Calipari, Razorbacks to Host Several 5-stars During June

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Razorbacks coach John Calipari wrapped up an expected nine-man scholarship rotation for next season. Built primarily on transfers a few true freshman, Arkansas is expected to be near the top of college basketball power rankings through the summer and preseason.

Arkansas’ staff will be quite busy this summer as they prepare to host some of the nation’s top prospects for 2025. There are multiple reports of visits from many rising juniors including 5-star Meleek Thomas. He recently reset his recruitment following the coaching carousel which included Calipari’s move to the Razorbacks. The 6-5, 175 pound guard is coming off an impressive outing at Pangos where he recorded a near triple-double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

Thomas recently began scheduling visits with UConn June 19, Arkansas June 25 and Indiana is in the running for an official afterwards. His hometown school, Pittsburg, are also heavily involved in his recruitment. The Panthers will likely receive a visit from him at some point this summer. He is a consensus 5-star and is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the country by three of the four major recruiting services. 247sports slots him as No. 9 in its ranking.

A two-way player, Thomas predicates himself as a player who can get the job done whether it be on offense or defense. He has an old school game offensively scoring at all three levels which is attractive to NBA scouts. College coaches consider these types of players as unicorns and Calipari would do tremendous work to perfect Thomas’ craft at the next level.

Dominant 2025 forward Will Riley is expected to visit Arkansas and Alabama in June although no dates have been shared. Riley has been very busy this week making his rounds on official visits including Illinois (Monday) and Kentucky (Wednesday). On3sports ranks the 6-8, 180 pound stretch forward as a 5-star prospect. The other three recruiting services list him as a 4-star sitting anywhere between No. 16 to No. 24 overall.

Riley had a fantastic performance in Kansas City last weekend averaging 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He earned Nike EYBL first-team honors as he starred during the session. The Canada native has been rumored to reclassify over the past few months which makes him a viable option for Arkansas’ tenth roster addition.

Point guard Darius Acuff recently visited Arkansas last month and has been one of the most exciting players in the Americup. Through three games he has averaged 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He led Team USA’s Junior National Team to a 23-0 run to begin Tuesday’s 150-54 victory over Belize.

Acuff is everything teams want in a point guard at the college level. He has a great feel for the floor, limits turnovers and is a consistent scoring threat at all levels. His game will translate well to the next level due to his physicality on defense and ability to spread the floor which helps his teammates get open.

HOGS FEED:

• Razorbacks’ Smith named finalist for Golden Spikes Award

• Razorbacks Book Rematch With Calipari’s Familiar Foe

• It’s Not Really Hard to Figure Out Razorback Coach’s Worst Off-Season

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