Arkansas tops list of six preseason Top 25 teams that didn’t reach 2024 NCAA Tournament

John Calipari

Arkansas only has one scholarship player back from a team that finished a game below .500 last year, yet the Razorbacks open this season in the AP Top 25.

Consider that a testament to the way new coach John Calipari reshaped his roster by adding transfers and freshmen.

Arkansas added three top-30 recruits and also was among the most active teams in the transfer portal. The result has Arkansas entering the season as the No. 16 team in the nation, the highest preseason ranking for any team that missed last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“Right now we’re undefeated, and they’re a little up in here, and I’m like, ‘Dudes, calm down,’” Calipari said at the Southeastern Conference media days. “I try to tell them I don’t have a magic wand. I’m not a magician. It’s not what I do. It normally takes a couple years for me to get the culture right.”

Much of Arkansas’ roster departed after coach Eric Musselman left for Southern California, leaving forward Trevon Brazile as the team’s lone returning scholarship player from the team that went 16-17. Brazile averaged 8.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season.

But there are plenty of newcomers with proven track records.

D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic and Kareem Watkins followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas. Calipari also landed Jonas Aidoo from Tennessee and Johnell Davis from Florida Atlantic.

Davis started on FAU’s 2023 Final Four team and averaged 18.2 points last season. Aidoo had 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as an Associated Press first-team all-SEC selection last season.

The freshman class is headed by Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond. All had planned on playing for Calipari at Kentucky.

Arkansas is one of many programs that dramatically changed their rosters this offseason. In an indication of how quickly programs can retool themselves now that players can transfer without sitting out a season, six teams in the preseason AP Top 25 didn’t make the NCAA…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/arkansas-tops-list-six-preseason-171013302.html

Author : NBC Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-04 17:10:00

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