Arkansas

Jonas Aidoo dazzles in win over Mississippi State

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Jonas Aidoo dazzles in win over Mississippi State

FAYETTEVILLE — Jonas Aidoo’s final college season hasn’t exactly gone as planned. A foot surgery in the offseason hampered him for most of the schedule, but he closed out the regular season on a high note in the Razorbacks’ 93-92 win over No. 25 Mississippi State on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena.

21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, along with what ended up being the game-winning free throw with 11 seconds left, were credited to the fourth-year center. Aidoo said after the game that it’s all starting to come together after he’s recovered from his injury.

“Before, the games I was playing in, like my foot was killing me, I could barely move,” Aidoo said. “But now I can move now. I still have a little bit of pain, but it’s definitely tolerable. I’m just thankful that that pain is starting to go away finally.”

Aidoo’s play was critical in the first half of the game, as Trevon Brazile picked up two fouls early and had to sit for the remaining time, so it was up to Aidoo to anchor the post. In the first 20 minutes, he scored 11 points and had eight rebounds as well.

“Just got to go out there and play,” Aidoo said. “I don’t think about fouls or not. Just go out there and try to make winning plays at the end of the day. We’re not trying to worry about all those little mental things. Just go out there and play, try and win the game.”

Aidoo was heavily involved in the final seconds of the game. Along with his final free throw, he defended the final two shots that Mississippi State attempted, both of which were missed.

ALSO READ: Takeaways from Arkansas’ win over No. 25 Mississippi State

“I was just trying to go up and finish it, because there was like one second left on the shot clock,” Aidoo said of Arkansas’ final offensive possession. “And then, (I was) trying to just think back to Texas, when I made those free throws, when the second one hit back rim, I panicked a little bit.

“Then on defense, they got an offensive rebound, I panicked a little more, they missed it. But it was just the relief, but I’m just thankful we won that game.”

The Razorbacks will need Aidoo to play at this level from here on out, as the SEC Tournament starts Wednesday. Arkansas will face South Carolina in the first round.

Tipoff for that game is set for noon CT and it will air on the SEC Network. Stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest in Arkansas basketball as the Hogs try to make some March magic.

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Arkansas

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

Published

8 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas Governor joins national A.I. workforce initiative

LITTLE ROCK, AR (KATV) — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has joined a new national artificial intelligence initiative that launched Thursday, June 25.

RAISE US, started by former Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana and Gina Raimondo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce is a nonpartisan national organization that will partner with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the workforce transition to an AI economy.

“As artificial intelligence transforms America’s economy, we have one clear message: technology should empower people, not replace them. By leveraging our Arkansas LAUNCH initiative, and with the resources and expertise provided by RAISE US, Arkansas will turn that mission into reality. We want the Natural State to be a leader on education, workforce training, and up-skilling, and this new partnership gives us the tools we need to build a model for the entire nation.”

The organization will design and pilot incentives to retrain workers, new approaches to support job transitions, and training models tied to employer demand.

RAISE US launches with more than two dozen American companies and philanthropies and initial state partnerships in Connecticut, Maryland and Utah.

“America has a technology strategy for leading the global AI competition. It does not yet have a people strategy — and we cannot lead without one,” Raimondo, who will serve as CEO of RAISE US, said.

“If we build the best AI systems in the world and leave millions of Americans behind, we won’t have won anything; we’ll have automated our own decline. I believe AI will create new jobs and industries over time, but the transition could be disruptive, and it’s already underway. We shouldn’t fearmonger, but we can’t pretend our training and worker support systems are ready either. It’s time for innovative and practical solutions. This moment demands ambition, urgency, and creativity. We’ve assembled the country’s top companies, best economists, and bipartisan governors at a scale rarely seen — all to advance new ideas and incentives, pilot them with governors and business, and scale what works.”

Governor Sanders is partnering with RAISE US to support Arkansas LAUNCH, an AI-powered career navigation platform that connects students and jobseekers to personalized learning and employer-linked career pathways.

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