Arkansas coach Chad Morris talked with the media after Tuesday’s spring practice and gave the news that senior linebacker De’Jon Harris would miss the rest of spring, but be a “student coach” and back by May.
???? Tuesday Halftime Pod — featuring Nikki Chavanelle
Phil & Tye hit on who starts at QB in 2019, interview Nikki Chavanelle, plus Get Off My Lawn!
Razorbacks’ Dungee named All-SEC teams by coaches, media Tuesday
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ Chelsea Dungee earned selection to the All-Southeastern Conference second team and The Associated Press All-SEC second team the organizations announced Monday.
Dungee, a redshirt sophomore who sat out last season after transferring to Arkansas, has led Arkansas in scoring all season. Her selection is the first All-SEC postseason honor for Arkansas since 2016 and the 23rd overall.
The Sapulpa, Oklahoma, native is in the midst of a record-setting season. She enters the week averaging 19.5 points per game with 27 double figure scoring contests this year.
Dungee has had 15 games with 20 or more points, two games with 30 or more points and set a program record in a conference game with a 41-point effort against Auburn.
She currently ranks first in the SEC (all games) and fifth in Division I with 172 made free throws and first in the league and seventh in Division 1 with 210 free throw attempts.
Dungee has scored 584 points, ranking fourth in program history for single season scoring and she holds the sophomore class records for points in a game (41), points in a season (584), and scoring average (19.5).
Dungee was also selected to the Associated Press All-SEC Second-Team announced today.
Dungee leads Arkansas into SEC Tournament action on Thursday when the Razorbacks take on Georgia in the 5 p.m. game. It is the third meeting between these teams this season and the game airs live on the SEC Network.
In SEC-only games
• Second in scoring averaging 21.6 points per game
• Thirteenth in field goal percentage shooting .399
• Third in free throw percentage shooting .860
• Eighth in 3-point field goal percentage shooting .360
• Ninth in 3-point field goals made averaging 2.0 per game
• Tenth in minutes played with 34.8 per game
Neighbors admits ‘tactical mistake’ with team few weeks ago
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors met with the media Tuesday morning in advance of leaving for the SEC Tournament and admitted removing desperation feeling a mistake.
Bud Light Morning Rush Podcast: Tuesday
John & Tommy discuss Nick Starkel choosing Arkansas, the QB battle in 2019, and more!
Perico shoots up leaderboard; Razorbacks up two spots to 11th place at Cabo
SAN JOSE del CABO, Mexico — Arkansas freshman Julian Perico had two eagles and a birdie Monday and climbed 18 spots into a tie for ninth at the Querencia Cabo Collegiate.
Perico’s play helped the 32nd-ranked Razorbacks improve two spots to 11th with a 36-hole score of 595 (305-290) at the Querencia Golf Club (par 71, 6,924-yards).
Perico shot a 4-under-par 67 in round two and he is 3-under for 36 holes (72-67). The Lima, Peru native opened his round with an eagle on the par-5, 15th hole. He ran off five straight pars before carding a birdie on the par-4, 3rd hole and backing that up with his second eagle of the day on the par-5, 4th hole.
Perico turned in eight-straight pars before dropping a shot on the 13th hole and finishing his round with his 14th par of the day.
Fellow freshman Wil Gibson, playing as an individual, shot a 1-over-par 72 in round two and stands in a tie for 18th is 1-under-par after 36 holes with a total of 141 (69-72).
Gibson is playing the par 4’s at 3-under through 36 holes, which is the third-best total in the field. Also, his nine birdies through two rounds (five on day one and four in round two) are the third-best total.
The Razorbacks shaved 15 strokes off its opening-round score, posting a 6-over-par 290 on Monday, and stands in 11th with 18 holes to play.
Top-ranked Oklahoma State leads the field with a 36-hole score of 546. Baylor, ranked 36th, is second (555), followed by No. 9 Arizona State (556), No. 50 Arizona (569), No. 27 Florida State (571), No. 3 Vanderbilt (572), No. 12 LSU (575) and No. 48 Ole Miss (575).
Overall, the field features 11 teams among the nation’s top 50.
Tyson Reeder, who had 14 pars and a birdie Monday, is tied for 48th with a score of 150 (75-75). The junior has tallied 27 pars over 36 holes for the third-best total in the field.
Mason Overstreet is one stroke back and is tied for 52nd with a 36-hole total of 151 (76-75). William Buhl trimmed seven strokes off his day one total to shoot a 74 in round two and is tied for 60th with a score of 155 (81-74).
Luis Garza also improved by seven strokes and is tied for 67th at 159 (83-76).
The Querencia Cabo Collegiate will conclude with 18 final holes on Tuesday.
Starkel’s commitment to Hogs makes quarterback room more competitive
Arkansas picked up another quarterback Monday and it will make the position exactly what Chad Morris wants — much more competitive.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Nick Starkel made the announcement Monday via Twitter:
The story continues in Fayetteville, Arkansas… pic.twitter.com/bO7TOXHaW6
— Nicholas Starkel (@NickStarkel) March 5, 2019
Morris has said for a year now he wants competition and the Razorbacks are always shopping for quarterbacks, which some people scratch their heads over, but is how it’s done in college football today.
You think Alabama or Clemson aren’t trying to get the best quarterbacks every single year? Just remember in the last three national championship games freshmen quarterbacks have been on the winning side.
It’s all about competition. If you think Morris is going to just announce a quarterback and ride with him, you’re about a decade or so behind the times.
“It’s not a lifetime appointment,” he has said about naming a starter.
Some think incoming freshman KJ Jefferson will be “the guy” after a freshman season where the guess is he’ll be given appearances in up to four games and, depending on how he handles it, will either be on the field or redshirted.
He’s going to have to beat out a bunch of people. Whether they are better or not remains to be seen. We’ve seen a whole slew of great high school quarterbacks disappear in the SEC because, well, it’s an entirely different world.
Starkel was rated a four-star coming out of Argyle, Texas, Christian (and if you don’t know where that is, it’s just off 35-West between Fort Worth and Denton. A lot of pretty good quarterbacks have come out of the area.
He’s 6-foot-3, 218 pounds and will be around for two years. Morris pretty much had him nailed down before his official visit this past weekend in Fayetteville, which is when they closed the deal.
Starkel will be on campus this summer and here’s how the quarterback room breaks down (at least now):
• Ben Hicks, senior
• Nick Starkel, junior
• Jack Lindsey, junior
• Daulton Hyatt, sophomore
• Connor Noland, redshirt freshman
• John Stephen Jones, redshirt freshman
• KJ Jefferson, freshman
Hicks likely will have an advantage coming out of spring. He’s played for Morris before and is basically a graduate assistant with a year of eligibility left.
In just a couple of months, he’s already had a positive impact on everybody on the offensive side of the ball, according to players and coaches. You get the idea he basically ran the offensive workouts before spring drills and he’s helped everyone decipher what Morris and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock are wanting and expecting.
There will be more getting-acquainted sessions starting in June, especially with some receivers coming in that have the potential to be as good as anything to come through Fayetteville.
But for now, Starkel’s arrival will shove the competitive level up a couple of notches.
And that can only help things come September.
Anderson on different environment at Vandy, looking back at Ole Miss win
Hogs’ coach Mike Anderson talked with the media Monday about the unusual floor configuration in Nashville against the Commodores and recapped the win over the Rebels.
Van Horn on Stony Brook series, cold weather cancelling Tuesday’s game
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn talked with the media Monday and said the team’s speed making a difference and how the cold weather could likely affect Tuesday’s game.
It was announced early in the evening — after Van Horn’s press conference where he said it was likely — that Tuesday’s game with Charlotte was cancelled and would not create a doubleheader Wednesday.
The game Wednesday will be at 3 p.m. at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Hogs’ Opitz: Cold weather not that big a deal when game gets started
Arkansas catcher Casey Opitz talked with the media in advance of scheduled games against Charlotte at Baum-Walker Stadium midweek.
