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David Walker - UCA Edge

Anybody know anything about this guy or see him play in college?

Started at Southern Arkansas, and has a Day 2 draft grade in some spots….curious how we could miss on him in the portal.

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How Arkansas basketball’s stats stack up to SEC peers

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The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-7, 1-5 SEC) have struggled since league play began, but they eased some of the pressure on Wednesday night with a win over Georgia.

The SEC is a gauntlet this season, as five of the top 10 spots in the latest AP Top 25 Poll are Arkansas' conference peers. There are nine total SEC teams in the Top 25, all of which the Razorbacks have either played or will play this season.

Arkansas stumbled out the gate when SEC play started, with losses to Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida, LSU and Missouri. The Hogs were largely uncompetitive in most of those games; the average margin of defeat was 12.2 points and the closest Arkansas came to a win was a 78-74 loss to LSU.

While they're not the worst team in the SEC anymore record-wise, the Razorbacks still face an uphill battle if they want to re-enter the NCAA Tournament picture and play themselves back onto the bubble.

That task gets even more difficult with the loss of freshman point guard Boogie Fland, who underwent successful surgery on his hand and there is "no timetable for his return," according to a release from the school.

With that said, HawgBeat is taking a look at both team and individual stats that Arkansas has this season and how they stack up to the rest of the SEC...

Team Stats​

Overall Stats and Conference Rank
StatNumber/PercentageConf. Rank
Field Goal %46.8%8th
3-Point %32.5%14th
Free Throw %72.2%9th
Points76.9 per game13th
Offensive Reb.10.1 per game13th
Defensive Reb.26.2 per game6th (tied with Georgia)
Total Reb.36.3 per game10th
Assists14.8 per game8th
Steals7.6 per game10th
Blocks5.8 per game2nd
Turnovers Margin1.48 (11.6 committed, 13.1 forced)11th

Most of Arkansas' stats have taken a dip since conference play started, most notably in the shooting percentages and points per game. In the last six games, the Hogs haven't shot higher than 45% and they're averaging 64.7 points per game, a steep dive from the 80.4 they were scoring in the non-conference slate.

Where Arkansas improved in its win over Georgia was in the free throw department. The 34 attempts from the charity stripe were the second-most this season only to the Florida game when Arkansas shot 35, but the main difference was in how many it converted. The Hogs converted 29 of their opportunities against Georgia compared to 24 against Florida.

"Coaches told me at halftime to drive the ball and stop settling," Arkansas forward Karter Knox, who attempted 13 free throws Wednesday, said. "I adapted to it really well, started driving it, got fouled. Started going for rebounds, got fouled. I’m too strong, they couldn’t hold me down there. Just going in, being aggressive."

ALSO READ: Arkansas flips script in 2 key areas against Georgia

Rebounding was also much improved on Wednesday, and that's a trend the Hogs will need to continue if they hope to make noise in the SEC. Arkansas was +10 in rebounds against Georgia, and it was the first time the Razorbacks won the rebounding battle since league play began.

"We had to take pride," Arkansas forward Adou Thiero said after the win over Georgia. "Word around the SEC, you know, we’re soft. They’re going to try to come here and punk us. Nah. We had to fix that and show we have fight in us. You’re not going to come in here and punk us around, no matter what."

Winning the rebound battle against Georgia is more significant than it looks, because the Bulldogs are one of the best on the glass in the SEC and rank eighth in total rebounds, sixth in offensive and defensive boards, and are second in opponent rebounds. They only allow their opponents to grab 31.3 boards per game and Arkansas had 40.

SEC-only stats​

SEC-Only Stats and Rank
StatNumber/PercentageConf. Rank
Field Goal %36.7%14th
3-Point %23.1%14th
Free Throw %71.7%10th
Points64.714th
Offensive Reb.12.86th
Defensive Reb.23.58th
Total Reb.36.36th
Assists10.314th
Steals5.8316th
Blocks 6.22nd (tied with Alabama)
Turnover Margin0.16 (10.67 committed, 10.83 forced)10th
Arkansas' stats get worse when it comes to conference-only competition, which is not unusual given the level of competition the Hogs (and most other teams in the SEC) played in the non-conference slate compared to the conference.

Still, Arkansas is one of the best in the SEC in blocked shots, tied with Alabama for second at 6.2 per game. Only Auburn ranks higher with 8.4 blocks per game.

Arkansas' rebounding numbers rank in the top half of the conference as well, though that might be attributed to the 40 (18 offensive and 22 defensive) rebounds they gathered against Georgia.

The assist numbers are bad, and they're likely going to get worse with the loss of Fland. The Hogs are 14th in the conference in assists at just 10.3 per game since league play began.

Individual Stats​


Looking at the individual statistic leaders across the SEC, there's one clear-cut leader for the Hogs, and that is Thiero. Obviously, scoring hasn't been great for the Hogs recently, but Thiero has been a bright spot for Arkansas. He ranks 11th in the SEC in scoring at 16.4 points per game and is second in the SEC in field goal percentage.

Thiero's free throw percentage of 69.6% ranks 22nd in the conference, but the 21 he attempted against Illinois on Thanksgiving Day is still the most of any player in the SEC.

No other Razorback, outside of Fland, is in the Top 25 of any offensive category.

That's where the loss of Fland hurts the most. His 5.7 assists per game still ranks second in the SEC and his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.7 still leads the SEC. He, along with guard D.J. Wagner, top the leaderboard in minutes played at 34.1 and 34, respectively. His 39.1% field goal percentage ranks 16th in the conference and his 83.9% free throw percentage is 10th in the conference.

RELATED: Thiero's double-double effort leads Arkansas past Georgia

Defensively, Thiero still stands out in SEC leaderboards. His 1.8 steals per game is 11th in the conference, and just 0.2 steals away from being ranked eighth. He's not featured on the blocks leaderboard, but there are several Hogs who are in the tops of the SEC in that category.
Zvonimir Ivisic is the highest-ranked Razorback in blocks with 1.7 per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC. Trevon Brazile's 1.5 per game is a few spots down at No. 10, and Jonas Aidoo is at No. 12 with 1.3 per game.

Brazile's six blocks he had against Oakland on Dec. 30 is still an SEC record this season, and Ivisic's five he had against Troy is tied with six other players for second.

When it comes to SEC-competition only, Arkansas representation among the best of the SEC gets slimmer. Thiero drops to 18th in the conference in scoring at 13.7 points per game and he's not in the top 12 of field goal percentage. His 1.5 blocks per game do rank No. 7 and his 1.7 steals are No. 16.

Diamond Hogs to lean on Ohio State transfer pitcher

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Ohio State transfer pitcher Landon Beidelschies was the Buckeyes' Friday night starter last season, but he'll have a much tougher time securing that honor this spring at Arkansas.

The Canfield, Ohio, native started in all 15 of his appearances as a sophomore last spring and he recorded a 4.15 ERA with 91 strikeouts and 31 walks across 84.2 innings pitched. Teams hit with a .231 batting average against him.

According to Diamond Hogs' head coach Dave Van Horn, getting Beidelschies — and highy-touted East Carolina transfer pitcher Zach Root — to campus was not a piece of cake.

ALSO READ: Transfer pitcher Zach Root has big shoes to fill

"They had some options," Van Horn said Sept. 3. "Many, many, many options. They could have gone to our league. We would have had to try to beat them, and you know, they came in here because they wanted to be a part of the Arkansas program. Like I said, be with (Pitching coach Matt Hobbs), and I think they just wanted to be on a team with a great pitching staff, and that’s what we foresee."

A 6-foot-3, 225-pound left-hander, Beidelschies was rated as D1Baseball's fifth-best impact transfer pitcher in the most recent cycle. According to their analysis, the lefty has a crafty slider and he sits low 90s with the fastball, but can get up to 94-95 miles per hour.

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

"He can spot it up, quick to the plate with his short arm action, a little different," Van Horn said. "Got a good slider and good changeup. He can be a starter, I think he was a starter at Ohio State.

"I think he might have been their Friday starter. I know he was, I don’t even know why I’m talking about it. He can help us all kinds of ways. He can come out of the pen, he can start. I like those kinds of guys, they work quick, quick to the plate. He’s not scared."

RELATED: Wehiwa Aloy looking to put things together in 2025

Beidelschies appeared in 24 games as a freshman in 2023 with just one start. He had an identical 4.15 ERA to go with 45 strikeouts and 21 walks in 30.1 innings pitched. Opponents hit for a .226 batting average against him his freshman season.

According to stats compiled by local media, Beidelschies made three starts and four total appearances with the Razorbacks in the fall. He had a 4.76 ERA after giving up three earned runs on five hits in 5.2 innings pitched. The left-hander had four strikeouts and one walk.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

Beidelschies pitched seven innings four times last season for Ohio State, which posted a 29-26 overall record, and he logged a career-high 12 strikeouts in a March 15 loss at West Virginia.

During the Oct. 11 exhibition against Oklahoma State at Baum-Walker Stadium, Beidelschies struck out two batters in his one inning of hitless and scoreless relief. He will be right in the race for being part of the starting rotation, along with Root, Gabe Gaeckle, Gage Wood and others.

"We saw a lot of good things in the fall, and then off-season, I think just because we’ve been around Gabe Gaeckle so much, had him here, we feel like that he will definitely be a starter," Van Horn said Wednesday. "(Zach) Root looks like a starter. Gage Wood. (Landon) Beidelschies. Those are all possibilities, and there are some other guys in there, now."

The Razorbacks will open their season Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

Calipari 'needs more' from Razorbacks' frontcourt

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From @DanielFair:

The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-8, 1-6 SEC) have had their share of struggles to start Southeastern Conference play, and one big part of that has been an inconsistent frontcourt.

The four main players — Jonas Aidoo, Zvonimir Ivisic, Trevon Brazile and Adou Thiero — have all had solid individual performances throughout the season, but most of them haven't been able to show that consistently. The only one who has been consistent is Thiero, who is the team's leading scorer at 16.1 points per game and the leading rebounder at 6.2 per game.

Part of Aidoo's up-and-down play is that he missed a big chunk of offseason work with a foot injury and is still, according to head coach John Calipari, not fully healthy.

Aidoo is a Preseason All-SEC selection and even if he isn't 100%, the Razorbacks need him to improve. Calipari outlined Thursday the things he needs Aidoo to do to make an impact on the court.

"Sprint that floor, fly up and down (the court), don’t be behind the action," Calipari said Thursday. "Go block a shot. You’re capable of doing that. Go get blocks and now give us some offensive rebounding. Go get that. We’ll throw you the ball some. We’re going to put you in high splits where you’re a passer. He can do all that."

Ivisic had a slow start to league play, but has shown improvement in the last couple games. He scored 10 points against Georgia and had 14 against Oklahoma, and also blocked three shots and had six rebounds against the Sooners.

"Z has an impact on the game," Calipari said. "He’s just got to play lower, be in there playing harder, longer. We do need to throw those guys the ball. We’ve worked on it, so yes, we need to throw them the ball."

Ivisic said after the loss to Oklahoma last Saturday that he feels like he's gotten more physical, which has led to his increased level of play.

"I feel like I started fighting more," Ivisic said. "As coach told me in the beginning, 'I want you to be physical. I want you to be tough, not soft. I don't want you, you know, to be pushed around.' And I think I got better at it. I was working on it as much as I could waiting for my opportunity and then that's it."

Still, for Arkansas to win more games and play its way back onto the NCAA Tournament bubble, that has to become the norm for Ivisic.

The main issue the Razorbacks have had this season has been in the rebounding department. In all of their SEC losses, they've lost the rebounding battle and are in the bottom half of the SEC in most rebounding categories outside of team defensive rebounds, where they're ranked sixth.

One player who can help with that is Karter Knox, Arkansas' freshman forward. He has come along well in the last few games and will be relied upon to increase the Hogs' physicality in that area.

"Can (Knox) shoot the three? Yeah," Calipari said. "But he’s a physical offensive rebounder, driver, great free-throw shooter, get fouled, and then make some threes. He defends. He’s physical. He has really made strides."

Arkansas will face a tough test in that regard Saturday, when the Hogs play Kentucky at Rupp Arena. The Wildcats are second in the SEC in defensive rebounds (29.5 RPG) and fourth in the SEC in total rebounds (40.7 RPG).

The Razorbacks and Wildcats will tip off at 8 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will air on ESPN.
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Freshman outfielder to know in 2025

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From @masonchoate:

The Arkansas baseball team brought in one of the nation's best transfer portal classes, especially on the mound, plus they added a handful of highly-touted freshmen that they managed to get to campus.

All of those new additions, paired with returning talent, will make it hard for some dark horse contributors to break through, but one freshmen did about as much as he could during the fall.

ALSO READ: Two freshmen pitchers to watch for Arkansas in 2025

Freshman outfielder Brenton Clark put together enough strong performances at the plate that he was often part of the scrimmage squad that head coach Dave Van Horn stacked with potential starters.

The 6-foot-0, 185-pounder out of Pleasant Grove High School in Texarkana, Texas, put his name squarely in the conversation for competition in the outfield. Clark was rated by Perfect Game as the No. 32 prospect and No. 6 outfielder in Texas for the 2024 recruiting class.

According to stats compiled by local media, Clark logged 34 at bats in the fall and he had a team-high 16 hits with two doubles, three home runs, 12 RBIs and five stolen bases.

RELATED: Ryder Helfrick primed for sophomore jump

"He finished up summer ball out in a tournament in New Mexico and he was, like, I’m going to guess, but like, 13 for 19 in that tournament out there," Van Horn said Oct. 4. "Pretty impressive. He came in here and he just kept getting hits. I think he started off here 8 for 10 or 8 for 12. So I’ve seen a lot. He plays pretty good defense, he can steal a base, he can bunt. Still young. We’ll see what happens."

Clark's first two at bats Sept. 6, which are believed to be his first live at bats of the fall, resulted in a pair of home runs. One week later, he was a triple shy of the cycle in a Sept. 13 scrimmage at Baum-Walker Stadium.

During the Oct. 4 annual Fall Classic intrasquad scrimmage, Clark was with the squad that featured players expected to be starters. He was held hitless with two strikeouts in the contest.

ALSO READ: Arkansas returns intriguing group of second-year pitchers

"I always tell the guys, I don’t care how old you are or what year you are, if you’re earned a spot to start, either a walk-on or a scholarship kid or whatever, it doesn’t matter to us," head coach Dave Van Horn said Oct. 4. "I’ve got to stand behind that, and he’s .450 or .500 going into tonight. So I thought he deserved a chance to play on that team tonight.

"He’s had a good fall. He’s been a tough out, gotten a lot of two-strike hits. He’s hit some home runs. I think he had a game this year where he had four or five hits and got on a little roll there."

The Razorbacks added three outfielders — Rocci Peppi, Logan Maxwell and Charles Davalan — via the transfer portal, plus JUCO transfer Justin Thomas Jr. is right in the mix to start, as well. Throw in veteran Kendall Diggs, and Clark has a lot to prove before play begins Friday, Feb. 14, against Washington State at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

"Yeah, really the guys that were really impressive in the fall in the outfield was Charles Davalan," Van Horn said Wednesday. "He had an incredible fall, and then he got big and strong in the weight room. Lot of personality, great attitude, and then Logan Maxwell. Put on about, I don’t know, 12, 15 pounds since he’s been here. Getting strong. Hitting for a lot more power, but he still is just a really good hitter.

"You watch our batting practice, he squares up almost everything that comes his way. So there’s two right there. We’ll see how it goes with the other spot. Peppi was injured. We’ve got him working a little bit at first base. You know, he was an infielder coming out of high school. DH, first base, you know, and then Kendall (Diggs)."

Arkansas preseason odds to win College World Series

From @RileyMcFerran

BetSaracen is the official mobile sports gambling partner of HawgBeat.com and they have future odds up for teams to win the 2025 College World Series.

Entering year 23 under head coach Dave Van Horn, the Arkansas Razorbacks have the third best odds (+1100) to win the College World Series. That nearly lines up with where the Diamond Hogs are being projected in preseason polls, with the most prominent preseason ranking being a No. 5 nod from D1Baseball.

RELATED: Arkansas ranked No. 5 in D1Baseball preseason poll

Headlined by a rotation of righties in Baseball America Preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year Gabe Gaeckle and Gage Wood plus transfer lefties in Zach Root and Landon Beidelschies, the Arkansas pitching staff is set to be one of the best in the nation. Returning bats such as Wehiwa Aloy and Kendall Diggs will be joined by splash transfer additions like third baseman Brent Iredale and outfielders Charles Davalan and Logan Maxwell in the lineup.

RELATED: Diggs '100% cleared' for big return to Arkansas lineup

Leading the pack at +750 odds is Tennessee, which won the 2024 College World Series after defeating Texas A&M in a three-game set at Charles Schwab Field. The Volunteers also defeated Northern Kentucky, Indiana, Southern Miss, Evansville, Florida State and North Carolina en route to the championship. Arkansas and Tennessee will meet in the 2025 regular-season finale at Baum-Walker Stadium from May 15-17.

RELATED: Van Horn letting players prove worthy of starting rotation

Texas A&M is right behind Tennessee at +1000 odds and LSU has the fourth best odds at +1200. Headlining the Aggies is outfielder Jace LaViolette, while the Gators have boomstick bat Colby Shelton and other power hitters leading the way in 2024.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT BETSARACEN (MUST BE 21 OR OLDER)

One more SEC team — Florida (+1750) — rounds out the group of teams with better than +2000 odds to win the College World Series. Texas is next up at +2500.

A tough early test for the Razorbacks will be against TCU on Saturday, Feb. 22 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, for the College Baseball Series. BetSaracen gives the Horned Frogs +2250 odds to win the College World Series, which is fifth-best for non-SEC teams.

Before taking on TCU, Arkansas will open its season with a four-game home series against Washington State. Opening Day is set for Friday, Feb. 14 at 3 p.m. CT at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville.

More Arkansas Baseball content from HawgBeat

- Razorbacks 'have a jewel' in Oregon State transfer pitcher

- Diamond Hogs to lean on Ohio State transfer pitcher

- Dylan Carter hoping for strong super senior season

- Freshman outfielder to know in 2025

- Canadian outfielder gives Diamond Hogs speed

Arkansas 'out-scrapped' in loss to LSU

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There's no way to spin it — the Arkansas Razorbacks (11-6, 0-4 SEC) are playing bad basketball right now, and it culminated in a 78-74 loss to the LSU Tigers (12-5, 1-3 SEC) on Tuesday night.

The Razorbacks actually played some of their best ball of league play in spurts against the Tigers, but that's not saying much considering how poorly they've played in their other three losses.

"This is the third or fourth game, we get up 12, and all of a sudden, you turn around and (the lead is gone)," Calipari said after the game Tuesday. " I thought we were prepared for that moment, but a couple turnovers, missed shots, and I'll watch the tape, but they out scrapped us. I mean we did some half-decent stuff, but not enough."

Arkansas held LSU to 40% shooting from the field and 36.4% shooting from three, but the Tigers hit eight shots from deep and out-rebounded the Hogs, 39-37, with 12 offensive boards — a stat that has plagued Arkansas since SEC play started.

The main thorn in Arkansas' side Tuesday was LSU guard Cam Carter. The former Kansas State guard went off for 27 points and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line.

"He's a good player and he can create his own shot," Calipari said. "He was going at the rim, he was pulling up, he was making threes. He did it a bunch of different ways."

The Tigers also got a boost from Daimion Collins, who played for Calipari at Kentucky before transferring to LSU. He logged just seven points but had 10 rebounds, three of which were offensive boards, and he blocked four shots.

For Arkansas, one of the main issues was at the free throw line, though it wasn't the same issue it usually is. In games past, the Razorbacks struggled to convert when they got to the line. Tuesday night, they could barely get to the line at all.

The Hogs only attempted 13 free throws in the game. To their credit, they made 11 of those, but they also put LSU on the free throw line 28 times and the Tigers converted 26 of those attempts. Calipari isn't blaming the referees for that discrepancy, though.

"I thought some of the stuff, we were just reaching in," Calipari said. "I mean, we must have, in the first half, and then you’re fouling their two best free throw shooters, and you know they’re going to ball fake to the rim. So, but again, I got to watch the tape. For me to sit here and get into that deep, but we were reaching in."

Calipari also shouldered the brunt of the blame for his team's winless start to conference play, and said he's not close to giving up yet.

"I thought we played more joy than we have," Calipari said. "I know I coached that way, but I got to do a better job. And I told them after the game, I'm not cracking, so let's just keep going. Let's get ready for the next one."

The Razorbacks are on the road again for their next matchup, as they will travel to Columbia, Missouri, to take on the Tigers. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. and the game will air on the SEC Network.
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