Calipari Looks to Recruit Branson for Pair of 5-star Prospects

The Razorbacks look to keep pipeline at Link Prep under new staff

Former Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari and associate head coach Kenny Payne in the tunnel before the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. / Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Razorbacks continue targeting top prospects in the 2025 and 2026 classes this week. One of the newer offers extended is to 2025 forward Chris Cenac, a new enrollee at Link Prep in Branson, Missouri.

Cenac is considered a stretch-forward due to his ability to play instinctual defense in the post along with solid shot making ability away from the basket. At 6-10, 210 pounds, he has a good frame with plenty of room to fill out at the college level. His length allows him to rebound and block shots effectively.

Teams cannot let Cenac's frame deceive them as his body allows him to absorb physical blows in driving lanes. He handles the ball well for a big man which allows him to effectively finish in driving lanes and around the perimeter, which could cause opponents problems defensively.

The 5-star received an offer from Calipari and Arkansas early Saturday morning following his impressive performance at the NBAPA Camp last weekend. On3 ranks Cenac as the No. 6 overall prosect for the 2025 class, No. 3 amongst power forwards and No. 1 player in Missouri.

His recruiting stock has risen tremendously in June with offers from Michigan State, Georgetown, Michigan, UConn, UCLA, Kentucky, and Syracuse. Most offers have trickled in since the NBA Players Association's Top 100 camp where he finished No. 10 in scoring with nearly 19 points per game and led all players in rebounding at 11.

Arkansas recruited Link Prep frequently under former coach Eric Musselman. He signed current Boston Celtics forward and McDonald's All-American Jordan Walsh during the 2022 cycle. Walsh was drafted by Sacramento which ended up being a pick for the Boston Celtics. The Razorbacks initially signed 4-star small forward Jalen Shelley for the 2024 class. After Musselman headed west to USC, Shelley decided to follow him to USC.

Calipari recruited Link shooting guard Jasper Johnson while at Kentucky and still reaches out since being hired at Arkansas in April. The 6-4, 175 pound shooting guard has visited the Wildcats under Mark Pope this month with scheduled officials with Alabama and Illinois. He is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the country and No. 4 shooting guard, according to On3's Industry Ranking.

Johnson is a crafty lefty who can make shots off the dribble or spot-up's. He has great speed downhill that gives him separation from defenders. An above average leaping ability makes Johnson exciting in transition. On offense, he impacts the game as a scorer who draws extra attention from defenders but sees the floor well enough for easy dump off passes in the paint. He plays tightly sealed defense with active hands which create turnovers for fast breaks.

Arkansas 2025 Targets

No. 1 SF A.J. Dybantsa
No. 2 PF Cameron Boozer
No. 3 SG Darryn Peterson
No. 5 PF Koa Peat
No. 6 SG Meleek Thoams
No. 8 PG Darius Acuff
No. 10 SG Jasper Johnson
No. 17 PF/C Chris Cenac
No. 54 SF Isaiah Sealey
No. 63 PF Terrion Burgess

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