Articles by Evin Demirel
“They Don’t Have a Great Relationship”: Behind-The-Scenes Status of Yurachek & Key Leaders
Photo credit: Hunter Yurachek Some of the weekend’s most important news regarding the future of the Arkansas football program arrived Friday, not Saturday. It came about 24 hours before the Razorbacks got roasted in College Station, almost entirely extinguishing any hopes of a bowl game appearance this year after last week’s promising Tulsa win and flinging Inside Arkansas’ John Nabors into the ninth circle of fandom hell: “You’ve been cast into outer darkness and no one cares. You’re struggling.
What’s Really Going On with The Two Razorbacks Listed as Out for Mississippi State
Photo Credit: Craven Whitlow Heading into a way-too-early tipoff at Mississippi State, Arkansas was already up against it. Generally speaking, nobody really wins in the event of a 11 am tip-off for a major college basketball game. The fans are not going to show up like they would for an afternoon or night tilt, and the product on the floor usually isn’t as good with players whose bodies are geared toward later start times.
Dick Vitale’s Good-Natured Back Stabbing of Calipari, Hogs Doesn’t Fly with KenPom
It’s a touch funny how sometimes the closest of friends can wield the sharpest of knives on each other. College football hall of famers Frank Broyles and Darrell Royal, for instance, were great friends most of the year. But not when they led the Razorbacks and Longhorns onto the gridiron on an annual basis with the prime objective of destroying each other’s dreams of a national championship.
Tramon Mark’s Decision to Keep Repping Hogs Looks Worse after “Gift” to Arkansas
The white flags partially came out on a couple plays at the very end of Arkansas’ hang-on-for-dear-life win at Texas. With the Hogs up by nearly 10 points, Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari had seemingly given his team the directive to avoid fouling and three-point shots at all costs – even if that meant allowing essentially open layups.
UK Media’s False Narrative vs Hogs Just as Delusional as Pushing for Ban from Rupp Arena
Despite the piddling conference record that Arkansas brought to the court vs Kentucky, a sold-out Rupp Arena crackled with the energy of a blockbuster heavyweight fight Saturday night. For sure, plenty of jabs were thrown throughout. A few Kentucky basketball fans, seizing an opportunity to kick John Calipari while he was seemingly down given the Hogs’ 1-6 SEC record at the time, wore shirts featuring Calipari’s face drawn with a clown nose.
Bryce Mitchell’s Insane Comments Should Be a Final Straw for Razorback Nation
For Bryce Mitchell, the 30-year-old MMA fighter with a 17-3 overall record, it was good while it lasted. The central Arkansas native has enjoyed quite a bit of goodwill from Arkansans since he started his upward climb through the ranks as a late teen, as an athlete at Cabot High and then during his time at Harding University in Searcy, Ark.
AJ Green’s Push Back vs DB Label Makes Sense Given History with Sooners
When AJ Green announced his commitment to Oklahoma State exactly one year ago, one of his most important tasks was making sure Cowboys fans didn’t confuse him with AJ Green the defensive back, the former OSU standout who now plays cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams. That task should have been fairly easy given the younger Green played on the other side of the ball as a running back.
Cocky Vol DB Says Nearly Worst Possible Thing about Razorbacks
Bob Kesling, the play-by-play man for Tennessee football, has seen a lot to like from Josh Heupel’s program through the first month of the season. The veteran radio broadcaster is especially impressed by the Vols’ steady approach to preparing for each game. Heupel’s philosophy has been “You take each week the same and you do everything the same,” Kesling said on the Buzz 103.7 FM earlier this week. “You’re never too high or too low.
Unimaginable with Green Brings Home Odom’s UNLV Nightmare
Imagine, if you will, that Arkansas football is off to one of its best season starts in years. That part shouldn’t be too hard since the program is a Tyrone Broden touchdown catch or Kyle Ramsey field goal away from currently sitting at 4-0. The fans are giddy, just like they were in 2021 after the 4-0 start, except this time there’s no monstrously difficult tilt with No. 2 Georgia coming up as the next game.
Bazzel Sets the Record Straight on UA Locker Room Controversy
Over the weekend, former Arkansas football stars Jarius Wright and Joe Adams jumped into the spotlight again after a social media post surfaced stating that they had been denied access to the UA locker room after Arkansas’ win over UAB game in Fayetteville.
DJ’s Critique of KJ Gets New Life
Heading into the UAPB vs Arkansas season opener on Thursday, DJ Williams couldn’t pass up discussing last year’s troubling quarterback situation at his alma mater. KJ Jefferson, the Razorbacks’ all-time leading passer, had a substandard 2023 season, passing for 2,107 yards with a 64% completion rate alongside 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
Evin Demirel
1188 POSTS I am a U of A graduate, former Democrat-Gazette reporter, and author of "African-American Athletes in Arkansas: Muhammad Ali's Tour, Black Razorbacks & Other Forgotten Stories." Preview the book here: https://amzn.to/2SEpQdf
Barrett & Mattingly Retort to "Corporate Shill" Insult Pre New Show
FAYETTEVILLE – For those who think the “Voice of the Razorbacks” feels compelled to be an institutional mouthpiece off campus, Chuck Barrett wants to provide some background: he landed his job as the Arkansas football play-by-play announcer in spite of his hot takes, not because of them.
Hogs’ Commit Says Worst Possible Thing Before LSU’s Big Theft
Verbal commitments sure don’t seem to mean what they used to. Not to the players themselves, nor to the coaches of opposing teams still trying to sway them. Some Arkansas football fans still smarting over the de-commitments of Carius Curne and Bear McWhorter might take a little solace in knowing that more well-moneyed programs are getting poached on the recruiting front too.
UA Goes Where Slusher Didn't Dare In Ragging on Deion's Team
The Colorado football program under Deion Sanders has taken a lot from Arkansas these last couple years. Five Arkansas football transfers have made their way to Boulder: Myles Slusher and Jordan Domineck before the 2023 season along with Taurean Carter, RJ Johnson and Isaiah Augustave this offseason.
CBS Insider Insults Current Hogs While Acclaiming Acuff's Arrival
And, just like that, Arkansas could become known as college basketball’s new “Point Guard U” in the coming years thanks to John Calipari. For the second consecutive recruiting class, the Razorbacks have landed the nation’s top-rated point guard after 5-star recruit Darius Acuff Jr.’s commitment on Friday. This comes just a few months after the commitment of Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, who was ranked as the nation’s top point guard in the class of 2024 by On3 and Rivals.
Nation’s No. 1 Recruit Gives Hogs an “In” When Talking Favorites
While the first domino hasn’t yet fallen on Arkansas basketball’s much anticipated signing class of 2025, it’s only a matter of time at this point. On Tuesday, the second-rated guard in the class of 2025, Maleek Thomas, announced that Arkansas is in his top 7 choices. On Friday, the top-rated guard, Darius Acuff Jr., will announce his destination from a final three list of Arkansas, Michigan and Kansas.
Drinkwitz’s Secret Weapon vs Hogs Details Their Inner Workings
Missouri football staffer Rick Jones feels like the Tigers have a few advantages over the Arkansas football program when it comes to recruiting high school talent. One big one: the state is home to two much bigger metropolitan areas than anything Arkansas has. The populations of Kansas City and St. Louis dwarf those of northwest Arkansas and Little Rock, respectively, and produce many more blue-chip prospects.
Memphis Insider Punctures UA vs Tigers Hopes with Cal Prediction
You don’t have to frequent farmers’ markets to know keeping it local is only human nature. For decades, if the Arkansas basketball did anything notable, it did it powered by local and regional players. That was certainly the case for the best teams of Eddie Sutton and Nolan Richardson, even though things started trending more nationally in the last few years, it happened with Eric Musselman too.
Jeff Long’s PGA Trophy Abuse Really Hurt John Daly’s Feelings
Even tough guys can get their feelings hurt sometimes. That certainly looks to be the case with the arch-Bad Boy of all Arkansas athletics, PGA legend John Daly.
Cal’s 1st Hog Had Issue That May Keep NBA Lottery Picks Away
By now, the NIL shortages that have been hampering Mike Neighbors’ women’s basketball program at Arkansas are well known. The lack of cash appears to be a reason for at least some of the massive exodus of talented players from this team this off-season, as a social media post from ex Razorback Taliah Scott indicates.
Dean of Arkansas Sports Talk Sounds Off on Eric Musselman to USC
In theory, there is a universe where Eric Musselman doesn’t become the next head coach of the USC basketball program. There is a world in which the 59-year-old’s interview with USC athletic director Jennifer Cohen today hits some kind of snag. Maybe Trojan boosters aren’t yet ready to open up the coffers on the NIL front, a sticking point that reportedly played a big role in former Trojan head man Andy Enfield’s decision to head to SMU and that program’s more financially generous support.
Yurachek’s Revelation about Musselman Contract Will Stoke USC Basketball Fears
In the last few days, the last name “Cohen” has been a source of good news for Arkansas basketball fans. Especially after Josh Cohen, a 6’10” big with smooth moves down low, committed to Arkansas to become the first in a transfer class brimming with promising candidates. Such good vibes associated with that particular surname may not last long, though.
Hogs Football Player and John Calipari-Pummeling Hero Wowed on the Same Court
Razorback wide receiver Isaac Teslaa and his father, Mark, are naturally huge Razorback fans, but they also pull hard for the Detroit Lions and Hillsdale College Chargers. Hillsdale, a Division II college in south central Michigan, is where Teslaa starred before joining the Hogs out of the transfer portal last offseason. Given Mark was also a Hillsdale football player, it’s no surprise they take an especially strong interest when a fellow former Charger shows out on the national scene.
Former Oregon State Baseball Star Likens Arkansas to Pac-12 Laughingstock
“History is written by the victors,” Winston Churchill once said. Certainly, the victors are the ones who tend to control the narrative. That’s what we see has played out, in book form at least, since Arkansas’ agonizing loss to the Oregon State baseball program in the 2018 College World Series.
Louisville Side Dubs Musselman as Lowest-Hanging Fruit among Coach Candidates
For a short while, Arkansas football fans could squint their eyes and, if they looked at the NFL just right, feel like they sort of ruled the roost. They had not one but two former Razorbacks in the Super Bowl with San Francisco’s Brandon Allen and Dre Greenlaw suiting up for the 49ers on Sunday night. And from the same high school just across the way from the university, no less.
Trevon Brazile Makes Fun of Illicit Rumors as Hogs' Frontcourt Gets Serious
When it comes to dunking, Trevon Brazile is among the best around. No Arkansas basketball player does that part of the game better. Turns out the Razorback big man knows how to get a rise, too. On Thursday, Brazile decided to poke fun at some of the rumors swirling around involving himself and a love triangle involving the Arkansas basketball team.
Team Source Doesn’t Exactly Quash Rumors of Musselman and Minnesota, ASU
Hand wringing over the prospect of Eric Musselman leaving for greener pastures just never goes away in these parts. When Arkansas basketball was firing on all cylinders, chatter about its head coach looking at bigger programs that were either more loaded financially or more historically successful filled the airwaves. Over the course of a couple years, there was talk of Eric Musselman leaving Arkansas for Indiana, or to Arizona and even to Texas of all places.
Before Western Carolina, Pittman Makes Admission Involving Playing Time and Transfer Portal
Around this time last year, the Arkansas football team program had already felt the cold, bitter touch of the all-pervasive transfer portal. In the month of August, two Razorbacks – Jaqualyn Crawford and Taylor Lewis – left the Razorbacks during fall camp to look for greener pastures in the portal. At the time, Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman was all on board with a “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” type mentality in response to those early departures.
Announcer Chuck Barrett on Mizzou: "I Just Don't Like Them... I Don't Care for Their Program."
Nowadays, Chuck Barrett is best known as the “voice of the Razorbacks.” He started doing play-by-play with Razorback baseball, but crossed over into football and basketball as well in the last 15 years. The Clarksville native also does post-game interviews with coaches, as did in Maui when he served as a listening ear for Eric Musselman’s fuming about the referees’ calls in Tuesday’s Creighton loss.
Trey Knox Explains Why the Aftermath of Vols' Win over Alabama Made Him "Kinda Mad"
One the nation’s worst pass defenses. A dynamic, dual-threat quarterback who entered the season as a dark-horse Heisman candidate. A chance to vanquish the demons around a 15-game losing streak to the Alabama Crimson Tide at home. And these were only the start of the similarities between the Arkansas and Tennessee football programs earlier this fall. So much of that, however, seems to have gone up in one giant puff of cigar smoke in the wake of the Vols’ 52-49 win vs Alabama on Saturday.
Titans Writer Takes Cheap Shot at Sam Pittman While Making Nutty Claim
Practically every SEC football coach has his haters. Given the big-time exposure that comes along with the job, that’s no surprise. Success breeds contempt, so it’s also no surprise to see guys like Nick Saban, Kirby Smart and Brian Kelley get consistently ridiculed by influencers and media members alike (in the haters’ defense, Kelley shouldn’t have tried to impress recruits by dancing on camera). Sam Pittman, meanwhile, has mostly been able to avoid the slings and arrows.
Hogs Win Mercifully Stalls ESPN Announcers' Aggravating Love Affair with Roc Riggio
On his own, Oklahoma State freshman Roc Riggio was obnoxious enough over the course of three games vs Arkansas. Sure, he burned bright as one of the best hitters on an Oklahoma State squad that put up 43 runs on Sunday alone and played a big role in setting a NCAA Regional record for runs scored (148) and home runs (41). But, man, he sure went about it in a way that rubs Arkansas baseball fans wrong.
Mizzou Fans Will Rue Trevon Brazile's Transfer to Arkansas Even More After Seeing This
Transfer season is starting to heat up and, to nobody’s surprise, Arkansas basketball coach Eric Musselman is already making a splash with today’s announcement that 6’9″ 215 pound forward Trevon Brazile will leave Mizzou for the Hogs. As a true freshman, Brazile was the No. 3 shot blocker in the SEC last season averaging 1.9 blocks per game. He also averaged 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds and committed on Wednesday during a visit. “I’m pretty excited,” Brazile told 247Sports.
Arkansas Needs to Strike While Iron's Hot in Wake of J.B. Hunt Family NIL Deal
It’s early going, but so far the Arkansas football program is enjoying the kind of offseason you tell your grandchildren about. The Razorbacks team proper is showing up in the top 20 of the first batches of too-early preseason polls, but it’s what the coaches are doing in two other realms that are turning even more heads. On the recruiting front, the Hogs are succeeding like never before in the modern era.
Top 4 Reasons Kevin Obanor Erred in Choosing Texas Tech over Arkansas
On Thursday, news leaked that Kevin Obanor, the best outside shooting big man in college basketball, had chosen Texas Tech over Arkansas as his transfer destination. Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com cited several of his unnamed sources for the scoop. Assuming this is the case, it’s a mistake on Obanor’s part. This isn’t meant to disparage Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are far from a bad program. Under its former head coach Chris Beard, it sometimes flirted with borderline great program status.
Nate Oats' Loss Is Arkansas Basketball's Gain in Barry Dunning, Alabama's Top Prep Player
Years ago, Mobile, Ala. native DeMarcus Cousins decided to leave the state of Alabama to pursue the best path to the NBA he saw for himself. On his way to Kentucky, then the most attractive basketball destination in the SEC, Cousins was joined by fellow Alabama native Eric Bledsoe. Fast forward a dozen years and now another top-ranked Mobile, Alabama basketball player is ready to say “Goodbye” to the Crimson Tide and other home-state schools.
Greenwood Bulldogs’ Janitor Captures Heart of Nation with ESPN’s Help
At last, an ESPN story not about LeBron James or Tom Brady. A story that isn’t about the ultra-rich getting even richer, isn’t polished to a shine and spoon fed to the public by P.R. flaks and has nothing to do with politics. That ESPN’s most viral recent social media post involves Arkansans and a program that has produced some of the most beloved Razorbacks makes it all the better.
Ed Orgeron’s Struggles Have Led LSU to Barry Odom
UPDATE For months, Barry Odom’s name has been bandied about in connection with the LSU defensive coordinator position. Well before Bo Pelini was fired, Odom was seen as likely candidate to try to make LSU’s defense fearsome once more. Pelini will get a buyout payment of $4 million after receiving $600,000 per game to coach the worst defensive finish in program history. LSU ranked No. 124 nationally in total defense.
Arkansas in the Big 12? Be Careful What You Wish For.
–Connor Goodson In 1992 the Arkansas Razorbacks officially joined the Southeastern Conference, leaving their longtime home in the Southwest Conference. Since then, Arkansas has seen enormous success across all sports, and just last year was ranked No. 20 in a list of most valuable collegiate athletic programs. Aside from more revenue, exposure and success, Arkansas fans sought something else from the SEC: respect. Fast-forward nearly three decades later, and Arkansas fans are still waiting for it.
Glen Rice is No. 2 Among Top 50 NBA Arkansan Scorers Ever
VIDEO/STORY: Mayor Mattingly presents Key to the City to Glen Rice. #BentonProud @glenrice41 http://t.co/FWWRVvBdJe pic.twitter.com/L7GtJplASd — Benton, AR (@CityofBentonAR) October 7, 2015 Having grown up in Little Rock, AR as a hardcore basketball fan, I have always enjoyed finding out about about the different connections NBA/ABA players have with my state. That process of discovery is a gradual one.
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