Sonny weems

sonny weems

OVERVIEW

A former junior college standout, Sonny Weems starred for the Razorbacks as a clutch scoring threat in his two years at Arkansas. Recovered from a left hand fracture that he suffered during the exhibition season, Weems led the team in scoring with a 15.0-point average as a senior.

Weems garnered All-Southeastern Conference and All-District honors in 2007-08. He started 66-of-69 games during his time at Arkansas, scoring 921 points (13.3 per game) while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 76.7 percent from the free-throw line. A productive wing player, he handed out 194 assists and pulled down 387 rebounds as a Razorback.

At West Memphis High School, Weems was a stellar all-around athlete, also playing football and track. For the hoops squad, he earned first-team All-State, All-Conference and the West Memphis Evening Times Player of the Year honors. As a senior, he averaged 14.6 points and 14.0 rebounds, leading the team to a 27-2 record and claimed the 5A state championship.

Weems averaged 20.1 points as a sophomore, helping the team post a 19-2 mark. He followed with a 23.2-point average as a junior on a 22-6 squad. In track, he boasted a career-best 6'10" high jump.

Academic issues coming out of high school forced Weems to enroll at Arkansas-Fort Smith Junior College. He helped lead the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship in 2006 and was rated the best junior college player in the nation according to Juco Junction (Rivals.com) and Street & Smith's. As a sophomore, he averaged 15.7 points as UAFS went 33-3, and won the Bi-State Conference East Division title and the NJCAA Region II championship on the way to winning the national crown.

Weems was an honorable mention All-American by the NJCAA. He averaged 14.0 points in the national tournament, including a 22-point outing in the 75-71 semifinal victory over Highland College. Weems was also named to the national tournament all-tournament team. As a freshman, he earned third-team All-American honors, averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals. He also earned all-conference and all-region honors as UAFS went 29-4 with a Bi-State Conference East Division title and a second-place finish in the Region II tournament.

Upon graduation, Weems signed with Arkansas after also considering Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Memphis. He earned Southeastern Conference All-Tournament honors, as he started 32-of-35 games for the Razorbacks. He finished his first season with averages of 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor (161-332) and 72.9 percent at the line (51-70). He was second on the team in scoring, rebounding and steals, and third in assists, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and 3-point percentage (.361, 39-108).

In 2007-08, Weems earned All-Southeastern Conference honors, in addition to picking uop All-District and All-SEC Tournament accolades. He won the collegiate slam dunk national title at the 20th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. He got off to a slow start while recovering from a summer left hand fracture, but started 34 games, averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Classic high flyer with great leaping ability, having grabbed 319 rebounds during 69 games with the Razorbacks ... Despite playing small forward in college, he has the quickness and size to fit as a two guard in the NBA, where he can put to better use his lateral range, agility, upper-body strength and wingspan ... Good at drawing contact and getting to the charity stripe, demonstrating solid form and a high release point on his free throws, connecting at a 76.7 percent clip at Arkansas ... Can elevate high above the rim and shows good hang time flying through the air ... Uses his power and size well to create mismatches vs. guards as he drives in the paint and has enough basketball "smarts" to know when to bounce outside and take his shot from 3-point range (shows good touch and a high arc) ... Shows good court vision to distribute the ball well (more unselfish than a gunslinger), especially when passing out of double-teams in the post ... Works well in unison with his guards, as is best coming over from the weak side to slip underneath for the quick putbacks off the offensive glass ... Not really known as a great ball-handler, but has enough talent to put the ball on the floor for a few dribbles, pull up and shoot ... Gets very good elevation with his head going above the rim to convert consistently at the basket ... Has the length and balance, along with good body control to slash his way past slower defenders on the way to the rim ... Has really improved his range with his jumper, but also has the leaping ability to put in a resounding dunk or execute the alley-oops with his strong inside game ... More comfortable now executing his jump shot, as he can set his feet, fade back and elevate to generate a high enough release point to get his shots up and over the bigger forwards ... Has good lateral agility and foot speed to neutralize slashers and uses his hands actively to disrupt the passing lanes (90 steals in 69 games).

Negatives: Can put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two, but keeps it too loose and guards have had good success disrupting and deflecting his high dribble (better as a spot-up shooter) ... Too right-hand dominant and defenses know he is incapable of making moves with his left hand ... Has a penchant for shot putting the ball from the outside and is too deliberate with his release, giving a help defender a chance to get into position ... Lacks creativity with the ball in his hands, especially when pushing it up the court, as he gets caught in double-team activity too much, mostly due to his inability to escape due to marginal lateral mobility ... Good at drawing contact, but needs to do it more often, as he seems to prefer sitting back and using his jumper rather than aggressively driving to the rim (does not use his strength consistently when he should be aggressively attacking from inside) ... Has a decent jumper, but his mechanics need major refinement, as he is inconsistent setting his feet -- also has much wasted motion, leaving defenders a good chance to block his shot ... Has worked on improving his fade-away jumper, but he has poor footwork ... Sometimes looks lost on defense ... Gets out of position on rotations and simply bites too much on the shooter's head and shoulder fakes, taking too much time to recover when he commits to the air too early (big liability playing in rotation) ... Was suspended for the 2007 Oral Roberts game for a violation of team rules.

Compares To: DEVIN HARRIS-New Jersey ... A tale of the tape -- the measuring tape -- all but assures Weems will be a two guard in the NBA. Arkansas listed him at 6-6, but he was officially two inches shorter (6-foot-4) in Orlando. Still, with a 47.3 percent shooting range from the field, there is no question that he can score. His jumper is beginning to develop, but Weems needs to refine his shooting mechanics. He tends to shot put the ball from the perimeter and needs to do a better job of setting his feet on his jumper. He will never be confused as a defender, as he seems to be slow to react when asked to provide help defense. For a team needing some quick offense off the bench, Weems could be a nice find late in the second round.

CAREER NOTES

In 69 games at Arkansas, Weems started 66 contests. He tallied 921 points (13.3 per game), as he made 358-of-757 field goals (47.3 percent), 112-of-146 free throws (76.7 percent) and 93-of-254 3-pointers (36.6 percent). He had 319 rebounds (4.6 per game), grabbing 81 from the offensive glass. He had 162 assists, 183 turnovers, 23 blocked shots and 90 steals ... Has won slam dunk titles at the high school, junior college and senior college level ... His 31 points vs. Indiana was the second-best game total by a Razorback in an NCAA Tournament game, topped only by Mario Credit's 34 points vs. Loyola-Marymount on March 16, 1989 and Weems' total matched Todd Day's 31 points vs. Alabama in 1991.

2007-08 SEASON

All-Southeastern Conference first-team choice by the league's coaches, adding second-team honors from the Associated Press ... All-District VII pick by the United States Basket-ball Writers Association and second-team All-District IX selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches ... Won the college slam dunk national title at the 20th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas ... Weems' display included a dunk on which he passed the ball between his legs while in the air for a slam, catching the ball off a high bounce for a two-handed tomahawk dunk, running the length of the floor from the left corner and taking off from the free-throw line for a one-handed jam, and catching a high bounce from the right corner and passing the ball between his legs for a left-handed dunk ... Missed early season action with a left hand fracture, starting his final 34 games ... Led the team as he averaged 15.0 points (509), 4.5 rebounds (152) and 2.6 assists (84) per game, helping the Razorbacks go 23-12, finish second in the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, reach the finals of the SEC Tournament and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, as he also generated 45 steals with eight blocked shots.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

He had 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the opener vs. Wofford ... Weems had eight points, four rebounds and five steals vs. Delaware State ... In the win over Missouri, he had eight turnovers, but was 4-of-8 shooting to finish with 16 points along with six rebounds and four assists ... Was suspended for the Oral Roberts game (12/1) for violating team rules ... Returned for the Missouri State game and had seven points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, but turned the ball over five times ... Made 9-of-15 shots and had a game-high 21 points vs. Northwestern State and had a team-high tying 17 points along with game highs of five assists and six steals vs. Louisiana-Monroe ... In the win over Baylor, Weems scored a game-high 21 points in 22 minutes, going 7-of-11 from the floor, including 3-of-4 on threes, and 4-of-4 at the line. He had 18 points in the second half as Arkansas rallied from a 48-41 halftime deficit ... In the SEC opener at Auburn, he had 17 points, four rebounds and seven assists, as he was 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-6 on threes ... Was 6-of-9 in the second half, including 3-of-4 on threes, for 15 points ... In the Alabama clash, he was 7-of-9 at the line, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists with just one turnover ... Against South Carolina, he was 11-of-19 for 28 points along with nine rebounds, as he was 8-of-11 for 21 points with six rebounds in the second half ... Had 12 points and four rebounds at Georgia and added 21 points and seven rebounds, as he tallied 19 points in the first half, going 7-of-11 from the floor, including 5-of-5 on threes vs. Louisiana State ... In the win over Mississippi State, he had 22 points and six rebounds, and was 5-of-10 on three-pointers. Over one stretch in the first half, he scored 10 points in 1:06 and actually subbed out of the game and back in. He was out for nine seconds, meaning he scored 10 points (three threes and a free throw to complete a four-point play) in 57 seconds ... In the win over Florida, he scored a game-high 17 points, and added four rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal ... In the win over Ole Miss (2/9), he had his first double-double of the year with 22 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists ... At Tennessee, he was 8-of-17 from the floor, including 3-of-6 on threes, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal ... Weems had 14 points, three rebounds and a team-high four assists at Mississippi State ... Scored 22 of his 26 points at Kentucky in the second half. He was 10-of-20 for the game, including 3-of-6 on threes. He was 9-of-13 in the second half, including 3-of-5 on threes. His 10 shots made were half of the team's total (20), marking the first time one player did that since March 10, 1985, when Joe Kleine went 13-of-17 for 36 points vs. Texas Tech ... Had a team-high tying 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds at Alabama, but was 6-of-15 shooting ... In the win over Vanderbilt, he was 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 on threes, and 7-of-8 at the line, including 4-of-4 in the last seven seconds, to finish with 20 points ... In the SEC Tournament vs. Vanderbilt (3/14), he had just three points, but added six rebounds and a game-high four assists while helping limit VU's Shan Foster to 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting ... In the championship game vs. Georgia (3/16), he had a team-high tying 17 points on 8-of-15 shooting ... In the NCAA Tournament vs. Indiana, he was 12-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-4 on threes, and 4-of-4 at the line for 31 points. His point total ties Todd Day (Alabama, 3-21-91) for the second-most in school history in an NCAA Tournament game. Mario Credit had 34 vs. Loyola-Marymount (3-16-89) ... In the loss to North Carolina, he was 8-of-20 shooting, but led the team with 19 points while adding three assists.

2006-07 SEASON

Named to the Old Spice Classic and Southeastern Conference all-tournament teams, as he helped Arkansas win the Old Spice Classic by averaging a team-high 12.7 points along with 5.3 rebounds in three games ... Started 32-of-35 games, finishing his first season with the Razorbacks with averages of 11.8 points (412), 4.8 rebounds (167), 2.1 assists (73) and 1.3 steals (45) while shooting 48.5 percent from the floor (161-332) and 72.9 percent at the free-throw line (51-70) ... Second on the team in scoring, rebounding and steals, and third in assists, field goal percentage, free-throw percentage and 3-point percentage (.361, 39-108).

JUNIOR COLLEGE

2005-06 Season ... Weems helped lead UA-Fort Smith to the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship ... The top rated junior college player in the nation according to Juco Junction (Rivals.com) and Street & Smith's, he averaged 15.7 points as a sophomore, scoring 462 points for a team that went 33-3 ... Led the squad to the Bi-State Conference East Division title and the NJCAA Region II championship on the way to winning the national crown ... Honorable mention All-American by the NJCAA, as he averaged 14.0 points in the national tournament, including a 22-point outing in the 75-71 semifinal victory over Highland College ... Also named to the national tournament all-tournament team ... Shot 49.3 percent from the field (181-of-367), 33.9 percent from 3-point range (21-of-62) and 68.7 percent from the foul line (79-of-115) ... Grabbed 127 rebounds (4.4 per game) with 63 assists (2.2 per game) and 22 steals (0.8 per game). 2004-05 Season ... Earned third-team All-American honors after averaging 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals ... Also earned all-conference and all-region honors as UAFS went 29-4 with a Bi-State Conference East Division title and a second-place finish in the Region II tournament.

INJURY REPORT

2007-08 Season: Missed one week of practice and the two exhibition games in Cancun over Labor Day weekend with a broken left hand.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended West Memphis (Ark.) High School, playing basketball for head coach Larry Barry ... Was a stellar all-around athlete, competing not only in basketball, but also in football and track ... For the hoops squad, he earned first-team All-State, All-Conference and the West Memphis Evening Times Player of the Year honors ... As a senior, he averaged 14.6 points and 14.0 rebounds, leading the team to a 27-2 record and claimed the 5A state championship ... Averaged 20.1 points as a sophomore, helping the team post a 19-2 mark ... Followed with a 23.2-point average as a junior on a 22-6 squad ... In track, he boasted a career-best 6'10" high jump.

PERSONAL

Physical Education major ... Son of Sherry and Darrel Levy ... Born 7/08/86 ... Resides in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Stats

Career Shooting Stats
Season	TEAM	G	MIN	FG	FGA	FG%	FG3	FG3A	FG3%	FT	FTA	FT%	PTS	AVG
2006-07	Arkansas	35	1086	161	332	48.5	39	108	36.1	51	70	72.9	412	11.8
2007-08	Arkansas	34	1067	197	425	46.4	54	146	37	61	76	80.3	509	15
TOTAL		69	2153	358	757	47.3	93	254	36.6	112	146	76.7	921	13.3

More Stats
Season	TEAM	G	MIN	REB	RAVG	A	AAVG	STL	SAVG	BLK	BAVG	TO
2006-07	Arkansas	35	1086	167	4.8	73	2.1	45	1.3	15	0.4	87
2007-08	Arkansas	34	1067	152	4.5	89	2.6	45	1.3	8	0.2	96
TOTAL		69	2153	319	4.6	162	2.3	90	1.3	23	0.3	183