The second roster of John Calipari‘s tenure as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks is finally nearing completion. Following Monday night’s news of Karter Knox withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning to the Razorbacks for a second season, the roster seems close to being finalized.
As things currently stand, Calipari and his coaching staff are awaiting word on one final major retention piece in Adou Thiero. The 6-8, 220-pound forward is currently going through the NBA Draft process and has until May 28 to withdraw from and return to school next season.
While a Thiero return would be huge for Arkansas, all of the latest intel suggests he’s set to remain in the draft. If Thiero does end up not returning to Fayetteville, there’s been speculation for months that the Hogs could make another portal splash to round out its main rotation for next year.
Despite rumors connecting the Razorbacks to certain undecided transfers, it seems Calipari is content with where things stand. Speaking at the ‘Razorback Roadshow’ event in Little Rock a few weeks back, the Hall of Fame head coach made it clear he’s very happy with the current roster and didn’t make it sound like they were still hunting for any big contributors.
“I like what we have. I like where we stand right now,” Calipari said. “We have the ability to do more if we choose. Sometimes less is more like last year. We ended up playing six guys, seven guys, and all of a sudden, we’re as good as anybody in the country. So, we’ll see how it plays out. We’re ready for whatever happens.”
As he was continuously asked about the current roster, Calipari shed light on what he and the Arkansas coaching staff set out to do. Retention was the priority, high-level freshmen were a must and experienced size via the transfer portal was a focus.
“Let’s retain four. Let’s bring in more freshmen,” Calipari said. “Let’s have two transfers, size preferably because older players are bigger, stronger. They can impact the game more than a young, bigger players. So, that’s where we kind of want to be.
“We have coaches saying, ‘I will not recruit a freshman. I’ll recruit older players.’ Well, the success my teams have had have been a mixture of veteran players with good, talented freshmen. And now we’re able to add a few others in the transfer portal for us. Both Nick and Malique really add to us, but TB, come on now. By the end of the year, he was as good as any big guy. And then you throw in Billy and what he was able to do. I mean, Billy is maybe the most unique guy in college basketball.”
With the announcement of Knox returning, here’s an updated look of where the Razorbacks’ 2025-26 roster stands and the timeline of how it all has transpired so far this offseason.
2025-26 ARKANSAS BASKETBALL ROSTER
Returners:
G – DJ Wagner | 6-4, 195 | 2 years remaining
F – Billy Richmond | 6-5, 205 | 3 years remaining
F – Karter Knox | 6-6, 220 | 3 years remaining
F – Trevon Brazile | 6-10, 210 | 1 year remaining
G – Ayden Kelley | 5-10, 170 | 3 years remaining (walk-on)
F – Jaden Karuletwa | 6-5, 185 | 3 years remaining (walk-on)
Incoming Freshmen:
G – Darius Acuff | 6-2, 180 | 4 years remaining
G – Meleek Thomas | 6-4, 180 | 4 years remaining
G – Isaiah Sealy | 6-7, 194 | 4 years remaining
F – Karim Rtail | 6-9, 21o | 4 years remaining
Incoming Transfers:
F – Malique Ewin | 6-11, 230 | Florida State | 2 years remaining
F – Nick Pringle | 6-10, 225 | South Carolina | 1 year remaining
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Declared for NBA Draft – Undecided:
F – Adou Thiero | 6-8, 220 | 1 year remaining
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OFFSEASON DEPARTURES
Leaving Seniors:
G – Johnell Davis, F – Jonas Aidoo, G – Kareem Watkins (walk-on), F – Lawson Blake (walk-on)
Outgoing Transfers:
G – Boogie Fland (committed to Florida) , C – Zvonimir Ivisic (committed to Illinois), G – Melo Sanchez, G – Casmir Chavis (committed to UT-Arlington)
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OFFSEASON ROSTER CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
Monday | Mar. 24
- NCAA transfer portal window officially opens
Wednesday | Mar. 26
Sunday | Mar. 30
- Arkansas guard Casmir Chavis announces intentions to enter transfer portal
Monday | Mar. 31
- Arkansas forward Zvonimir Ivisic announces intentions to enter transfer portal
- Arkansas guard Melo Sanchez announces intentions to enter transfer portal
Wednesday | Apr. 2
- Florida State transfer forward Malique Ewin contacted by Arkansas
Thursday | Apr. 3
- Recruiting period ends and dead period begins
Friday | Apr. 4
Sunday | Apr. 6
- Arkansas forward Zvonimir Ivisic commits to Illinois out of the transfer portal
Tuesday | Apr. 8
Thursday | Apr. 10
- Dead period ends and recruiting period begins
- Florida State transfer forward Malique Ewin includes Arkansas in final list of five schools (Auburn, Kansas, Mississippi State, Virginia)
Friday | Apr. 11
- Florida State transfer Malique Ewin sets official visit date with Arkansas (visit begins Apr. 14)
Monday | Apr. 14
- Florida State transfer forward Malique Ewin begins official visit with Arkansas
Tuesday | Apr. 15
- South Carolina transfer forward Nick Pringle COMMITS to Arkansas (SIGNED)
- Florida State transfer forward Malique Ewin COMMITS to Arkansas
Thursday | Apr. 17
Friday | Apr. 22
- Arkansas guard Boogie Fland enters transfer portal while continuing with NBA Draft process
- NCAA transfer portal window officially closes
Tuesday | May 13
Monday | May 19
- Arkansas guard Casmir Chavis commits to UT-Arlington out of the transfer portal
- Arkansas guard Boogie Fland begins official visit to Florida
Tuesday | May 20
Monday | May 26
