High School

John Calipari weighs in on transfer portal, feels high school recruits are being left behind

Andrew Nemec

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari during a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the St. John's Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari during a second round men’s NCAA Tournament game against the St. John's Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It didn't take long for "March Madness" to hit the transfer portal.

The 30-day transfer window open this week and by the end of the first day more than 1,000 student-athletes had entered their names - roughly 20 percent of projected Division I rosters.

With that much talent suddenly available, college basketball programs are scrambling to inject ready-made talent into their rosters.

And that has an unintended halting effect on high school recruiting.

It's an issue that deeply bothers legendary Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari, who addressed the issue on ESPN's "Pat McAfee Show."

"There are kids in the United States that are freshman, that deserve scholarships to college that aren't getting them," Calipari said. "We're all waiting for transfers. That is what disappoints me most."

College athletics are quickly evolving - with the increasingly common transfer portal and the realities of NIL opportunities.

Clearly, Calipari feels non-bluechip high school seniors (would-be freshman) are the ones getting pinched in the equation.

But that hasn't stopped him from adjusting to the times.

In the class of 2023, the Razorbacks lost three players to the transfer portal, but added six.

One year later, Arkansas was one of the busiest programs in the portal, losing eight players and signing five.

They added three recruits via the high school route.

Currently in the 2025 cycle, Arkansas has signed three high school recruits, highlighted by a pair of five-star recruits - IMG Academy (Florida) point guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Overtime Elite (Georgia) combo guard Maleek Thomas.

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Andrew Nemec
ANDREW NEMEC

Andrew Nemec covers national high school recruiting and brings more than a decade of experience. Andrew hosts "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN in Portland, Oregon. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Oregon.

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