Hogs' Dream Player Available, but is Calipari Even Interested?

Arkansas Razorbacks about to make huge mistake as biggest portal gem about to slip away

Arkansas head coach John Calipari reacts to a call against Oklahoma during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Everyone knows Arkansas is still desperately in need of a big man, possibly two. They may have just forgotten because it has been so long with it looking like head coach John Calipari isn't interested in finding one.

Obviously, that's not true. It would not only be irresponsible, but an automatic fireable offense to go into the season with recent portal signee Cooper Bowser of Furman as the Hogs' only certain big man on the roster.

Bowser seems like a good enough person, but there is nothing about his game that suggests he should be anything other than a guy coming off the bench in desperate situations in the SEC as the result of injuries, fouls or blowouts. He isn't a starter a team in this conference should be building around as its major foundation.

Of course, there's Malique Ewin who showed steady improvement offensively as last season progressed, but his fate is still held up in the air by the NCAA. Most people don't even know who that consists of anymore, much less how they might rule on a eligibility case.

It's been highly inconsistent. Plus, in regard to the Diego Pavia Rule, which seems like a logical part of the discussion as it pertains to Ewin's case, seems to be a thing in some states, but not others.

Just another part of the college puzzle that has become complicated by each individual state acting like it's own collegiate athletics association. Either way, because of this, even if it turns out Ewin can suddenly learn how to become a force rather than a liability on the defensive end against bigger teams, it's still a huge risk.

It's beginning to look like Arkansas might be banking on trying to land someone who decides to back out of the NBA Draft. And, while it's true a handful of players make that determination each season, this also is a massive risk on Calipari's part.

It will require him to wait until late May into mid-June before he can start shopping around, and even then he's not going to know for sure what will be on the shelf. He will be at the whim of agents trying to decide whether to talk their player into or out of the draft, so Calipari will be stuck in a world of uncertainty and intentional deception.

Plus, there's no telling how many big men will actually depart from the draft, and those who do will be looking to break the bank. So, even if a compatible center does appear, Calipari still has to convince him to come to Arkansas while also finding the absurd amount of finances it is going to take to get him here.

Right now, the best bet is to work from what is certain, which happens to be the current portal. Sure, it has been heavily picked over, but there are at least two strongly viable options provided Arkansas has strategically kept its name in the discussion.

If Arkansas fans find the two names about to be revealed familiar, it is because they were identified early on as possible back-up plans if the Razorbacks weren't able to get in on preferred targets such as Georgia's Somto Cyril, Kansas' Flory Bidunga or Georgia Tech's Mouhamed Sylla. Surprisingly, Louisville added Bidunga, considered the top overall player in the portal, to go along with former Hog Karter Knox, while West Virginia snuck in and stole Sylla and Cyril chose Miami.

Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati
7-foot-2, 250

Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam (52) blocks out Texas Tech forward Marial Akuentok (13) in the first half at United Supermarkets Arena. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Thiam was reportedly one of the few players anyone has heard of Arkansas contacting. In fact, the Razorbacks were on the list of 10 schools he was reportedly considering.

Then he took an unexpected visit to Michigan, a team not on his list. As of just prior to the release of this story, it has been reported that Thiam's signing with Dusty May's Wolverines is all but inevitable, shifting the Hogs' viable portal targets to one remaining player.

Massamba Diop, Arizona State
7-foot-1, 220

Arizona State center Massamba Diop (35) dunks the ball against the Kansas at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on March 3, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That's right. At 7-foot-1, 220 pounds, Diop is seven inches taller than Knox, but not an ounce heavier than the former Hogs forward. However, if Calipari can get him into a high quality nutritional program and get him lifting weights with a true purpose, he can easily make a big jump in this area.

A big part of that is because, last year, his true freshman season at Arizona State, Diop reportedly turned 21. It is at this age that men really start filling out, which means Arkansas can have a 22-year-old sophomore with a significant jump in strength and size patrolling the inside with athleticism akin to Trevon Brazile and a motor shared only by Billy Richmond.

He should be especially dangerous by year's end if the basketball program really sticks to a plan to beef him up with muscle while maintaining his agility. As of midday on Monday, Diop seems to definitely be headed for a visit to Gonzaga with a chance he might make a stop at St. John's also.

There is zero mention of Arkansas, whether it's because Diop has no interest in coming to Fayetteville, Calipari wants to invest elsewhere or the Hogs are being rather secretive, which has happened in the recent past. It will be immensely disappointing if it turns out Calipari has no interest because all indications are there is unlimited upside in his next season.

"Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop has no idea how good he can be," CBSSports.com's Isaac Trotter wrote while ranking Diop the No. 5 player available in the portal. "The 7-foot-1 center had an impressive rookie season in the Big 12, using his length, fluidity and burgeoning skill to transform into one of the best big men in the league. Diop runs the floor so smoothly and owns a terrific catch radius around the basket.

"Playing with an unselfish, set-the-table point guard like Moe Odom certainly helped, but Diop has an advanced skill set that's not far from blossoming. He can hit face-up jumpers or the occasional pick-and-pop trey. He can put the ball on the deck for drives. He can protect the rim or guard in space. He can be a weapon on the glass and as a lob threat. Once the game slows down, Diop can be a terror."

After watching his highlights, it only took a few seconds to feel terrible for the fans at Arizona State for having to see this young man walk out the door. It's immediately clear he has the skills to be dominant in the SEC.

We're talking taking over and shutting down games with the most minimal of growth through coaching. He would immediately be the most athletic big man to step foot in the SEC in a long, long time.

The way he runs the floor and attacks the game on both ends of the floor is mesmerizing to watch. He is everything Arkansas needs.

In fact, Hogs fans, you are advised to not watch the following highlight reel because, for whatever reason, it's looking more and more like he won't be a Razorback and there's no need in hurting because you may have potentially lost what you never had.

If it truly is about winning a championship at Arkansas, there is not a single incoming player the Hogs shouldn't have passed on for the chance to have Diop in the mix. The Razorbacks are loaded with guards.

The aim should be about having a complete team, and not only does he fill in what's missing, he does so at an elite level that's simply going to expand to even higher levels. When he went head-to-head against Bidunga in front of tons of NBA scouts, he outplayed him, scoring 19 points to go with nine rebounds, three blocks and an assist.

According to his former coach, Duke legend Bobby Hurley who was fired at Arizona State this past season, Diop merely needs an extra offseason building his strength and conditioning in a college program to become the most dominant player at this level.

Right now it looks like Arkansas isn't likely to land Diop, and there are rules that technically prohibit Calipari from saying anything about him at the moment. With those rules being rather convenient, they are unlikely to be broken.

As a result, it will take a while to find out truly why Diop isn't a Hog if that ends up being the case. Arkansas fans should pray he becomes a Razorback though.

If so, a national championship becomes an immediate possibility.