FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John Calipari admits he is still navigating the “new” college basketball, a world in which the 66-year-old’s traditional recruiting style is no longer the norm.
Calipari made it work last season, his first with the Razorbacks, and proved naysayers wrong. But the Arkansas basketball coach isn’t interested in doing things the same way moving forward.
Calipari spoke about his first year at Arkansas on Wednesday.
The Razorbacks started Southeastern Conference play last season with five straight losses. But Arkansas ultimately reached the Sweet 16. Now, Calipari has taken a different approach in rebuilding the Razorbacks’ roster heading into his second year in Fayetteville.
“I came here saying I want eight or nine guys because of NIL. I can’t pick 12,” Calipari said. “Now I’m like, ‘Let’s have eight or nine that know,’ but you have other players we’re developing.”
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Calipari has long been known as a master recruiter of high school players, regularly collecting top-10 classes at Kentucky and Memphis.
The transfer portal has changed things. High school recruiting is not irrelevant, but preps players aren’t as big a focus. Now, it’s about veterans with college experience.
Arkansas had one returning player last season, forward Trevon Brazile, who is also back for his final season. Calipari built the rest of the roster and used a nine-player rotation. The other five team members played 23 minutes total.
Injuries sapped the Razorbacks of their two leading scorers. Guard Boogie Fland, who has transferred to Florida, played in 21 games, and forward Adou Thiero, who was selected in the NBA draft, played in 26. The two played less than 10 minutes in Arkansas’ season-ending loss to Texas Tech in the NCAA tournament. Also gone are center Jonas Aidoo, forward Zvonimir Ivisic and guard Johnell Davis.
The Razorbacks have two 6-foot-10 transfers in Nick Pringle from Alabama and Malique Ewin from Florida State. And there are three perimeter freshmen. Guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. were five-star recruits, and wing Isaiah Sealy ranked as a four-star.
On Wednesday, Calipari had practically a full contingent to run through 5-on-5 work, which rarely happened last season.
“Last year, we were always together, but as injuries started peeling off guys, they understood how much they needed each other. The way this is, you probably need to play more people,” Calipari said.
Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in five years after entering the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed and starting SEC play at 1-5 for the third straight season. That start came as the least experienced team in the league, Calipari said.
This season, Arkansas returns the most production in the SEC, increasing expectations and stakes.
“It’s only 45%, but it’s still the most in our league,” Calipari said.
D.J. Wagner is the only returner who averaged double figure scoring. Karter Knox tested the NBA waters before returning, and Billy Richmond III saw plenty of key minutes. There is also Brazile, once considered a possible first-round NBA pick before a torn ACL three seasons ago. In his final seven games last season, Brazile averaged 12.6 points and 9.7 rebounds.
“I’d tell you he is playing the best ball since I’ve coached him,” Calipari said. “If he’s the guy I’m seeing, you’re talking about someone that we have one or two like that, then this thing is on. He’s that good. Now you’ve got to find out who are the other couple that can make differences in the game.”
Arkansas’ mix of young and old looks familiar to Calipari — and anyone who saw his teams at Kentucky. Whether or not the new-old approach to roster building comes to fruition, even Calipari is unsure.
“None of us know,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out how this is going to work.”
