BUFFALO, N.Y. — Late Thursday night, Arkansas wing Stanley Umude will play in his first NCAA Tournament game against No. 13 seed Vermont.
Being on a national stage and a key part of a team capable of not only making the postseason, but going on a run was part of what drew Umude to uproot from South Dakota and join Arkansas coach Eric Musselman’s program last spring.
Umude is all the more thrilled for the moment given he will share it with one of his best friends, Arkansas graduate assistant Caleb Cline.
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In his second season with the Razorbacks, Cline and Umude grew close during their time together with the Coyotes. During the 6-6 Umude’s junior season, the two were roommates and lived together in the upstairs part of a home.
Cline’s bond with Umude later helped the Razorbacks land the talented wing, who was among the nation’s leading scorers at South Dakota in 2020-21.
“We’ve got a really good relationship,” Umude said Wednesday. “I’ve known him for a long time. And coming here, it was nice to know that I had somebody that cared about me. He was going to lead me away and tell me something I didn’t want to hear or tell me stuff I just want to hear to get here.
“I think that it was nice to have him in that recruiting process.”
At South Dakota, the two lived across the hall from one another and did essentially everything together, even cooking meals for the other every so often.
Cline, a former walk-on for the Coyotes, considers Umude one of his favorite roommates.
“He was a different roommate, for sure. So many stories and everything to tell, but he was awesome,” Cline said. “He always had my back with everything and I always had his. It’s awesome to be here with him.
“I was here last year and went to the tournament last year and had a great time and experience. I said, ‘We can get you here, to the NCAA Tournament.’ He really wanted to do it and I’m glad. It’s been a really fun moment with him.”
Umude will enter play Thursday as Arkansas’ second-leading scorer with 11.8 points per game and its top three-point shooter in terms of percentage (37.1%). His 46 threes are second on the team to JD Notae’s 68.
Assisting Notae and forward Jaylin Williams with solid play could go a long way in the Razorbacks advancing to the Round of 32 and beyond. He has scored 15-plus points in 5 of the team’s last 9 games and is coming off a 20-point performance against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament.
Umude has knocked down 3 three-pointers in 4 the last 5 games, as well.
“At South Dakota, I could tell even his freshman and sophomore years that he had so much potential,” Cline said. “I watched him there grow and grow and grow as a player, and then even here on the big stage he’s growing even more.
“I know he has so much more in him and can keep growing.”
South Dakota State coach Eric Henderson, whose team plays No. 4 seed Providence on Thursday in Buffalo, is well aware of what Umude can provide a team. In five games against the Jackrabbits, Umude averaged 23 points.
Umude scored a career-high 41 points against South Dakota State at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Dec. 12, 2020.
“He is a terrific scorer, to be honest with you,” Henderson said. “He can score in multiple ways. With his size, he was able to stretch the floor, had great versatility, can score off the bounce.
“I’ve been able to watch him a little bit this year and I've kind of enjoyed him defensively. I think he has gotten a lot better and made a big impact on that side of the floor for them, too. He is a terrific player.”
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During the regular season, Umude held opponents to 30% shooting, including 24.2% from three, when the Razorbacks' nearest defender.
Cline is excited to watch Umude do what he loves.
“I expect him to go out there and do his role,” he said. “He knows his role. He trusts his teammates. He’s going to try to score, but he’s got teammates to help him do that.
“I’m just happy to see him reach his goals.”