Arkansas basketball had one of the most eventful offseasons of any school in the country. It started when head coach Eric Musselman left for USC after being with the program for half a decade. However, the Razorbacks hired one of the best college basketball coaches to replace him, John Calipari. He immediately went to work and completely rebuilt the roster via the transfer portal. He brought in some big-name players to make Arkansas one of the preseason favorites in the SEC.
Arkansas Basketball Preview: A Familiar Face in a New Place
After missing the NCAA tournament last season, Arkansas basketball is looking to bounce back under new leadership. Not only have they brought in a completely new roster, but they have also reenergized the fanbase. When Calipari took over, he brought the backing from major boosters. Big names like John Tyson, the former CEO of Tyson Chicken, have bankrolled Arkansas’ NIL budget so the Razorbacks can compete again.
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Arkansas boasts the best transfer class in all of college basketball. The biggest addition is Johnell Davis, who is the reigning AAC player of the year. He looks to be the catalyst of the new-look Arkansas squad. His ability to create his own shot and hit the three will be valuable. In addition to Davis, Arkansas brought in two big men—Zvonimir Ivisic from Kentucky and Jonas Aidoo from Tennessee. Ivisic is a bit of a project big man. As a freshman at Kentucky, he came off the bench and averaged around 6 points per game. But, he shot 37.5% from three, which is an encouraging number. Aidoo is more of a known quantity. He was a great two-way player last season. He averaged 11 points and nearly 2 blocks per game. The roster should be filled with both top-end talent and quality bench options.
Schedule Breakdown
While Arkansas’ schedule is not official yet, we do know a few key non-conference games that the Razorbacks have. They have three scheduled against high-major opponents; Illinois, Michigan, and Miami (FL). The most difficult will be Illinois. Despite the Illini losing both Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon, they will still be a strong squad next season. Michigan should also be better next season after bringing in Dusty May as its new head coach. He brought in many high-level transfers which should have the Wolverines competing again.
In addition to the non-conference schedule, the SEC will likely be tough again. The staples of Tennessee, Auburn, Kentucky, and Alabama should all be strong again next season. Florida and South Carolina are both coming off strong seasons and should continue to improve. And to top it off, Oklahoma and Texas are joining the conference, which will certainly make things a bit more difficult. If Arkansas wants to win the conference this year, they will need to be careful. The SEC will be one of the deepest conferences in America this year and it will be a fight to the end to see who wins it.
How Will Arkansas Basketball Fair This Year?
With all things considered, Arkansas should be one of the best teams in the country this season. Even though they have a difficult schedule, their talent is undeniable. They have both stars and role players, which is necessary to win a title. They are a little inexperienced in the front court, but guard depth should be able to cover this up. Despite his recent failures at Kentucky, Calipari is still one of the best coaches in the country. A change of scenery may have been needed to prove this. If things go well, Arkansas could win the SEC and even the National Championship.
