Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams help Thunder capture NBA title for Hogs
Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams, both former Arkansas Razorbacks and Fort Smith Northside Grizzlies, celebrated their first NBA championships after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday.
Joe and Williams are the eighth and ninth Razorback alumni to win an NBA title, following in the footsteps of 2024 champion Jordan Walsh (Boston Celtics), Moses Moody (Golden State Warriors, 2022), and Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks, 2021).
Joe, a Fort Smith native, played in all but one Finals game, contributing 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting in Game 6 and averaging 10.2 points per game during the regular season.
“To be part of this team and to bring a championship back to Oklahoma City means everything,” Joe told reporters after the win. “It’s even more special doing it with Jaylin, someone I’ve played with since high school.”
Williams saw limited Finals minutes but made the most of them.
In Game 6, he added seven points and five rebounds, and in Game 2, he hit his first career Finals three-pointer.
“Hearing the crowd after that shot, it was surreal,” Williams said in the postgame press conference.
Oklahoma City’s 68-14 regular season mark tied for fifth-most wins in NBA history, and the Thunder locked up the top seed in the Western Conference. “Isaiah and Jaylin have been tremendous for us all year,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Their work ethic and unselfishness set the tone in our locker room.”
The Arkansas-to-Thunder connection runs deeper still. New Razorbacks coach John Calipari coached Thunder stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace while at Kentucky. Gilgeous-Alexander, who claimed both league MVP and Finals MVP honors this year, credited his college roots for his growth.
“Coach Calipari pushed me to be great. That foundation helped me get to this moment,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ESPN.
With Adou Thiero projected to be selected in this year’s NBA Draft, Arkansas fans may soon see another Razorback in the league. For now, Joe and Williams’ championship run serves as a milestone for both the Thunder and Arkansas basketball.
Razorbacks’ Wehiwa Aloy wins 2025 Golden Spikes Award for college baseball
OMAHA, Neb. — Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy stepped onto the Charles Schwab infield and into history Saturday night.
The 21-year-old from Maui became the 2025 Golden Spikes Award winner, the highest honor in college baseball, capping a season that will echo from Fayetteville to the shores of Hawaii.
Aloy’s journey is as improbable as it is inspiring. Raised in Wailuku, Hawaii, nearly 4,000 miles from the Razorbacks’ home diamond, Aloy brought his father’s passion for the game (Jamie Aloy played college ball at Hawai‘i) and a relentless work ethic to the heart of the SEC.
“You don’t forget your roots,” Aloy said, emotion in his voice after accepting the award. “This is for my family, for Maui, and for everyone who believed a kid from the islands could play at this level.”
The significance of the Golden Spikes Award, presented annually by USA Baseball since 1978, is not lost on anyone inside college baseball.
It’s the sport’s Heisman Trophy, and with Saturday’s announcement, Aloy became only the third Razorback to receive it, following Andrew Benintendi in 2015 and Kevin Kopps in 2021.
“It’s humbling,” Aloy said, clutching the golden trophy as his coach, Dave Van Horn, and assistants Nate Thompson and Bobby Wernes looked on. “To be mentioned with those guys, it means everything.”
Aloy’s 2025 campaign was nothing short of electric. He hit .350 with 21 home runs, 19 doubles, and two triples, driving in 68 runs and scoring 81 for a Razorbacks team that finished 50-15, falling just short in a dramatic College World Series semifinal loss to LSU.
His .440 on-base percentage and .686 slugging put him among the nation’s elite, and his consistency at shortstop was a cornerstone for Arkansas’s run.
“He’s the heart and soul of this club,” Van Horn said after the award presentation. “Every day he brings it, with his glove, his bat, his leadership. The guys follow his lead, and so do I.”
The 2025 Golden Spikes finalists, Florida State’s Alex Lodise and Tennessee’s Liam Doyle, each had spectacular seasons.
Lodise, who won the Dick Howser Trophy for national player of the year as voted by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, hit .400 with 22 home runs, while Doyle struck out 145 batters in 102 innings for the Volunteers.
But the Golden Spikes, voted on by over 100 national baseball media, pro scouts, USA Baseball staff, and past winners, went to the player who, in the words of one voter, “changed games with his glove and bat, and made everyone around him better.”
Aloy’s ascent began on the fields of Baldwin High School in Maui, where he and younger brother Kuhio became the first siblings ever to earn First Team All-SEC honors.
“Wehiwa’s name means ‘the prized one’ in Hawaiian,” said his father, Jamie, “and he’s lived up to that every step of the way. We always told him, you represent more than yourself when you take the field.”
His move to Arkansas was both a leap of faith and a family affair.
“It wasn’t easy leaving Hawaii,” Aloy said earlier this season. “But when you get a chance to play in front of 10,000 at Baum-Walker, you take it.” Arkansas, a perennial power under Van Horn, has become a home for players from the islands.
“We’re proud to have Hawaiians here,” Van Horn said. “They bring something special.”
Aloy’s impact in 2025 was immediate and sustained. He started every game, often batting leadoff, and his blend of power and patience set the table for Arkansas’s high-octane offense.
In the College World Series, he delivered clutch hits and dazzling plays, including a diving stop in the semifinal against LSU that drew a standing ovation.
“That’s the play of the tournament,” said ESPN analyst Eduardo Perez during the telecast. “He’s a difference-maker.”
Off the field, Aloy became a mentor for younger players and a bridge between cultures.
“I want kids in Hawaii to know this is possible,” he said. “If you work, if you compete, you can get here. I’m just one of many.”
His humility and sense of responsibility didn’t go unnoticed.
“By every measure, these three student-athletes exemplify the best of the best of amateur baseball and are extremely deserving of this honor,” said Paul Seiler, executive director of USA Baseball, at the ceremony.
The award also adds to Arkansas’s rapid rise as a program. The Razorbacks, now with three Golden Spikes winners, join Florida State, Cal State Fullerton, and Arizona State as the only programs with three or more recipients.
“It’s a testament to the talent we’ve brought in and developed,” Van Horn said. “Wehiwa’s the latest, but he won’t be the last.”
For Aloy, the future is bright. Projected as a potential first-round pick in July’s MLB Draft, he’s quick to deflect attention from himself.
“I’m grateful,” he said. “But I’m just one piece of a great team. We came up short this year, but I’ll never forget this ride.”
As the Arkansas fans roared and Aloy hugged his family, the moment felt bigger than any stat line.
“This is for Maui,” he said, his voice cracking. “This is for every kid who dreams big.” For a program and a player that thrive on heart, there could be no better ending.
Ruscin & Zach June 20
We make show history, talk about an article criticizing our take on the end of the baseball game, and more random stuff.
Razorbacks set for rivalry-filled SEC schedule with new season
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Just after sunrise Friday, the Southeastern Conference delivered its annual summer jolt to college basketball fans with the release of the 2025-26 men’s basketball league schedule.
For Arkansas, the announcement was more than a list of dates and destinations and it starts the clocking ticking on expectation.
In his second season, coach John Calipari will guide Arkansas through a gauntlet of classic rivalries and new-look showdowns. The Razorbacks will face LSU, Missouri, and Auburn twice each on a home-and-home basis. It’s a scheduling quirk that both honors long-standing SEC tradition and introduces fresh intrigue.
The rest of the league, from Kentucky to Texas, will hit Fayetteville just once, a format that places a premium on every home-court advantage.
Arkansas’ home slate reads like a who’s who of college basketball: Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt all make the trip to Bud Walton Arena.
Road games at Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma round out a schedule that doesn’t have many breaks.
SEC play tips off January 3 and stretches to the first week of March, a two-month stretch that can be brutal.
For Arkansas fans, the highlight may be the continuation of two of the SEC’s most contentious home-and-home series against LSU and Missouri.
The Razorbacks and Tigers have met at least twice a season since Arkansas joined the SEC in 1991, missing the double-dip only twice in over three decades.
Arkansas holds a 40-32 edge in those matchups, making LSU the Razorbacks’ most frequent SEC opponent.
Missouri, meanwhile, has faced Arkansas home-and-home every year since joining the league in 2012, with the Hogs claiming wins in eight of the last 10 meetings.
It’s the addition of Auburn to the home-and-home list that stands out this year. The last time these two programs met twice in the regular season was 2017-18, a split series that saw each side defend its home court.
“Auburn is one of those programs you can’t sleep on,” said Calipari earlier this spring. “They play with toughness, and we know every trip to Auburn is a fight.”
If there’s an undercurrent running through this schedule, it’s the sense of renewal.
“It’s a new day in Fayetteville,” he told local reporters. “We have the pieces, the passion, and now, the schedule to prove ourselves. Every night in this league is a war, and that’s exactly how we want it.”
On the heels of a Sweet 16 run, with ESPN’s “Way Too Early” rankings placing Arkansas firmly in the national conversation for 2025-26. That raises expectations, too.
The roster, with a top-tier recruiting class and key transfers, is built for SEC battles being long, athletic, and unafraid of the moment.
As history shows, the home crowd could be Arkansas’ biggest weapon. The Razorbacks are 23-6 all-time versus Auburn in Fayetteville, 25-8 against LSU, and 47-22 versus Texas at home. It’s tough for opponents to escape Bud Walton Arena with a win.
The schedule also offers a nod to nostalgia.
When Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024, it reignited an old rivalry dating back to the old Southwest Conference days plus a potentially really big new one.
Arkansas will see Texas in Fayetteville and travel to Norman for its first meeting there since 2011.
“The Texas game always means a little more,” said Arkansas alum and former NBA standout Joe Kleine. “It’s about pride. It’s about history. When those teams meet, the energy is different.”
For all the focus on rivalries and marquee games, the SEC’s new 16-team format ensures there are no easy nights.
Alabama, fresh off a run to the NCAA Tournament, hosts Arkansas in a matchup that could have major postseason implications. Road trips to Florida and Ole Miss promise to be more than challenging especially with former Hogs’ point guard Boogie Fland transferring to the Gators.
The SEC Tournament, set for Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in March, looms as both a proving ground and a potential launching pad for a deep NCAA run.
Hogville’s Dudley Dawson recapping thoughts after Razorbacks’ loss in CWS
Looking how fans reacted to Hogs making mistakes totally out of character in ninth inning against LSU in ninth inning.
Razorbacks radio analyst Bubba Carpenter on loss in College World Series
How last inning played out in Hogs’ 9-inning loss against LSU with play-by-play announcer Phil Elson on ESPN Arkansas.
Ruscin & Zach June 19
Well…that happened.
We have reactions to what happened in Omaha and to help us find some laughter, we have an emergency episode of Grill Bill.
Jared Jones lifts LSU past Razorbacks in dramatic College World Series semifinal
OMAHA, Neb. — Just about every Arkansas fan had a bad feeling with two outs in the ninth inning against LSU.
ith two outs in the ninth, the Tigers’ Jared Jones ripped a fastball just past the outstretched glove of Razorback second baseman Cam Kozeal, sealing a 6-5 win for LSU and sending shockwaves through Omaha.
The Tigers’ dugout erupted. Jones, who had already tied the game moments earlier with a thunderous 398-foot home run, was mobbed by teammates.
“I just tried to stay within myself,” Jones later told reporters, his voice still ragged from the celebration. “Big moments like that, you want to make sure you’re not doing too much. I saw my pitch and trusted my swing.”
For the Hogs, it was another gut-wrenching loss at a venue that has haunted the program for decades.
This was far from a routine contest.
For six innings, it was a pitcher’s duel. Arkansas’ Landon Beidelschies and LSU’s Zac Cowan matched each other, both dealing with first-game nerves and the relentless noise of a 24,000-strong crowd.
The Razorbacks edged ahead early, with catcher Ryder Helfrick launching a mammoth 417-foot home run to dead center in the fourth. Cowan, a former closer pressed into starting duty, was nearly flawless in his 5⅓ innings, striking out six and refusing to issue a single walk.
But the College World Series is a place where nerves unravel and legends are born. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, LSU’s Jake Brown, pinch-hitting, laced a two-run single that flipped the scoreboard and the momentum.
The Tiger fans, long known for traveling en masse to Omaha, roared to life.
Arkansas would not go quietly. The Razorbacks, who had clawed their way out of the losers bracket with gritty wins over Murray State and UCLA, reclaimed the lead in the eighth.
Charles Davalan, their mercurial left fielder, dashed home on a fielder’s choice, and Wehiwa Aloy scored on an error by none other than Jones at first. Arkansas led, 3-2.
For a moment, the ghosts of Omaha seemed ready to lift.
Then Jones, who had appeared snakebit after his defensive miscue, strode to the plate. He worked the count deep, then uncorked a blast that soared into the humid Nebraska night.
“I just told myself to keep fighting,” Jones said postgame, his humility belying the power he’d just unleashed. “Baseball’s a game of redemption. That’s what I love about it.”
The ninth inning was almost too much to believe. Arkansas surged ahead again, with Justin Thomas’ clutch two-run single off LSU’s Jacob Mayers.
But in the bottom half, the Razorbacks’ bullpen faltered. A 2-run double by Luis Hernandez, followed by Jones’ walk-off, sealed a three-run rally and Arkansas’ fate.
For the Razorbacks, the pain is familiar. This was their twelfth trip to Omaha without a national title, a record second only to Florida State. They are now 0-5 all-time against LSU at the College World Series, a stat that gnaws at players and fans alike.
“We’ve been here before, and it never gets easier,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said, his voice tight in the postgame press conference. “These guys left it all out there. Sometimes, baseball just breaks your heart.”
LSU, meanwhile, marches on to face Coastal Carolina in the national championship series, seeking its eighth title and second since 2023.
The Tigers’ pedigree in Omaha is unmatched: this is their 20th College World Series appearance, and they boast the second-highest all-time tournament winning percentage in NCAA history.
For all the history, it’s the setting in Omaha that lends these games their epic feel.
Charles Schwab Field, with its sweeping sightlines and downtown skyline, has become synonymous with college baseball’s biggest moments.
“It feels like the big leagues,” one Arkansas fan said, echoing the sentiment of thousands who make the pilgrimage each June. The stadium’s electric atmosphere, fueled by the hope and heartbreak of teams chasing a dream, is unlike anything else in sports.
The Razorbacks’ run was marked by moments of brilliance, none brighter than Gage Wood’s no-hitter against Murray State, a feat not seen at the Men’s College World Series in 65 years.
But in the end, Jones’ bat and LSU’s resilience proved too much.
For Arkansas, the wait continues. Their fans, who packed the stands and painted Omaha red, will replay every pitch and decision. Why pitch to Jones with first base open?
Why did Davalan slip in left, allowing a double to skip past him? These are the questions that linger long after the last out.
As LSU celebrates, the Tigers’ focus shifts immediately to the championship. Head coach Jay Johnson, who has quickly restored LSU’s place atop the college baseball hierarchy, praised his team’s grit.
“This group never quits. They believe in each other,” he said, deflecting credit onto his players.
Omaha remains the sport’s ultimate crucible. Each June, legends rise and dreams are dashed under the Midwestern sun.
For Arkansas, the heartbreak is real and raw. For LSU, the journey continues, a testament to talent, timing, and the unyielding drama that defines the College World Series.
Grant Hall, Phil Elson looking ahead to Razorbacks against LSU
Predicting who Dave Van Horn would go with on the mound against the Tigers facing possible elimination in CWS.
