Can Brown Jr. Help Calipari, Razorbacks Finally Break Past Sweet 16?

Utah guard brings veteran savvy Hogs desperately need, but turnover habit could haunt Arkansas in March.

Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown is tied up by Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Shawn Jones Jr. and guard Jayden Epps during the second half at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

John Calipari's got a couple of Sweet 16 trips in his back pocket and an SEC Tournament championship banner heading to Fayetteville.

That's more than nothing. Fans won't offer credit next March for that, though.

Calipari probably knows that better than anybody.

In the business of college basketball, especially at a program with Hogs' fan expectations, last year's résumé only carries you so far.

The Razorbacks finished 28-9 and the fanbase got another taste of hope only to have the door slammed shut. Now the pressure shifts to get beyond the Sweet 16.

Despite it being the heart of baseball season and football solidly into spring practice, all Arkansas fans seem to truly care about is whether Calipari can make use of the transfer portal to re-load this thing and keep rolling.

With questions that now include affordability, there's a lot of moving pieces to rebuilding through the portal over the next couple of weeks.

Calipari's has to nail these decisions because he is in desperate need of proving the Sweet 16 isn't where his skills max out these days. That's why the point guard situation is more important to address than first glance might suggest.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard DJ Wagner against the Georgia Bulldogs at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

The Hole DJ Wagner Left Behind

Darius Acuff is off to the NBA lottery and veteran guard DJ Wagner is gone by way of the portal after two seasons with the Hogs, so Arkansas needs a guard who can actually run an offense.

Not just occupy a roster spot, but run the offense. In today's college basketball landscape, that distinction is everything.

One name that's surfaced in connection with the Razorbacks is Terrence Brown Jr., a senior-eligible transfer out of Utah.

Before landing in Salt Lake City, he spent two seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson where he led the Northeast Conference in scoring at 20.6 points per game and steals at 2.2 as a sophomore.

He made the jump to the Power Four level in the highly respected Big 12 Conference and kept producing with 19.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game last season while shooting 45.3 percent from the field.

At 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, Brown's not exactly going to bull people over in the paint. However, he is good at using his height to create separation and has just enough skills to find a way to get where he wants to be on the floor.

Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) dribbles the ball against California Baptist Lancers guard Dominique Daniels Jr. (1) during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

What Makes Brown Worth Serious Consideration

One thing Arkansas fans who have been around a while will recognize is he has an old school move. He uses jump stops similar to those used by Arkansas guards in the early 1990s. He works his footwork to get cleaner looks at the rim.

This is how he manages to get seperation when trying to work inside. It's what allows him to get clean looks from short distances.

He's also good at drawing defenders and knowing where to kick it out for easy wide open threes. Defenses will have to respect him when he gets going downhill.

Brown's not going to be much help beyond the arc by only shooting 32.7%, but it's valuable for young guys like Jordan Smith and JJ Andrews to see how a veteran guard gets his other teammates involved in the flow of the game.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during game against the Jackson State Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Where Calipari Has to Be Honest With Himself

There's a chance Brown doesn't fit. He's a high-usage ball-dominant player.

He wants the ball in his hands a lot and he wants defenses planning for him and his 20 points per game the same way they planned for Acuff. Considering promises most likely made to the incoming freshman guards, that's probably not going to happen without a key injury.

His role, at best, will be what DJ Wagner took on during his first season at Arkansas. He will more or less be guard 2B.

It's a similar situation to what Johnell Davis faced a few years back, a high-volume player having to recalibrate within a deeper roster.

The turnover numbers have to be addressed as well. Brown averaged 2.4 turnovers per game last season. Against Iowa State he put up 18 points, but turned it over seven times.

Five times he had five or more turnovers in a single game. That's a pattern.

At the Sweet 16 level and beyond, those possessions become the difference between advancing and going home.

Calipari's teams have to be safer with the ball if the Hogs want to make a deeper run. That's not debatable.

Jordan Smith Jr (23) during the McDonalds All American Boys Game at Desert Diamond Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Fit and Why It Actually Makes Sense

Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr. is coming to Fayetteville next season. Smith is talented, but he's not a natural primary ball-handler.

Brown running the offense would let Smith operate off-ball and get his looks in spots where he's most dangerous. That pairing makes basketball sense.

Nobody walking in at point guard avoids the Darius Acuff Jr. comparisons — that's just reality. Acuff was elite.

But Brown doesn't need to be Acuff. He needs to be a smart, experienced guard who keeps the offense organized, limits mistakes in big moments and gives Calipari a trustworthy option when March arrives.

That's the real ask. And that's exactly why Calipari can't miss on this one.

The Sweet 16 is now the floor at Arkansas, not the goal.

If the Hogs want to go further, the roster construction this offseason has to be right. A veteran guard who's played at both the mid-major and Power Four level, who understands how to move the ball and who brings experience to a locker room fits the Hogs' needs.

Calipari likely only gets one shot at choosing a guard out of the portal this year. He has to get it right.