Democrat-Gazette writer Tom Murphy talked about Desi Sills not coming back, plus the options for Moses Moody with draft this summer.
Musselman lands first grad transfer in Toney from Pittsburgh
Au’diese Toney, a rising senior transfer from Pitt, has signed with Arkansas, Eric Musselman announced Thursday.
Toney is a 6-6, 210-pound wing that played three seasons with the Pitt Panthers. He is originally from Huntsville, Ala., and went to high school at Trinity Christian Academy [N.C.].
Toney scored 763 points (9.78 avg.) in his three years at Pitt and averaged 5.42 rebounds (423 total). He shot 42.6 percent from the field (264-of-620) — including 30.2 percent from 3-point range (59-189) — and was a career 66.2 percent free throw shooter (178-of-269). He added 88 assists and 80 steals with three career double-doubles.
He played in and started 16 games in the 2020-21 season for the Panthers. He did not play the final six games. He chose to enter the transfer portal on Feb. 25.
He was averaging a career-best 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Toney scored 15 or more points in nine games, including three 20-plus point efforts, and was considered one of the top wing defenders in the conference.
At the time of his departure, Toney ranked among the ACC leaders in scoring (14.4 ppg.–13th), free throw attempts (87 FTA–5th), offensive rebounds (2.31–11th) and minutes (34.96 mpg.–8th).
He led the team in scoring once, getting 20 in the season opener versus Saint Francis, and led the Panthers in rebounding twice (14 versus Syracuse and nine at Georgia Tech). He made a team-best 13 free throws in a game twice, the last time coming versus Duke.
2020-21 (Jr. at Pitt):
Played and started in 16 games while averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds – both second-best on the team … In ACC play, averaged 13.5 points and 6.4 rebounds – also second-best on the team … In his final game with the Panthers, posted 17 points, five rebounds and three assists versus NC State … Recorded 15 points, nine rebounds and two steals at Georgia Tech … Tallied a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds in a home win over Duke … Also in that game, set career highs in free throws made (13) and free throw attempts (17) … Scored 18 points and added five rebounds and two steals in a home win over Syracuse … Recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds in a road win at Syracuse. … His putback with 8.2 seconds remaining gave the Panthers their first lead of the game (61-60) and Pitt went on to win 63-60 … Delivered 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in a win at Miami … Finished with 18 points and eight rebounds (five offensive boards) in a road win over Northwestern … Knocked down a pair of 3-point field goals and finished with 15 points and five assists against Northern Illinois … Topped the 20-point mark in each of the first two games of the season, becoming the first Panther to accomplish that feat since the 2011-12 season … Went 7-of-11 from the field and got to the free throw line 11 times en route to a 20-point, four-rebound, six-assist effort in a win over Drexel … Opened the season with 20 points, seven rebounds and three steals against Saint Francis … Was 8-of-11 from the field, including a career-best 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
2019-20 (So. at Pitt):
Averaged 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting 25 of 31 games played … Shot 46.1 percent (107-of-232) from the field, including 32.8 percent (22-of-67) from three-point range … Scored in double figures 14 times, including a pair of game with 20 or more points scored … Led the team in scoring four times and in rebounds on six occasions … Averaged 11.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while shooting 48.9 percent (87-of-178) from the field over the final 22 games of the season … Recorded 11 of his 14 double-figure scoring games in that span … Had 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals in an ACC Tournament win over Wake Forest (3/10) … Scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field at NC State (2/29) … Added six rebounds and two steals versus the Wolfpack … Went 6-of-8 from the field and finished with 13 points and four rebounds against Virginia (2/22) … Posted 15 points and seven rebounds at No. 8 Florida State (2/18) … Recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Miami (2/2) … Went 5-of-7 from the field and scored 13 points in the opening half of play … Posted a career-high 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field at No. 9 Duke (1/28) … Also established career bests in field goals, field goal attempts, three-point field goals (three) and minutes played (40) … Scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field in the win over Boston College (1/22) … Registered nine points, seven rebounds and two steals in a home win over North Carolina (1/18).
2018-19 (Fr. at Pitt):
Started in 28 of the 32 games he appeared in … Averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game … Led the team in total rebounds (179), offensive rebounds (61) and rebounds per game (5.6) … Ranked in the top 25 in the ACC in rebounds …Had five or more rebounds in 18 contests … Scored in double figures nine times with one 20-point game … Scored 12 points as well as grabbing seven rebounds at No. 2 Virginia (3/2) … Went 5-of-7 from the field … Grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds at Georgia Tech (2/20) … Recorded nine rebounds along with seven points and two steals at Syracuse (1/19) … Went 7-of-10 from the field and finished with 17 points along with six rebounds at No. 15 NC State (1/12) … Posted nine points and eight rebounds in a win over No. 11 Florida State (1/14) … Finished with 14 points and three rebounds in a win over Colgate (12/29) … Recorded his first 20-point game of his college career, finishing with 20 points and eight rebounds against New Orleans (12/20) … Went 5-of-10 from the field and 8-of-8 from the foul line in the win.
High School:
Played his final two years at Trinity Christian [Fayetteville, N.C.] under head coach Heath Vandevender … Helped lead Trinity Christian to a 25-6 record and the North Carolina 1A state championship in 2018 … Named National Athletic Association of Private Schools Division 4 All-American … also received Division 4 NAAPS Player of the Year honors … Averaged 14.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game … NCISAA 1A first team all-state selection … Scored a team-high 17 points to pace the Crusaders to a 70-62 state title game win over Greenfield (2/25) … Played his sophomore season at Northwood Temple (N.C.) … led the team to a 21-14 record and a trip to the state final four … Named to state all-tournament first team in 2017 … Helped Columbia High School (Huntsville, Ala.) to an 18-11 record as a freshman … Received second team all-tournament honors after leading the team to regional conference finals.
Personal:
Born Au’Diese Mavaire Toney Nov. 12, 1999 … Son of Abdul Teague and Tartesha Toney Teague … Has an older brother, Jaeshon, and a younger sister, Aunya … Cousin, Trevor Lacy, played basketball at Alabama and NC State … Cousin, John Petty, is a member of the Alabama basketball team … God-brother, Khwan Fore, plays basketball at Louisville … Moved up to the 114th spot in the 247Sports 2018 class rankings after reclassifying.
Ramirez made decision to come back for another year earlier
Arkansas’ Amber Ramirez told the media Thursday afternoon she had pretty much decided to come back for a bonus year and is excited about team.
Bud Light Seltzer Morning Rush Podcast: April Fools Day
Tye & Tommy on April Fools Day pranks, Pittman on the scrimmage, Desi entering the transfer portal and more!
Morris gets back to what he can do coaching high school
The general feeling among some with the announcement of Chad Morris getting the job as head coach at Allen High School is they are doomed for failure.
Some of the talking heads on the airwaves are even predicting doom and gloom for any poor kid that happens to play quarterback for him. They sound like many of the Great Unwashed out there that somehow think coaching at one level is any indication what you can do at other levels.
His colossal failure at Arkansas (then going to Auburn where he got fired after one season along with his good buddy, Gus Malzahn) only proves he has no idea how to the world works on a big-time atmosphere.
Yes, when he was hired to guide the Hogs I bought into what others told me about him being a “can’t miss” type of head coach. When I went back to those same people in 2019, their answer was, “well, I was wrong.”
Morris simply couldn’t really relate to college players. Don’t throw out there what he did at Clemson because the Tigers got better when he left.
Most of the coaches I’ve talked to in the Dallas-Fort Worth area when the news broke early Wednesday morning about this is, simply, his line of schtick works on high school players, who are not college players.
College players are grown men. Most high school players are already at the highest level of football they’ll ever play. Especially in Texas, particularly at Allen, which is the largest high school in a state that is completely absorbed with football.
Morris said early on at Arkansas, he moved up to the college level to see if he could achieve what he did at the elite level of Texas high school football (an 81.6% winning record over 16 seasons).
That success didn’t translate to the major college level, for whatever reasons.
But the guess here is he will keep Allen on a winning track.
He’s coaching at a level not seen in many other places. Allen’s high school marching band has 750 members. The football program for the school has 480 football players (counting all grades).
The only stadiums in the state of Arkansas bigger than the $60 million stadium at Allen are Razorback Stadium, War Memorial Stadium and Centennial Bank at Jonesboro. The Eagles have never lost a game in that stadium.
He inherits a program that is used to winning, replacing a coach that went 65-4 over five seasons and won a state title.
Morris wanted to see if he could win at the college level and found out he couldn’t. He’s not the only coach that discovered he was more suited for high school. In Texas, Todd Dodge compiled a mind-boggling record at Southlake Carroll, then flopped at North Texas, and is back winning at the high school level.
There is a reason coaches don’t usually have success at every level and most successful high school coaches aren’t big winners at higher levels.
It’s a different game at every level.
To the best research I’ve managed to find, there is only one coach that’s won national championships at the high school, big-time college and professional levels.
And there’s only been one Paul Brown. He invented a lot of what the modern game now uses like film study and face masks (he held the first patent on that).
Morris discovered he better get back to what he can do and apparently that’s coach at the high school level.
Neighbors on RnZ after Goforth announces she’s now a Hog
Arkansas coach Mike Neighbors was glad to get the news Fayetteville’s Sasha Goforth is transferring from Oregon State to play for Razorbacks.
Henry on transfers starting quickly as Sills enters portal
Desi Sills put his name in the transfer portal Wednesday and Hawgs Illustrated’s Clay Henry talked about that on Halftime.
King, Phil, on SEC baseball ahead of big Friday night matchup
Bill King of Nashville Sports Radio and Phil Elson talked SEC baseball with a big Friday night night matchup of top draft picks at LSU this weekend.
Previewing Aggies with former Hog Goode on Morning Rush
Brett Goode isn’t looking for Texas A&M to fall very far after losing Kellen Mond, who seemed to be in College Station for a decade.
