Which Positions Will Arkansas, Calipari Need to Address This Offseason?

Calipari likely to lean on portal to replace interior production, shot makers

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari watches during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.— Arkansas is expected to undergo another roster overhaul this offseason, and replacing production in the frontcourt will be among coach John Calipari’s top priorities.

Roster turnover has become standard in college basketball, and Arkansas routinely relies on high school recruiting and the transfer portal as NBA departures reshape his roster each offseason.

Calipari is currently set to bring in a trio of freshmen to his backcourt in No. 2 prospect Jordan Smith, Jr., No. 12 JJ Andrews and No. 22 Abdou Toure with each of them rated as 5-stars in the 2026 recruiting cycle to give the Razorbacks the No. 6 ranked signing class in the nation, according to 247Sports.

There's a strong possibility that Arkansas can retain a few key pieces to his squad from this season in point guard DJ Wagner along with wings Billy Richmond III and Karter Knox. Each of them are talented and bring unique skillsets to the floor.

Senior forward Malique Ewin has been rumored to apply for another season of eligibility after spending a season in the JUCO ranks. Should his request be granted it would give Arkansas' frontcourt a veteran presence capable of anchoring the interior.

However, Arkansas will be in the same boat next season if the coaching staff decides not to invest in a quality rim protector as stretch forward Trevon Brazile (1.7 blocks per game) finishes out his collegiate eligibility in the coming weeks.

Arkansas Razorbacks recruit Jordan Smith with coach John Calipari during weekend official visit in Fayetteville, Ark. | Arkansas Communications

There will be plenty of players enter the transfer portal with close to 50 players who've already announced a decision to begin looking for their next destination. Many other names will trickle in before the portal officially opens April 7, but there are a few intriguing bigs available.

Paulius Murauskas, Saint Mary's

Murauskas is a physical forward known for rebounding and interior toughness. He impacts games without needing touches, scoring primarily around the rim and on second-chance opportunities. Projects as a rotation piece who can anchor the glass.

Size: 6-foot-8, 225 pounds
Stats: 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists on 32 minutes per game.

Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon

Evans is a former top recruit with length and athleticism. He shows defensive versatility and the ability to attack off the dribble, while consistently drawing fouls. His offensive game improved drastically this season but his upside makes him a potential two-way impact player if he decides to play at Arkansas next season with assistant coach Kenny Payne

Size: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds
Stats: 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 31 minutes per game

DeSean Goode, Robert Morris

Goode has been a productive scoring big who operates as a stretch option. Goode can space the floor and score facing the basket, giving him value in modern offensive systems. Questions remain about how his game translates defensively against Power Four conferences.

Size: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds
Stats: 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists in 31 minutes per game

Charlotte 49ers center Anton Bonke (49) handles the ball against Memphis Tigers forward Aaron Bradshaw (11) during the first half at FedExForum. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Anton Bonke, Charlotte

Bonke is a sizable big man who became a quality center at the mid-major level but developed into a stretch big man during the regular season.

He became an exceptional finisher at the rim by making 58% of his attempts from two-point range and would give Arkansas someone who can be physical on each end attacking the glass.

Size: 7-foot-2, 270 pounds
Stats: 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 assist in 25.6 minutes per game

Knockdown Shooter

These types of players don't come along very often, especially at the level Arkansas currently has in Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. With Smith's struggles beyond the arc at sub-.300, Calipari and his staff will need to flip a few rocks to find someone of their caliber.

During his final two years at Kentucky, his staff was able to identify Antonio Reeves from Illinois State to lead a transformative offense unseen in Lexington prior to that point.

Reeves played in 67 games for the Wildcats across two seasons and boasted shooting splits of .467/.422/.830 which were all career-high marks across the board.

One of the best shooters in the country during the regular season was Liberty shooting guard Brett Decker, who drilled 114-of-242 three-point attempts (47.1%, No. 2 nationally). He'll be a junior next season with at least two years left to play.

The 6-foot-3, 190 pound point guard was a pivotal piece to the Flames' 26-win season and scored 20 points while connecting on 2-of-5 three pointers in 73-63 loss to Nevada in the second round of the NIT.

There is no substitute for extensive playing time, especially over the first two seasons at any level, including mid-majors. Arkansas can't go wrong dipping into a talent pool full of players who can light it up from the floor.

New Mexico Lobos guard Jake Hall (23) controls the ball against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Another scoring guard in the Mountain West who excelled this season is New Mexico sharpshooter Jake Hall. The 6-foot-4, 200 pound true freshman averaged more than 16 points per game while connecting on 116-of-257 attempts from deep which ranked No. 5 nationally at 45.1%.

Should Hall enter the transfer portal, he'll be among the most sought after commodities in the offseason.

Whether Calipari opts for proven production or developmental upside, Arkansas’ next step in roster construction will center on adding a solid shooter and rim protection which are needs that will likely be addressed once the transfer portal opens in the coming weeks.