Taking Different Look at Recruiting Rankings as Razorbacks Rocket Up List

John Calipari signing an entirely different class of new players and it becoming clear it's a direction for massive improvement

Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari watches El Ellis of the Arkansas Razorbacks driving in a game on Jan. 27, 2024, at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It's becoming crystal clear new Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari isn't just signing players to fill out a roster. He appears to be looking for guys to assemble on a team to compete to meet the high expectations of a fan base suffering after three years of elite runs. Not making a trip in late March does that.

In the latest rankings at 247Sports, the Hogs have gone from virtually invisible in the rankings to No. 6. That's in the rankings of high school players. When you count the transfers he's bringing in, Arkansas climbs to No. 3 in the overall rankings. There's a little number in those rankings, though, I look at a little closer than the first number, which only matters in the tournament.

With a 97.6 average player ranking, Calipari is bringing in players the quality of blue bloods like Duke, North Carolina and UConn. You don't get players like that just trying to fill out numbers for the program. Getting them doesn't guarantee the Razorbacks winning anything, but I can guarantee you they won't be playing late in March and into April without players like that.

For whatever reason, Eric Musselman's magic tough in getting players in the transfer portal disappeared last year. The chemistry just wasn't there all season long. Quite frankly, it wasn't the year before in a year that ended up in the Sweet 16 instead of the Elite Eight where they'd been the previous two seasons.

It didn't work out and the only people who claim to know what went on probably are just repeating some second-hand gossip. The results speak for themselves. Now Calipari is going after the type players he's become accustomed to coaching over his career in the college basketball that's included high expectations, championships and consistent results Razorback fans wish they had on that regular basis.

Now he's in town and Arkansas fans are expecting something similar. He won't have a really lengthy honeymoon, either. Everybody will probably have expectations that are maybe a little unrealistic the first time they have a close game in November against somebody they would beat by 20 in February. Those kinds of games happen.

Let's see where the program is in April and then start making assesments on how they met expectations. Just be assured right now, though, Calipari is bringing good players to town with size and talent. With most of the high school recruiting done, he appears to be going after guys with experience and can play in what has become about the most physical brand of the game that probably doesn't even exist in the NBA which often is just 48 minutes of highlights.

The expectations of Hog fans are a return to the way things were in the early 1990's. That's when folks started every basketball conversation with where they would be in April and making travel plans months in advance. He appears to be rounding up the players everybody thinks have the talent and ability to get them back there.

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• Razorbacks bats finally hit big milestone in SEC play

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