Arkansas
Arkansas basketball under John Calipari: Transfer portal news, 2024 roster, recruits, targets by insiders
After missing the NCAA tournament last year led to Eric Musselman leaving for USC, the Arkansas Razorbacks wasted no time making a huge splash in college basketball. They poached John Calipari from Kentucky and have pledged resources to Arkansas basketball moving forward to try to build a championship-caliber program. Now, Calipari and the Arkansas NIL collective are flexing their muscles and quickly rebuilding an Arkansas basketball roster that was decimated by the college basketball transfer portal.
Not a single scholarship player returns to Arkansas next season, but Calipari has used the college basketball transfer portal and Class of 2024 to quickly add talent to the Arkansas roster. Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero have already followed from Kentucky and D.J. Wagner is expected to follow, as have incoming freshmen Boogie Fland and Billy Richmond. If you love the Razorbacks, or just want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at HawgSports, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Arkansas.
The team of insiders at HawgSports.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding the Arkansas basketball coaching transition and roster changes. Launched in 2002, HawgSports has established itself as the top source for insider Arkansas basketball coverage. Trey Biddy, Danny West and Connor Goodson have a combined 30 years of experience covering the Razorbacks professionally. And right now, HawgSports is offering 30% off the first year of an annual subscription*, so now is the time to sign up.
The team at HawgSports has full coverage of who is coming and who is going on the Arkansas basketball roster. Head to HawgSports now to see all the insider info.
Arkansas basketball roster departures
Seven of Arkansas’ nine-leading scorers from last season are seniors, so Hogs Nation expected there to be several new faces for the 2024-25 Arkansas basketball roster. What it didn’t expect was that leading scorer Tramon Mark (16.2 points per game) would take his talents elsewhere. The native Texan, who began his career at Houston, is heading back to the Longhorn State as he joined Texas from the transfer portal.
Meanwhile, Trevon Brazile, who was the top underclassmen scorer for Arkansas last year with 8.6 ppg entered the 2024-25 college basketball transfer portal on May 1. He had previously declared for the NBA Draft as well and indicated that a return to Fayetteville was not in the cards. With other departures, that leaves the number of holdovers from last season’s team at just two players — Cade Arbogast and Lawson Blake — both of whom made the team as walk-ons and combined to play all of seven minutes last year. Join HawgSports to see the latest on all of Arkansas’ roster changes.
Arkansas basketball news, roster
With seven of the top nine players on the Arkansas roster last year listed as seniors, the Razorbacks were always going to see heavy roster turnover this offseason. However, the losses of Tramon Mark and Trevor Brazile left them with two major holes to plug. Luckily, Calipari was able to call in reinforcements from Kentucky that should help stem the tide.
In addition to the several Kentucky players and commitments he was able to flip, Calipari secured commitments from Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo and Florida Atlantic guard Johnell Davis. Aidoo was second-team All-SEC for a Volunteers squad that made the Elite Eight last season while Davis was the AAC Player of the Year and led the Owls to the Final Four in 2023. Fland, Richmond and fellow Class of 2024 four-star Karter Knox have all signed their national letters of intent as well. Join HawgSports to get the latest on all of Arkansas’ roster additions.
How to get insider Arkansas basketball roster updates
Calipari has already been in contact with multiple transfers from power-conference teams, so be sure to join HawgSports to see who they are and get the rest of the insider roster news.
Who are the top names Arkansas basketball is pursuing under coach John Calipari, and which power-conference transfers could land in Fayetteville? Go to HawgSports to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Razorbacks, and find out. And reminder, HawgSports is offering 30% off the first year of an annual VIP membership*, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
*Terms: This offer is only available for new members who sign up for a HawgSports annual subscription. After the first year, subscription will re-bill on an annual basis at the regular rate. 247Sports.com reserves the right to alter or cancel this promotion at any time. Please write support@247sports.com with any questions you may have.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Purple is the color of the month in Arkansas, and Lupus Awareness Month is bringing a busy stretch of events, including a mayoral proclamation and a smooth jazz concert featuring acclaimed saxophonist Merlon Devine.
A proclamation for Lupus Awareness Month is set for 6 p.m. in North Little Rock, with Mayor Hardwick expected to present it. Organizers encouraged lupus warriors and supporters to come out.
Anita Boone, President of the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas Inc. and a former lupus warrior, described the day-to-day reality of living with the disease: “One minute you’re feeling amazing, the next minute your body is saying we can’t do this.”
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, described during the interview as a condition where the immune system attacks the body “inside out.” It can affect organs throughout the body, including the brain, lungs, heart and kidneys. Boone also shared personal impacts, saying, “I am losing, actually, ear from hearing, just because of lupus.”
The Lupus Foundation of Arkansas is also inviting the community to a Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert this Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 at The Space with Grace event venue, 2005 Main St., North Little Rock.
Gale Davis, committee chair for the Lupus Smooth Jazz Concert shared details about the concert.
Davis said guests are encouraged to “dress to impress,” though formalwear isn’t required. The event will include a photo backdrop, light hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and sponsored tables aimed at networking. It’s also a chance for people to meet other lupus warriors, learn more about the foundation’s work, and watch a video presentation highlighting events from the past year.
The featured artist, Merlon Devine, was described as an acclaimed saxophonist known for a soulful, smooth jazz sound, with a career spanning more than two decades and performances across the country and around the world. He’s also an Arkansas native who attended Little Rock Central High School. He now lives in Southern Maryland, outside Washington, D.C.
Davis said Devine’s connection to lupus is personal. She said his father had lupus and has since died, though he didn’t die from lupus. They also said Divine had a sister who died from lupus in 1981 and that he currently has two sisters living with lupus.
She also shared that, according to his doctors, Devine was born with acute asthma and underdeveloped lungs. His latest single, released last year, is called “Mercy.”
Tickets must be purchased online and will not be sold at the door. They’re available online by clicking on the flyer. Prices are $40 for individual tickets, or $400 for a table of nine, with an option to sponsor a table.
Organizers also noted another proclamation is planned for the Little Rock side with Mayor Frank Scott tomorrow, and encouraged people to follow the Lupus Foundation of Arkansas on social media for updates.
The concert will take place this Sunday at the Space With Grace Venue in North Little Rock.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — An Arkansas man died after crashing a dirt bike on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Arkansas man, formerly from Newaygo, crashed into a tree while riding a dirt bike on private property in Ashland Township near Grant on Sunday before 2:30 p.m., according to Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers.
Emergency responders tried to save his life but he died at the scene.
Troopers are still investigating but do not suspect drugs or alcohol as factors in the crash.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
MSP did not initially release any additional information.
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas softball will once again host an NCAA Regional, this time as the No. 5 overall national seed.
The Razorbacks (42-11) will be the top seed in Fayetteville and open the tournament against fourth-seeded Fordham (27-26) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
Washington (36-18) is the two-seed and will face three-seed South Florida (42-15) that same day inside Bogle Park.
Arkansas is paired with the Durham Regional hosted by Duke (39-14) for a potential super regional. Arizona (35-16), Marshall (37-17) and Howard (28-17) are joining the Blue Devils in the regional.
This is the sixth consecutive season the Razorbacks will host a regional. It is also the program’s eighth straight NCAA Tournament berth under coach Courtney Deifel. Arkansas has reached the NCAA tournament 14 times, and more than half of those appearances have come under Deifel.
Arkansas ended the season No. 1 in the RPI despite finishing seventh in the SEC standings. The Hogs were eliminated by Alabama in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Last year, Arkansas lost to SEC rival Ole Miss in the Super Regionals. The Hogs fell one win shy of reaching the Women’s College World Series for the first time in program history. They are hoping to take that elusive next step this summer and book a trip to Oklahoma City in two weeks time.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
-
Movie Reviews11 minutes agoFilm Review: ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’ Finds Paul Dano and Jude Law in a Compelling Throwback Political Drama – Awards Radar
-
World23 minutes ago
A South Korean startup captures workers’ techniques to develop AI brains for robots
-
News29 minutes agoInstructure Strikes Deal for Hackers for Return of Canvas Data
-
Politics35 minutes agoJudge Again Delays Guantánamo’s First Death-Penalty Terror Trial
-
Business41 minutes agoChina Increasingly Views Trump’s America as an Empire in Decline
-
Science47 minutes agoScientists Press Congress on Dismissal of National Science Foundation Board and Research Funding
-
Health53 minutes agoA Single Infusion Could Suppress H.I.V. for Years, Study Suggests
-
Culture1 hour agoBook Review: ‘When the Forest Breathes,’ by Suzanne Simard