2025-2026 cbhsports Arkansas Basketball Preview

Image Courtesy: Southwest Times Record

As the calendar flips toward November and the crowds begin to fill Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, a sense of renewed optimism surrounds the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball program. Under the direction of John Calipari in his second year at the helm, the Hogs enter the 2025-2026 season promise and building momentum. Last season’s run to the Sweet Sixteen laid the foundation. 

What makes this year particularly intriguing is the blend of returning experience and flashy youth. With core contributors like DJ Wagner, Karter Knox, Trevon Brazile, and Billy Richmond coming back, the squad boasts one of the highest returning-minutes totals in the entire conference. Meanwhile, heralded freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, along with frontcourt transfers Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin, are poised to make an immediate impact.

Yet, the road ahead doesn’t come without its questions. The SEC continues to reinvent itself with talent, and Arkansas will need to navigate remade rivalries, grueling road tests, and the inherent pressure that comes with high expectations.

As the Razorbacks start the 2025–26 season, they’re ready to take the next step from reloading to another deep NCAA Tournament run behind success in non-conference and SEC play. The pieces are in place. The stage is set. Now the job is execution.

Projected Rotation

Starters
Darius Acuff Jr., Guard (Freshman)
DJ Wagner, Guard (Junior)
Karter Knox, Wing (Sophomore)
Trevon Brazile, Forward (Senior)
Nick Pringle, Center (Grad Senior)

Bench
Meleek Thomas, Guard (Freshman)
Billy Richmond, Wing (Sophomore)
Malique Ewin, Forward (Senior)
Isaiah Sealey, Wing (Freshman)
Jaden Karuletwa, Guard (Sophomore)
Elmir Dzafic, Center (Freshman)
Karim Rtail, Forward (Freshman)
Paulo Semedo, Forward (Freshman)
Ayden Kelly, Guard (Sophomore)
Amere Brown, Guard (Freshman)

2025 Class (via 247sports composite)
10.Meleek Thomas (#2SG) Pittsburgh, PA (Overtime Elite – City Reapers)
12.Darius Acuff (#2PG) Detroit, MI (IMG Academy)
75.Isaiah Sealey (#18SF) Springdale, AR (Springdale)
Paulo Semedo (C) Orlando, FL (West Oaks Academy)
Elmir Dzafic (C) Tuzla, BiH (KK Bosnai)
Karim Rtail (PF) Beirut, LB (Neptūnas-Akvaservis)
Amere Brown (PG) Pittsburgh, PA (Woodland Hills)

Transfer Additions (via 247sports)
105.Malique Ewin, Center (Senior) Former School: Florida State
127.Nick Pringle, Center (Graduate Senior) Former School: South Carolina

Schedule Projections (All tip-off times are central standard time) Rankings below are based on the 2025-2026 Pre-Season AP Poll)
Oct. 24 Cincinnati (Exhibition; CareSource Invitational) (7 PM, SECN+)
Oct. 27 @ Memphis (Exhibition; Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic) (8 PM, ESPNU)
Nov. 3 Southern (6 PM, SECN)
Nov. 8 @ 22.Michigan State (6 PM, FOX)
Nov. 11 Central Arkansas (7 PM, SECN+)
Nov. 14 Samford (7 PM, SECN+)
Nov. 18 Winthrop (7 PM, SECN+)
Nov. 21 Jackson State (7 PM, SECN+)
Nov. 27 6.Duke (Chicago; CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic) (7 PM, CBS)
Dec. 3 11.Louisville (ACC/SEC Challenge) (6 PM, ESPN)
Dec. 6 Fresno State (North Little Rock) (3 PM, SECN+)
Dec. 13 10.Texas Tech (Dallas; Revocruit Rematch) (11 AM, ESPN2)
Dec. 16 Queens (8 PM, SECN)
Dec. 20 2.Houston (Newark; Never Forget Tribute Classic) (4:30 PM, SECN)
Dec. 29 James Madison (7 PM, SECN+)
Jan. 3 18.Tennessee (2 PM, ESPN2)
Jan. 7 @ Ole Miss (8 PM, SECN)
Jan. 10 @ 20.Auburn (5 PM, ESPN/2)
Jan. 14 South Carolina (8 PM, SECN)
Jan. 17 @ Georgia (3 PM, ESPN/2/U)
Jan. 20 Vanderbilt (8 PM, ESPN/2/U)
Jan. 24 LSU (7:30 PM, SECN)
Jan. 27 @ Oklahoma (6 PM, ESPN/2)
Jan. 31 9.Kentucky (5:30 PM, ESPN)
Feb. 7 @ Mississippi State (11 AM, ESPN/2)
Feb. 10 @ LSU (8 PM, SECN)
Feb. 14 20.Auburn (7:30 PM, ESPN/2)
Feb. 18 @ 15.Alabama (6 PM, ESPN/2/U)
Feb. 21 Missouri (3/3:30 PM, ESPN/2)
Feb. 25 Texas A&M (8 PM, ESPN/2/U)
Feb. 28 @ 3.Florida (7:30 PM, ESPN/2)
March 4 Texas (6 PM, ESPN/2/U)
March 7 @ Missouri (11 AM, ESPN/2/U)
March 11-15 SEC Tournament (SECN/ESPN)

After two exhibition victories over Cincinnati and Memphis, Arkansas opens the regular season at Bud Walton Arena against the Southern Jaguars. The Razorbacks are at home four more times against mid-major competition in November with matchups against Central Arkansas, Samford, Winthrop, and Jackson State. They should be able to win all five of those games.

After their date with Southern, the Razorbacks travel to East Lansing to face their first of five non-conference games against pre-season AP Top 25 teams, No. 22 Michigan State. Arkansas expects to face the ACC’s top two teams when they play at the CBS Sports Classic against No. 6 Duke in Chicago on Thanksgiving and the ACC/SEC Challenge battle a week later against No. 11 Louisville.

A 2-1 record against the Spartans, Blue Devils, and Cardinals is important for Arkansas to go into their trip to North Little Rock on a positive note. The Razorbacks must not look ahead to Texas Tech when they face Fresno State Bulldogs at Simmons Bank Arena in early December.

Arkansas heads to face a Big 12 opponent in Dallas at American Airlines Arena for the second consecutive season. Last November, the Razorbacks fell to Baylor by a score of 72-67. This season, they attempt to avenge their Sweet 16 loss to No. 10 Texas Tech.

A win versus the Red Raiders would help them gain momentum in a midweek matchup against Queens in Fayetteville. A week after facing the Red Raiders, Arkansas travels to face pre-season No. 2 Houston in Newark. After facing two of the ACC’s top squads, the Razorbacks will face the Big 12’s elite back to back Saturdays during the holiday season. A 1-1 record against those two squads is realistic for this year’s squad.

In January, Arkansas begins SEC play. Last season, the Razorbacks began with three losses to open against Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Florida. First, Arkansas welcomes No. 18 Tennessee to Bud Walton Arena before a road trip to Oxford and Auburn to face the Rebels and Tigers.

The Razorbacks should survive this stretch with at least a win because Ole Miss’ only notable returner is forward Malik Dia (who dominated Arkansas in their two meetings last season) surrounded by transfers and Bruce Pearl handed the keys to his son Steven Pearl to be the new Auburn head coach.

Arkansas’ next three games proves the SEC has serious depth. The Razorbacks face South Carolina (picked to finished 16th in the SEC by the media), Georgia (picked 14th), and Vanderbilt (picked 11th). Georgia and Vanderbilt were among the record-breaking 14 SEC teams in the NCAA Tournament last season and South Carolina dominated the Razorbacks last February in Columbia.

Annual rival LSU comes to town on Jan. 24. The Tigers are improved from last season but Arkansas will protect their home court.

Next, the Razorbacks make their first trip to Norman to play Oklahoma on the hardwood since Dec. 10, 2011 when the Sooners beat the Razorbacks. Last season, Oklahoma came to Fayetteville and won. This season, Arkansas will attempt to avenge the loss.

To end January, Arkansas will face John Calipari’s former team, the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats. for a second time with him as their head coach. Last season, Arkansas won its second SEC game of the season against the Wildcats on Feb. 1. This season, I hope Arkansas has already won five or more conference games before they welcome Mark Pope’s team to Bud Walton Arena.

To begin the month of February, Arkansas gets their midweek bye before a two-game roadtrip. The Razorbacks head to Starkville and Baton Rouge in what could be back to back trap games if they beat Kentucky. They will be looking for their first wins in Starkville since Feb. 21, 2015 and in Baton Rouge since Jan. 15, 2022.

On Valentine’s Day, the hogs will get their second look at No. 20 Auburn, this time back home in Fayetteville. Clinching at least a split season series against the Tigers, especially with a new head coach, will be important to Arkansas’ success in potentially clinching an SEC regular season title and a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

In recent years, the Razorbacks follow up hosting Auburn with a trip to Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, another house of horrors in recent seasons. Arkansas has not won at No. 15 Alabama since Feb. 1, 2020, in Eric Musselman’s first season as head coach. Following up back to back wins against the Tigers and Crimson Tide would be huge for a team that has not had a bunch of success in the regular season before deep NCAA Tournament runs.

Up next is the first of two meetings with Missouri, whom the Razorbacks will face twice in the final two weeks of the season. Last year, Arkansas beat the Tigers at Bud Walton Arena in late February — a month after suffering a blowout loss in Columbia. This time, the Razorbacks hope to defend their home court before making the return trip a few weeks later.

Arkansas continues their home stand against Texas A&M a team they played twice in the regular season before Oklahoma and Texas joined the league. Last season, the Razorbacks matched up with the Aggies just once for the first time since they joined the league and they fell on the road. They will look for payback when a new-look A&M team comes in under former Samford head coach Bucky McMillan.

To end February, Arkansas faces former guard Boogie Fland on the road in what should be a raucous No. 3 Florida crowd at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. There is no doubt the reigning national champions are talented, but John Calipari’s team can definitely go on the road and get a season-defining win like Eric Musselman’s team did on Feb. 22, 2022 in Gainesville.

Arkansas makes a trip to Columbia for their second game against Missouri in the SEC’s new “rivalry weekend” to end the regular season. A win for the Razorbacks over the Tigers could help them clinch the SEC regular season championship or a top seed in the SEC Tournament if it is not attainable.

The SEC Tournament in Nashville is Arkansas’ final trip before a potential NCAA Tournament run. The Razorbacks’ goals of reaching their first Final Four since 1995 and winning their first national championship since 1994 remain within reach as Coach John Calipari enters his second season on the Hill.

Final Record Projection: 23-8 (12-6) SEC