Shooting guard Daryl Macon grew up dreaming of playing basketball for Arkansas, and that dream became a reality Thursday afternoon when the former Little Rock Parkview standout signed a national letter of intent with the Razorbacks.
"It was an emotional moment," Macon said following the ceremony held in front of approximately 100 family members and friends at the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. "Like I've always said, it's something I've always wanted to do since I was a kid."
Macon, 6-4, 185 pounds, plays for Holmes Community College in Mississippi and chose Arkansas over scholarship offers from Louisville, Alabama, Ole Miss, Kansas State and Memphis. He averaged 21.2 points and was named to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's All-Arkansas Preps team as a high school senior.
Early in his high school career Macon had to endure numerous doubters who said he was too short and too weak to play Division I college basketball.
"I proved everybody wrong," he said.
Macon earned first-team junior college All-America honors as a freshman after averaging 23 points a game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from beyond the three-point line.
During an emotional speech, Macon credited his mother, Deloise, sisters Tiffany and Tierra, his grandfather, Robert Lee Harrison, and others for his success.
"That's what got me here today, people in my corner and people always believing in me," Macon said. "They kept me standing on my feet and kept me humble, and they always told me to keep working."
Among the well-wishers in the crowd was former Razorback Joe Kleine, who played center for the Hogs from 1983 to 1985 and spent 15 years in the NBA.
Being able represent Little Rock in a Razorbacks uniform is important to Macon.
"It's a lot of weight on my shoulders," said Macon, who played for the Arkansas Hawks during the spring and summer. "Not everybody gets to represent their state or their city. Being able to do that is a blessing."
Macon is the second signee for Arkansas in the 2016 class. Campti (La.) Lakeview forward Adrio Bailey, 6-6, 205, signed Wednesday.
Junior-college guard Jaylen Barford, 6-4, 205, of Motlow Community College in McMinnville, Tenn., and junior college forward Arlando Cook, 6-8, 205, of Connors State College in Oklahoma are expected to sign with Arkansas today.
The early signing period runs through Nov. 18.
Sports on 11/13/2015