Brewer Officially Leaving for NBA,Signs with Agent
Arkansas junior guard Ronnie Brewer has made it official. On April 27, he announced he was making himself available for the NBA Draft but had not hired an agent, which left open the possibility of returning for his senior season. He has now signed with CSMG in Chicago and will not return for his senior season. The president of the company, Hank Thomas, is his agent.
As a junior, Brewer earned honorable mention All-America honors from CollegeHoops.net, was a defensive All-American by CollegeInsider.com, one of 22 finalists for the Wooden Award and a first-team All-SEC selection by both the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and an SEC-best 2.6 steals in leading Arkansas back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
In addition to leading the league in steals, he was second in scoring, seventh in free throw percentage (.752), 10th in field goal percentage (.441) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.49). In SEC play only, he led the conference in scoring (18.8).
He ends his Razorback career 16th in scoring (1,416 – 15.7 ppg), seventh in steals (216), 10th in assists (299) and tied for 10th in free throws made (326).
Brewer helped the Hogs go 22-10 with their most victories since the 1999 club went 23-11. Arkansas was also 10-6 and tied for second in the SEC’s Western Division, its best finish since 2001. The Razorbacks recorded wins over two top-10 teams (No. 10 Florida and No. 10 Tennessee) for the first time since 2002, won on the road against a top 10 team (Tennessee) for the first time since 1994 and led the SEC with a 15-1 home record.
With the departure of Brewer, Arkansas’ top returnees for 2007 are junior center Steven Hill (3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 blocked shots), junior forward Charles Thomas (9.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .520 field goal percentage) and junior forward Darian Townes (9.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .500 field goal percentage). Other returnees include junior forward Vincent Hunter (3.7 ppg), sophomore guard Sean McCurdy (40 assists, 18 turnovers), sophomore forward Cyrus McGowan and junior guard
Preston Cranford.
The incoming recruiting class includes point guard Gary Ervin, a transfer from Mississippi State who sat out 2006 after averaging 7.4 points and 4.7 assists for MSU in 2005; junior wing Sonny Weems from UA-Fort Smith, who is rated one of the top five junior college players in the nation; freshman guard Patrick Beverley, who led the Chicago area in scoring as a senior (34.0 ppg); and freshman guard Stefan Welsh and freshman forward Michael Washington.
Razorbacks Selected to Play in Inaugural The ESPNU
Arkansas’ basketball team is one of eight selected to participate in the inaugural The ESPNU Classic, a three-day, eight-team event held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.
The tournament includes four games a day on Nov. 23, 24 and 26.
Joining the Razorbacks in the field are Minnesota, Montana, Virginia Tech, Southern Illinois, West Virginia, Marist and Western Michigan.All games will be televised with ESPN2 airing nine games and ESPNU three.
“With the change in the schedule rule this year, we were able to become a part of an outstanding tournament near Orlando,” UA head coach Stan Heath says. “We are very excited about the competition and the exposure, as well as the opportunity to play in a tournament that will help prepare us for the season.”
In 2005, the Razorbacks went 22-10 with their most wins since 1999 and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001. UA tied for second in the SEC’s Western Division, beat two top 10-ranked teams and had the best home record in the SEC at 15-1. Under Heath, Arkansas has gone from nine wins in 2003 to 12 in 2004, to 18 in 2005 and to 22 in 2006.
“There are some outstanding teams in this tournament,” Heath says. “The field is very competitive. It will give us a gauge of where we are early in the season and give us a chance to vie for a tournament championship.”
ESPN Regional Television owns and operates three other basketball events -- the O'Reilly Auto Parts All-College Classic, Papé Jam and the Spartan Clash.
Razorbacks Selected to Play in Inaugural The ESPNU
Arkansas’ basketball team is one of eight selected to participate in the inaugural The ESPNU Classic, a three-day, eight-team event held at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.
The tournament includes four games a day on Nov. 23, 24 and 26.
Joining the Razorbacks in the field are Minnesota, Montana, Virginia Tech, Southern Illinois, West Virginia, Marist and Western Michigan. All games will be televised with ESPN2 airing nine games and ESPNU three.
UA Assistant Thompson Named Head Coach at Ball St
Ronny Thompson, who completed his third season as an assistant coach at wagering Arkansas, has been named the 16th head men’s basketball coach in Ball State University history, according to BSU athletics director Tom Collins.
Thompson, the son of legendary Hall of Fame and former Georgetown head coach John Thompson, is also the brother of current Georgetown head coach John Thompson III. Thompson, who played for his father from 1989-92 and was the team’s captain as a senior, earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology in 1992.
As a member of Stan Heath’s staff at Arkansas, Thompson’s duties included coordinating recruiting, preparing scouting reports and player development, in addition to on-floor coaching and academics. The ncaa Razorbacks finished the 2005-06 season with a 22-10 record, tied for second in the Southeastern Conference’s Western Division with a 10-6 mark and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time in five years.
Prior to Arkansas, Thompson coached for five seasons as an assistant at Georgetown. In addition, he worked with Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, and general manager Billy King as a National Basketball Association scout for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1996-98. While with the 76ers, Thompson was an integral part in assisting Brown and King in preparing for games as well as preparing for the NBA Draft.
After working on Wall Street for Prudential after graduation, Thompson began his coaching career during the 1993-94 season as an assistant to Jerry Green at the University of Oregon. From 1994-96, he was an assistant at Loyola (Md.) before moving to the NBA.
Thompson joined his father’s staff as an assistant coach after the 1998 NBA season and remained with the Hoyas through 2003. Georgetown’s 2001 squad reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, while the 2003 team reached the finals of the National Invitation Tournament. The Hoyas also advanced to the NIT second round in 2000.
As a player at Georgetown, Thompson helped the Hoyas to a combined record of 94-35, including a trip to the 1989 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight and a pair Sweet 16 appearances.
Thompson and his wife Erica have a son, Dylan, and a daughter, Devin.
Allen surgery set for Thursday
Junior post player Danielle Allen will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair torn ligaments in her left knee, University of Arkansas women’s basketball coach Susie Gardner announced today.
“This has been a long, tough season for Danielle,” Gardner said. “But I know that she will battle and fight through this just like she has with each challenge she’s faced in her life. We’re looking forward to Danielle returning to the court with us this fall.”
The former starting high post for the Lady Razorbacks missed the fall semester with the birth of her son, Caden, and returned to the team at midterm. Allen played in two games before suffering a foot injury that sidelined her for four games in the early Southeastern Conference season.
Cleared to play after the Vanderbilt game in mid-January, Allen returned to action against Mississippi State at home. She scored her season highs of 12 points with seven rebounds coming off the bench at South Carolina.
Playing five straight SEC games, Allen suffered her season-ending injury in practice before the LSU game at Baton Rouge.
Last year, Allen averaged 9.0 ppg and 5.4 rpg as one of only two players to start all 31 games during the 2004-05 season.
Allen is one of three players who started last year for Arkansas that missed significant portions of the 2005-06 season, and all three ended the season on the bench with injury. The Lady’Backs lost their leading scorer from last season, Sarah Pfeifer, to a preseason ACL injury in the Red-White Game. Point guard Kristin Peoples played only 13 games this season due to a back injury. Peoples graduates this spring and will not return, while Pfeifer is back as a fifth-year senior next year.
Arkansas, 13-15, enters the off-season with four signees from the early period in November. WBCA honorable mention all-American Tanisha Smith, a 6-1 swing forward from Lincoln Prep in Kansas City, Mo., received the most attention with her recent high school honors. Fort Smith Northside guard Kendra Roberts plays for the Arkansas Class AAAAA title this coming weekend. Arlington, Texas, guard Charity Ford of Seguin High and Byhalia, Miss., guard-forward Ashley Wilson each saw their teams win district titles and advance to their respective state tournaments.
National signing date is next for the Lady Razorbacks on Wednesday basketball game, April 12.
Brewer Moves into SEC Scoring Lead in Hogs' 74-57
Ronnie Brewer scored 25 points and Jonathon Modica added 19 as the Arkansas Razorbacks extended their winning streak to five games in a 74-57 gambling line victory over Georgia Sunday afternoon.
Attempting to become the first Razorback to lead the Southeastern Conference in scoring, Brewer improved his average to 18.6 points, just three-tenths ahead of LSU's Glen Davis. The league does not acknowledge a scoring champion until the end of postseason.
Arkansas (21-8, 10-6 SEC) won its second straight on the road for the first time since it left Auburn with a six-point victory on Jan. 5, 2002.
The Bulldogs (15-14, 5-11) have lost three straight and six of their last seven. Finishing the regular season with the Eastern Division's worst record, Georgia now must face the Razorbacks when the final first-round game of the SEC tournament tips off Thursday night.
Billy Humphrey led the Bulldogs with 10 points.
Brewer reported no problems following a collision with Bulldogs center Rashaad Singleton at the 8:04 mark of the first half. Despite hitting the floor hard and walking gingerly to the bench, Brewer soon returned to hit a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws that pushed Arkansas' lead to 38-26.
Sundiata Gaines' putback brought Georgia within eight in the final minute of the first half, but the Razorbacks went on a 12-2 run to begin the second. After Charles Thomas' free throw gave Arkansas its biggest lead at 50-32, the Bulldogs mounted one last attempt to close the margin.
Mike Mercer's five-foot runner with 10:49 remaining made it 56-46, but the effort was not enough.
Arkansas will open Southeastern Conference Tournament play on Thursday night at 8:45 p.m. CT against the same basketball team Georgia team. The winner of the first-round matchup between the Hogs and Bulldogs will face Florida in tournament quarterfinals.
Townes Leads Arkansas' Second-Half Upset Tennessee
Darian Townes scored 15 points and Jonathon Modica added 14 to help Arkansas rally to beat No. 10 Tennessee 73-69 on Saturday afternoon basketball game.
Arkansas (19-8, 8-6 Southeastern Conference) handed the Volunteers (20-5, 11-3) their first loss at home this season, and further bolstered its case for an ncaa tournament bid.
The Razorbacks improved to 2-5 on the road this year. But they continued their momentum following back-to-back wins over Florida and Alabama.
Eric Ferguson added 12 points while Charles Thomas had 11 and Vincent Hunter had 10 for Arkansas, which dominated the post.
The Razorbacks outrebounded Tennessee 45-24. Tennessee had clinched at least a share of the SEC East title with a win at Florida earlier this week.
Trailing 63-49, the Razorbacks made a late charge with a 15-0 run that included seven points by Townes. Ferguson's 3 with 4:13 left put Arkansas up 64-63, the Razorbacks' first lead of the second half.
Chris Lofton ended Tennessee's drought with a 3 for a brief lead with 3:53 to go, but Thomas and Townes scored consecutive baskets to give the lead back to Arkansas.
The Razorbacks then pushed the lead to four. Tennessee's JaJuan Smith made one of two free throws, and Dane Bradshaw sank a pair to cut it to 70-69 with 32.9 seconds remaining.
The Vols fouled to stop the clock, and Modica hit two free throws with 25.8 seconds remaining. Tennessee had a chance to tie, but Smith missed a 3. Ferguson added another free throw to seal it with 10.6 seconds left.
The Vols ncaa basketball team stretched their lead to 11 with a 7-0 run early in the second half. Arkansas threatened to make its own run and cut it to six with 11:38 remaining after a three-point play by Townes and a basket by Hunter. But 24 seconds later, Tennessee was back in control.
Bradshaw scored and then got a steal that led to Lofton's 3 that put the Vols up 58-47 and started a 10-2 run. C.J. Watson finished it with a high-arching 3-pointer that barely beat the shot clock, and Tennessee was ahead by 14 with 8:49.
Watson led the Vols with 17 points. Lofton added 12 and Smith had 11.
Ronnie Brewer, who leads the SEC in scoring, was held to nine points.
