But what kind of pro will Weems be in the NBA?  That’s hard to tell right now, of course, but NBA scouts and general managers earn their salaries trying to find players like Sonny Weems.

Leading up to draft day, the knock on the former Razorback could be summed up in one word: inconsistent.

Nevertheless, the NBA is always looking for hidden gems who possess athleticism and potential, but that need skill development and coaching to succeed at the professional level.

And given the right environment and coaching, I think Weems will turn out to be a good — maybe even very good — player in the NBA.

Sonny made his case for the pros in the last half of his senior season and especially in the NCAA tournament against Indiana.  SI.com noted that in his draft bio:

“Maybe no player among this year’s crop helped his draft status more in one game than Weems did.  He had 31 points on 12-of-14 shooting in a first-round win over Indiana to lead Arkansas to its first NCAA tournament victory since 1999.  That game showed the promise Weems possesses following just two seasons against top-flight competition after transferring from junior college.”

The departure of Weems, along with the rest of the seniors that graduated this past year, closed out the Stan Heath era — a time period that produced more expectations than quality wins.

For all the talent supposedly recruited by Heath, only two of his players who made it on campus were drafted into the NBA.  And some might say that Weems and Ronnie Brewer had enough raw skill and athleticism to make it to the next level no matter who was coaching.  In reality, that’s probably pretty close to the truth.

But now it’s up to Sonny to make the most of this opportunity by working hard and learning how to consistently maximize his talent.  And being consistent means getting it done night in and night out…starting tonight with his second professional game against the Toronto Raptors.

Hogwired.com: Sonny Weems Traded to Denver After Getting Drafted by Chicago

After being drafted by the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, former Arkansas guard/forward Sonny Weems is now headed to Denver.

The Bulls took the first-team All-SEC selection with the ninth pick of the second round and the No. 39 overall selection in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

Also:

• Ryan Malashock: Weems Drafted By Bulls, Traded To Nuggets
• Brandon Marcello: Weems drafted, traded
• Chris Cocoles: Weems winds up in Denver
• Rocky Mountain News: Trade nets ‘world class’ athletic talent for Nuggets, With Sonny Weems, football’s loss is Nuggets’ gain

Updated 6/28/08 9:10 a.m.

For the first time since 1999, the Arkansas Razorbacks won a game in the NCAA Basketball Tournament.  And that victory over the Indiana Hoosiers is #4 on our countdown of the best Razorback games of the 2007-08 seasons.

Sonny Weems would cement his legacy with a career-high 31 points (including 18 in the second half).  And Darian Townes would rise to the occasion as well, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

But it was Weems only assist of the game — an alley-oop pass to Steven Hill with a little over 11 minutes left — that started a 12-3 run that eventually finished off the Hoosiers.

Indiana vs. Arkansas – NCAA March Madness 2008 highlights

Afterwards, Coach John Pelphrey described his team perfectly while foreshadowing what was to come:

“They’re a resilient bunch,” Pelphrey said of his team. “They’ve been given up for dead two or three times, and they bounced back. … The challenge for them is to have some repeat success, in terms of their effort, their focus, their level of play, [because] this is the NCAA tournament and our next opponent is unbelievable.”

The victory over Indiana would, of course, be the last win of the 2007-08 basketball season.

But considering the nine-year journey just to make it to the second round again, watching a season-ending thrashing by the tournament’s top seed was easier to take than enduring another ‘one and done’ postseason appearance by the Hogs.

Arkansas senior Sonny Weems won the collegiate slam dunk national title on Thursday in the 20th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas.

The contest was held in Greehey Arena in conjunction with this week’s Final Four.

The 6-6 guard/forward from West Memphis, Ark., placed second in the first round and in the semifinals before claiming the title in the finals.

Also:

• Ryan Malashock: Weems Wins Dunk Contest
• Bob Holt: Weems wins contest, heads to Portsmouth
• YouTube (Video): Sonny Weems – Dunk 1, Sonny Weems – Dunk 2, Sonny Weems – Dunk 3, Sonny Weems – Dunk 4

Updated 4/5/08 8:45 a.m.

Hogwired.com: Arkansas Upends LSU at Home, 68-52

Sonny Weems had 21 points, including five 3-pointers, and Patrick Beverley had 14 points and 15 rebounds as Arkansas beat LSU 68-52 on Saturday.

Also:

• Hogwired.com: Game Stats (PDF)
• ESPN.com: Arkansas 68, LSU 52, Arkansas vs. LSU Highlights
• Ryan Malashock: Arkansas Gets Must-Win At LSU
• Robbie Neiswanger: UA Guard Earning Reputation As Rebounder
• Harry King: Razorbacks win with Beverley
• Bob Holt: Hogs hit shots, end 6-year skid
• Wally Hall: Shooting comes easier for Arkansas at outset
• The Times-Picayune: Hogs keep Tigers reeling
• The Shreveport Times: Arkansas drops LSU to 0-5 in SEC play

Updated 1/27/08 9:15 a.m.