John Calipari is already tweaking Arkansas’ offense, and the changes are coming before the Razorbacks even tip off against Gonzaga.
The shift reflects what he sees in this roster: a young team still sorting itself out, but one with enough athleticism and depth to play fast. Arkansas is leaning into that identity as it prepares for its exhibition opener on Saturday, Oct. 24 against No. 15 Gonzaga.
Jordan Smith Jr. says the learning curve has been smoother because so many of his teammates are going through it at the same time. The reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year and No. 2 overall prospect in the 2026 class pointed to the fact that Arkansas has a large freshman group working through the same adjustment.
"I feel like it's because you know we're all young," Smith said on Tuesday. "Like we have nine...eight freshman on the team and it's just like we all came from high school so we all learn together and just to ask the same question that we have to talk about in the locker room, talk about it outside of the gym and it just really brought us up together.
"We've just had a lot of fun you know learning and going through the same stuff, you know, failing, winning, good days.. bad days. So, just overall being together as a young group has really made everybody better."
That collective growth matters because Calipari is still searching for the right mix. The offense Arkansas showed during the Baha Mar Summer League in the Bahamas may not be the version fans see once the season gets rolling. After evaluating practice, Calipari decided the Razorbacks needed a different approach that better matches the players on hand.
"If I'll be trying to play nine or 10 guys, I'm looking around this room, most of you probably don't really know basketball, what would you think I should do if I'm trying to play nine or 10," Calipari said. "Probably press, would you say, then play really fast so they can only play three or four minutes at a time.
"That means you still have to be disciplined. If we block shots, we are really fast.
Last year we were really fast. I hate to tell you, this team may be faster."
That kind of pace could bring out Arkansas’ best traits. The Razorbacks already played with major speed last season, finishing with 75.4 possessions per game, good for No. 2 in the SEC and No. 13 nationally. They also ranked No. 2 nationally in scoring at 90.2 points per game and averaged 18.84 points per game in transition.
Calipari wants to use that quickness, but he knows the other side of the equation too. The faster Arkansas plays, the more it opens the door for opponents if the Razorbacks turn it over or lose focus getting back on defense.
That is part of what Calipari expects to sort out against Gonzaga, even if the exhibition is still early in the process.
"But the other team is going to say, If you let them get out and run, you're going to score at will," Calipari said. "We're going to have to figure out, get this, how to play in the halfcourt.
That's what I changed up yesterday. I wasn't comfortable with what we were trying to do.
It didn't fit the players, that stuff.
"Yes, we're athletic, which means we should defend, we should be able to guard. But the best part of it is they'll compete."
In Other News...
Arkansas Fans Can Read Plenty Into This Program Review
The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees has been taking a closer look at the athletic department and football program since the lopsided Week 2 loss, and that alone has been enough to get plenty of attention around the program. In the meantime, Ryan Silverfield has tried to steady the conversation, saying in a recent interview that he believes the resources will be there and that leadership is working to put the team in position to be successful beginning with the 2027 season.
For Arkansas fans, the timing is hard to ignore, especially with athletic director Hunter Yurachek still in place for now even as speculation about his future continues to swirl beyond the football season. A review of this kind can mean a lot of things, but it rarely happens without creating questions about where the program is headed next, who will be steering it, and how quickly any changes might start to show up on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets An Early Gonzaga Test With Real Pressure For Calipari
Arkansas will get an immediate measuring-stick game to open the 2026-27 season, welcoming Gonzaga to Bud Walton Arena for an exhibition at 3 p.m. CDT that will stream on SEC Network+. John Calipari framed it as more than a tuneup, pointing to the kind of pressure the matchup should create and the teaching value that comes with two programs willing to challenge each other right away.
Calipari said both teams will lean on man-to-man defense rather than zone, with plenty of pressing on both sides to force decisions and expose details that matter in November and beyond. Freshman forward Miikka Muurinen, now cleared as eligible, adds another layer of intrigue for Arkansas because of the versatile role he can fill on both ends of the floor, and that early test should give the Razorbacks a clearer idea of where his game fits. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Freshmen Are Making Caliparis Rotation Battle Harder To Ignore
John Caliparis early-season approach at Arkansas has already taken on a different look, with the Razorbacks working through a deeper rotation than fans got used to in his previous stops. Instead of leaning on a tight core, Calipari has been using 10 to 11 players, and that has opened the door for several freshmen to stay in the conversation even if they are not yet regulars in the highest-leverage minutes.
Maper Maker, Caleb Ourigou and Davion Thompson are all sitting near the back end of the rotation right now, but each has given the staff something to think about. Maker has drawn notice for his size and his play, while Ourigou and Thompson arrived early after reclassifying, a move that accelerated their development and brought them into this mix sooner than expected. In a season where Calipari is already sorting through more options than usual, the question is how long it takes before those young players force the issue even more. [Read more 🡒]