ESPN 4-star recruit Joseph Pinion signed with Arkansas on Wednesday — the third ESPN top 100 prospect to do so on the first day of the early signing period.
Pinion, 6-6, 185 pounds, of Morrilton signed with the Razorbacks over scholarship offers from Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Ole Miss, Tulsa, DePaul and others. ESPN rates him the No. 16 shooting guard and No. 93 recruit nationally.
"I think the think with Joseph is he was the first one to step up in this class and say, ‘Hey, I want to be a Razorback player.’" Coach Eric Musselman said. "I think that’s always a powerful message when somebody believes in what’s going on and wants to commit at an early stage.
"But he obviously is a great shooter with deep, deep range. He’s got incredible passion to be a Razorback player. His dad and his mom and his sister, they’ve been to several football games and I think he’s really, really excited about getting on campus.
"Obviously he’s become more and more healthy playing now without the knee brace. He gives us a good length and a guy that can play the two, three spot."
He averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block per game while leading the Devil Dogs to the Class 4A title game as a junior. He shot 58% from two-point range, 40% from three and 74% at the free throw line.
Pinion played for the 17-under Arkansas Hawks during the spring and summer. Former Razorbacks great and NBA veteran Corliss Williamson coached the Hawks.
“Joseph is a player,” Williamson said in the spring. “He has the ability to shoot the basketball, as we all know, and score. The biggest thing for him...would be defensively. I’m challenging him to get out and defend more on the perimeter.
Pinion averaged 18 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.4 steals per game as a sophomore, and 12.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block as a freshman.
ESPN 4-star Barry Dunning, 6-6, 185 of Mobile (Ala.) McGill-Toolen Catholic and 5-star Jordan Walsh, 6-7, 200 pounds, of Link Academy in Branson, Mo., signed with the Razorbacks on Wednesday morning.