Arkansas basketball under John Calipari: Insiders tell transfer portal news, 2024 roster, recruits, targets

Arkansas wasn’t always considered a major threat in men’s college basketball in the first 20 years of the 21st century. But after making three consecutive Sweet 16 appearances, including back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight before losing to eventual national champion UConn in the Sweet 16 last year, Arkansas is becoming a staple of SEC basketball. Now, with John Calipari taking over as head coach, one of the most successful college basketball coaches in recent memory looks to elevate Arkansas to become an elite college basketball program.

Calipari has won quickly everywhere he has been as a college basketball coach, and there is no shortage of elite talent joining the Arkansas basketball roster. Calipari surprised many in the college basketball world by moving from Kentucky to Arkansas, so what can fans expect from his additions to the transfer portal and Arkansas’ class of 2024 basketball recruits? If you love the Razorbacks or just want the latest roster updates and news from the college basketball transfer portal, be sure to See what the proven team of experts is saying at HawgSports, the 247Sports affiliate covering Arkansas.

The team of insiders at HawgSports. with are providing up-to-date information on the latest information regarding the Arkansas basketball coaching transition and roster changes. Launched in 2002, HawgSports has established itself as the premier source for inside Arkansas basketball coverage. Trey Biddy, Danny West and Connor Goodson have 30 years of experience covering the Razorbacks professionally. And now, HawgSports is offering 30% off your first year of annual membership*, so now is the time to sign up.

The HawgSports team has complete coverage on who’s making and who’s making the Arkansas basketball roster. Head over to HawgSports now for all the insider info.

Arkansas Basketball Roster Matches

Last year’s Arkansas team returned 36.3% of its scoring on the 2022-23 roster, which is a high rate in this transfer portal era. But this year’s Arkansas Razorbacks team returns 0.0003% of its scoring thanks to the only holdover, Lawson Blake, scoring just one point from a year ago. So Calipari has a complete roster overhaul to do as the 2024-25 Arkansas basketball team will have no continuity. Double-digit scorers Tramon Mark and Khalif Battle transferred, respectively, to Texas and Gonzaga as part of the mass exodus from Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks’ average age of 22.7 last season was the second oldest in Division I when weighted by minutes. The team is losing nine seniors and even those who lowered their average age have already left. Layden Blocker and Baye Fall, who were freshmen in the Class of 2023 and top-10 national prospects at their respective positions, have since committed to other programs. So while Calipari has done a good job of adding high-profile recruits and transfers, he still only has a seven-man roster, so there’s a lot of work to be done. Join HawgSports for the latest on all of Arkansas’ roster changes.

Arkansas Basketball News, Roster

Arkansas will feature two Camden, NJ natives in the program’s quest for its first Final Four since 1995. Camden native DJ Wagner struggled to close out his freshman season, falling under 10 points in three of his final 13 games. . But Wagner was a top-10 prospect in the 2023 class by 247Sports and a few outlier performances aren’t enough to think his natural talent won’t transfer to the college level.

Billy Richmond, a 6-foot-1 small forward, switched his commitment from Kentucky to Arkansas to follow Calipari. He’s another Camden native who ranked in the top 25 of 247Sports’ 2024 class. Calipari has been one of the best recruiters in the country throughout his career and this offseason proved that the best players in the country will follow Calipari, even as he moves from a traditional blue blood school to one without as much basketball history and success. Join HawgSports for the latest on all of Arkansas’ roster additions.

How to get insider Arkansas basketball roster updates

Calipari has already been in contact with several transfers from power conference teams, so be sure to join HawgSports to see who they are and get the rest of the insider news.

Who are the top names Arkansas basketball is pursuing under coach John Calipari, and which transfers from power conferences could land in Fayetteville? Go to HawgSports to Get your inside scoop, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Razorbacks, and find out. And remember, HawgSports is offering 30% off the first year of an annual VIP membership*, so sign up now before it’s too late.

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