Arkansas

Volunteer coach gets chance to win big at Arkansas

Published

2 years ago

May 10, 2023

Volunteer coach gets chance to win big at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — When Tennessee fired Beth Alford-Sullivan as its head coach overseeing men’s and women’s track and field last year and replaced her with Duane Ross from North Carolina AT&T, John Newell found himself looking for a new job for the first time in nine years.

Newell had been a Tennessee assistant since 2013 and believed he had a chance to be retained on the staff considering he coached 10 SEC champions in the throwing events, but it didn’t happen. He was fired.

Now Newell, 40, has gone from being a Tennessee Volunteer to a volunteer coach at the University of Arkansas.

It’s been a good move for Newell — even though he isn’t being paid for his work since joining the Arkansas staff in July — and the Razorbacks.

“I could be somewhere else on salary,” Newell said. “I got multiple job offers.

“But it ultimately came down to, if I didn’t go to Arkansas, would I regret it? And I absolutely would have.”

In 20 years as an athlete at Georgia and as an assistant coach at Michigan State and Tennessee, Newell never had won a conference or national championship.

“I wanted to have an opportunity to feel what it’s like to win,” Newell said.

Newell finally experienced that winning feeling during the indoor season when the Razorbacks swept SEC and NCAA championships, and three throwers he helped attract to Arkansas and coaches were key contributors.

Arkansas, with only a handful of notable throwers going back more than 40 years such as Scott Lofquist, Marty Kobza, Marcus Clavelle and Eric Brown, has arguably the SEC’s best group this year with three transfers who were All-Americans at their previous schools: seniors Rojé Stona (from Clemson) and Jordan West (Tennessee) and sophomore Ralford Mullings (from Arizona State).

The trio combined to score 16 points in the shot-put at the SEC Championships — the Razorbacks won with 100.25 — as West took second (66-7), Stona third (65-6) and Mullings seventh (61.7). All three marks were personal bests.

West took fifth at the NCAA Championships with another personal-best of 67-2 as the Arkansas men won their first national title since 2013 indoors.

Arkansas will be looking for big points again from Stona, West and Mullings at the SEC Outdoor Championships this weekend in Baton Rouge.

Stona (219-10) and Mullings (206-2) rank 1-2 in the SEC in the discus and second and fifth nationally. West ranks second in the SEC and fifth nationally in the shot-put (66-2 1/4) and Stona is third in the conference and seventh nationally (65-10 1/2).

“Now with the transfer portal, you can instantly be good in a given event,” said Chris Bucknam, head coach of Arkansas’ men’s cross country and track and field teams. “You get the right coach, you can transform the team. We’ve done it with Coach Newell being our throws coach.”

West, from Rahway, N.J., met with Tennessee’s new coaching staff, but was told his scholarship money would be drastically reduced.

“Considering all I’d done at Tennessee, I would have thought I’d be a valuable piece of the puzzle,” West said. “But they had their own vision, and they’re entitled to that.

“I just know that for me and my future, I wanted to be somewhere I was valued. … They didn’t make me feel wanted at all.”

It was a natural choice for West to get in the transfer portal and follow Newell to Arkansas. Stona and Mullings also were in the portal and quickly made the decision to join West and Newell with the Razorbacks.

“Obviously facilities help you recruit great athletes, but you recruit around coaches,” said Travis Geopfert, who is in his second stint as an Arkansas assistant after being on the Tennessee staff with Newell. “Once we got John on board officially, it took about a week and a half to land those three guys.

“It’s fun to see it all come together. They got together with a great coach at a great place and they’re all having a lot of success because of it.

“I said to those throwers, ‘It’s a lot of fun to make history at the most historic program in the NCAA.’ That’s what those throwers are doing right now. They’re making history at Arkansas, which is a really big deal.”

As an assistant at Michigan State and Tennessee, Newell has coached 3 Olympians, 20 conference champions and 28 first-team All-Americans.

But as a volunteer coach, Newell isn’t allowed to recruit under NCAA rules, so that was left to Geopfert to convince the throwers to come to Arkansas.

“Coach G is an awesome recruiter,” said Mullings, who is from Kingston, Jamaica. “He showed us the support track and field has here at Arkansas and how it would make us all better.”

Stona, from Montego Bay, Jamaica, broke the Arkansas discus record which had been held by Lofquist (205-4) since 1982. West broke the UA shot-put indoor record which Lofquist (66-9 1/4) had held since 1983.

“The goal is always to leave a legacy and get your name in the record book,” Stona said. “So that’s been a good thing for me.”

Good for West as well.

“Creating a name for myself in the world of throwing is definitely something I want to do moving forward,” West said. “I feel like being at Arkansas — being with Coach Newell again — is helping me do that.”

Lofquist, who now runs a gym in St. Louis, has attended several Arkansas meets this year to see the new throwers.

“I don’t think anyone is more happy for the guys than Scott,” Newell said. “He’s really excited to see what we’ve done with our throwing program.”

Stona, West and Mullings are glad to have each other as training partners.

“There’s a saying that iron sharpens iron,” Stona said. “So if you’re training with some of the best athletes in the country in your events, you’re going to become better yourself.”

West said the trio has helped each other with exchanging ideas as well as competing in practice.

“It’s hard training by yourself, especially when you’re going into championship season,” West said. “It definitely helps having a group of elite throwers to push each other every day in throwing or in the weight room.”

After the Razorbacks won the SEC Indoor championship at the UA’s Randal Tyson Center, Newell had to tell his throwers to stick around for the victory celebration.

“They’d never been on a championship team before, so they didn’t know there was going to be confetti dropping and everyone would be celebrating together,” Newell said. “Seeing the smiles on their faces and seeing them taking pictures with the trophy was great.”

Stona said he’d been wanting to win a team championship since he was in high school.

“Getting recruited by Arkansas and knowing the history, I knew the potential was there for team titles,” Stona said. “Arkansas is probably the dream team for conference and nationals, indoors and outdoors.”

Mullings said it was “exceptionally cool” to be part of a conference championship team for the first time.

“To win it on your home turf and defend your land, it’s pretty remarkable,” Mullings said. “It felt great to show off the trophy and the hard work you’ve put in all those months.”

West recalled that during a meet early in the indoor season, his new Arkansas teammates came to watch the shot-put and cheer on the throwers.

“Having that team camaraderie aspect is very humbling,” West said. “Being on the outside looking in at Arkansas when I was at Tennessee, you knew Arkansas was always winning, but now being here, you understand the dynamic.

“Hopefully we can help win some more championships outdoors.”

Winning a conference title for the first time brought a delayed reaction for Newell.

“It really hit me the next day, because during a meet you’re so busy coaching your guys,” Newell said. “But when I woke up the day after the meet, I just completely broke down. It was emotional.”

Newell has been able to manage financially for several months without a paying job because he sold a 3,000-square-foot house in Knoxville and moved into a one-bedroom apartment in Fayetteville with his pet dachshund, Biscuit.

In January the NCAA’s Division I Council approved legislation that allows schools in all sports to transform volunteer positions into full-time paid jobs starting in July.

No decisions have been made by Arkansas’ administration about hiring new positions for track and field, Bucknam said, but he’s hopeful he’ll be able to add Newell to the payroll.

“For decades we’ve been understaffed as college track and field programs, and now hopefully soon we can get Coach Newell to stay with a full-time position here,” Bucknam said. “We’ll see how it goes.

“But there’s no question having Coach Newell here with his level of expertise helped us attract some great throwers, and we want to be able to keep growing in that area.”

Geopfert said that when Newell was announced as a volunteer coach at Arkansas, he got even more offers for paying jobs as an assistant.

“John was getting calls like crazy, and he turned down some big-time jobs,” Geopfert said. “He was like, ‘I gave my word to Arkansas and I’m going to stick to it.’

“We were really fortunate to add him to our staff. He’s become a big part of our program and hopefully we can keep him right here.”

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Arkansas

New address, same issues: Why John Calipari's dismal start at Arkansas mirrors his fall from favor at Kentucky

Published

1 hour ago

January 15, 2025

Press Room

New address, same issues: Why John Calipari's dismal start at Arkansas mirrors his fall from favor at Kentucky

Jan 14, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari reacts after being defeated by the LSU Tigers at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Give John Calipari credit for stumbling upon a foolproof way to avoid extending his streak of early-round NCAA tournament flameouts.

You can’t get Gohlked again if you’re watching from the couch.

Arkansas is in major jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament in Calipari’s highly anticipated debut season after an unremarkable non-league showing and a nightmare start to SEC play. The preseason No. 16 Razorbacks lost 78-74 at previously struggling LSU on Tuesday night to fall to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in the SEC.

It was concerning when then-No. 1 Tennessee outclassed Arkansas by 24 in Knoxville on the first Saturday of January. The warning signs grew more ominous when the Razorbacks followed that with back-to-back home losses against nationally ranked Ole Miss and Florida last week. Now it’s full-blown panic time in Hog Country after Arkansas went to Baton Rouge for an apparent get-right game against one of the SEC’s only non-NCAA tournament contenders and somehow lost that too.

Despite playing without its third- and fourth-leading scorers due to injury, LSU erased deficits of 12 points late in the first half and eight points a few minutes into the second half. The Tigers (12-5, 1-3) built a nine-point lead of their own with less than five minutes to go, then withstood full-court pressure and a late scoring flurry from standout Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland to close out the victory.

Calipari’s postgame news conference Tuesday night was reminiscent of many that he delivered after losses late in his Kentucky tenure. He shouldered the blame for not preparing his team well enough yet offered few specifics regarding adjustments he intended to make.

Twice, Calipari told reporters in Baton Rouge, “I’ve got to do a better job with my team.” Later, he described himself as disappointed he’s “not getting through to these guys” and claimed he “may have to drag them to the finish line in some of these close games.”

There’s still time for Arkansas to dig its way out of this midseason hole, but the Razorbacks’ road to the NCAA tournament is uphill and obstacle-laden. A neutral-court victory over Michigan is Arkansas’ lone Quadrant 1 or 2 victory this season in seven opportunities. The Razorbacks’ second-best win of the season is … Lipscomb? Troy? Maybe 4-13 ACC doormat Miami?

The historic strength of the SEC could be Arkansas’ salvation or demise. On one hand, plenty of chances for marquee victories remain in a league with nine teams in the current AP Top 25. On the other hand, per Ken Pomeroy, the Razorbacks will only be favored in five of their remaining 14 conference games. At this point, Arkansas is more likely to finish in the bottom third of the SEC than to make the NCAA tournament.

That Calipari’s former program is flourishing in his absence only highlights Arkansas’ struggles. Kentucky coach Mark Pope didn’t inherit a single returning player from Calipari, yet the roster he rebuilt on the fly via the transfer portal is 14-3 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. Fueled by its sleek, modern offense, Kentucky boasts impressive victories over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida, Mississippi State and Texas A&M. If the season ended today, the Wildcats would be no worse than a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Deep-pocketed Arkansas boosters envisioned a similar outcome when they plunked down big money to lure Calipari from Kentucky last spring. The fresh start appeared to be a win-win for both parties with Calipari in need of an offramp out of Lexington and Arkansas in search of a jolt of excitement.

Calipari’s tenure at Kentucky was perfect, until it wasn’t. For almost a decade, he fulfilled Big Blue Nation’s wildest dreams. The revolving door of one-and-done talent he recruited won SEC titles, made deep NCAA tournament runs and even captured the 2012 national title. But the program that was two wins away from a historic 40-0 season in 2015 never approached those heights again. The atmosphere in Lexington turned especially toxic after Calipari’s Wildcats lost to 15th-seeded St. Peters in the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament and to 14th-seeded Oakland last year.

What observers have since learned is that a fresh start requires more than a change of address and an influx of red blazers and quarter-zip pullovers. You can’t hire a 65-year-old coach, allow him to bring over an assortment of longtime assistants and then expect different results.

Armed with a war chest of NIL money that few other programs could match, Calipari assembled a roster that doesn’t mesh well with one-another or fit the modern game. Fland and fellow perimeter players DJ Wagner, Johnell Davis and Karter Knox can all hit a 3-pointer but are best with the ball in their hands attacking downhill. The spacing gets worse with forward Adou Thiero and center Jonas Aidoo in the frontcourt together, as neither are a threat from 3-point range.

Arkansas is shooting 33.7% from behind the arc as a team and is 248th nationally in percentage of points scored from 3-point range. Opposing defenses can afford to clog driving lanes, pack the paint and dare the Razorbacks to hoist contested jumpers early in the shot clock.

The hallmark of Calipari’s best Kentucky teams were long, athletic defenses that aggressively hounded 3-point shooters yet surrendered nothing easy at the rim. This Arkansas team is better defensively than some of Calipari’s most recent Kentucky teams, but it commits too many fouls and surrenders too many second-chance points to make up for the Razorbacks’ offensive woes.

Against LSU, it also didn’t help that a tough call went against Arkansas at a key juncture of the second half. LSU led 53-52 when referees called this a flagrant foul on Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile. The Razorbacks trailed 58-52 by the time they got the ball back.

How will Arkansas respond to a dismal SEC start made worse by the LSU loss? With effort and energy, Calipari says, despite a difficult upcoming schedule. Arkansas visits Missouri on Saturday, then hosts Georgia and Oklahoma. Matchups with Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and Texas A&M await in February.

“I told them after the game, ‘I’m not cracking so let’s just keep going,’” Calipari said Tuesday.

The Razorbacks have no choice.

Either they turn their disappointing season around now, or Calipari’s debut campaign in Fayetteville will end shy of the NCAA tournament.

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Arkansas

UL prepares to face Troy, Arkansas State twice in 11-day stretch

Published

10 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

UL prepares to face Troy, Arkansas State twice in 11-day stretch

LAFAYETTE — The Louisiana women’s basketball team is off to its best Sun Belt Conference start since 2020, holding a 4-1 record as they aim to replicate the success that led them to a regular-season title just three years ago.

However, the Cajuns face a critical 11-day stretch as the team will take on Arkansas State and Troy twice, both teams boasting potent offenses ranked second and fourth in the conference, respectively.

Head coach Garry Brodhead emphasizes that defense will be the key to weathering this challenging stretch.

“Anytime that you have any type of system, if the kids believe in it, it seems like it works a little bit better or a lot better,” Brodhead said. “On the road, that’s one of the things that we really, really preach. You know, we may not be making shots like we’re capable of… but you can always defend.”

The coach acknowledged the difficulties posed by Arkansas State and Troy, pointing out changes in the Red Wolves’ system, which now prioritizes a faster pace, three-point shooting, and relentless pressing.

“Troy is a tough team to play,” Brodhead added. “Both games will be tough. Can we withstand that, especially from the first game to the second game?”

The Cajuns’ pivotal run begins Wednesday in Jonesboro, where they’ll face Arkansas State at 7 p.m. A strong showing could position Louisiana for second place in the standings, trailing only James Madison.
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Arkansas

Arkansas High School Boys Basketball Scores (1/14/2025)

Published

17 hours ago

January 14, 2025

Press Room

Arkansas High School Boys Basketball Scores (1/14/2025)

The Arkansas high school boys basketball season is in full swing, and High School On SI has scores for every team and classification.

Keep track of Arkansas high school boys basketball scores below.

Arkansas high school boys basketball scores

ARKANSAS HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL STATEWIDE SCORES

CLASS 6A

CLASS 5A

CLASS 4A

CLASS 3A

CLASS 2A

CLASS 1A

2024-25 ARKANSAS BOYS BASKETBALL SCHEDULES: FIND YOUR TEAM

Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school boys basketball season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school boys basketball news.

High School On SI will serve as the premier destination for high school sports fans, delivering unparalleled coverage of high school athletics nationwide through in-depth stories, recruiting coverage, rankings, highlights and much more. The launch of a dedicated high school experience expands Sports Illustrated’s reach to even more local communities as fans can now truly follow athletes from “preps to the pros” on a single platform, bringing them closer to the action than ever before. For more information, visit si.com/high-school.

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— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi

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