When John Calipari stepped up to the podium for his first press conference as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, he jokingly remarked that heโd be meeting with the team soon โ but there was just one problem: there wasnโt much of a team to meet. Calipari had arrived in Fayetteville following a 15-year tenure at Kentucky, stepping into a situation that required a complete roster rebuild. Inheriting a near-empty locker room, Calipari faced the daunting task of assembling a brand-new squad almost entirely from scratch.
Now, entering his second season at the helm, Calipari appears to have Arkansas primed for a major leap forward. The rebuilding efforts are already paying off, with Calipari announcing via social media that key contributors like DJ Wagner, Trevon Brazile, and Billy Richmond III are all returning for the 2025โ26 campaign. These returners bring valuable experience to a team thatโs about to be reinforced with a strong incoming recruiting class and several proven transfer players.
One notable name still weighing his future is Karter Knox. The freshman forward, who played in 36 games and averaged 8.3 points, has declared for the 2025 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. Knox was a key part of Calipariโs initial recruiting push and now faces a choice between continuing his development in college or making the leap to the professional ranks.
Several players from last season will not be returning. Johnell Davis and Jonas Aidoo, both of whom exhausted their eligibility, depart after one-year stints in Fayetteville. Davis averaged 12 points per game, while Aidoo added depth in the frontcourt with 6.9 points and 5 rebounds per contest. Adou Thiero and Boogie Fland have declared for the NBA Draft, both projected as potential late first-round picks. Thiero led the Razorbacks in scoring with 15.1 points per game, while Fland overcame injuries to average 13.5 points and 5.1 assists in just 21 appearances. Additionally, Zvonimir Iviลกiฤ, who followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas, has entered the transfer portal and committed to Illinois after one year with the Razorbacks.
In terms of roster reinforcements, Calipari has again turned to the transfer portal to fortify his lineup. Malique Ewin, who started 30 games for Florida State last season, brings interior scoring and rebounding to Arkansasโ frontcourt. He averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds in 26.2 minutes per game and is expected to contend for a starting spot. Nick Pringle, a veteran of SEC play from his time at Alabama and South Carolina, also joins the Razorbacks. Pringle started 32 games last season for the Gamecocks and posted 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. His SEC experience and physicality will be key for Arkansas next season.
Among the returning players, DJ Wagner is perhaps the most notable. A former Kentucky recruit who followed Calipari to Arkansas, Wagner started all 36 games last season, averaging 11.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game. Heโll be expected to take on a leadership role as a junior in 2025โ26. Trevon Brazile, one of the few holdovers from the previous regime, also returns. Brazile contributed 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season and brings valuable versatility and athleticism to the forward spot. Billy Richmond III, another Calipari recruit who initially committed to Kentucky before switching to Arkansas, returns after averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in a reserve role. All three players are poised to play larger roles with the departure of several key contributors.
Looking to the future, Arkansasโ 2025 recruiting class is another strong one under Calipari. The group is ranked No. 5 nationally by 247Sports, trailing only Houston, Arizona, Duke, and Washington. Headlining the class is five-star point guard Darius Acuff Jr., the top-ranked point guard in the country out of IMG Academy. Acuff chose Arkansas over heavyweights like Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, and Alabama. Alongside him is fellow five-star Maleek Thomas, the No. 12 overall player and second-ranked shooting guard in the 2025 class. Thomas turned down offers from Alabama, UConn, Kentucky, and Auburn to play for Calipari.
Rounding out the class are Isaiah Sealy and Karim Rtail. Sealy is the top-ranked player from the state of Arkansas and should provide additional depth on the wing or in the frontcourt. He committed to the Razorbacks over offers from Saint Louis, Ole Miss, and Boston College. Rtail, a 20-year-old forward from Lithuania, brings international experience after playing professionally for Neptลซnas-Akvaservis in the Lithuanian NBL. His size and maturity should offer a unique boost to Arkansasโ frontcourt rotation.
Despite the departures, the mix of returning veterans, high-level transfers, and blue-chip freshmen gives Arkansas a much stronger foundation heading into the 2025โ26 season than it had a year ago. Calipari’s trademark recruiting prowess is already evident in the roster heโs assembled, and expectations will be higher in year two as the Razorbacks look to establish themselves as a force in the SEC and on the national stage.
With Wagner at the helm, the incoming talent showing promise, and Calipari guiding the program with a fresh vision, Arkansas basketball is trending upward. The pieces are in place for the Razorbacks to not just be competitive but potentially contend โ a remarkable transformation in just over a yearโs time.
