Last Year: 20-17; 11-7, Fourth in the Sun Belt, lost in the semifinals of the CBI
Head Coach: Bryan Hodgson (Second Year)
Projected Starting Lineup
G Terrance Ford, Jr – 6’1″, 177 Sophomore
G Taryn Todd – 6’4″, 177 Senior
G Derrian Ford – 6’3″, 212 Junior
F Kobe Julien – 6’6″, 217 5th-year Senior
F/C Izaiyah Nelson – 6’10”, 218 Junior
Experienced Reserves
G Avery Felts – 6’2″, 192 5th-year Senior
G Zane Butler – 5’11”, 166 Senior
G Cody Head – 6’2″, 184 Sophomore
G Joseph Pinion – 6’5″, 205 Junior
F Dyondre Dominguez – 6’8″, 209 Senior
F/C Rashaud Marshall – 6’8″, 225 Sophomore
Freshmen
F Justin Johnson – 6’8″, 195
F R’Chaun King – 6’6″, 230
F/C Josh Hill – 6’11”, 201
They say that defense wins championships. Sometimes, offense can, too. Arkansas State is going to try and win the Sun Belt this year with a whole lot of offense.
Coming into last season, the Red Wolves had largely been kicking around the lower rungs of the Sun Belt Conference standings for half a decade. New head coach Bryan Hodgson took over and immediately injected some enthusiasm into the team, and Arkansas State got better as winter deepened. A fourth-place finish in league play led to an appearance in the Sun Belt tournament title game, and in the Red Wolves first postseason appearance since 1999, they made a run to the CBI semifinals.
With their confidence high and some shuffling of the conference deck around them, the Red Wolves are thinking even bigger for the season ahead. Hodgson and his staff have pumped up a quality returning rotation with some rather pedigreed transfers, and the team’s talent level has risen considerably since March of 2023. Will the rest of the ‘Fun Belt’ be able to run with this pack?
Leading the way will be a go-go trio of guards, and given how little Red Wolves fans got to enjoy the experience of all three on the floor together last season, the excitement for tipoff is palpable. Taryn Todd was the team’s leading scorer a year ago, while Natural State prep legend Derrian Ford showed his stuff on top of Crowley’s Ridge after a quiet freshman year at Arkansas. With Terrance Ford, Jr (no relation) back from a season lost to injury, Hodgson’s crew is ready to roll.
Todd’s career has been quite a journey, but he’s found a home in Jonesboro. In returning for his final season of eligibility, Todd will be both a leader and one of the Red Wolves’ best players. After redshirting and then playing his freshman year at TCU, Todd played a year each at New Mexico and then in junior college before joining Arkansas State last year. His varied experiences paid off for Hodgson & Co, especially as Todd heated up late in the year. The Red Wolves ripped off a 10-3 close to the season, and Todd averaged 14.7 points over those contests. He’s a big, wiry-strong guard who does the majority of his best work off the bounce and from about 5-10 feet away from the basket. Though Todd will take and make tough shots, he doesn’t always do so at a high percentage, and this year he’ll be looking to convert better than the 49.7% he shot near the rim, per Bart Torvik. A streaky outside shooter, Todd largely hunts his outside shot after getting things rolling with a bucket or two in close, but when he’s on it adds an important element to State’s offense.
In his Red Wolves debut, Derrian Ford flashed all of the skills which made him a star before he even got to college. A two-time Gatorade Player of the Year and three-time state champion in Magnolia, AR, Ford joined the Razorbacks as a 4-star recruit three years ago but hardly played as a rookie. That all changed last fall, especially after Terrance Ford was lost to injury. Derrian Ford averaged the second-most minutes on the team and showed off a composed all-around game, and now that he’s good and comfortable, the feeling is that Ford might explode at any moment. He’s a great fit for Hodgson’s game plan of attacking the basket or finding open triples, and Derrian Ford returns as the team’s top deep threat. He knocked down a team-high 64 triples (seventh-most in the Sun Belt) at a 37.6% rate last winter, and the threat of Ford’s long range jumper makes his explosiveness on the drive that much more intimidating. He has a tight handle and some smooth moves in his way through the lane, and like Todd, Ford is a willing creator when the opportunity presents itself.
Aa a freshman, Terrance Ford looked a lot like State’s point guard of the future, but last year he couldn’t get healthy. A lower-body injury sidelined Ford in the preseason, and after just parts of two games last season, the sophomore guard shut it down and opted to take a redshirt. Now that he’s back in the action, Terrance Ford will resume his playmaking ways with some fun new pieces around him. His tendency as a rookie was to score from mid-range, but Terrance Ford also knows how to put it on the deck and manufacture looks nearer to the rim. With a team focus on close two’s or triples, Ford’s good vision and comfort level operating around the in-between spots should open up some different looks than the Red Wolves often had last winter. He shot a team-best 40.6% from the land of trey on 41 makes as a rookie, and State’s pair of Fords should combine to effectively space things out for their friends this year. Last year, Arkansas State played fairly fast and managed to do so without piling up silly turnovers. With Terrance Ford on the case, the team should be even faster and just as clean.
A year ago, graduated star Caleb Fields produced 16.5 ppg out of pick-and-roll’s, which ranked sixth nationally, per Synergy Sports. With the trio of ballhandlers that will lead Hodgson’s attack this season, it’s easy to see why State looks so dangerous. Each of them can function as the lead guard, each distributes the rock without having to force things, and there will be even more good choices around them to finish plays.
He led the Sun Belt in scoring average last year for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and Julien has the solid frame, shooting range, and offensive instincts to become the Red Wolves’ top scorer, too
Former Louisiana-Lafayette star Kobe Julien is going to do lots of the scoring off of all those good passes Hodgson’s guards will be tossing this year. The first season of his career which saw Julien stay fully healthy throughout was also a big-time breakout campaign for the Louisiana native. He led the Sun Belt in scoring average last year for the Ragin’ Cajuns, and Julien has the solid frame, shooting range, and offensive instincts to become the Red Wolves’ top scorer, too. Having redshirted twice due to injuries early in his career, this will be Julien’s seventh college season. He’s grown-man strong and experienced, and whether chasing down an offensive board or getting up to block a shot, Julien is not just a basic scoring wing. He’s physical around the paint at both ends of the floor, and Julien took almost five trips to the charity stripe last year, where he converted 82.4% of his freebies. He will give Arkansas State another powerful dribble-drive threat, and Julien can lure defenders out to the three-point arc as well. He made a career-low 32.5% of his triple tries last year, but Julien has established himself as a must-guard guy and figures to be more efficient than ever playing with this talented cast.
There’s plenty of talent up front, as well, and like every other spot on the floor, State has big guts who can scoot. The Red Wolves return two impact starters from last year, and have added a bunch of hungry young players with differing sets of skills to the mix.
When the Red Wolves’ guards wanted to throw a lob last year, they first looked to see if Izaiyah Nelson had a path to the hoop. State’s tallest player had a big sophomore season, and he has established a reputation as one of the Sun Belt’s top rebounders and rim protectors. He’s a slender, springy, long-armed rising star defensively, and Nelson placed 17th nationally by racking up 73 blocked shots a year ago. With his quick feet and high-end agility, Nelson intimidates shooters all over the halfcourt. If he can just figure out how to remain as effective as he’s been without piling up so many fouls (he committed the fifth-most infractions in the country last year), Nelson may become an unstoppable force. When his guys have the ball, Nelson is money in the bank as a ‘roll’ guy after setting screens. He ranks eighth in Sun Belt history with a 61.7% field goal rate through two seasons, and with his ability to clean up around the hoop, Nelson placed second in the league by Sports Reference’s Player Efficiency statistic. Given how easily he can flush home baskets, Nelson doesn’t really need to have a jumper, but he’s developing one anyway. He knocked down five triples last winter, and reports say that he’s been stepping confidently into more and more long balls in practice this summer.
After coming over from UMass, Dyondre Dominguez enjoyed a career year of his own playing next to Nelson last winter. He adds even more outside marksmanship to the Red Wolves’ frontcourt, and Dominguez blossomed as a deep threat in Hodgson’s system. He converted 64.3% of his shots within arm’s reach of the rim, and Dominguez poured in 60 triples from the outside. He generally gets his two-point buckets on quick cuts to the rim, but Dominguez has the length and improving footwork to start operating a bit more in the paint. With opponents now worried about him stepping out to launch, he will have more opportunities than ever to fake on the perimeter and gain matchup advantages on a scrambling defense.
After one year at Ole Miss, Rashaud Marshall has swapped jerseys and is looking to step into a significantly larger role with the Red Wolves. He was a 4-star recruit just last fall, but Marshall only played 95 minutes as Mississippi swapped bigs in and out of the rotation as they became eligible. He’s a bit undersized at the pivot but Marshall plays a low-post game. He can catch in deep and finish powerfully at the rim or operate a bit with his back to the basket, and as Marshall gains experience and greater strength inside, he should level up quickly.
Hodgson has traditional shooters, too, and there are going to be plenty of opportunities for them to spot up and toss in back-breaking triples. Sixth-year senior Avery Felts is as pure a sniper as there is in the Sun Belt. He’s made 121 three-balls at a 37.8% over the past two seasons, and though there will be more competition for run this year, Felts has proven his reliability. Former walk-on Zane Butler is a little guy but he sank 18 more triples at a terrific 41.9% rate when he got on the floor last year.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 78.8 – Points Per Game (40th) |
| 45.8% – Opponent FG Percentage (280th) |
| 32.7% – Offensive Rebounding Rate (28th) |
| 73.5 – Defensive Rebounding Rate (157th) |
| 70.2% – Team Free Throw Percentage (268th) |
Two of this team’s bombardiers are new. Joseph Pinion, another Arkansas native, didn’t play much during his two years with the Razorbacks, but he figures to play an important role for State. With real high-major size and a smooth, repeatable stroke from downtown, he is a prototype catch-and-shoot guy. As a rookie, Pinion made 13 triples at a 38.2%, but last year he struggled along with the rest of the aHogs. He’s not as tested as most of the Red Wolves’ other guards, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see Pinion emerge as one of the team’s key pieces. Lipscomb transfer Cody Head was an Atlantic Sun All-Freshman pick last year. He only started 10 games with the Bisons and averaged less than 19 minutes per contest as a rookie, but Head scored in double figures 13 times in 32 games played. He showed drive skills off of the bench, and Head was highly efficient with his opportunities, shooting 60.6/35.2/84.3% on two’s, three’s, and freebies.
A trio of freshmen who can play up front have landed with the Red Wolves also, and may be able to push for time this year. Josh Hill and R’Chaun King were prospects that Hodgson got quite familiar with while he was recruiting back at Alabama. Now that they’ve followed him to Arkansas State, Hodgson is confident that he’ll know how to best utilize the young guys. Hill underwent a considerable growth spurt in high school, going from a 6’2″ guard to nearly seven feet in a short time. He still retains those perimeter abilities and shooting range, and Hill looks like he’s going to be a scoring threat all over the halfcourt while providing springy rim protection at the other end. He will need to add a good deal of strength to hold his own on the boards and match up with older, more powerful post players, but that will come with time. So intriguing is Hill’s potential that he held offers from programs such as Marquette, Georgia, and Kansas State in addition to the Tide. It may take a year for him to play big minutes, but Hill is a legitimate high major talent.
Wide and strong, King provides real contrast to Hill as a prospect. He’s not as graceful out on the wing, but King might already be the best rebounder the Red Wolves have. Florida, St. John’s, and Memphis all vied with Bama for King’s services, but he picked the Red Wolves anyway. Powerful, aggressive, and relentless around the goal, King is intimidated by no one and hits the offensive and defensive boards with equal alacrity. He’ll generate valuable extra opportunities for a team that became very good at converting offensive rebounds into devastating triples down the stretch last year. If King can defend without fouling and cash in hustle buckets as a rookie, he should help a great deal to help State to clean up opposing misses, which they didn’t do well enough last season. Justin Johnson may not have racked up the offers like his classmates did, but he’s a rangy, athletic young forward who should be lots of fun in transition. He can really guard people and Johnson always scoots from end to end. He’ll be a lob threat in the halfcourt, and like Hill, Johnson figures to spend plenty of time in the weight room.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Alabama – November 8 |
| @ Memphis – December 8 |
| @ UAB – December 15 |
| vs Akron November 4 |
| N Hofstra – December 1 |
Playing the best basketball of the season in March is what all teams hope to achieve, and Hodgson’s first team found the formula to do so. If they’re ready to play a complete campaign like they did late last year, the Red Wolves could become one of the scariest non-power conference teams out there. There are enough new guys that this team will need to establish its own identity, but Hodgson laid out his plan and proved that his approach works.
The Red Wolves who have come back from that group know how to push tempo, select close two’s or open three’s, and speed up their opponents in the ways their coaches demand. With true road games against Memphis, UAB, and Alabama before Sun Belt play begins, the returnees’ ability to lead their new friends and show improvement will be put to the test. Hodgson has very quickly injected enthusiasm and confidence into what sure looks like a power conference roster, and this winter, the Red Wolves are set to put on a show.
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