Razorback Report

Smith resigned to filing

BELLA VISTA - Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said Friday his bankruptcy filing appears inevitable at this point.

“We need to end something and start over,” Smith said prior to the Razorback Celebrity Scramble golf tournamentheld by the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Club. “Yes, it’s going to happen.”

Smith revealed to The Associated Press onJuly 4 that his real estate dealings in Kentucky during his tenure as head coach at Louisville turned bad when the nation’s economy soured. One of Smith’s former partners, John Mason, filed for bankruptcy in December in Kentucky, listing liabilities between $10 million and $50 million.

Smith expressed frustration Friday that his partners kept pushing to increase their real estate holdings.

“We got in way, way over our heads,” Smith said. “Again, it came about because you got involved in a bunch of partnerships and things like that that maybe I should not have. And you get involved in some land deals and all of a sudden the bubble bursts and, you know, same thing that’s happened to a lot of people all over the country.

“So, [you] just try to get it all out and resolved.”

Smith revealed the financial issues to Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Longprior to his April 23 hiring, and by talking about them publicly now he’s hoping they do not loom over the Razorbacks’ season.

“That’s the reason we’ve tried to get it out and get it over with, so it doesn’t become a distraction,” Smith said. “Everybody’s aware of it.” Wilson arrives

Demetrius Wilson, a receiver out of Glendale (Ariz.)Community College, made it to campus Wednesday and is quickly acclimating himself.

“It’s a great campus and a great environmentand our team meetings have been very good,” Wilson said.

Wilson, who is part of Arkansas’ five-member class of receivers, said he reported in at 6-2, 180 pounds, but he hopes to weigh 195 pounds before the season starts.

Wilson said he needed to finish a math class at Glendale before meeting SEC eligibility requirements.

Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said Wilson was already working with punt returners in voluntary workouts, and receivers coach Kris Cinkovich said he expected the speedy wideout to fight for a starting job in camp.

Ascolese on hold

Arkansas Coach John L. Smith said Friday that linebacker signee Vin Ascolese of North Bergen (N.J.) High might enroll in January.

“Going to have to wait and see on that one,” Smith said. “That would be one we’re still waiting on. It might be a situation where he ends up grayshirting and coming in during the winter.”

Ascolese is the only Razorbacks signee who has not arrived on campus.

Sports, Pages 17 on 07/14/2012

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