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State of the Hogs: Calipari shares master plan for new roster

Razorbacks coach addresses fans with message of thankfulness, updates how staff intends to build roster
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during the first half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the St. John's Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during the first half of a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the St. John's Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari shared his approach for rebuilding the Razorbacks' roster Wednesday night in a video posted to his X account.

Calipari addressed fans in executive fashion by sharing his appreciation of their undying support despite a rocky start.

"This is to all Arkansas fan supporters, people that follow this program and our athletic department, I just want to thank you," Calipari said in the video. "You went through the fires with us. We were 0-5 [to start SEC play] and you still believed in us. You stood behind these kids."

He went onto explain his desire to build a team unique to Arkansas fans which is different from seasons past, a roster based on retention.

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile attempts dun
Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (4) dunks against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second half during a West Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"When I look back and I think of the support, I think about the kids' resiliency, but I think about the support that pushed us," Calipari said. "I'm just grateful, really happy with the staff and what we've been able to lay out and how we've been able to do it. You'll want retention and we've got it."

That can be taken many different ways as the Razorbacks currently await decisions from DJ Wagner, Trevon Brazile and Karter Knox. These four understand the culture Calipari is trying to put in place as each fought through adversity to compete for a national title this season.

Going into his second year with the Razorbacks, Calipari continues to have a heart to help top high school seniors maximize their professional potential and that is confidence that will never change. At 66-years-old, the Naismith Hall of Fame coach has seen 58 players selected in the NBA Draft including 41 first round picks.

"You'll want young people," Calipari said. "I'm not changing who I am. I'm going to continue to recruit the best freshmen in the country. They're going to have to come and perform. They're going to have to take it, maybe from some older guys, but I'm still going to prepare young people like we have."

Razorbacks coach John Calipari and guard Boogie Fland at practice at the Chase Center in San Francisco
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari and guard Boogie Fland at practice at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday. | Michael Morrison-Hogs on SI Images

Just this season, freshman guard Boogie Fland posted solid numbers ahead of a thumb injury that sidelined him for half the season. He'll use the tape from when he was healthy combined with NBA workouts to get himself back into first round of this summers NBA Draft.

Arkansas brings in a pair of 5-star McDonald's All-American freshmen who rank in the Top 10 nationally by 247sports, Darius Acuff (No. 5 overall) and Meleek Thomas (No. 10 overall). The Razorbacks are also in play for 5-star power forward Nate Ament (No. 4 overall), a jumbo wing capable of stretching the floor with his shooting and handles at 6-foot-10.

Springdale 4-star small forward Isaiah Sealy and Lebanese big man Karim Rtail will join Acuff and Thomas next season, but shouldn't be expected to be immediate contributors. At the very least, each will be bench pieces and will have a slight hill to climb compared to their higher rated teammates.

Just like Calipari's goal for diaper dandies, transfers must meet a certain standard by embracing competition within the program to earn playing time. When much is expected, more is required, ,meaning nothing will be given unless hard work and accountability is shown.

"The transfers coming in, they got to be great teammates," Calipari concluded. "They've got to add to what we're doing. They've got to want to get better. They've got to want to be that next level. 'Help me' as I tell them, 'You're helping us. Let's make this about each other.'"

The Razorbacks haven't been extremely active in the transfer portal this offseason as Calipari doesn't have to build a brand new roster from scratch like last year. While he doesn't have anyone committed at this point, he does have Arkansas in play for transfers such as Florida State center Malique Ewin, South Carolina's Nick Pringle and college basketball's leading scorer Jaron Pierre.

HOGS FEED:

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• Hogs' eldest receiver "Unc" possibly breaking into rotation?

• ESPN lists Hogs as possible favorite to win 2026 title

• Wagner has much to consider when deciding whether to return to Hogs

Published
Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.

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