Arkansas basketball fans want nothing more than to see an in-state kid shine.
Ideally, they’ll do that in a Razorback jersey. Bobby Portis, Daniel Gafford and Corliss Williamson are a few names that come to mind. But sometimes, things just don’t work out in Fayetteville – as was the case with Morrilton native Joseph Pinion, a four-star prospect who spent two years with the Hogs.
The 6-foot-5 wingman was never able to carve out a consistent role under head coach Eric Musselman, averaging less than six minutes per game in both seasons. Pinion certainly showed flashes, such as double-digit scoring nights against Ole Miss and Missouri as a freshman – but it never translated into a prominent spot in the rotation.
After a disappointing season that saw the Hogs miss the NCAA Tournament entirely, Pinion entered the transfer portal. He committed to Arkansas State on March 30. Five days later, Musselman left to take the USC job. Less than a week after that, Arkansas hired John Calipari as its next head coach.
Twelve games into the new season, Pinion is finding his footing with the Red Wolves.
His father, Craig, said Joseph tends to have his best games against better competition.
That couldn’t have been more true in an upset win over No. 16 Memphis where Pinion led the team in scoring with 22 points on 7-13 shooting and made five threes. He also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots. The junior said that performance was a lot of hard work coming good.
“I knew what type of player I was, so I felt like I was due for a game like that,” Pinion told Best of Arkansas Sports in a phone interview.
Red Wolf Resurgency Under Bryan Hodgson
Under the leadership of second-year head coach Bryan Hodgson, Arkansas State has quietly ripped off a 9-3 start to soar to the top of the Sun Belt standings. One of their three losses came by single digits to No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, as well.
The Red Wolves were back in the headlines Sunday when they ripped off a historic comeback from a 27-point second half deficit to defeat UAB in overtime – a game in which Pinion did a little bit of everything, scoring a dozen points, grabbing six rebounds and adding three assists and two blocks.
“We’re trying to get back in the game, so we really just gotta lock in on defense,” he said of the mentality needed to engineer the comeback. “I wasn’t even really trying to score. I was just trying to make sure we kept getting stops…try and get a couple extra possessions and rebounds to help everyone out.”
Arkansas State hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1999, and has changed coaches seven times since then. But it seems the Red Wolves have found the right formula under Hodgson, a protege of Nate Oats who served as an assistant coach for the Crimson Tide before taking the job in Jonesboro.
A-State went 20-17 last season, and look set to build off that mark this season with lofty goals of winning the Sun Belt and reaching the Big Dance, according to Pinion. He said the reception he’s gotten in Jonesboro as a blue-chip in-stater has been great to see.
Joseph Pinion on Differences Between Arkansas and A-State
“I’ve gotten love since I’ve been here,” Pinion said. “It’s been really fun to be in Jonesboro. It’s really awesome, the fan support we have here. Whenever I’m out in public, I’ll talk to at least one or two fans.”
Pinion isn’t the only four-star Arkansas kid on the Red Wolves’ roster, either, as he’s joined by combo guard Derrian Ford, a fellow member of the 2022 class. Ford transferred to A-State after his freshman year, so he’s in his second season in Jonesboro now. The Magnolia native averaged double figures last year, and is currently putting up 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game this season.
Pinion clarified that he has no hard feelings towards Musselman or the Arkansas basketball staff; Hodgson’s offensive system simply fits the way he plays better. Similar to Oats’ model at Alabama, the Red Wolves like to play fast and hoist a high number of three pointers. Pinion added that despite the Sun Belt not being a high-major conference, A-State practices harder than Arkansas did under Musselman.
“I can tell you 100% we practice way harder here,” he said. “Our practices are really a grind here, and I feel like that helps us out so much. In the game we played [Monday] I ran like seven miles.”
“That’s harder for some teams because they don’t practice like we practice…but it was just another day for us.”
You can chalk some of it up to differing playstyles, but perhaps that lack of practice intensity was a contributor to Arkansas’ shortcomings in the 2023-24 season. Pinion did say he was thankful for his experience at the SEC level, both on and off the court.
“That’s definitely helped me out a ton, because I really got to come in here with a little bit of experience, knowing how to take care of your body and all that stuff during travel.”
Why Joseph Pinion Transferred to Arkansas State
Both Pinion and his father said that his decision to transfer was purely based on his basketball future and the opportunity to get more playing time in a system that catered to his skillset. He’s played 19 minutes per game so far this season compared to just 5.5 with the Hogs last year.
“Muss was good to us. He gave Joseph an opportunity to play at the highest level…Muss is a defensive-first guy, and obviously that’s not Joseph’s best suit,” the elder Pinion said. “He liked Joseph. They got along fine, it’s not that kind of thing. This is just a situation where Joseph fits better in this system.”
Craig Pinion added that over two years his son learned a lot from Musselman, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and is “playing more complete basketball now than he has in a while.”
Pinion is currently averaging 9.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field and 40% from three.
As a former four-star prospect and a sharpshooter on the offensive end, Pinion wasn’t short of options when he entered the portal. In the end, proximity to home and a prior connection with Hodgson allowed A-State to win out in his recruitment.
“We had lots of opportunities when he decided to transfer,” Craig said. “He wanted to stay close to home, but it was also a system in which he was a perfect fit. Coach Hodgson did a great job of recruiting him when he first got in the portal. They demonstrated a great deal of confidence in him and his ability to help the team.”
“They really wanted him, and they had a lot of confidence in his abilities,” he added. “The opportunity to get to play and be a major contributor had a lot to do with it.” It also helped that Hodgson had recruited Joseph at Alabama before he committed to Arkansas, “so there was a little bit of a relationship there.”
As far as a potential return to a high-major conference, Pinion said he’s focused on the present and happy in Jonesboro.
“I definitely love it here at A-State,” he said. “It’s a place I can definitely see myself being at for the rest of my career. As far as this season goes, I’d like to win [Sun Belt] Newcomer of the Year. That’s the one that I really have circled on my list. And then we definitely want to win the Sun Belt and get to play in March Madness. That’s the main goal.”
Checking in on Other Outgoing Arkansas Transfers
In addition to Pinion, a number of other Razorbacks hit the exit gates amidst the churning coaching carousel. Here’s a look at how these Arkansas departures are doing at their new spots so far.
*Stats current as of December 19
Khalif Battle – Gonzaga (8-3, No. 13 in AP Poll)
13.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 42.7% FG
Devo Davis – Oklahoma State (7-3)
3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 apg, 35.9% FG
Layden Blocker – DePaul (8-3)
8.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 36.0% FG
Tramon Mark – Texas (9-2)
9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.4 apg, 43.1% FG
Missed the first four games of the season with an ankle injury.
Baye Fall – Kansas State (6-4)
2.5 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.8 bpg, 62.5% FG
Keyon Menifield was in the transfer portal for a while, but eventually took the professional route. He spent a few months in the NBA G League, but was waived by the Texas Legends on November 26.
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Highlights from A-State’s thrilling comeback win over UAB:
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