Razorbacks' Calipari at NBA Draft One More Notch in Getting Players

Hogs' fans finally get to see coach in green room, which recruits will also likely notice

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari at his introduction at Bud Walton Arena on April 10 in Fayetteville, Ark. / Craven Whitlow-allHOGS Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There was a reason for Arkansas fans to be paying attention to the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. A lot of folks weren't simply because no Razorbacks are getting selected, which is the fastest way for viewership at these things to drop off.

Hogs coach John Calipari was there, though, in the green room with his former Kentucky players waiting for their name to be called. It may not be a big surprise if he's there again tonight, considering one of his former players, Justin Edwards, who's among the 10 Best Available in the opinion of SI.

Recruits will be watching and Calipari is showing immediately he still has the touch to get the best players to join him. It's hard to remember when the Hogs had this many highly-rated players. It's primarily due to a coach that has a track record of getting them to the NBA.

The Wildcats' Reed Sheppard was picked No. 3 by the Houston Rockets and Rob Dillingham went No. 8 to the San Antonio Spurs. As if Calipari didn't already have a good track record getting the best players, that only adds to it, regardless where he's coaching.

Calipari has coached 58 players to be selected in the NBA Draft — 41 first-round picks including 27 among the top 15 and four as the overall first pick — during his 32-year coaching career and had 28 players on NBA rosters this past season. On top of all that, he's the all-time wins leader among college coaches.

All of this is music to the ears of Razorback fans, who have been trying for 30 years to get back where they were when Nolan Richardson's teams were on the top of the mountain. It's a feeling they've gotten more restless about considering it's been considerably more negative the last 25 years than anything positive.

Expectations are going up every day. There are more and more questions around town to me, "how are we going to be in basketball this year?" than anything else. Which is unusual because football will be putting on the pads in about 45 days.

HOGS FEED:

• Part 4: Culprit to Razorbacks' financial woes rears its head

• Razorbacks football season will hit breaking point earlier than usual

• Part 3: First chink in Hogs' financial armor reveals itself

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