The third season of the John Calipari era at Arkansas is on the horizon, and it’s safe to say expectations will be high. Although Calipari’s roster lacks traditional college experience, it may go down as the most collectively talented team he has had since arriving in Fayetteville in 2024.
Last year, Arkansas won the SEC Tournament title led by first-team All-American and No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Darius Acuff Jr. The Razorbacks said goodbye to Acuff, fellow freshman Meleek Thomas and veteran big man Trevon Brazile, among others, and welcome in a star-studded recruiting class, which has become a staple of the Calipari coaching experience and roster building dating back to his time at Memphis.
All eyes will be on incoming five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr., who will be in contention to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft. Smith, Miikka Muurinen, Abdou Toure and JJ Andrews are among the star first-year players to watch as potential one-and-dones.
The most talented returner from last season will be Billy Richmond III, who bypassed the draft to return to school for his third college season. The athletic wing is one of the best defenders and athletes in the sport, and his return is a big reason why the Razorbacks are currently No. 10 in Gary Parrish’s CBS Sports Top 25 and 1.
Ahead of what should be an exciting third season of Calipari’s tenure at Arkansas, here is a full roster breakdown and more on what to expect from his team.
Arkansas’ projected starting lineup
G: Jordan Smith Jr. | 6-2 | 205 | Fr.
Smith is the most notable name and the best draft prospect on this Arkansas roster. Smith was projected to go No. 3 in CBS Sports’ way-too-early 2027 mock draft earlier this summer and will challenge Kansas‘ Tyran Stokes and Arizona’s Caleb Holt among others to be the first player off the board. The likely preseason SEC Freshman of the Year has elite physical tools and should thrive in the SEC.
G: Jeremiah Wilkinson | 6-1 | 185 | Jr.
Wilkinson, the No. 33-ranked player in the 247Sports transfer portal rankings, made an intra-conference transfer this offseason by going from Georgia to Arkansas. Wilkinson averaged 17.4 points while shooting 35.7% on 7.1 attempts per game from the 3-point line. After starting his career at Cal, Arkansas will be his third school in three seasons.
F: Billy Richmond III | 6-7 | 205 | Jr.
Richmond is by far the most experienced returner on Arkansas’ roster. The athletic wing bypassed an opportunity to remain in the NBA Draft, where he projected as an early second-round pick. In a less talented 2027 draft, Richmond will have a chance to separate himself and become a first-round pick if he continues to improve, while stepping into an expanded role. His swing skill is his shooting. If he can develop a consistent jumper, it will do wonders for his game and Arkansas’ ceiling.
2027 NBA Mock Draft: Tyran Stokes, Jordan Smith Jr. lead an early look at top 30 picks for next year’s draft
Cameron Salerno
F: Miikka Muurinen | 7-0 | 215 | Fr.
Muurinen has generated hype as a draft prospect because of how well he moves for his size and his ability to stretch the floor as a big. Notably, Muurinen didn’t play in Arkansas’ exhibition tour in the Bahamas because he has yet to be cleared by the NCAA after playing for Partizan, a pro team in Serbia, the last two seasons. When the five-star forward is cleared, he will be a starter in Arkansas’ frontcourt.
C: Cooper Bowser | 6-11 | 225 | Sr.
After spending the last three seasons at Furman, Bowser transferred to Arkansas, where he is projected to start at center this season. Bowser is coming off a season in which he averaged 13.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He has 59 collegiate starts under his belt and will be one of the most experienced players in the Razorbacks’ rotation.
Off the bench
Abdou Touré | 6-5 | 200 | Fr.
Touré should be one of the first players off the bench for the Razorbacks and could even get starter-level minutes, depending on the matchup. The No. 16 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports had a solid showing in the Bahamas, finishing with 20 points in his final game. He should add defense and rebounding when on the floor.
JJ Andrews | 6-6 | 225 | Fr.
The No. 13-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting class by 247Sports had a very solid showing during Arkansas’ exhibition games in the Bahamas. Andrews scored 24 points in the final game after finishing with 15 points and 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals and just one turnover in 26 minutes the game before. He should add scoring off the bench.
Caleb Ourigou | 6-11 | 240 | Fr.
Plenty of minutes at the power forward/center position should be up for grabs in Arkansas rotation, meaning Ourigou could have a chance alongside fellow freshman Paulo Semedo, Maper Maker and Ilia Frolov to get some run. The No. 85 overall player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports is a physical big man who uses his 6-foot-11, 240-pound frame to create mismatches inside.
Davion Thompson | 6-2 | 180 | Fr.
Thompson was a late addition to Arkansas’ 2026 recruiting class after reclassifying from the 2027 class. Thompson, who was a top-25 player in the 2027 recruiting class by 247Sports, finished as the No. 40 overall player in the 2026 cycle. Thompson should provide depth behind Arkansas’ talented guards.
Filling out the roster
- Paulo Semedo | 7-1 | 225 | Fr.
- Maper Maker | 7-0 | 215 | Fr.
- Ilia Frolov | 7-0 | 225 | Fr.
Market watch
Odds to win 2027 NCAA Tournament (via FanDuel Sportsbook): +2500 (tied for ninth-best with Louisville, Houston and Arizona)
This is Calipari’s best overall team since he left Kentucky for a new chapter as Arkansas’ coach. Part of the floor and ceiling of this roster will come down to the freshmen class, but more specifically, how good Smith is as the lead guard. Arkansas had the luxury of having Acuff, who could take over games down the stretch and will his team to victory. Will Smith be able to do the same? Time will tell, but he will definitely have big shoes to fill after Acuff solidified himself as one of the best college players to play for Coach Cal.
Outside of a star-studded recruiting class, the most important player on the roster will be Richmond. Watching him play, it’s easy to see why he can be a contributing player in the NBA one day. He is one of the most athletic players in college basketball and plays big-time defense. He’s not going to be the leading scorer on this team, but making a jump on the offensive end as a shooter could make Arkansas even more of a contender in the SEC and nationally.
Arkansas’ full nonconference schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, but we do know some of the key games. The biggest and most intriguing nonconference game to keep an eye on is a matchup against Arizona (Dec. 19) in Phoenix. Not only could that be a surefire top-10 matchup, but also a matchup of projected top-three picks in the 2027 NBA Draft: Holt and Smith. Other nonconference games on the schedule include Michigan State on Thanksgiving in Detroit and against North Carolina (Dec. 1) in the ACC/SEC Challenge in Chapel Hill.
If Smith is as good as advertised, Richmond takes a jump as a shooter and the rest of the 2026 recruiting class finds a groove by the time SEC play comes around at the turn of the calendar year, Arkansas will be a legit national title contender. The Razorbacks currently are tied with Louisville, Houston and Arizona for the ninth-best odds to cut down the nets in 2027.
Arkansas should open the season ranked somewhere in the 8-13 range in the preseason AP Top 25 poll.
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