Fans Can Meet Players and Coaches Get Autographs Prior to Friday?s Red-White Basketball Game

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Fans have a chance to meet Razorback players and coaches, and to get autographs prior to Friday’s Red-White basketball game.

The game begins at 7:05 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena.

Players and coaches will be positioned at tables throughout the concourse and available to meet fans and sign autographs from 5-6 p.m. The doors open at 4:30 p.m.

“Friday is a great opportunity for fans to have any items signed by players and coaches,” head coach Stan Heath says. “It’s difficult to do something like this once we get into the season, but we enjoy meeting the fans and we appreciate their support.”

2006-07 schedule posters will be distributed along with schedule magnets. Players and coaches will sign the posters or other items brought into the arena.

Rosters for the Red-White game will be announced on Thursday.

“We’re looking at Friday as our first game appearance of the season,” Heath says. “We expect to implement some of the things we’ve been working on in practice as we prepare for the season.”

The Razorbacks return two starters and seven lettermen from last year’s club, which went 22-10, tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in total victories, tied for second in the Western Division, beat two top 10-ranked teams, earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament and led the SEC with a 15-1 record at home.

Heath’s top returnees for 2007 are junior forward/center Steven Hill (3.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.8 blocked shots), junior forward Charles Thomas (9.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, .520 field goal percentage), junior forward Darian Townes (9.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, .500 field goal percentage) and junior forward Vincent Hunter (3.7 ppg). Other returnees are sophomore guard Sean McCurdy (40 assists, 18 turnovers), sophomore forward Cyrus McGowan and junior guard Preston Cranford.

Arkansas’ newcomers are freshman guard Patrick Beverley, junior guard Gary Ervin, freshman forward Michael Washington, junior forward Sonny Weems and freshman guard Stefan Welsh.

Beverley scored 37.3 points a game as a senior at Chicago Marshall High School, Ervin averaged 7.4 points and 4.7 assists two years ago at Mississippi State, Washington averaged 31.6 points and 14.8 rebounds a season ago at Genesis One Christian School in Mendenhall, Miss., Weems averaged 15.7 points while helping UA-Fort Smith win the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship and Welsh averaged 17.0 points at Hargrave Military Academy.