Image – Sports Illustrated
When coach John Calipari, wing Billy Richmond III and forward/center Cooper Bowser arrived in Birmingham for SEC Basketball Tip-Off Media Days on Oct. 14, one thing became clear: College basketball is back.
Arkansas features a talented roster led by Richmond, transfers Bowser from Furman and Jeremiah Wilkinson from Georgia, and the nation’s top-ranked incoming high school class.
Jordan Smith Jr., last season’s consensus national high school player of the year, headlines a freshman group that includes JJ Andrews, Abdou Torre and Miikka Muurinen.
The Razorbacks have the talent to make a deep run in the 2027 NCAA Tournament, but a challenging nonconference schedule and 18 SEC games stand between them and March.
Can Calipari guide Arkansas to a third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance—and beyond—with a roster whose average age is 18.9?
As other programs lean on experience, Calipari is sticking with the approach that has defined his career: recruiting elite high school talent. This season will test whether that formula can produce another deep postseason run.

Image – Yahoo Sports
Expected Rotation:
Starters
Jordan Smith Jr., guard, freshman
Jeremiah Wilkinson, guard, junior
Billy Richmond III, guard/wing, junior
Miikka Muurinen, wing/forward, freshman
Cooper Bowser, forward/center, senior
Bench
Abdou Torre, wing, freshman
JJ Andrews, wing, freshman
Caleb Ourigou, forward/center, freshman
Davion Thompson, guard, freshman
Isaiah Sealey, wing, sophomore
Paulo Semedo, forward/center, redshirt freshman
Ilia Frolov, forward/center, freshman
Maper Maker, forward/center, freshman
Ayden Kelly, guard, junior
Amere Brown, guard, sophomore
Jordan Smith Jr. leads the unit as the backcourt after averaging 21.2 points, 5.8 assists and 3 steals per game in the Bahamas where he won Baha Mar Hoops Most Valuable Player. Smith Jr. will lead Arkansas as their starting point guard across the 2026-27 season.
Davion Thompson will back up Smith after scoring 11 points and adding 2.8 assists per game over the summer. Thompson will add the necessary 3-point shooting to the lead guard spot John Calipari needs to advance in the NCAA Tournament come March.
Jeremiah Wilkinson will likely begin the season as a starter at the shooting guard position but he could become one of the best sixth men in the country off the bench. Wilkinson averaged 10.5 points while shooting 50% from the field.
Abdou Torre will begin the season as Wilkinson’s backup but proved he could start in his first collegiate season when he scored 14.8 points, 5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest in Baha Mar.
Billy Richmond III can attack the rim, pull up from the mid-range, and defend better than many wings in the country. The Razorbacks’ leader scored only 8.3 points, three assists and 2.8 rebounds per game across the four games in the Bahamas.
JJ Andrews impressed during summer play with 15 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Like his teammate Toure, Andrews could challenge for a starting role at small forward or compete with fellow freshman Miikka Muurinen for minutes at power forward.
Muurinen was not granted his eligibility until Thursday, Sept. 29 so he did not play in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League. He will be expected to start at power forward with the aforementioned Andrews and Maper Maker, who could also play at center.
Maker averaged 3 points, 5 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals per game across his action in the Bahamas.
Cooper Bowser started the first two games of summer action for Arkansas at the center position. Bowser put up 4.8 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks a game across his action.
Caleb Ourigou stepped in as the starting center for the final two games of Baha Mar action for the Razorbacks. Ourigou posted 7.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his minutes.
Ilia Frolov spent minutes off the bench playing the five for Arkansas. Frolov averaged 3.5 points and 4 rebounds per game in the Bahamas.
Paulo Semedo saw no action in the Baha Mar Summer League after suffering an injury prior to play beginning. Semedo is expected to see limited action again as a redshirt freshman in Fayetteville.

Image – Arkansas Razorbacks
2026-2027 Schedule, Notes and Projections:
Exhibitions:
Oct. 24 Gonzaga
Oct. 28 Memphis
Regular Season:
Nov. 3 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Nov. 8 Virginia (Washington DC; Capital Showcase)
Nov. 10 Robert Morris
Nov. 13 Central Arkansas
Nov. 17 Indiana (New York City; Bad Boy Mowers Series – New York)
Nov. 20 Mississippi Valley State
Nov. 26 Michigan State (Detroit; CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic)
Dec. 1 at North Carolina (ACC/SEC Challenge)
Dec. 5 Oral Roberts (North Little Rock)
Dec. 8 Oakland
Dec. 13 UT Arlington
Dec. 19 Arizona (Phoenix; Hall of Fame Series)
Dec. 22 Central Michigan
Dec. 29 Texas-Rio Grande Valley
Jan. 2 Missouri
Jan. 6 at South Carolina
Jan. 9 Alabama
Jan. 12 at Texas A&M
Jan. 16 at Tennessee
Jan. 19 Georgia
Jan. 23 at Texas
Jan. 26 LSU
Jan. 30 Mississippi State
Feb. 2/3 BYE
Feb. 6 at Vanderbilt
Feb. 9 Ole Miss
Feb. 13 at Alabama
Feb. 16 Auburn
Feb. 20 at Kentucky
Feb. 23 at Missouri
Feb. 27 Florida
March 2 at LSU
March 6 Oklahoma
March 10-14 SEC Tournament (Nashville)
Notes:
In exhibition play, Arkansas will face against Gonzaga on Oct. 24 and Memphis on Oct. 28. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs 74-68 on March 24, 2022 in San Francisco during the Sweet 16. Arkansas will face Memphis a year after defeating the Tigers 99-75 in an exhibition at the Fedex Forum on Oct. 27, 2025.
Arkansas opens regular season play against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 3), who they will play for the first time in program history. The first of five games against Power 5 competition is in Washington DC against Virginia (Nov. 8) in the Capital Showcase.
The Razorback returns home for a two game homestand against Robert Morris (Nov. 10) and Central Arkansas (Nov. 13). The Hogs have not faced the Colonials during John Calipari’s tenure but are 2-0 against the Bears in as many seasons.
Arkansas returns to Madison Square Garden, one of Calipari’s favorite arenas to play in, for the Bad Boy Mowers Series – New York against Indiana (Nov. 17). The Razorbacks have played the Hoosiers five times and are 3-2 in the series. Arkansas defeated Indiana 71-64 at Assembly Hall the last time they faced off on Dec. 29, 2019 in Eric Musselman’s first season as head coach.
Arkansas will be back at Bud Walton Arena for their matchup against Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 20) before facing Michigan State (Nov. 26), the Razorbacks’ third Thanksgiving Day matchup in as many seasons.
The Hogs will will go for their first victory on “Turkey Day” under John Calipari when they face the Spartans for the second consecutive season in the state of Michigan for the CBS Sports Thanksgiving Classic, this time in Detroit, Michigan.
Arkansas will continue their roadtrip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina where they will face North Carolina (Dec. 1) inside the Dean E. Smith Center in the ACC/SEC Challenge. The Razorbacks last game against the Tar Heels was an 87-72 loss at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas on Nov. 24, 2023 in the third place game of the event.
The Hogs take their annual trip to North Little Rock, Arkansas next to face Oral Roberts (Dec. 5), who they have seen a lot over the years. The Razorbacks defeated the Golden Eagles on a Davonte Davis buzzer-beater 72-70 in the Sweet 16 on March 27, 2021.
After John Calipari’s Kentucky Wildcats were upset by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament Round of 64 on March 21, 2024, he took the open Arkansas job three weeks later. Calipari’s Razorbacks defeated the Golden Grizzlies 92-62 on Dec. 30, 2024 to close out non-conference play the next season.
Arkansas faces Oakland (Dec. 8) and UT Arlington (Dec. 13) in Fayetteville before hitting the road to Phoenix, Arizona to face Arizona in the Hall of Fame Series. The Razorbacks will attempt to avenge a 109-88 blowout loss to the Wildcats that ended their season in the Sweet 16 on March 26 in San Jose, California.
The Hogs close out non-conference play back at Bud Walton Arena against Central Michigan (Dec. 22) and Texas-Rio Grande Valley (Dec. 29).
Arkansas opens SEC play against Missouri (Jan. 2). The Razorbacks swept the season series against the Tigers last season, with a 94-86 victory at Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 21 and an 88-84 overtime win at Mizzou Arena on the final day of the regular season, March 7.
Arkansas’ first road conference game is at South Carolina (Jan. 6). The Razorbacks dominated South Carolina 108-74 in Fayetteville on Jan. 14 in their only meeting last season.
Alabama visits Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 9 for the teams’ first of two regular-season meetings. The Razorbacks are seeking their first win against Alabama in seven opportunities after their 117-115 double-overtime loss at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 18, when Darius Acuff Jr. scored 49 points.
The Hogs take their first multi-game trip of conference play and it begins in College Station, Texas at Reed Arena where they will face Texas A&M (Jan. 12). They have not defeated the Aggies on their home floor since Feb. 20, 2024, when they defeated them 78-71.
Arkansas’ first road trip finishes up in Knoxville (Jan. 16), where they have not defeated Rick Barnes and Tennessee since Jan. 3, 2017. The young Razorbacks will have a tough matchup against a veteran-led Volunteers team.
Georgia comes to Fayetteville next on Jan. 19. Arkansas’ Jeremiah Wilkinson will face his former team, the Bulldogs, when they come to town for a Tuesday night showdown with students back in Fayetteville for the spring semester.
Arkansas heads to Austin next to face rival Texas (Jan. 23), who has gotten plenty of pre-season attention from the media. The Longhorns reached the Sweet 16 in Sean Miller’s first season as head coach following a 105-85 loss to the Razorbacks on March 4.
The Hogs finish the month of January at Bud Walton Arena with two teams they dominated last season. Arkansas faces LSU (Jan. 26), who they swept with an 85-81 win on Jan. 24 in Fayetteville and a 91-62 victory on Feb. 10 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Arkansas finishes the month against Mississippi State (Jan. 30) on a Saturday night. The Razorbacks crushed the Bulldogs 88-68 on Feb. 7 in Starkville, Mississippi last night.
Arkansas opens the month of February with a bye week before another Saturday night showdown at Vanderbilt (Feb. 6). The Razorbacks dominated the Commodores 93-68 at Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 20 before a second victory 86-75 in the SEC Tournament Championship game in Nashville, Tenn.
Ole Miss returns to Fayetteville next for a matchup that could turn into a trap game for Arkansas (Feb. 9). Next, Razorbacks head to Tuscaloosa to finish their two-game set against Alabama (Feb. 13).
The Hogs return home to face Auburn on Feb. 16 before a two-game road swing at Calipari’s former employer Kentucky (Feb. 20) and at Missouri (Feb. 23).
Arkansas welcomes Florida (Feb. 27) back to Bud Walton Arena for a huge late season showdown that could play a huge part in determining the SEC regular season title. The Razorbacks welcome their former point guard, Boogie Fland, back to Fayetteville for the first time when they face off with the Gators.
The Hogs head to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for their final SEC road game of the season against LSU (March 2). The Razorbacks could sweep the Tigers for the second consecutive season with two wins against Will Wade’s team.
Arkansas wraps up the regular season back at Bud Walton Arena against Oklahoma (March 6). The Razorbacks are looking for a third consecutive victory against the Sooners following an 83-79 win on Jan. 27 in the regular season and an 82-79 win in the SEC Tournament en route to their first conference tournament championship since 2000.
Arkansas will return to Nashville, Tenn. for the SEC Tournament from March 10-14, looking for their second consecutive tournament championship.
Projected Record: 25-7 (14-4) SEC
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