Hogs hope Pinion is start of another in-state haul
When the Hogs win, you win! Get 70% off a new annual subscription and get a giftcode to BreakingT.com on us with code: SECWIN
New Users | Registered Users
The first domino has fallen for what could be another talented class of in-state recruits for Eric Musselman.
Morrilton small forward Joseph Pinion committed to Arkansas on Friday, becoming the first member of the Razorbacks’ 2022 class.
A four-star recruit who currently sits at No. 113 in the Rivals150, Pinion could have gone to any number of schools - including Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas Tech - but chose to follow the recent trend of players staying home.
The sharpshooter has made it no secret that he hopes to get the other 2022 in-state prospects on board to create a class similar to the one Musselman signed this year, which included a quartet of four-star recruits from the Natural State in Moses Moody, Jaylin Williams, KK Robinson and Davonte Davis.
Each of those players were in the Rivals150 and chose the Razorbacks over various high-profile programs. The only player who opted to leave the state was West Memphis power forward Chris Moore, who signed with Auburn as the No. 109 overall prospect.
It was a remarkable accomplishment for Musselman, who had less than a year to convince them that staying home - or in the case of Moody and Robinson, returning home after playing at renowned basketball academies - was the best option for them.
That hasn’t always been the case at Arkansas. For every Bobby Portis, Daniel Gafford and Isaiah Joe who signed with the Razorbacks, there have been highly touted prospects like Malik Monk (Kentucky), Archie Goodwin (Kentucky) and KeVaughn Allen (Florida) who left the state to play elsewhere.
Musselman will have much more time to woo the 2022 class, which is highlighted by a trio of top-50 prospects who Pinion hopes to play with in Fayetteville.
At the top of the list is Nick Smith, a point guard at Sylvan Hills - the same school that produced Goodwin. He has a chance to be the state’s next five-star prospect - something Arkansas hasn’t had since Monk in 2016 - as he currently sits at No. 29 in the Rivals150.
There are only 19 five-star players in the 2022 class right now, but that number will grow as the players get older and get evaluated. The last three classes have had 31 or 32, so Smith is right there and has the offer list to back it up - Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas Tech and others have extended offers.
A few spots behind him at No. 38, Derrian Ford is a shooting guard from Magnolia who boasts all of the same offers as Smith except for Texas, as well as Kansas, Florida, and a few other high-major schools.
One of the quickest risers in the class is Kel’el Ware out of North Little Rock. The 6-foot-10 center wasn’t even in ranked back in January, but has shot all the way up to No. 42 despite not having the summer circuit because of the coronavirus pandemic. He recently told Rivals that Arkansas, Kansas and Texas Tech are the schools recruiting him the hardest.
Arkansas has also offered Little Rock Mills shooting guard Javion Guy-King. Although he’s unranked, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and a few mid-majors have extended offers, as well.
It’s unclear how many of those players Musselman and the Razorbacks can and want to bring in with Pinion based on roster needs and numbers. If they can replicate what they did in 2020 and bring in most of them, though, they will have established what coaches in every sport at Arkansas have mentioned as a goal: A wall around the state.
College Students, get a year of HawgBeat coverage for just $11.95. Request details via email from your school account (.edu) to nchavanelle@yahoo.com.