Arkansas transfer Joseph Pinion signs with Arkansas State
Arkansas State men’s basketball head coach Bryan Hodgson announced Wednesday the addition of transfer guard Joseph Pinion to the 2024-25 roster.
Pinion will have two years of eligibility remaining after joining the Red Wolves following two seasons at Arkansas. During his stint in Fayetteville, the Morrilton native appeared in 45 games (one start) for the Razorbacks and shot 42.9 percent from the field in reserve action (34.6 percent from 3-point range) while averaging 2.4 points per contest.
“We’re really excited to have Joseph joining our Red Wolves family,” Hodgson said. “As one of the top players in the state of Arkansas, Joseph spent two seasons in the SEC, and gained valuable college experience. He has a bright future at Arkansas State and we can’t wait to have him join us here in Jonesboro.”
Pinion boasts a career high of 13 points scored on Jan. 21, 2023, against Ole Miss, a game in which he sank three from the perimeter. He set a program record in 2022-23 for the most minutes played without a turnover (149).
A four-star recruit out of Morrilton High School, Pinion was rated among the top 100 prep players in the country – as high as No. 89 by ESPN – and was a two-time (2021 and 2022) Arkansas Democrat-Gazette first team All-Arkansas Preps selection. He was a two-time first-team 4A All-State pick those seasons and was the runner-up for Class 4A Player of the Year behind current A-State guard Derrian Ford.
Pinion was ranked as the 33rd best shooting guard in the country by Rivals and the 139th best played in the county while in high school.
As a senior, the McDonald’s All-American nominee averaged 24.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 2.1 blocks and played in the ninth annual Mike Conley Challenge. He led the Devil Dogs to the 2021 Class 4A title game as a junior, averaging 17.2 points and 6.4 boards per contest and shooting 58 percent from the field – 40 percent from beyond the arc. As a sophomore, Pinion averaged 18 points and 7.9 rebounds.