Arkansas basketball is close enough now that the first real look at John Calipari’s team is right around the corner. On Friday night, the Razorbacks will host the second annual Primetime at the Palace at Bud Walton Arena, giving fans a chance to see the group again after this summer’s Bahamas exhibition series.
Calipari met with media on Wednesday and covered plenty of ground: the event itself, where his roster stands physically and skill-wise, the Protect College Sports Act, and his support for athletic director Hunter Yurachek.
Primetime at the Palace is set for 8 p.m. (CDT) and admission is free.
Calipari said there are still about 1000 tickets available. The night will feature a dunk contest with new rules this year, a 3-point contest, “a couple” of drills, and a five-on-five scrimmage.
Fans will also get an extended autograph and meet-and-greet afterward.
The biggest injury update involved veteran big man Cooper Bowser, who recently fractured his wrist and will miss Friday’s event as well as at least another week.
“Cooper's been out,” Calipari said. “He's probably going to be out another 10 days, so he won't (play).
But it's given our big guys, the other big guys, a chance to really get good reps. So, that's been pretty good.”
Bowser played in the four Bahamas exhibition games, averaging 4.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in just under 18 minutes per game. He started the first two before freshman Caleb Ourigou took over in the final two games of the trip.
Before the injury, Bowser had reportedly made a big jump from the Bahamas, looking stronger and more comfortable. Even with him out, he remains the only contributor expected to miss time.
Calipari also used his time with reporters to back Yurachek again, even as the athletic director has taken heat from much of the fanbase. The criticism has grown out of the football program’s financial issues and another rough start, capped by the 43-10 loss to Utah in Week 2. That setback led the Arkansas Board of Trustees to pass a resolution to review the competitiveness of all Razorback sports, with special attention on boosting resources for football.
The fallout has only intensified online, including a detailed X/Twitter thread from NILnomics that pointed to Arkansas lagging nearly every SEC program financially because of Yurachek’s reluctance to fully embrace NIL and the new landscape of college athletics. The football program’s last-place standing in SEC roster spending has become part of the conversation, too.
Basketball, though, has been a different story. Arkansas directs a larger share of its overall athletics spending to basketball than any other SEC school, and Calipari’s arrival has been matched by results on the floor, including last season’s SEC title and back-to-back Sweet 16 trips.
Two weeks ago, Calipari posted a video on his personal X account focused mostly on support for the Protect College Sports Act. Near the end, he also backed Yurachek. He returned to that theme on Wednesday.
“I'll say it again, we're one of the few campuses that aren't in debt, like deep debt,” Calipari said. “We're not in debt.
I know everybody's mad at Hunter. I don't even know why, but I'm like, 'Why are you mad at him?'
We're not in debt.
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The report for this one also shows several other Arkansas players listed as out or questionable, leaving the Hogs to sort through more uncertainty as the matchup approaches. For a team heading into a road conference game, the timing matters as much as the names, and the early injury picture suggests Arkansas may have to adjust again before it ever gets to kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Calipari Just Stepped Into Arkansas Fans Hunter Yurachek Fight
John Calipari spent part of his latest public comments doing more than talking basketball. The Arkansas coach backed the Protect College Sports Act, which recently cleared the U.S. Senate, and used the moment to steer the conversation toward the broader financial picture around the Razorbacks, making clear he sees value in where the university stands as college sports keeps changing.
He also stepped in on behalf of athletic director Hunter Yurachek, who has drawn heat from some fans over football struggles and spending. Calipari pushed back on that criticism by pointing to the school not being in debt and by noting the success Arkansas has had in basketball under Yuracheks watch, a reminder that the pressure around the program is not falling on coaches alone. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Gets A Key Defensive Boost Before Texas A&M Test
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Steven Soles is still the bigger name to watch on the report, though, since the starting linebacker is listed as questionable. Arkansas also has several other players marked out, a reminder that the early-season grind is already testing depth on both sides of the ball. The leagues injury reporting policy is designed to bring more transparency and better protect student-athletes, but for Arkansas the immediate concern is simply how complete the defense will be when the Aggies come to town. [Read more 🡒]