FAYETTEVILLE - Penny Hardaway didn’t need long to explain why he thinks Arkansas belongs much higher than No. 12 in the preseason rankings.
To him, the Razorbacks look like a top-five team. The thing holding them back, he said Wednesday, is age.
"I think it's a top five team, not a top 12 team," Hardaway said. "I think that they're young. That's why they ranked them so low."
Hardaway got a firsthand look at that group in Arkansas’ 93-81 exhibition win over Memphis, a game the Tigers never really controlled despite the final margin. The Razorbacks put together a balanced offensive night, with five players reaching double figures: Billy Richmond III and Jordan Smith Jr. with 17 points apiece, Davion Thompson with 13, Jeremiah Wilkinson with 11 and Miikka Muurinen with 10.
The performance came with Arkansas’ season opener against UAPB in Fayetteville set for Nov. 3.
For Hardaway, the trip served a purpose beyond the result.
"I'm very thankful for this game," Hardaway said. "Appreciate Coach Cal for allowing us to come in here to play against a really good team. We played this game because we understood what we had coming up in the first month and a half of the season, and this was a great bar for us starting off, getting ready to prepare for the season."
Memphis had just handled another SEC opponent on the road less than two weeks earlier, beating Mississippi State 75-58 in Starkville on Oct. 23. Arkansas, though, brought a different level of talent and size.
"I think you played against seven or eight pros today," Hardaway said. "Mikka could be the number one overall pick.
This dude is ridiculous. He's so long, so active.
When he spreads out, man, it's like he covers the entire arena. I mean, that's really looking at like a Victor Wembanyama type player, a Greek freak, Giannis type player.
"Billy made it look easy. He's a veteran now, made it look really easy.
Those guys just played really well. Jordan was more seasoned tonight.
He wasn't this seasoned against Gonzaga. He kind of rushed himself.
He was more under control today, and Davion [Thompson] played really well. I mean, those guys, they're going to be better.
And Cooper [Bowser] was the anchor. He was the connector to everything."
Hardaway also pointed to Memphis’ demanding non-conference slate, which includes Iowa State, VCU, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Penn State, Dayton, Baylor and Texas before American conference play begins.
Calipari, meanwhile, returned the compliment after facing his former program.
"Memphis played well," Calipari said of his former school. "Memphis, my guess is they're going to win the league or be right there."
In Other News...
Arkansas Gets A Big Chance With Rising QB Target This Weekend
A familiar name in Arkansas quarterback recruiting picture is back in Fayetteville this weekend, as KJ Henry makes the trip to watch the Razorbacks face Missouri. The Norman North standout has already drawn scholarship offers from Arkansas and several other programs, and this latest visit comes after he previously made an unofficial trip to an Arkansas game, giving the staff another chance to build on an already existing connection.
Henrys profile has only grown over the offseason, with added weight, better physicality and improved running ability helping push him toward the top tier of the 2028 quarterback class. 247Sports currently lists him as the 16th-best QB in that group, so this is the kind of visit Arkansas will want to make count. The Razorbacks are getting an up-close look at a rising target at a time when his recruitment is still taking shape, which is exactly where a program would like to be. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Showed Fans Exactly Why This Team Feels Different
Arkansas exhibition win over Memphis offered an early glimpse of why this group already feels a little different. The Razorbacks put together a 93-81 victory built on balance, energy and depth, with freshman guard Jordan Smith Jr. and junior wing Billy Richmond III each finishing with 17 points to headline the offense.
The more encouraging sign for Arkansas may have been how the rest of the roster fit around them. The defense forced 15 turnovers and the bench added 32 points, giving the Razorbacks the kind of layered production that can make a team hard to handle once the games count for real. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Fans Got An Encouraging First Look At Two Newcomers
A first exhibition half at Bud Walton Arena gave Arkansas fans an early look at two newcomers who already seemed comfortable in the flow. The Razorbacks took a 48-34 lead over Memphis at halftime, and both Smith and Maper Maker had moments that stood out as they settled into their first chance to show what they can add.
Smith scored four points on 2-of-3 shooting and chipped in defensively, while Maker brought energy with seven points and two rebounds in just nine minutes. Memphis got a strong first half from Nemanja Popovic, who put up 12 points with efficient shooting and work on the glass, but Arkansas still controlled the scoreboard and gave its crowd plenty to watch from the newcomers. [Read more 🡒]