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FAYETTEVILLE – Razorback All-American and former NBA first-round pick Ronnie Brewer and former Arkansas Jon Blake have been added to the men’s basketball staff, Arkansas head coach announced, Eric Musselman.
Brewer has been appointed recruiting coordinator and Blake will be deputy director of basketball administration.
Brewer, the 14th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, spent 10 seasons playing professional basketball (2006-16). Brewer played three seasons (2006-10) with the Utah Jazz and played in the NBA Rookie-Sophomore Game 2008. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in January 2010. He then signed with Chicago before the 2010-11 season. and spent two seasons with the Bulls. Over the next two seasons, Brewer played with the New York Knicks (2012-13), Oklahoma City Thunder (2013), Houston Rockets (2013-14) and a second stint with the Bulls (2014). He ended his professional career playing one season (2015-16) with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
He scored 3,940 points in his NBA career with 1,427 rebounds and 828 assists. Highlights include playing and starting a career-high 81 games averaging a career-high 13.7 points in 2008-09 with the Utah Jazz and playing 81 games in 2010- 11 to help the Chicago Bulls post the best NBA record (62-20) and reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
Following his rookie season in the NBA, he launched the Ronnie Brewer Foundation in 2007 to support communities in at-risk situations while promoting education, fitness and the importance of working together as a team. He also ran annual youth basketball summer camps in Fayetteville and created jobs in Farmington with his Brew Crew Transportation Trucking Company.
In 2009, Brewer received the Silas Hunt Legacy Award from the University of Arkansas, which recognizes African Americans for their significant contributions to community, state, and nation.
After retiring from professional basketball and in addition to his foundation and trucking company, Brewer worked at Fayetteville High School with the boys’ basketball team and a communications teacher, as well as Coach of the Woodz Elite U16 AAU basketball team. Brewer also put his communication skills to good use by hosting sports radio shows in South Florida and Northwest Arkansas.
During his playing career at Arkansas, Brewer was a 2006 All-American, a two-time All-SEC first-team selection (2005 and ’06) and a two-time All-District selection (2005 and ’06) by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and US Basketball Writers Association.
Brewer ranks 16th on Arkansas’ all-time scorers list with 1,416 – behind his father and colleague Ron, the NBA’s first-round pick with 1,440 points – in his three seasons with the Razorbacks. He’s led the Razorbacks in interceptions in each of his three seasons, including leading the SEC in 2006 with 83, and ranking eighth on the school’s all-time stealing list. Brewer also led the Hogs in goals scored, rebounds, field goals and free throws in 2005 and 2006, while also leading the team in assists and field goal percentage to 3. points in 2005.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Brewer grew up in Fayetteville and was inducted into the Hall of Greats at Fayetteville High School in 2017. While with the Purple Bulldogs, he was selected as Mr. Basketball in Arkansas in as a senior in 2003. He broke Corliss Williamson’s lecture. scoring record as a senior and averaging 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists this season.
Although he only played three seasons for the Razorbacks (2004-06), Brewer received his journalism degree from Arkansas in 2015.
Blake, a Springdale native and Arkansas graduate, spent last season as associate director of football operations at Southern Cal. Prior to that, he was an operations assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2019 and a graduate football operations assistant for the Razorbacks for three seasons (2016-18).
He served as a Fayetteville Athletic Club Membership Advisor in 2015-16 after serving in the video operations department with the Arkansas football team for the 2014 season. He worked in production at KNWA-TV and Fox 24. News for three years (2011-14).
He received his BA in Sports Management from Arkansas in 2015, as well as an MA in Sports Management (2017) and Physical Education Teaching and Coaching (2019).
Blake played football at Har-Ber High School.
For more information on Arkansas men’s basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.
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