Image – Arkansas Razorbacks Athletics
Members of the Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team are on campus for summer workouts. Three games are now on the 2026-2027 schedule. Also, the hogs added a four-star guard who is reclassifying to join the team this year and strengthen their guard depth.
Image – Whole Hog Sports
Arkansas to begin series against Arizona
Both Arkansas coach John Calipari and Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd were interested in setting up a rematch of the Wildcat’s 109-88 victory in the Sweet 16.
On Tuesday, June 2 CBS Sports reported that the Razorbacks and Wildcats had verbally agreed to begin a multi-year series beginning next season in Phoenix. The game will be on Saturday, Dec. 19 as a part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix at the Mortgage Matchup Center (home to the Phoenix Suns). The series is a double header including UNLV vs. SMU.
The second game in the Arizona-Arkansas series, in 2027-28, will be played at Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena. In 2028-2029 the Razorbacks will travel to Tucson to face the Wildcats on their home court, the McKale Center. There is also an option or a fourth game to be played in 2029-30 closer to Arkansas’ territory, but the fate/location of that game will be determined down the road.
A lot of the Razorbacks’ roster from that game will be playing professional basketball. Guards Darius Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas, forward Trevon Brazile, and centers Malique Ewin and Nick Pringle are all gone. It will be up to wing Billy Richmond III to lead Arkansas’ new-look roster with two transfers and six new freshmen on the roster.
Arizona went 36-3 and 16-2 in the Big 12 during the 2025-26 season. After the Wildcats dispatched the Razorbacks in the Sweet 16, they eliminated Purdue, 73-64, in the Elite Eight before falling in the national semifinal to Michigan, 91-73, in Indianapolis.
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Arkansas-UNC meet in ACC-SEC Challenge in Chapel Hill
FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas will head to Chapel Hill and face North Carolina for the first time at the Dean Dome when the teams meet on Tuesday, December 1, in the 2026 ACC-SEC Men’s Basketball Challenge.
This will be the 12th game between the teams with the Tar Heels holding an 8-3 advantage, including five wins in a row in the series.
It’s the first time Arkansas will face will be playing UNC since an 87-72 Tar Heel victory in the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Nov. 24, 2023 in the third place game of the event.
Six of the previous 11 games came in the NCAA Tournament.
The only previous matchups in the state of North Carolina were on Jan. 14, 1979, in the Greensboro Coliseum (a 63-57 UNC win) and March 23, 2008, in Raleigh (a 108-77 UNC victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament).
One game in the series has been billed as one of Arkansas basketball’s best games of all time. The Razorbacks upset No. 1 ranked North Carolina, led by Michael Jordan, 65-64, in Pine Bluff. Joe Kleine scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds in the win, but Charles Balentine was the hero, hitting the game-winning shot with four seconds left.
The Tar Heels went 24-9 and 12-6 in the ACC before a Round of 64 loss to VCU in overtime ended Hubert Davis’ five-year run in Chapel Hill. Former Denver Nuggets’ head coach will Michael Malone will attempt to build on his NBA Championship resume in his first season as a collegiate head coach.
Arkansas is 3-0 in the ACC-SEC Challenge, including a home win against Duke, a road win at Miami, and another home win against Louisville.
2026 ACC/SEC Challenge Matchups
Tuesday, Dec. 1
South Carolina at North Carolina State
Boston College at Georgia
Ole Miss at Virginia Tech
Syracuse at Oklahoma
Pittsburgh at Missouri
Wake Forest at LSU
Auburn at Clemson
Florida State at Tennessee
Arkansas at North Carolina
Texas at Louisville
Duke at Florida
Wednesday, Dec. 2
Georgia Tech at Mississippi State
Vanderbilt at Notre Dame
Stanford at Texas A&M
Kentucky at Virginia
Alabama at Miami
Image – Southwest Times Record
Arkansas to host Central Michigan on Dec. 22
Arkansas will reportedly welcome Central Michigan to Bud Walton Arena on Tuesday, December 22.
The Razorbacks and Chippewas will meet for the first time in 20 years when they clash ten days from the beginning of 2027. The only other meeting came during the 2006-07 when Central Michigan traveled to Fayetteville on Dec. 5. Arkansas went on to win that game 75-59, with Charles Thomas scoring 14 points and Sonny Weems adding 13 points.
Central Michigan struggled to a 10-21 overall record and a 6-21 mark in the Mid-American Conference during the 2025-26 season. The Chippewas’ season ended when they fell to Ball State 85-69 in the MAC Tournament in Muncie, Ind.
Bracketeer college basketball analyst Rocco Miller first reported the news about the SEC-MAC battle.
Image – The Portal Scoop on X
JUCO forward made visit to Fayetteville
Arkansas hosted 6’10 forward Shah Hall on an official visit from Monday, June 9 to Tuesday, June 10 as their pursuit of a starting big man continues into June.
Hall, the Shelton State Community College standout, averaged 9.4 outs, 7.9 rebounds, and blocked 70 shots during the 2025-26 season. Hall’s elite size, rim protection, and rebounding ability makes him one of the most coveted late additions during this off-season.
Hall originally signed with Andy Kennedy and UAB before requesting a release from his national letter of intent on May 25.
The PortalScoop first reported the news that Hall was on campus in Fayetteville.
Image – HogsMedia on Instagram
Arkansas welcomes Gonzaga for exhibition inside Bud Walton Arena
On Tuesday, June 9, John Calipari announced the Razorbacks would host the Bulldogs in an interview with Pig Trail Nation. He did not disclose a date for the game.
It is the first preseason game announced for the Razorbacks, who have increasingly played Division I opponents in exhibition games. The Razorbacks hosted Cincinnati and played at Memphis ahead of last season.
Back before his first season with Arkansas in 2024-25, Calipari said he had been working with Bulldogs coach Mark Few on a scheduling arrangement.
“Hopefully we’re doing something with them in the future,” he said at the time.
The Razorbacks have matched up with Gonzaga in two previous matchups, splitting with the Bulldogs. The Razorbacks upset the No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga 74-68 on March 24, 2022, in San Francisco during the Sweet 16.
The Zags finished 31-4 last season and begin Few’s 28th season in charge. Center Graham Ike, wing Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, Emmanuel Innocenti and Braeden Smith exit the program but return forward Braden Smith, guards Mario Saint-Supery and wing Davis Fogle.
Image – Davion Thompson on Instagram
2027 4-star Davion Thompson commits to Razorbacks
Link Academy point guard Davion Thompson committed to Arkansas on Wednesday night, June 10. Thompson, John Calipari’s first commitment in the 2027 class, pledged to the Razorbacks over Baylor, Michigan, and Vanderbilt.
Thompson, ranked No. 22 in the 2027 247 Sports Composite, has been considered a candidate to reclassify into the 2026 class and enroll in college for the upcoming season. But he said he doesn’t plan to make a decision on that until after the July live period. He plays with the MeanStreets program on the Nike EYBL circuit and is averaging 21.7 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds. Through seven games he is shooting nearly 52% from 3-point range on 7.7 attempts per game.
Thompson also represented USA Basketball at this month’s FIBA U18 AmeriCup, where the United States lost to Canada in the championship game. He averaged 9.8 points and 3.2 assists while shooting 37.5% from three-point range.
Calipari and the Razorbacks already have landed the top class for 2026 with five-star talents Jordan Smith Jr., JJ Andrews, Abdou Torre, and Miika Muurinen. If Thompson does in fact reclassify, he will provide great point guard depth behind Smith and Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson.
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