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Arkansas looks to build on Sweet 16 run with new recruits and transfers

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Arkansas looks to build on Sweet 16 run with new recruits and transfers


Arkansas (22-14, 8-10 SEC)

After a run to the Sweet 16 following a middling regular season, the No. 14 Razorbacks enter the second year of the John Calipari era having to replace their top three scorers from last season. Calipari reloaded with a highly-rated freshman recruiting class and the Razorbacks picked up a pair of all-conference big men from the portal to bolster a frontcourt that was outrebounded in league play more often than not last season.

Players to watch

Darius Acuff (freshman, G, 6-2). Acuff is the star recruit of Calipari’s 2025 class. He should step into the point guard role that Boogie Fland handled a year ago before transferring to Florida.

DJ Wagner (junior, G, 6-4, 11.2 ppg). Wagner is the only returner who averaged double-figure scoring last season. His experience playing both point and off guard should help bring Acuff and fellow freshman Meleek Thomas along.

Trevon Brazile (senior, F, 6-10, 6.8 ppg). Brazile’s points-per-game totals belie his importance. He was the team’s best player in the late-season run the Razorbacks needed just to make the NCAA Tournament.

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Departures and arrivals

Fland is gone, and top scorer Adou Thiero was lost to the NBA.

Acuff and Thomas were both McDonald’s All-Americans last season in high school, while 6-foot-7 guard Isaiah Sealy ranked in the top 100. They’re joined in the frontcourt by Florida State transfer Malique Ewin (6-11, senior, C, 14.2 ppg) and longtime SEC veteran Nick Pringle (6-10, senior, F, 9.5 ppg), who played two seasons at Alabama before playing last year at South Carolina.

Top games

The Razorbacks have five ranked opponents during non-conference play. Texas Tech, the team that knocked the Razorbacks out the NCAA Tournament last year is one of them. They will league play against No. 18 Tennessee at home on Jan. 3. Calipari will face his old Kentucky team in Fayetteville on Jan. 30. And Arkansas travels to defending national champion Florida during the stretch run, Feb. 28.

Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas (1) dribbles the ball defended by Memphis center Thierno Sylla (31), of Guinea, and guard Zach Davis (2) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball exhibition game Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. Credit: AP/Nikki Boertman

Facts and figures

Not only have the Razorbacks started the last two years of SEC play at 1-6, but before that they went 1-5, 0-3 and 1-4. Still, Arkansas has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of those five seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 all four times. … Arkansas will play 19 games against teams that made the Big Dance last year, including all four Final Four teams in Duke, Michigan State, Houston and Auburn.

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Arkansas

Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems

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Joshua Harris tackles “American Ninja Warrior” and Arkansas health problems


Most people can barely conquer the monkey bars at a playground, but Joshua Harris is out here tackling American Ninja Warrior obstacles and using that spotlight to help Arkansans eat healthier.

Harris recently competed on American Ninja Warrior for the second time, calling it “an incredible experience” and saying it’s fun to be part of a national show while taking on the obstacles.

Away from the course, Harris runs a nonprofit called Well Fed, which operates across Arkansas and provides healthy food for people struggling with diet-related illnesses. He said the goal is to improve health outcomes by helping people access healthier options.

“Well, Arkansas has a lot of bad statistics when it comes to health, and we need to find ways to help change those health outcomes,” Harris said. He added that healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, can help people dealing with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and that the mission fits with his own lifestyle of training, exercise and staying healthy.

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Harris said his Ninja Warrior training and his nonprofit work connect in more ways than one. He described the Ninja Warrior community as full of like-minded people, and said the show embraced the story behind his work on food access in Arkansas.

He also said Well Fed runs food-as-medicine programs across Arkansas, working with health care to bring fruits and vegetables to people who need them. Harris said the aim is to make a measurable difference, including the possibility of seeing “type two diabetes reversed.”

As for what it’s like competing on TV, Harris said many viewers don’t realize the show is filmed overnight.

“When I’m doing Ninja Warrior on the TV show, a lot of people don’t realize that’s filmed at night, so it’s like three in the morning,” Harris said. He said he focuses on staying awake and locked in, with plenty of distractions from crowds and bright lights, but called the crew and community “amazing.”

Harris said his episode is coming up soon and he hopes people will watch and cheer him on.

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And he’s not slowing down after that. Harris said he plans to keep training and will head to Ireland in August for the OCR (obstacle course racing) world championship, where he’ll represent Team USA.



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Tulsa downs Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

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Tulsa downs Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


SPRINGDALE — Tulsa scored two runs in the first INNING and four more in the second to grab an early lead en route to a 9-1 win over Northwest Arkansas on Friday night in front of 4,076 fans at Arvest Ballpark.

The Drillers (44-23) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on Chris Newell’s two-out, RBI-single and a bases-loaded walk by Kole Myers. Tulsa snapped a two-game skid.

Naturals manager Brooks Conrad just gave credit to the Drillers for a strong effort.

“You’ve got to tip your cap to the opposing pitching staff,” Conrad said. “They threw great. We had one run in the first, then they blanked us the rest of the game. It wasn’t our lack of effort or lack of preparation. It was just one of those games where we couldn’t get anything going offensively.

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“I think the bright spot was our defense. (Carson) Roccaforte continues to do well. It’s a point now that I see him night in and night out, and it’s to the point I see him every night and it’s just another good night.”

Tulsa, which took advantage of 11 walks by Naturals pitching to go with 12 hits, has already wrapped up the Texas League North Division first-half title. The half ends on Sunday.

Myers added a two-run single in the second, while Zyhir Hope chipped in a run-scoring single and Jake Gelof drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 6-1.

Myers drove in three runs, while center fielder Mike Sirotka finished with three hits, scored a run and drove in one.

Naturals starter Hunter Owens (1-3) allowed six runs on seven hits over two innings of work to absorb the loss. He struck out one and walked four.

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Northwest Arkansas (29-36) got a run in the bottom of the first thanks to a two-out RBI single by shortstop Daniel Vazquez. But the Naturals had a runner thrown out at the plate when Rudy Martin Jr. tried to score from first on Colton Becker’s double.

Despite the back-to-back losses, the Drillers improved to 12-4 in June.

Drillers manager Eric Wedge declined to comment following the game.

Prior to joining the Drillers last year, he had previously spent ten seasons managing at the major league level, including seven years with the Cleveland Indians and three with the Seattle Mariners. His most successful season came in 2007, when he was named the American League Manager of the Year after finishing just one game shy of leading Cleveland to the World Series.

The same two teams continue the series on Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. The series concludes on Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

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Naturals 6, Drillers 5 (10 innings)

Martin singled up the middle to drive in the winning run and help Northwest Arkansas outlast Tulsa 6-5 in 10 innings in a game that started an hour late because of a rain delay on Thursday night.

Spencer Nivens started the 10th inning at second base, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Vazquez and scored on Martin’s hit.

Northwest Arkansas rallied from an early 4-0 deficit to claim the win. The Drillers scored four times in the top of the second, but the Naturals got three back in the fourth and tied the game on Colton Becker’s RBI triple.

Tulsa bounced right back with a run in the top of the seventh, but again Northwest Arkansas bounced back to tie the game in the eighth. Martin reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch.

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Martin and Vazquez had two hits each. They drove in a run each. Martin scored twice.

Augusto Mendieta (2-2) picked up the win in relief. He tossed two hitless innings of relief, struck out five and walked one.



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Authorities report 2 Tulsa residents found dead in Arkansas from apparent murder-suicide

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Authorities report 2 Tulsa residents found dead in Arkansas from apparent murder-suicide


BENTON COUNTY, Ark. — The Benton County Sheriff’s Office reported two Tulsa residents were found dead in a car parked off an Arkansas highway in what authorities believe is an apparent murder-suicide.

On Wednesday, deputies with the sheriff’s office stated they received a report about a car parked of Old Highway 68 near Siloam Springs with what appeared to be two deceased people inside.

Once authorities reached the scene, they were able to confirm both individuals had passed away.

Following an investigation, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said they confirmed the individuals in the car were 26-year-old Kena Donshaie Knapper and 5-year-old Tyler Zane Winston from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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According to the Arkansas State Medical Examiner, Winston’s death was ruled as a homicide while Knapper’s death was ruled a suicide.

At this time, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory is still completing the final written report in this case.

FOX23 will provide more information in this case as it becomes available.



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