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FAEYTTEVILLE – With this being the third season under hall of fame coach John Calipari, the stakes are extremely high for an Arkansas basketball team loaded with talent top top bottom.
This is without a doubt, at least on paper, the deepest team he has assembled in quite a number of years. There is one hole that is worth questioning at the center position, but with true freshman forward Miikka Muurinen being deemed eligible to play this season, it sent Arkansas from a team that might get to the Sweet 16 to one that will contend for a national championship.
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Just like last season showed everyone, it takes depth, size, lockdown defenders and a roster that can shoot exceptionally well at every position to go all the way. That’s exactly what Michigan did just a year ago under Dusty May, and could very well be the model to help Arkansas get over the hump into the Elite Eight and further.
Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball coach John Calipari shakes hands with fans before the football game against Tulsa. | Nilsen Roman, Hogs on SI Images
Last season, the Wolverines ranked No. 4 nationally in offensive efficiency and led the country defensively, according to KenPom’s metrics. Arkansas’ offense was prolific enough as well by finishing the season ranked No. 7, but struggled defensively coming in at No. 60 and much of that was due to depth concerns if freshmen guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas were in foul trouble.
During the offseason, Calipari signed the consensus No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country while adding a pair of transfers in center Cooper Bowser (Furman) and shooting guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia) that gives him relative college experience to make a run.
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His roster believes they can make a run for a title, Calipari does, too, but he knows it’s going to take some coaching up to do so with them being such a young group. So, he decided to challenge them a bit in non-conference play to prepare them for the ultimate grind of SEC play,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/expectation-arkansas-basketball-season-151216707.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-17 15:12:00
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