HawgBeat Bracket: Elite 8 results, voting for Final 4 now open
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After more than 1,700 votes from fans, HawgBeat has finally reached the Final Four of its bracket to determine Arkansas’ best basketball player of the SEC era.
It’s all chalk, as the four No. 1 seeds are still alive. However, Joe Johnson - a No. 3 seed - gave Lee Mayberry a little scare in the Elite Eight.
Three of the remaining players were part of the Razorbacks’ dominant teams in the first half of the 1990s, while one played for Arkansas just five years ago and is still active in the NBA.
Here are the vote breakdowns for all four Elite Eight matchups and a preview of the Final Four…
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Results
(1) Todd Day over (3) Scotty Thurman - 224 votes to 93 votes (70.7%)
(1) Bobby Portis over (2) Ronnie Brewer - 245 votes to 72 votes (77.3%)
(1) Corliss Williamson over (2) Oliver Miller - 313 votes to 4 votes (98.7%)
(1) Lee Mayberry over (3) Joe Johnson - 173 votes to 144 votes (54.6%)
Final Four Matchups
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(1) Todd Day vs. (1) Bobby Portis
Todd Day
Notable: Played only one season in the SEC… Averaged 22.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals that year… First-team All-SEC and numerous All-America honors in 1992… Arkansas’ all-time leading scorer with 2,395 points… Ranks second in UA history with 271 steals… Ranks ninth in UA history with 673 rebounds… Selected 8th overall in 1992 NBA Draft
Path to the Final Four: over Mardracus Wade (98.9%), over Darrell Hawkins (98.7%), over Courney Fortson (96.0%), over Scotty Thurman (70.7%)
Bobby Portis
Notable: Scored 1,047 points in just two seasons… Named SEC Player of the Year in 2014-15, when he averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals… First-team All-SEC and second-team All-America honors in 2015… SEC All-Freshman and second-team All-SEC in 2014… Selected 22nd overall in 2015 NBA Draft
Path to the Final Four: over Anthlon Bell (100%), over Derek Hood (94.3%), over Isaiah Joe (90.1%), over Ronnie Brewer (77.3%)
(1) Corliss Williamson vs. (1) Lee Mayberry
Corliss Williamson
Notable: Helped Arkansas win a national title in 1994 and finish runner-up in 1995… Averaged 20.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in 1993-94 and 19.7 points and 7.5 rebounds in 1994-95… Named SEC Player of the Year both of those seasons… Named SEC Athlete of the Year in 1994… Most Outstanding Player in the 1994 Final Four… Second-team All-American in 1994 and 1995… Averaged 19.0 points during his career, which ranks second in UA history (behind only Martin Terry)… One of only two players with his jersey in the rafters at Bud Walton Arena (Sidney Moncrief)… Selected 13th overall in 1995 NBA Draft
Path to the Final Four: over Alex Dillard (99.3%), over Isaiah Morris (99.4%), over Jannero Pargo (99.8%), over Oliver Miller (98.7%)
Lee Mayberry
Notable: Played only one season in the SEC… Averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals that year… First-team All-SEC and third-team All-America honors in 1992… Arkansas’ all-time leader in steals with 291… Ranks second in UA history with 729 career assists… Selected 23rd overall in 1992 NBA Draft
Path to the Final Four: over Jalen Harris (97.8%), over Corey Beck (81.9%), over Patrick Beverley (84.6%), over Joe Johnson (54.6%)
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