Things have not gone well for the Arkansas Basketball program since the conclusion of a disappointing season. However, Razorbacks’ fans may feel better today with the news that the Hogs are on the verge of making a splashy and surprising coach hire.
Late last night, ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzolo revealed that Arkansas is finalizing a five-year deal with Kentucky’s John Calipari to become the Razorbacks’ next coach.
Arkansas Basketball Hire John Calipari From Kentucky, What’s Next For The Razorbacks?
ESPN’s report indicated that Calipari’s new deal is expected to be worth slightly less than the $8.5 million that he was making with the Wildcats. However, the contract is said to have incentives that will allow the 65-year-old to surpass his previous salary.
Calipari replaces Eric Musselman, who left to take over USC’s program on April 4.
Arkansas’ decision to hire Calipari is a huge surprise, though he had come under fire at Kentucky for the Wildcats’ recent NCAA tournament failures. The Wildcats, who won just nine games in 2020-21 — the program’s fewest since the 1920s — have reached the 20-win total in the last three seasons. But the Cats are just 1-3 in their previous three NCAA tournament appearances.
“After a series of disappointing outcomes, Calipari no longer had full control in Lexington, ESPN’s Myron Metcalf said when discussing why Calipari left UK. “Rather than give Kentucky’s brass another year to decide if they wanted to keep him, Calipari did what some coaches do in this scenario: He left.”
ESPN said the Arkansas deal came together due to Calipari’s long-standing relationship with Arkansas billionaire John H. Tyson. Before the Calipari’s hire, the Razorbacks were rebuffed by Ole Miss’ Chris Beard and Kansas State’s Jerome Tang.
Calipari finishes his tenure as the second longest in Kentucky history, posting a 410-123 record in 15 seasons. He made 12 NCAA tournament appearances, won six SEC regular season crowns and tournament crowns, and made four Final 4 appearances. But the Wildcats won just one national title.
Cal Has A lot Of Work To Do
Calipari has a lot of work to do once he gets settled in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks have just one scholarship player left from last year’s team that finished a disappointing 16-17, including 6-12 in the SEC, following the departure of leading scorer Tramon Mack on Sunday.
Losing Mack is a huge setback for Calipari’s ability to rebuild the Razorbacks quickly. Known as a defensive stopper in his three seasons at Houston, Mack really came into his own offensively under Musselman’s tutelage. The 6-5 wing averaged a career-high 16.2 points while putting together his best shooting performance .480/.360/ .804.
Arkansas lost five players who were part of Musselman’s regular rotation. Immediately after the season’s conclusion, Keyon Menifield Jr., Denijay Harris and Joeseph Pinion let be known of their decision to transfer. Davonte Davis departed during the first week of the transfer portal.
Since then, Layden Blocker, Baye Fall, and Khalif Battle have also exited. UMass transfer Josh Cohen flipped his commitment from Arkansas to USC. Additionally, top-75 2024 recruit Jalen Shelley asked for his release from his letter of intent on Saturday to reopen his recruitment.
Pinion is the only player of the bunch to have found a new home, Arkansas State.
What Does Calipari Have Coming Back?
The departures mean that Calipari has just two players committed to the Razorbacks for next year. Trevon Brazile, a 6-10 forward, and incoming four-star recruit Isaiah Elohim. Brazile is a talented big man with good athleticism and the ability to score around the rim, rebound, and block shots.
Elohim is a 6-5 wing who projects to be a starter for the Razorbacks, at least down the line, due to his scoring ability. He is a physical player who likes getting to the rack but can also consistently knock down mid-range jumpers. Elohim was rated as a top 50 recruit by 247.
While football is Arkansas’ bread and butter, the Razorbacks have a proud basketball tradition. Arkansas has reached the Sweet 16 in three of the past four years, making the Elite Eight twice. The Razorbacks have six Final Four and a national title, but that was in the early 1990s.
Calipari should also have no trouble recruiting players. Not only is that Calipari’s forte, but ESPN Jeff Borzelo says the Razorbacks have some things working for them.
“Arkansas has plenty of resources and is increasing its NIL budget to bring Calipari into the fold. The fan base is there, too. When Bud Walton Arena is rocking, it’s one of the best home-court advantages in the SEC. And Arkansas has a stranglehold on keeping in-state talent home for school; there was a stretch from 2016 to 2022 when zero ESPN 100 prospects left the state of Arkansas for college.”
“Calipari can win a national championship at Arkansas. Everything is in place to consistently compete at the top of the SEC and push for Final Four berths. Musselman didn’t quite have the regular-season success to match, but he had the Razorbacks within a game of the Final Four in back-to-back years. The key for Calipari is whether he will change his outlook on roster construction. He’ll be able to recruit at a high level in Fayetteville, but Calipari can’t continue to build with only one or two transfers. “
