NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Arkansas of last decade

By Joey Loose | Jul 28, 2022

Mar 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Bobby Portis (10) looks for an open teammate as Wofford Terriers forward C.J. Neumann (31) defends in the second half of a game in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Tennessee head coach Cuonzo Martin 0416 Kcsp Kyvictory /

7. Archie Goodwin – Kentucky

After starring in Little Rock during his high school career, Goodwin was consensus Top 15 prospect who wound up signing at Kentucky and playing for John Calipari. He arrived in Lexington at a program fresh off a national championship in 2012 as one of the new impact pieces hoping to repeat that success. While his Kentucky team was not quite comparable in those terms, Goodwin did take advantage of his one season of collegiate basketball.

Goodwin averaged 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, emerging as the leading scorer for the Wildcats. He had a career-high 28 points against Morehead State in just the fourth game of his career, just two days before a 22-point, 9-rebound, 9-assist effort against LIU. He finished the season leading the SEC in free throw attempts, but the Wildcats failed to even return to the NCAA Tournament, eventually flaming out in the first round of the NIT.

But the team’s struggles don’t undermine what Goodwin accomplished. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and he was an important weapon for Calipari that season. While things might not have gone as planned in his college career, he was drafted in the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder after the season, playing briefly in the NBA as part of a long professional career.

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