We interrupt the SEC officials/Ole Miss conversation to bring you some basketball nuggets.

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey met briefly with the media Wednesday to discuss the first week of practice and the Red-White Game, which is scheduled for Friday. Pelphrey and Arkansas guard Rotnei Clarke will be talking to the SEC media at SEC Basketball Media Day in Hoover, Ala., today. Obviously, I’m not there. But we have Dudley Dawson of Hawgs Illustrated over there covering for us. So thanks Dudley!

Anyway, there was no big news from Pelphrey’s press conference yesterday. I was planning to blog this yesterday, but the SEC’s decision to suspend the officials changed my plans. But a couple of notes and quotes worth sharing:

• Just to get this out of the way, Pelphrey said there have been no suspensions for the Red-White scrimmage. It’s a question we’re going to ask frequently through the start of the season because of the offseason issues. Pelphrey said everyone is scheduled to participate Friday, though.

• Pelphrey said the attitude, energy level and enthusiasm at practice has been “outstanding” so far. Arkansas practiced six times in a four-day stretch. That can obviously be a shock to newcomers. Arkansas has a lot of newcomers, too. But Pelphrey said they’re working through it.

“We’ve got to get comfortable with learning new stuff,” Pelphrey said. “Half our team it’s the first time they’ve ever gone through it. So attention is a big thing. We’ve just got to continue to get a lot of reps in and everything. But we do have time for that. I think from being able to get through six practices in four days, I thought those guys did very well.”

• Pelphrey also was asked about Michael Washington and his leadership role so far. He said Washington has had a big impact on the new guys already, showing them what to do and where to go. That kind of thing. Pelphrey said he better because Arkansas needs every contribution.

“For me, he’s been very, very helpful with Glenn Bryant and Delvon (Johnson) and Marshawn (Powell),” Pelphrey said. “Which, he’s going to need to be. He’s been through it. Those guys haven’t and we’re going to need those guys. It’s been good to see.”

• Lastly, Pelphey was asked about the newcomers and if it’s clear they will all be able to contribute this season. Pelphrey said it’s hard to tell at this point, but each one has shown signs of promise in practice so far.

“They’ve had very good moments and they try,” Pelphrey said. “They haven’t been through something like this. Even though you go through several weeks of preparation with your conditioing and your strength program, to get your body ready for this is still very difficult. You go out and you get hammered like that in a large number of practices in a short amount of time. So even though they’re banged up, tired, their body was sore, I like the way they kept trying.”

• What is happening with the Red-White scrimmage? Here is the schedule:

Autographs — 6 p.m.

Women’s Red-White Game — 7:30 p.m.

Three-point competition — 8:14 p.m.

Hot Spot competition — 8:20 p.m.

Men’s Introductions — 8:40 p.m.

Men’s Red-White Game — 8:45 p.m.

It’s hard to believe, I know, but Arkansas basketball tips off preseason practice tomorrow night.

Most of the talk this week has centered on Arkansas playing top-ranked Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, but there is hoops news to share, mainly because we haven’t been able to talk at length to players and coaches for quite some time. John Pelphrey, Rotnei Clark, Courtney Fortson and Michael Washington were all available today. Here were some of the highlights:

• Off-the-court issues have been a big topic and Pelphrey addressed them somewhat today. He wouldn’t specify which players have been suspended for which games, saying that will be addressed later. He hopes players understand and have learned from their mistakes.

“Since I’ve been here, I find a value to doing the right things,” Pelphrey said. “Being a disciplined basketball team on the court, off the court. And if you don’t do the right thing we’ll be swift to take action. Thought out, of a response to that. I feel like there’s a standard to which we need to live up to in terms of representing this school and this state.”

• Point guard Courtney Fortson was asked about his insensitive comment on Twitter, which was posted while his teammates were being investigated for an alleged rape. Fortson said he regretted the Tweet and added “you live and you learn and you move on.” As noted earlier, Pelphrey wouldn’t comment on the discipline Fortson faces, but said it should be a lesson to everyone.

“I think all those guys need to be mindful, whether it’s Facebook, e-mail, Twitter, texting, there’s a standard there, too,” Pelphrey said. “It’s not just you it could affect. There’s a lot of people out there that may hold you accountable for your words.”

• Michael Washington spoke about his decision to return to the team after testing the NBA waters. Washington said he didn’t get too deep into the process, but did learn what he needs to work on. Interestingly, he said it was a family decision. His family decided Washington needed to come back to school, so that’s what he did. Pelphrey and the Razorbacks are counting on him to perform this season.

“We need Mike to do it again,” Pelphrey said. “The jump that he made was big. I think if he can somehow duplicate that, that would be better than what he did last year because he’s going to be the first name on the board. We’ve got to stop this guy. So if he duplicates that, he’s had a pretty succesful year and that would be phenomenal.”

• The golfer, also known as Stephen Cox, is back on the team. Pelphrey said he went to Arkansas golf coach Brad McMakin and asked if he could get Cox back for the season. Why? Well, Pelphrey said Cox is valuable to what the Razorbacks do.

“I think we’ve got a lot of people that are a huge part of our program that probably don’t start and score a lot of points and do those types of things,” Cox said. “But as you know, I find a value to Stephen. He helps us.”

• The status of another walk-on, Nick Mason, is not quite clear. Mason was involved in the fraternity house incident in late August. Pelphrey said he’ll address Mason’s situation later as well. However, he was asked if Mason would practice tomorrow and responded with:

“Nick will be a part of the team on some limited basis, yes.”

• Like I said above, Arkansas will practice for the first time Friday at 5 p.m. They will practice twice on Saturday and Sunday. There won’t be much time until they’ll take to the floor, too. The Red-White game is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m.

That’s all regarding the hoops team for now, but there’s much, much more to share. Look for more blogs and stories over the next several days.

This morning we had a story that said Arkansas forward Michael Washington had decided to pull his name out of the NBA Draft pool and return to the Razorbacks. We also had a column from Dudley Dawson, who got reaction from members of Arkansas’ incoming signing class and Scout.com basketball recruiting analyst Dave Telep.

Well, Arkansas has finally issued a press release on the subject this afternoon.

It’s not much and we’ve been told this is all the Razorbacks will say about Washington’s return at this time. Pelphrey is not available for comment. Neither is Washington. It’s a stark contrast from Kentucky, which held a press conference to announce that forward Patrick Patterson was returning for his senior season earlier this week.

But here is Arkansas’ announcement. There are no quotes from Washington. There is one quote from John Pelphrey:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. –- Arkansas junior forward Michael Washington is returning to school for his senior season after officially removing his name from the NBA Draft list, head coach John Pelphrey announced on Wednesday.

The 2009 Southeastern Conference rebounding champion submitted his name to the NBA on April 17, but was able to withdraw after not signing with an agent. He had until June 15 to take his name out of the pool.

“He’s coming back,” Pelphrey says. “We worked with Michael and the NBA to gather information and help him make an informed decision. It was beneficial for him to go through that process. Michael has worked hard this off-season, and he wants to come back to further his education and help us build toward a championship. He is a big part of our team and we are happy to have him back.”

Washington, a 6-9, 239-pounder from McGehee, earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press. He also earned All-District 21 honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches and All-District VII honors from the United States Basketball Writers Association.

In his first season as a starter, he led the SEC in rebounding (9.8), was ninth in scoring (15.5), third in field goal percentage (.551), eighth in blocked shots (1.3), second in offensive rebounding (3.5) and second in defensive rebounding (6.3).

He is Arkansas’ first conference rebounding champion since the Hogs had a three-year hold on the position with Derek Hood in 1997 (8.0), Nick Davis in 1998 (9.8) and Hood again in 1999 (10.3).

Washington led the team in scoring 13 times and in rebounding 21 times. He had 22 double-figure scoring games and 14 double-figure rebounding games with 12 double-doubles, the most for a Razorback since Hood set the school record with 18 in 1999. Washington also had nine 20-point games.

Just noticed my story on Michael Washington hasn’t made it up on our Web site, yet. So here it is, complete with some quotes from Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News:

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas’ basketball program hasn’t had many reasons to smile the past few months. But coach John Pelphrey and the Razorbacks got a big dose of good news Tuesday.

Forward Michael Washington has decided to withdraw from the 2009 NBA Draft and return to the Razorbacks for his senior season, according to a source.

Washington’s decision came nearly a month after he entered the draft without hiring an agent. The 6-foot-10 junior, who was projected as a second-round pick according to some mock drafts, led Arkansas in scoring (15.5) and rebounding (9.8) last season.

So Mike DeCourcy, a college basketball columnist and senior writer for The Sporting News, said it was a good move for both parties.

“There’s no question that Michael would not have been a first-round pick,” DeCourcy said. “And probably not likely to be a pick at all. … This was essential for Arkansas. To make progress from where they were a year ago you have to have guys come back who are not NBA ready. You have to have those guys back in the fold.”

Arkansas associate media relations director Robby Edwards said the school could not confirm that Washington had withdrawn his name from the draft list Tuesday. Underclassmen who enter the draft must file paperwork before June 15 to be removed from consideration. Washington could not be reached for comment.

But his decision boosts Arkansas’ frontcourt after freshmen forwards Brandon Moore and Andre Clark announced they were transferring this spring. Arkansas should have more depth to surround Washington and sophomore Michael Sanchez next season after signing forwards Delvon Johnson, Glenn Bryant, Anthony Borden and Marshawn Powell in its 2009 class.

Washington’s return to Arkansas could also be classified as another big offseason victory for the SEC. He becomes the third conference post player to return to school in the past few days.

Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson, who was considered a first-round pick, withdrew his name from the NBA Draft to return to the Wildcats last week. Mississippi State center Jarvis Varnado announced his intention to return to the Bulldogs on Monday.

“Getting Patrick and Jarvis and Michael back is huge for the league,” DeCourcy said. “I think that that happening gives the league a chance to get off the deck next year and be back to where we customarily expect them to be.”

Just to keep you updated on the situation: Sources have told us that Michael Washington will pull his name out of the NBA Draft pool and is expected to return to the Razorbacks this season.

I spoke with Arkansas associate sports information director Robby Edwards a little while ago and he said the Razorbacks would not confirm Washington’s return today. I’ve called Washington’s cell phone several times, but the forward hasn’t picked up the phone.

Washington declared for the draft last month, but did not hire an agent. Underclassmen that declare for the NBA Draft but decide to return to school must notify the NBA before the withdrawal is complete. I’m not sure if that has happened tonight. But it’s safe to say no considering Arkansas was not ready to confirm that Washington is returning to school.

Read The Morning News for more on Washington’s return and what it means for next season.

A Little Rock television station is reporting that forward Michael Washington is returning to Arkansas for his senior season.

Today’s THV says it spoke with Washington over the phone today and the forward told them it was in his best interest to come back and play one more season for the Razorbacks. The report said Washington told the station it was not a difficult decision. Washington is not quoted in the report, which you can find by clicking here.

I have not been able to reach Washington or Arkansas coach John Pelphrey to verify the report yet. But I did just speak with Arkansas sports information director Robby Edwards, who said he could not confirm the report at this time.

If Washington does indeed return, he’d be the third SEC big man to make that decision recently. Kentucky forward Patrick Patterson has pulled his name out of the draft. MSU center Jarvis Varnardo announced his decision to return Monday.

I’ll let you know more info as soon as I get it.

  Basketball anyone?

  While Arkansas’ baseball team will attempt to end its losing streak this evening, a bit of basketball news has come out. 

  According to KTHV in Little Rock, Arkansas forward Michael Washington has decided to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and return to the Razorbacks for his senior season.

  Washington announced April 17 that he was putting his name in the draft, but he left open the possibility of returning to Arkansas by not signing with an agent.

  Underclassmen have until June 15 to withdraw their names from the draft. But according to KTHV, Washington said the decision to return to Arkansas wasn’t a tough one. He and his family agreed it was in his best interest to come back for one more season.

  Washington wasn’t considered a top prospect, and the consensus was that he wouldn’t be picked in the first round of the June 25 draft. He was projected as a second-round selection, which isn’t too appealing since those players taken after the first round don’t receive guaranteed contracts.

  Washington’s return would be a major boost to the Razorbacks, who have already lost forwards Brandon Moore and Andre Clark this offseason after both announced that they were transferring to other schools.

  And just as important, Arkansas’ basketball team has such a low APR that it’s in danger of losing scholarships next year. It would help if Washington came back to school and earned his degree.

Are you tired of waiting and waiting and waiting to find out whether Arkansas forward Michael Washington will be back with the Razorbacks next season?

Well, I’ve got some good news and bad news for you.

The bad: You still could be waiting for another month-and-a-half because players who declare for the NBA Draft but don’t hire an agent have until June 15 to withdraw their name. The good: You won’t have to wait this long for another Arkansas player to make a decision ever again thanks to an NCAA rule change.

The NCAA has approved a rule change that will go into effect next season in regard to early entry guys. The deadline for underclassmen to return to school now will be May 8. The story says the change in rules has been applauded by basketball coaches who want to know how to reshape their teams and school officials who are concerned about academic ramifications of the late date.

The NBA is helping out, too, agreeing to move its date for individual workouts from early June to April 30.

To put this in perspective, Washington declared for the draft on April 17. If the new rules were in effect he would’ve had roughly three weeks to go through the evaluation process and make a decision. Is two months really necessary?

Arkansas forward Michael Washington is probably getting all kinds of advice right now.

Go make some money playing pro basketball. Come back to school one more year. Etc., etc.

Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com has weighed in on what he thinks Washington should do. Actually, Goodman has weighed in on what he thinks every player that has put his name into the NBA Draft pool should do.

Goodman has Washington falling in a category he has titled: Come back, young man (these kids should withdraw).

His assessment of Washington’s situation: “He’s long and athletic, but needs another year with John Pelphrey. Right now, it’s difficult to imagine anyone taking him in the first round, but a good individual campaign and a strong year by the Razorbacks could result in a guaranteed deal after next season.”

In comparison, Goodman believes Florida’s Nick Calathes, MSU’s Jarvis Varnado, and Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson are all guys he classifies as “So long (not sure these guys would benefit enough from another year).” On the other hand, LSU’s Tasmin Mitchell, Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks, Tennessee’s Tyler Smith and South Carolina’s Devan Downey all fall in the same category as Washington.

I think it’s safe to assume the SEC would love to see all five heed Goodman’s advice and return to their respective schools.

  Arkansas coach John Pelphrey announced today that forward Brandon Moore has decided to transfer, though a university release doesn’t indicate where the 6-foot-9, 215-pound sophomore is headed.

  “We appreciate all of Brandon’s efforts and contributions to the Razorback program,” Pelphrey said in a statement released through the university. “We wish him nothing but the best.”

  Moore’s decision to leave doesn’t come as a surprise. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game as a freshman last season. He played in 25 games, but never started and saw limited playing time even though the Razorbacks were particularly thin in the paint.

  In addition, Moore was suspended for two games following his Jan. 19 arrest for driving while intoxicated and other traffic-related charges. He later received a 90-day suspended jail sentence and was ordered to take a defensive driving class as part of his sentence.

  Moore’s departure comes less than a week after forward Michael Washington announced that he was entering his name in the NBA Draft, though he left open the possibility of retuning to Arkansas next season by deciding not to hire an agent.