Arkansas Razorbacks 2022 basketball signees Derrian Ford and Joseph Pinion will be on hand Friday when a group of Arkansas seniors take on Tennessee in the ninth annual Mike Conley Challenge.
Magnolia star Ford (6-5, 205 pounds) will be playing while Morrilton standout Pinion (6-6, 180), who is nursing a sore groin, will watch the game scheduled for Little Rock’s Southwest High School at 6:25 p.m.
It is the opening event of the 17th annual Real Deal in the Rock AAU basketball tournament, which will run Friday through Sunday.
“I think we are going to have a great game,” Real Deal organizer Bill Ingram said. “Derrian is going to be the lead guy and he is going to get a chance to play with some bigger guys so he won’t have to do all the rebounding and everything else he has to do.”
Ford, who led Magnolia to its third state title in four seasons, is a three-time MVP of the Real Deal in the Rock.
“This is also the first year of having a Real Deal Hall of Fame and he is the first player being inducted into it,” Ingram said. “The simple fact is that besides being a great player, he is the only player to have been the MVP three times in his age group.
“I suspect next year’s will probably be Kevin Durant, although he likely won’t be able to be here.”
Ford will be joined by Hot Springs star Jabari West (6-7, 200), Little Rock Christian power forward Creed Williamson (6-8, 200), Little Rock Mills’ Javion Guy-King (6-6, 200), Maumelle guard Carl Daughtery Jr. (6-2, 170), North Little Rock’s Cody Robinson and Little Rock Parkview’s Cameron Wallace (6-7, 195).
West has signed with George Washington and Daughtery has signed with Central Arkansas.
“We have not played the last couple of years due to the (coronavirus) pandemic with the last time we played having Issac McBride (ORU), Allen Flanigan (Auburn), Airion Simmons (Abilene Christian) and Justice Hill (Murray State),” Ingram said. “You can see how well those guys are doing in college and I know these guys playing this year will do the same.”