Darious Hall and CJ Jones leaving Razorbacks
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Freshman forward Darious Hall and sophomore guard C.J. Jones are leaving the Razorback basketball program.
Rumors started circulating over a week ago, and neither player dismissed them over social media or any other platform. Arkansas coach Mike Anderson confirmed that the two are leaving on Tuesday afternoon.
“Darious and C.J. have decided to transfer from our program. I appreciate them coming to the University of Arkansas and wish them the best moving forward," Anderson stated.
Hall, from Little Rock (Ark.) Mills, averaged 14.8 minutes per game this season and even drew a few starts. He averaged 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from 3-point range. He played on the perimeter some and also helped as a smaller power forward. Hall scored 14 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in a 75-64 win at Ole Miss on Feb. 13. That was one of seven games in which he scored in double figures.
Jones was a lightly recruited late signee with the Razorbacks in 2016 out of Anderson's hometown of Birmingham, playing at Central Park High School. In 14.3 minutes per game, he averaged 6.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He was a 3-point specialist who connected on 37.1 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Before a slump the first half of SEC play, Jones scored in double figures in six of seven games in late-November through mid-December.
The reasoning behind their decisions is not yet known, but with Hall and Jones leaving, and six seniors moving out of the program, that makes for eight total players who will not return to the program.
The Hogs received a huge shot in the arm when future NBA player Daniel Gafford announced he will be returning for his sophomore season last month. Arkansas will return three players off last year's team in Gafford and forwards Gabe Osabuohien and Adrio Bailey.
That does not include guards Jalen Harris and Khalil Garland. Harris sat out last season after transferring from New Mexico, and Garland sat out for medical reasons. The Hogs will also welcome six newcomers from a top 25 recruiting class.