Caliparis New-Look Arkansas Roster Gets Its First Real Test

As the Arkansas Razorbacks gear up for the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, Coach John Calipari is set to test a revamped roster against a formidable international lineup.

The Arkansas Razorbacks will spend the first days of August in Nassau, and now they know exactly who will be waiting for them.

John Calipari’s third Arkansas team is set for the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League from July 31-Aug. 4 at the Baha Mar Resort in The Bahamas, giving a roster packed with newcomers its first real chance to show what it can do together. The exhibition slate includes four games in four days against a mix of national, collegiate and professional competition.

Arkansas opens July 31 against The Bahamas National Team at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m.

CT, then faces Carleton University on Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m.

CT. The Razorbacks return to the floor Aug. 3 against Toros del Valle at 6 p.m.

ET/5 p.m. CT before wrapping up the trip Aug. 4 against the University of Calgary at noon ET/11 a.m.

CT.

The field in Nassau won’t be limited to Arkansas. Other Division I programs scheduled to attend include SEC opponents South Carolina and Texas A&M, along with Cincinnati and Valparasio.

Arkansas’ first opponent will be a Bahamas national squad made up mostly of players from different age-group national teams. From there, the Razorbacks move on to one of the more decorated programs in Canadian college basketball.

Carleton, based in Ottawa, Ontario, enters as the defending Canadian national collegiate champion after going 27-9 overall and 17-5 in league play last season to win the Ontario University Athletics title. The Ravens earned the No. 6 seed in the 2026 U Sports Men’s Final 8 Basketball Tournament and then ran through the bracket, beating Laval Rouge et Or 85-69 in the first round, TMU Bold 58-52 in the semifinal and Bishop’s Gaiters 78-75 in the final. That title was the program’s 18th Canadian Men’s Basketball National Championship.

The third game brings a different kind of challenge. Toros del Valle, out of Cali, Columbia, is the reigning champion in Liga WPlay de Baloncesto, the premier Colombian professional league.

Toros del Valle claimed the 2026 Apertura title last month by taking down two-time defending champions Los Paisas de Medellin 3-1 in the best-of-five series. During league play, the club went 12-2 and finished with a 280-point scoring edge, 1104 to 824.

Arkansas closes the trip against Calgary, which is based in Calgary, Alberta. The Dinos qualified for and hosted the 2026 U Sports Men’s Final Eight Basketball Tournament after the 2025-25 season, then went 0-2 in postseason play.

Calgary fell to Victoria 100-86 in the first round and lost to Acadia 88-77 in the consolation semifinal. The Dinos were U SPORTS runner-up in 2025 and also played in the 2025 Baha Mar Summer League.

For Arkansas, the value of the trip is simple: time on the floor with a group that looks very different from last season’s team. The Razorbacks have just two returning contributors in Billy Richmond III and Isaiah Sealy, while a wave of newcomers is expected to define the roster.

That group includes five-star freshmen Jordan Smith, Jr., JJ Andrews, Abdou Toure and Miikka Muurinen, all of whom are expected to be key starters or contributors right away. Calipari will also get an early read on transfers Jeremiah Wilkinson and Cooper Bowser, both of whom are coming off breakout seasons at their previous stops.

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