Razorback Report: Arkansas receives preseason predictions from SEC media

Your daily briefing on what's going on with Arkansas Razorbacks' athletics

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Karter Knox against the Texas Longhorns at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLLE, Ark. – After one season in Fayetteville, John Calipari already has put Arkansas into the upper-tier of SEC basketball teams.

That sentiment was reinforced Monday when the predicted final standings for the upcoming SEC basketball season had the Razorbacks at the No. 5 spot.

Arkansas was also one of four SEC teams to have more than one player named to a preseason All-SEC team.

Karter Knox and D.J. Wagner were voted to the preseason All-SEC third team by the SEC media Monday.

Knox, a sophomore, returns after closing his rookie campaign as one of the most improved players over the course of last season. He was one of three Hogs to play in all 36 games with 24 starts and averaged 8.3 points and 3.3 rebounds for the year.

Wagner, a junior, emerged as the team leader in the second half of the season and led the Razorbacks on an impressive turnaround run that culminated in a Sweet 16 appearance. Wagner was the only Razorback to start all 36 games and he was just one of three Hogs to play all 36 games. He led the team with 131 total assists, led the team in assists 16 times and had at least three assists 26 times (including 13 times with 5-plus assists).

Arkansas was also ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 College Basketball Preseason Poll. The Razorbacks are the third-highest ranked SEC team behind No. 3 Florida and No. 9 Kentucky. Other ranked SEC teams include No. 15 Alabama, No. 18 Tennessee and No. 20 Auburn.

Six other SEC teams received votes in the preseason poll, including Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas and Vanderbilt.

Here are the full preseason All-SEC teams and predicted order of finish:

First Team All-SEC

Alex Condon – Florida
Josh Hubbard – Mississippi State
Otega Oweh – Kentucky
Tahaad Pettiford – Auburn
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama

Second Team All-SEC

Nate Ament – Tennessee
Boogie Fland – Florida
Ja’Kobi Gillespie – Tennessee
Thomas Haugh – Florida
Mark Mitchell – Missouri

Third Team All-SEC

Malik Dia – Ole Miss
Aden Holloway – Alabama
Karter Knox – Arkansas
Jaland Lowe – Kentucky
D.J. Wagner – Arkansas

SEC Player of the Year

Otega Oweh – Kentucky

Predicted Order Of Finish

1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. Tennessee
4. Alabama
5. Arkansas
6. Auburn
7. Missouri
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas
10. Mississippi State
11. Vanderbilt
12. Oklahoma
13. Texas A&M
14. Georgia
15. LSU
16. South Carolina

Yesterday’s Results

Women’s Golf: Arkansas at Dale McNamara invitational

Today’s Schedule

Women’s Golf: Arkansas at Dale McNamara invitational

Did You Notice?

• Arkansas football’s upcoming game against Auburn has been officially scheduled for 11:45 a.m. Oct. 25 on SEC Network. The match-up will be the 34th meeting between the programs, with Auburn leading the all-time series 20-12-1.  The Razorbacks have won two of the past three games against the Tigers, including a 24-14 triumph at Auburn in the last meeting on Sept. 21, 2024.

• Arkansas’s women’s golf team was the only team to finish Monday under par and holds a 10-shot lead after 36 holes at the Route 66 Invitational at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla. The Hogs are led by reigning NCAA individual champion Maria José Marin (-8, T1), who fired a pair of rounds in the 60s to start Arkansas’ third tournament of the fall.

We’ll Leave You With This