With Sweet 16 Looming, Calipari Not Able to Ignore Recruiting

Razorbacks' coach seeing worst predictions come to reality with portal opening during NCAA Tournament

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during the first half of a second round NCAA Tournament game against the St. John's Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari saw the biggest problem with the transfer portal and NIL coming when this whole chaos started.

He was just hoping it wouldn't actually happen the way things have developed. It's' not necessarily becoming something that helps players, especially guys at the high school level.

The NIL has filtered all the way down to the same hallways students take to go to their high school algebra classes and it's changing the academy-type approach where specialized schools would just stockpile players.

"That's changing," Calipari said on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. "Now you're not getting six guys at one school. I used to recruit six, seven, eight freshmen. Can't do it now. The most you can get now three to four."

“This has been as rewarding as any season I’ve coached.”

HC John Calipari reflects on the Razorbacks’ season as they prepare to face Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. (Via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/Ckm3kRHtIL

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 25, 2025

It's created a completely new set of problems that was either not planned for or nobody cared about.

"There are kids in the United States that are freshmen that deserve scholarships to college," Calipari said. "There are 700-800 that deserve scholarships and they're good enough. But we're all waiting for transfers. That's what disappoints me the most. Part of the reason I won't change is that, but I can't do as many."

It's a problem the players might want to start considering. The numbers game about what's available is real and most coaches aren't going to start dumping players for someone new. Or at least Calipari isn't.

"They're not getting a scholarship because there are none left," he said. "How many of my guys are coming back? How many transfers can I get? I may only have one or two scholarships for a freshman."

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

That's why players for the Razorbacks better think long and hard before jumping into the portal just to see what's out there.

"A lot of guys put their name in the portal and I say, 'You gotta go now,'" Calipari said. "If you're gonna do it I'll see ya'. You pour so much into these young people, if they're not coming back loving each other, what is this, one way?

"You probably say to me I'd be hurt. It would hurt my heart. You put your name in the portal? 'But I just wanna see and maybe I'll come back' ... no, no. It's not how that works."

Calipari has players who were the sons and brothers who played for him previously at Memphis and Kentucky. They want their family to play for him now with the Hogs.

But those young men aren't expecting things to be easy. Part of the reason he likes that is they've been told what to expect and it's a point Calipari is making now as the transfer portal has opened.

"We've got great kids that were raised right," he said. "These are good people. I am hard. I'm Italian, I'm loud. I'm not gonna sit, 'You're okay. I get aggressive. I can't help myself!"

Now he's gotten Arkansas to the Sweet 16, a spot nobody was predicting after that 0-for-5 start in SEC play that seemed to drag on forever.

He doesn't want them letting go of the rope.

"At our practices I just want 'em spirited," Calipari siad. "Not one guy better act like 'I'm tired' or 'I'm cool today'. It's like getting in the [boxing] ring. You get punched in the forehead, how cool are you then? Now you're not cool anymore. You better check yourself and be spirited about what you're doing."

The Razorbacks will face Texas Tech on Thursday night in San Francisco at 9:09 p.m. Calipari said he doesn't care how late games are played because it's only 7:09 in California.

He just doesn't like the morning games, which has been seen by Hog fans most of the season. Arkansas struggled mightily during day games for most of the SEC schedule.

The game will be televised on TBS and available on radio on the Razorback Sports Network and ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home.

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