Arkansas Has Visit Scheduled with No. 1 SF in 2027 Class

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ever since John Calipari was brought in as head coach for Arkansas, he has constantly been the top recruiter in college basketball. Now he is ready to prove that again with a recent visit scheduled.

DeMarcus Henry is the top-rated small forward in the 2027 class per 247Sports, and he is the fourth-highest-ranked player in the nation.

Sources: 5⭐️ DeMarcus Henry, Rivals' No. 2 overall prospect in the 2027 class, is taking an official visit to Arkansas this weekend. https://t.co/5yWEfCnZJj https://t.co/QGEUSZPhj6 pic.twitter.com/RcGGn65Q9b
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) September 15, 2026

While the focus is on number one ranked player Beckham Black, landing Henry would be a boost for the future of the Razorbacks. Calipari has always landed and developed some of the world's best guards. Still, he has struggled to land top recruits at forward or center.

Looking at his track record, the last time he had an elite center or forward was Karl-Anthony Towns. He has brought in a constant flow of elite guards, though.

If Calipari can land Henry, it would be the highest-ranked small forward he has landed since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in 2012.

What exactly is the pitch that Calipari can use for a forward when he is so guard-focused the past few years? It is simple: if you want to be a lottery pick, you play for Arkansas.

March 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari addresses the media in a press conference during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since 2000, Calipari has produced 30 lottery picks. That means that just over 12% of lottery picks in the past 26 years have played for Calipari, an impressive number.

In that same time period, he has produced 10 top-five draft picks. That is 13 percent of top-five draft picks playing for Calipari.

The stats are clear: if you want to become a lottery pick and a future star, you play for Calipari.

Another selling point is that at Arkansas you are guaranteed to be on one of the best teams in the nation. The signs point to Beckham Black going to Arkansas, which will already elevate them to a top-25 team.

Adding Henry to that mix makes them a top-10 team in college basketball. That will not be the only move they make either, as players will stay after this season and he will land more recruits.

While Kansas and North Carolina have produced great talent, they don't produce at the level Calipari does.

If Henry wants a promising future in the NBA, then Calipari checks all the boxes if you want to become a top talent in the NBA.

Henry has his visit scheduled for September 19 and 20, the same weekend Arkansas takes on Georgia in football.

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