, Sr., Austin, Texas

P — Brett Thorson, Georgia, 6-2, 235, Jr., Melbourne, Australia

___​

Coach of the Year — Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Offensive Player of the Year — Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Defensive Player of the Year — Kyle Kennard, South Carolina

Newcomer of the Year -- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt

__​

Voting panel: Kayla Anderson, News 2 WKRN; Eric Bailey, The Tulsa World; Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle; John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle; Robbie Faulk, Starkville Daily News; Garland Gillen, fox8live; Michael Katz, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; Zach Klein, WSB-TV; Justin Lee, Opelika-Auburn News; Tom Murphy, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; David Paschall, Chattanooga Times Free Press; Koki Riley, Baton Rouge Advocate; Creg Stephenson, al.com; Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel

I wonder what he’ll say or if he’ll just talk about the upcoming bowl game.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

Arkansas’ metrics received quite the bump after last night’s win over No. 14 Michigan:

T-Rank: 41 --> 41
BPI: 43 --> 42
KenPom: 45 --> 38
SOR: 48 --> 30
NET: 49 --> 40
WAB: 59 --> 32
KPI: 69 --> 46

The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-6, 3-5 SEC) will play postseason football against the Texas Tech Red Raiders (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27 at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.

This will be the seventh time the Razorbacks have played in the Liberty Bowl, with the last coming after the 2022 season — a 55-53 win over Kansas. The Hogs are 3-3 in Liberty Bowl games.

The Razorbacks qualified for postseason play for the fourth time in the last five seasons under Pittman. The Hogs were set to play the TCU in the Texas Bowl following the 2020 season, but the game was cancelled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Horned Frogs' program. Arkansas took down Penn State 24-10 in the Outback Bowl following the 2021 season, and the Hogs scraped by Kansas 55-53 in the Liberty Bowl after the 2022 campaign.

This season, the Red Raiders defeated teams like playoff-bound Arizona State, then-No. 10 Iowa State and mutual opponent Oklahoma State. All-time, the Razorbacks have a 29-8 advantage over the Red Raiders. The last time Arkansas played Texas Tech was in 2015, a 35-24 loss in Fayetteville.

The game is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. CT at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, according to ESPN. The game will be televised on ESPN.

Login to view embedded media
Login to view embedded media

hell of a win man, just an absolute great game
i am so happy
DJ and boogie went off, we’re not getting beat when they do that
TB and aidoo ate
just a great college game and we just showed the nation what we could be

Highlights of the thriller, enjoy!

Login to view embedded media
Bonus: the UTSA Highlights!

Login to view embedded media

Arkansas will host Texas A&M transfer tight end Jaden Platt for a visit Friday, A&P Sports Agency told Rivals.

Listed at 6-foot-5, 260-pounds, the redshirt freshman played just seven snaps in 2024 and earned a 53.8 Pro Football Focus grade in that span. As a freshman in 2023, Platt notched 17 snaps and one receiving touchdown.

Out of V.R. Easton High School in Haslet, Texas, Platt chose the Aggies over offers from programs like Baylor, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas and others.

As things currently stand, the Razorbacks have just three projected scholarship tight ends on the 2025 roster, so adding Platt will help shore things up from a depth perspective next season.

Be sure to tune in to The Trough premium message board for updates on all the offseason action.

Login to view embedded media

Jaden Platt's Bio:​

2023 (FRESHMAN): Has seen action on kick return in the wins over McNeese, Florida, Bowling Green, No. 9 Missouri and at Mississippi State.

2023 (REDSHIRT): Appeared in three games ... Recorded his first collegiate touchdown with a 13-yard reception in the win over ACU ... Played in the Texas Bowl making one catch for 39 yards.

HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked a 4-star tight end by all three recruiting services (247 Sports, Rivals, ESPN) … Coached by Ellis Miller at Eaton High School … Caught 54 passes for 919 yards and 10 touchdowns throughout his career … Earned UIL 6A Honorable Mention state honors as a junior … Helped lead Eaton to an 8-3 record and a UIL 6A D-II first-round playoff appearance.

I guess it’s a pipe dream for him to come here if given the chance.

He’s got a great gig at SMU. A rich alumni, and a much easier road to the play offs. Why come here ?

I really can’t think of anybody. If/when Sam leaves after next season and we are competing with 3 or 4 better jobs, we will be getting the guy way down the list, which might be the top of ours. Haha

A lot of hog fans here!!!

Anyone that supported retaining Sam Pittman is complicit. Congrats.

Brody will no longer be working for us. Appreciate his one week on staff.

Dude has been at Tenner for 10 years now ! ( I just turned on Tenner v Miami)

Seriously, how can he still be there? Did he have Covid 4 times ??? Got a year for each episode ???

Login to view embedded media
JUCO OF

That now makes 5 players in the portal: Rowan, Smith, Holland, Busby, Reynolds.

This might be just me thinking this but ever since the 22 game when Rocket ran all over them seems Lane has had it out for us and took it personal. You look at the beat down they gave us this year. They took Chris Paul from us last year and seems they will be taking some more of our guys this year.

need to come out with a big time effort early, if we can keep it close, i think we have the edge in the second half. really exciting game
tonight. LFGGG HOGS

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

Login to view embedded media
From @DanielFair:

The Arkansas Razorbacks (7-2, 0-0 SEC) are headed to the Big Apple, where they will face the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines (8-1, 2-0 Big 10) on Tuesday night in the iconic Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

Arkansas is one of four teams playing in the event, which has been held since 1995 and has been at the Garden since 2003. Arkansas is joined by Michigan, Tennessee and Miami, the latter of which is a team the Razorbacks beat 76-73 just last week on the road.

The Hogs and Wolverines will have the second game of the Jimmy V Classic this year, and it'll be the eighth time both programs have met on the court. One occasion was at MSG in 1997 for the NIT Semifinals, when Michigan took home a 77-62 win over Arkansas en route to winning the entire tournament.

This year, both teams have new head coaches. John Calipari took over the reins at Arkansas while Dusty May is in charge at Michigan after the program parted ways with Juwan Howard last year.

May hit the ground running and has Michigan 8-1 with two wins over ranked opponents (No. 22 Xavier and No. 11 Wisconsin). Calipari had his team in the Top 25 throughout the first four weeks of the season, but the Razorbacks fell out after a 90-77 loss to Illinois on Thanksgiving Day.

Arkansas is 3-8 all-time at Madison Square Garden after playing a playoff game to represent the USA in the 1936 Olympics, a series of games in the 1940s, two games in the 1997 NIT and two games in the 1990 Preseason NIT.

HawgBeat has three storylines to follow for Tuesday's matchup between the Hogs and the Wolverines:

Boogie Fland's return to New York City​

New York City has produced some of the all-time greatest basketball players in history. Guys like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Mullin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pearl Washington and others have hailed from the Big Apple. While Boogie Fland can't put his name up there with those players yet, there's no denying he has the talent to do so one day.

Fland technically played his high school basketball up the road from downtown New York City at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, but he's a native of the Bronx and is a NYC kid.
He'll be playing his first collegiate game in his home city on Tuesday, which might give him a little bit of extra motivation.

"Playing back in New York, my hometown, just coming out with a W there, not changing anything, not doing too much," Fland told reporters after the Miami game. "Just stick with the game plan and fall in love with what we do."

Despite a few games where he looked like a freshman, Fland has played like a future lottery pick in the first nine matchups for the Razorbacks. He's the second-leading scorer for the Hogs and is averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

The Razorbacks will need Fland to be at the top of his game on the big stage Tuesday if they want to pull out a win. The Wolverines are a top-10 team in adjusted defensive efficiency and will give Arkansas problems if they can neutralize the Hogs' top-scoring guard.

Johnell Davis playing his former coach​

One of the other guards on Arkansas' roster also likely has some added motivation, as Tuesday's game will feature Johnell Davis against his former head coach.

Davis came to Arkansas after a four-year stint with Florida Atlantic, where May was his head coach for all four years. The two experienced great success, as they reached a Final Four in 2023 and won a total of 92 games from 2020 to 2024.

The former All-AAC First Team selection had a rough go of it after he arrived in Fayetteville, as he battled injury over the offseason which affected his ability to shoot the ball early on.

It appears he's started to turn the corner a bit, though, as he's become more assertive in his offensive role and his shot has started to fall more frequently. He scored 13 points against UTSA, 12 against Miami and 16 against Maryland-Eastern Shore and has shot 53.3% from the field and 47.8% from deep in his last five games.

"Nelly's second half play, I mean you’re starting to see him," Arkansas head coach John Calipari said after the UTSA win. "He’s going to just keep coming into his own. He’s physical. Proud of him."
It's also worth noting the change from Florida Atlantic to Arkansas came with a shift in his role. When he played under May, Davis was the go-to option nearly every time down the floor and had a usage rate of 27.7%, which means he was called upon often.

At Arkansas, though, he's playing a different role where he's not being asked to facilitate at such a high level. After being "the guy" for four years, it makes sense that taking a lesser role would be a change that takes time to gel, and the fact that he missed time in the offseason makes it even more difficult.

How will Arkansas handle battle down low?​

Calipari is likely thanking his lucky stars that Jonas Aidoo returned from his five-month-long injury absence as the Hogs head into this game. Michigan boasts two 7-footers who have made waves this season — Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf.

Wolf averages 10 rebounds per game and Goldin adds 5.4 himself, and between the two of them, they average 3.8 blocks per game and 12.1 points per game a piece.

Aidoo made his first start of the season against UTSA and played 27 minutes. In that time, he brought in seven rebounds and scored eight points. Flirting with a double-double after he missed so much time is a pretty good stat line, but the Hogs will need him to be the best version of himself Tuesday.

"We know it’s going to be a dogfight, we haven’t really got into the film yet but we’re all pretty familiar with the team cause Nelly played for their coach, so we’ve got a little insight from him," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said Saturday. "We know they’re going to be physical, we know they’re going to do pick and rolls with the four and five, so we’ll go over that for the next couple days."

The big wrench in the Razorbacks' game resides in the health of center Zvonimir Ivisic. He rolled his ankle in practice last week and played sparingly against Miami. He did not appear at all against UTSA, and Calipari said he didn't have an update on his center as of Saturday.

Big Z's importance on the floor is two-fold. For one, his length matches up well with Michigan's bigs, and with him on the floor, Arkansas could ideally neutralize the advantage Michigan may have down low.

The other side of Ivisic's game is his ability to score from deep. The Croatian Sensation is shooting a blistering 57.6% from beyond the arc and is averaging 12.6 points per game in his last five times out.

If Big Z is unable to go, Calipari will have to rely on Brazile to give him big minutes. Brazile has unreal athleticism and can stretch the floor offensively, but will be undersized compared to Michigan's bigs, which could prove costly when the ball gets into the post.

Arkansas and Michigan will tip-off from Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday. The game will air on ESPN.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

Am I the only one that feels like Pittman should address the current situation with the portal. I’m pretty sure he said due to revenue sharing we will be able to keep the core of this team. I for one would like to know what the heck is going on? I get the portal is crazy but why is it affecting Arkansas at another level than everyone else? By saying nothing, you allow others to create their own narrative and that is never a good idea! Never been more frustrated as a Razorback fan. And that is saying a lot!!!