John Calipari takes over as the head coach of Arkansas basketball. It’s the storyline of this team, and of the entire offseason in college hoops.
The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Arkansas basketball.
Where John Calipari goes, people will follow. Even though it might be considered a downgrade to go from Kentucky to Arkansas, Coach Cal brought along with him a talented transfer portal class and freshman class (what’s new?).
A backcourt of DJ Wagner and Johnell Davis could be the best in the SEC, especially if Wagner can make the jump from his freshman to sophomore year. It isn’t to be outdone by Trevon Brazile and Jonas Aidoo down low. Sure, Coach Cal was bound to bring along some UK transfers, but Aidoo, a Tennessee transfer, was an awesome pickup.
Off the bench, it’s looking like Big Blue Nation all over again. UK transfers Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic, along with a plethora of highly rated recruits make up an intriguing, but unproven group. It’ll be up to Calipari and the Arkansas basketball staff to develop this roster over the course of the season to reach its full potential.
Click here to learn more about our preseason top 100 teams heading into the 2024-25 college basketball season.
Head coach: John Calipari (1st season at Arkansas, 33rd season overall)
2023-24 record: 16-17 (6-12)
2024 postseason finish: No postseason
Notable departures:
- Tramon Mark (16.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.8 APG)
- Khalif Battle (14.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 APG)
- Makhi Mitchell (8.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.1 APG)
- Keyon Menifield Jr. (7.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Jalen Graham (7.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.8 APG)
- El Ellis (6.5 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.8 APG)
- Davonte Davis (5.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.0 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Baylor (Nov. 9)
- vs. Illinois (Nov. 28)
- at Miami (Dec. 3)
- vs. Michigan (Dec. 10)
Projected Rotation
PG: DJ Wagner (6-4, 195, So.)
2023-24 stats: 9.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 40.5 FG%, 76.6 FT% (Kentucky)
SG: Johnell Davis (6-4, 210, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 18.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 48.3 FG%, 41.4 3P%, 85.7 FT% (FAU)
SF: Karter Knox (6-6, 220, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #25 ranked recruit
PF: Trevon Brazile (6-10, 230, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 8.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.2 BPG, 48.8 FG%, 35.3 3P%
C: Jonas Aidoo (6-11, 240, Gr.-Sr.)
2023-24 stats: 11.4 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.8 BPG, 51.5 FG% (Tennessee)
6: Adou Thiero (6-8, 220, Jr.)
2023-24 stats: 7.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 49.2 FG%, 80.0 FT% (Kentucky)
7: Boogie Fland (6-2, 175, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #22 ranked recruit
Arkansas Basketball Team MVP: Johnell Davis
The FAU transfer may have been at a mid-major school putting up those numbers, but make no mistake, he’s a big time player. Between two NCAA Tournament appearances and a difficult non-conference slate last season, Davis has enough experience going against the top teams in the country. Last year, Davis had some breakout games against some notable programs. 26 points against Texas A&M, 19 against Illinois, and 35 against Arizona all make me believe that Davis will be in for a very strong season and potentially lead this team in scoring.
Of course, Davis won’t need to shoot 20 times per game. Wagner, Aidoo, and Brazile will all be solid options for Arkansas offensively. So for Davis, the challenge may be dialing it back a bit with his usage. However, taking more efficient, open shots never hurt anybody.
Arkansas Basketball make-or-break player: Zvonimir Ivisic
Ivisic didn’t start playing at Kentucky until late January of last season and he made an impact virtually right away. With a full offseason and a full season ahead, it’ll be fun to watch how the 7-footer adjusts at Arkansas.
After his 13-point debut against Georgia, Ivisic only touched double-digits three more times. But it was those explosive games – especially 18 against Alabama – make Ivisic a very intriguing player. With how many offensive options Arkansas has, Ivisic won’t need to be counted upon offensively. But he could be one of those players who takes advantage of certain defenses and matchups and puts together some notable games. He’s also an NBA Draft prospect, so regardless on if he starts any games, you’ll probably see his name on draft boards throughout the season.
Key analytic: Free throw attempts
Last season under Eric Musselman, Arkansas ranked third in the nation with 26 free throw attempts per game. Attacking defenses to get to the line worked out well, as they also ranked top 50 in free throw percentage.
With a whole new group, it’s not really worthy looking at the Razorbacks’ stats from last year, but it is worth noting that Kentucky was 21st in free throw percentage last season. Could we see another Arkansas team that takes advantage of getting to the line? They got used to it last season, and we could be in for more.
Arkansas Basketball 2024-25 projections
Projected conference finish: 5th in the SEC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Elite 8 Exit