Funches Jr. still a top priority for Razorbacks

Class of 2026 center and ESPN 5-star prospect Sam Funches Jr. remains a priority for the University of Arkansas basketball program.

Funches was recruited by former Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman prior to John Calipari being named the Hogs’ new head coach. Razorback associate head coach Chin Coleman told Funches early last week that Arkansas was going to recruit him hard.

“He said with all the coaching changes, nothing is going to be different between me and Arkansas,” Funches said. “The recruiting won’t be different.”

Funches, 6-11, 215 pounds, of Madison (Miss.) Germantown, was the first prospect in his class to receive a scholarship offer by Musselman and his staff in November 2022.

He and his father made an unofficial visit to Arkansas for the Jan. 6 game against Auburn.

Former Arkansas great and NBA veteran Ronnie Brewer, who was the recruiting coordinator and assistant coach on Musselman’s staff, is listed on Arkansas’ website with the same titles though nothing has been announced about his status on Calipari’s staff.

Funches and his father have praised Brewer’s past recruiting efforts.

“Even though Eric Musselman has gone to USC, Ronnie Brewer was the main one recruiting me at Arkansas,” Funches said. “I think it was a one or two years ago, but he was like one of the first coaches to reach out and he would’ve offered me, but he wanted to wait for Eric Musselman’s approval. He wanted Eric Musselman to offer me.”

Brewer kept father and son informed about the Razorbacks.

“He was always encouraging me now and then and then he usually sends my dad the links to watch the games and then my dad will send it to me,” Funches said.

Junior prospects may start taking expense-paid official visits to schools starting on Aug. 1. The elder Funches, who was a forward at Connecticut and North Texas in the 1990s, said Coleman talked about getting them back to Fayetteville for an official visit in the fall.

“He did bring up about getting him back on campus, he was saying around football season, with him being a junior they still have to wait until the fall to bring him on campus,” Funches Sr. said. “Once the fall season starts, they’ll be able to bring him in and we’ll just have to look and see what game or what day we want to come for an official visit.”

Funches, who averaged 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks for Germantown as a sophomore, is averaging 8 points and 6 rebounds for Louisiana-based LivOn Basketball on the Nike EYBL Circuit.

ESPN also rates Funches the No. 1 center and No. 15 overall prospect in the nation in the 2026 class. In addition to Arkansas, Funches has 20plus offers from Gonzaga, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Indiana, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and others.

Georgetown extended an offer to him before he started the eighth grade.

Funches has added 25 pounds since January by lifting weights and watching his diet.

“He was lifting like twice a day,” Funches Sr. said. “He would work out at school and then we would go to the gym once he got out of school and we would just focus on specific body parts and so for the most part he’s been doing a lot of leg workouts and he’s been doing a lot of pushups and pull-ups. Bodyweight dips, bodyweight pull-ups.”

Funches Sr. is passing down advice to his son that he received during his playing days.

“I had a doctor tell me once that if I wanted to gain weight, was to get my quads and stuff bigger,” Funches Sr. said. “If you look at Sam, you would think he’s skinny but Sam is real lean and for his size, he has some of the biggest quads I’ve ever seen.”

Funches, who has a 7-4 1/2 wingspan, has the frame to keep adding weight and muscle.

“His drive is to get better, get bigger, get stronger because he came to me one day he told me, ‘I want to get bigger because I’m tired of looking skinny,’ ” Funches Sr. said. “From that point on our goal this summer was to be 215 by the end of the summer, but so now with him already being at 215, our goal now is 225 to 235 by the end of the summer. I think for the most part, he’ll get at least 220 and by the time school starts, he’ll probably be around the 225 mark. The reason being he won’t be running as much.”

Class of 2025 University of Arkansas quarterback commitment Grayson Wilson plans to transfer to Conway and play his senior season as a Wampus Cat.

Wilson, 6-3, 205 pounds, completed 209 of 308 passes for 3,413 yards and 41 touchdowns against 2 interceptions while playing for Central Arkansas Christian. He also rushed for 837 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led the Mustangs to a Class 4A quarterfinal appearance.

ESPN rates Wilson a 4-star recruit, the No. 15 pocket passer and the No. 243 overall prospect in the nation for the 2025 class.

Funches Jr.