No. 12 Arkansas’ revolving door of “one-and-dones” is expected to spin again this season.
The remade Razorbacks will bring the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class into their season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday in Fayetteville, Ark., the first meeting between the two programs.
Freshman guard Jordan Smith Jr. is the biggest name among the Arkansas newcomers. He will join bouncy holdover wing Billy Richmond III and Georgia transfer guard Jeremiah Wilkinson as the Hogs seek to defend their Southeastern Conference tournament title after losing one-and-dones Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7 overall) and Meleek Thomas (No. 34) to the NBA draft.
“I like my team,” Calipari said. “This is a hard league to do it with young guys, which is what we’re going to do. We’re really young but competitive. Now we just got a lot of things to figure out.”
Smith, who chose Arkansas over Duke, was projected to be the second player taken in the 2027 NBA Draft in preseason mock drafts by ESPN and CBS Sports.
“I’m loving what I’m seeing,” Calipari said. “But for anybody to predict this team, you’re crazy. I don’t have an idea. Will we be good? Will we be real good? Will we be bad? I don’t know yet.”
The Hogs passed a pair of preseason tests at home with a 76-72 exhibition victory over No. 15 Gonzaga on Oct. 24 and a 93-81 victory over Memphis on Wednesday. Richmond had 17 points in each game.
With point guard Acuff orchestrating, Arkansas was 28-9 a year ago and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Final Four participant Arizona.
Smith is expected to inherit the role of primary ball-handler and penetrator. Richmond averaged 11.2 points and 4.3 rebounds a year ago and was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. Wilkinson, at his third school in as many years, averaged 17.4 points and made 79 3-pointers while shooting 35.7% from distance last year.
Arkansas was No. 7 in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency and 17th in adjusted tempo in 2025-26, and Calipari expects similar results.
“Last year we were really fast,” Calipari said. “I hate to tell you, this team may be faster.”
The Razorbacks have five players at 6-foot-11 or taller, which could address a perceived rebounding need. Furman transfer Cooper Bowser (6-11) led the Southern Conference with 57 blocked shots two years ago. Seven-foot Finnish freshman Miikka Muurinen is highly regarded, and wings JJ Andrews and Abdou Toure joined Smith as consensus five-star high school recruits.
Muurinen had 10 points and 12 rebounds in 19 minutes against Memphis.
The Hogs were picked to finish third in the SEC preseason media poll.
Pine Bluff, 13-19 last season and 10-8 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, was picked to finish 11th in the 12-team league in a preseason poll of coaches and sports information directors.
Jackson State transfer Jalen Tatum was named to the preseason all-league second team. A Pine Bluff native, Tatum had 18 points, four assists and four steals in Jackson State’s second-round victory over Grambling in the 2026 SWAC tournament.
UTEP transfer C.J. Smith, a 6-7 guard, is also expected to contribute.
“I thought last year we improved,” Pine Bluff coach Solomon Bozeman said, “and I think the main thing is to continue to improve every single year. I look forward to coaching this next group. We’ve got a lot of size, a lot of athleticism. We’ve just got to continue to focus on getting better every single day.”
–Field Level Media
