Billy Richmond III is being asked to stretch his game in every direction this season, and Arkansas coach John Calipari is making sure the junior wing feels the weight of that responsibility.
For the Razorbacks, Richmond won’t just be a scorer or a hustle player. He’s set to handle the ball more like a point guard, take more shots and serve as a more vocal presence for a team Calipari has already identified as his. That message was reinforced early in the offseason.
Richmond said the goal is simple in concept, even if it requires a change in how he naturally carries himself.
"Just slowing the game down for everybody," Richmond said. "Just not going out there rushing and having them freshman mistakes where we just go out there and just play, not knowing what to do, just listening and coach and basically just meshing as a group come together. Long as we stay together everything fall in place."
When Calipari spoke to the media in July, he made it plain that Arkansas belongs to Richmond. That role isn’t limited to the way he plays. It also means being the voice teammates hear when the possession gets messy or the game starts to tilt.
Richmond acknowledged that part of the assignment doesn’t come naturally.
"Being more vocal as a leader makes me uncomfortable as myself," Richmond said. "Not being a speaker on the floor, but just being more vocal like I said and just going out there and just telling teammates where to be and how we need things and what coach want from us."
That push comes after Richmond established himself as an energy player early in his Arkansas career, earning minutes with defense, effort and the ability to get out in transition. When the Razorbacks forced turnovers or grabbed long rebounds, he was often already on the move and ready to finish the play.
Offensively, it took some time for things to settle in. Once they did, Richmond began producing in bunches. He scored in double figures in 13 of Arkansas’ final 16 games, including a February stretch in which he topped 20 points in five straight outings.
Those kinds of all-out plays - chasing loose balls, guarding the opponent’s best scorer, running the floor - have made him a favorite with fans. They’ve also earned him a nickname from Calipari, who calls him the GOAT.
That label has nothing to do with all-time greatness. It’s about the kind of nonstop effort Richmond brings every time he steps on the court, the sort of engine Arkansas can lean on.
Calipari and his staff are still pushing him to round out his game, and Richmond said that includes being more aggressive as a scorer and more assertive with teammates.
"[Coaches have challenged me to] shoot the ball more," Richmond said. "Just being more dominant in practice, getting on guys when I'm needed to and just being a vocal leader."
No. 12 Arkansas opens exhibition play Saturday, Oct. 24 against No.
15 Gonzaga. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
CT, and the game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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 🡒]