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Razorbacks Offer Another Pair of 2027 Standouts After Impressive Performances

Calipari continues to prioritize high school recruiting, offers NBA-upside athletes
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari on the sidelines against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari on the sidelines against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. | Michael Morrison-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari offered another standout from last weekend's Nike EYBL session in 5-star guard King Gibson.

The 6-foot-4, 180 pound prospect out of Ohio has already fielded offers from schools across the country, including Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, LSU, Missouri, Indiana, Houston, Alabama and many more.

Gibson is the No. 6 ranked prospect in the 2027 recruiting cycle, No. 1 among combo guards and No. 1 player out of Ohio, according to 247Sports. He proved himself an electric athlete on both ends, and an efficient scorer in the halfcourt.

Over the weekend in Memphis, he averaged nearly 17 points, three assists and three rebounds while connecting on 55% of his attempts from the field, 60% from three and 71% at the free throw line for Team United.

The Razorbacks were busy evaluating prospects, including offers to 2027 5-star forward DeMarcus Henry and 2028 5-star point guard Brady Pettigrew. Other recruits Calipari and staff were able to see were Beckham Black, CJ Rosser, and Marcus Spears, Jr.

Scouting Report

Gibson is the kind of guard who can turn a game on its head in a hurry using an instinctive court IQ, awareness, supreme athleticism and bounce.

His combination of size, burst and scoring makes him one of the more intriguing backcourt prospects in the country for this cycle.

He is a couple of inches taller than Arkansas signee and Gatorade National Player of the year Jordan Smith, Jr., but possesses several of the same traits modern NBA-level guards have going into college.

As a prospect, he can play both guard spots, but doesn't need an offense built around him to succeed either. Gibson is a true bucket-getter who plays well with or without the ball in his hands as the key initiator.

One part of his game that stands out is his ability to get downhill in a hurry. His body is ready-made to absorb contact in the paint as he remains fluid in movement driving to the basket.

He has an explosive first step which makes him hard to defend if the defender isn't set or sags his hips. For a rising senior, Gibson plays at his best in transition where he puts on a show with lobs, finding the open man along the perimeter or locating his dance partner in a high elbow drag.

The next step in his development will be continuing to sharpen his decision-making as a lead guard because honestly, that's his meal ticket to the NBA which is a similar role Acuff played this season.

Gibson has the tools to create offense for himself, but is becoming more consistent with his reads, shot selection and half-court command which will determine exactly how quick his impact can be at the college level.

Defensively, Gibson is physically stout at 185 pounds, and if he can add some extra meat to his body there's a chance he can put pressure on offenses due to his switchability. His biggest asset on defense is being able to smell out where the ball is to jump passing lanes to initiate easy offense.

For Arkansas, Gibson fits the kind of guard John Calipari has always valued throughout his coaching career, and is someone to keep an eye on over the summer to see if a relationship is built.

Big Man Offer

Another prospect likely to grow into a 5-star in the coming months is Lewis Uvwo, another standout over the weekend in Memphis.

The 6-foot-11, 230 pound prospect showed up to the Mid-South as an athlete on the rise, but left as a serious post presence by the end of the session. Uvwo attends Prolific Prep in Ft. Lauderdale and is fresh off a dominant weekend on the EYBL circuit as a defensive standout.

While he isn't a high-scoring big man, his length has caused opponents serious issues as he averages 10 points, seven rebounds and six blocks per game for his Nightrydas team. Uvwo is almost automatic from the floor by making over 70% of his attempts.

He is a rim runner in transition, throwing down thunderous dunks and impressive athleticism for a big man his size. Every shot he defends is either well contested or emphatically swatted to the stands repeatedly with his 7-foot-6 wingspan.

Uvwo is currently ranked No. 19 overall nationally, No. 3 among centers and the No. 6 prospect out of the Sunshine State.

His offer list continues to grow this week with contact from the likes of Arkansas, BYU, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Syracuse, Providence, Miami, Seton Hall, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, USC and many more.

With a long way to go before national signing day this fall, Arkansas is positioning themselves well to sign another top high school recruiting class.

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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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