Arkansas basketball's 2025-26 season wrapped up with a tough 109-88 loss to Arizona in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. John Calipari's second year in Fayetteville mirrored last season's finish, but there's plenty to be optimistic about moving forward. With a 28-9 overall record and their first SEC Tournament championship in over two decades, the Razorbacks are setting a solid foundation for future success.
As the offseason kicks in, Calipari and his staff are faced with crucial roster decisions. While he avoided in-depth discussions about players' futures during the postseason, Calipari acknowledged the importance of these upcoming choices.
"Normally, when a season ends for me, I'm out of town and we could do stuff by Zoom. You can't do that right now," Calipari said.
"Now, you've got to figure out your own team, what does it look like? Who wants to come back?
Who's putting their name in the draft? How serious is that, if they put their name in the draft?"
With the transfer portal window opening on April 7 and closing on April 21, there's a tight timeline for decisions. The NCAA v.
House settlement has removed scholarship limits, allowing all 15 players to receive scholarships. However, Calipari plans to maintain a core rotation of 8 to 10 players, with the rest considered "walk-ons."
Here's a look at the current roster situation:
Returning Players:
- G - Jordan Smith
- G - Abdou Toure (6-5, 200, FR, 4 years)
- W - JJ Andrews (6-7, 220, FR, 4 years)
Undecided Main Rotation:
- **G - Darius Acuff Jr.
(6-3, 190, SO, 3 years)**
- G - DJ Wagner (6-4, 190, SR, 1 year)
- G - Meleek Thomas (6-5, 185, SO, 3 years)
- W - Billy Richmond (6-6, 205, JR, 2 years)
- W - Isaiah Sealy (6-7, 195, SO, 3 years)
- W - Karter Knox (6-6, 220, JR, 2 years)
- C - Malique Ewin (6-10, 240, SR, 1 year) - needs waiver
Undecided Non-Rotation Players ("Walk-On"):
- G - Jaden Karuletwa (6-4, 195, JR, 2 years)
- G - Amere Brown (5-9, 180, SO, 3 years)
- G - Ayden Kelley (5-10, 170, JR, 2 years)
- W - Karim Rtail (6-7, 205, SO, 3 years)
- F - Paulo Semedo (7-1, 225, SO, 3 years)
- C - Elmir Dzafic (7-0, 285, SO, 3 years)
Out of Eligibility:
- F - Trevon Brazile (6-10, 230, SR)
- F - Nick Pringle (6-10, 230, GR-SR)
As the Razorbacks gear up for another offseason, fans will be eagerly watching how the roster shapes up. With Calipari at the helm and a talented group of players, Arkansas is poised to make another strong run next season. Stay tuned for updates as decisions unfold and the team gears up for the next chapter.