2024/2025 College Basketball Season - Team Previews: 21 - 25
#21: Texas Longhorns
Returning
Kadin Shedrick (7.7 ppg - 59% / 38% / 72%)
Chendall Weaver (6.2 ppg - 49% / 24% / 74%)
Ze’Rik Onyema (3.3 ppg - 55% / 0% / 71%)
Devon Pryor (22% / 20% / 0%)
Transfers
Jordan Pope (17.6 ppg @ Oregon State - 45% / 37% / 88%)
Tramon Mark (16.2 ppg @ Arkansas - 48% / 36% / 80%)
Arthur Kaluma (14.4 ppg @ Kansas State - 43% / 35% / 75%)
Jayson Kent (13.5 ppg @ Indiana State - 64% / 37% / 84%)
Julian Larry (11.0 ppg @ Indiana State - 53% / 46% / 78%)
Malik Presley (2.2 ppg @ Vanderbilt - 43% / 13% / 47%)
Recruits
Tre Johnson (ESPN #5 / 247Sports #6)
Nic Codie (ESPN #79 / 247Sports #81)
Jamie Vinson
Texas had a pretty underwhelming kind of season in Rodney Terry’s first full year as Head Coach, finishing 21-13 (25th in KenPom rankings) and earning a 7-seed in the NCAA Tournament before losing to Tennessee in a 2nd round orange-off. It wasn’t a bad season, but it wasn’t great. The SEC won’t admit it, but that’s definitely why they gave Tennessee the designation as the officially recognized “UT” in the conference. The roster has seen a lot of turnover this offseason, with only 4 players returning (none of whom were Top 4 in scoring on last year’s squad): super senior center Kadin Shedrick, junior guard Chendall Weaver, senior forward Ze’Rik Onyema, and sophomore wing Devon Pryor (who has barely played). That is a pretty uninspiring group of players by itself, but Texas has one of the more interesting incoming transfer / freshmen classes - it’s one of those teams that I’m finding pretty hard to rank ahead of the season because the incoming group looks great on paper, but I’m not sure if / how that will translate.
Senior wing Tramon Mark and junior point guard Jordan Pope were the top scorers on their respective (bad) teams last season. They’ll likely start in the backcourt. Mark can do everything offensively - he’s incredible at getting to the rim and finishing in traffic, but he also has a solid mid-range game. His 3pt shot is also very dramatic and hilarious, go give it a look. Pope is also a very skilled multi-level scorer. He’s great at creating space for his shot off the dribble, and can hit big shots, even with hands in his face. He’s a very good passer who will be able to facilitate the offense well, but he’s also a confident shooter who gives Texas a serious scoring threat at the point guard spot, in an offense that should have several good options. Senior wing / forward Arthur Kaluma from K-State is a solid offensive player who shot better from deep last year, can rebound and defend well, and can play the 3 or 4. The players I’m most interested to see play for Texas are the former Sycamores: Jayson Kent and Julian Larry. Their advanced stats are incredible, as was last year’s Indiana State offense (which ranked 13th in off. efficiency). But they both have two first names, which inherently makes them difficult to trust, as I’m sure you can understand. Robbie Avila may have been the media darling, center of attention for Indiana State last year, but Kent was the 3rd most offensively efficient player in the country last season, per KenPom. Watching his tape, it makes some sense - he wasn’t highly utilized on offense, but he made valuable plays when he got the ball. He shot almost 75% from inside the arc (2nd in the country) and >36% from beyond it. He’s excellent on the pick & roll and with general clean-up down low, he has impressive moves with the ball in his hands - even away from the basket - and he has a quick, nice release on longer jump shots. The guy is a unicorn of a forward. Julian Larry was the Sycamores’ starting point guard, and also a very low-utilization / high efficiency scorer. Larry does most of his scoring on quick drives to the rack, but he’s a VERY credible catch-and-shoot threat. He shot >52% from the field, >46% from 3 for the second consecutive year, and had nearly 5 assists per game. I don’t know if he’ll play alongside Pope or rotate in for him, but the Longhorns will be set at the point guard position. Last, but probably not least, is the 5 star freshman shooting guard from Dallas, Tre Johnson. Tre is ranked #5 / #6 in his class, right there with VJ Edgecombe and the Rutgers recruits. He’s got great size and length for his position, he’s a talented scorer who makes everything look smooth and an especially skilled shooter. He should be one of the better freshmen in the SEC - I would expect him to either start or be one of the first players off the bench.
Like I said, I’m not really sure what to do with this team, in terms of pre-season rankings. There’s clearly some really good talent on the team, but it’s mostly inbound from other teams or high school, so there may not be much immediate team chemistry. And I don’t exactly trust Rodney Terry as a coach who can make that kind of team gel quickly. I see the Longhorns being potentially VERY fun on offense, but I don’t know how good they’ll be defensively. The best defenders from last year’s roster are gone, and the new guys don’t exactly hail from defensive powerhouses of the ‘23-’24 season. My guess is that they’ll get better as the season moves along, and they earn a seed somewhere in the 5-8 range. But if they suck, Rodney Terry might move immediately to the hot seat - Texas has too many resources to suck at basketball, and I don’t know how confident they were about hiring him in the first place.
#22: Oregon Ducks
Returning
Jackson Shelstad (12.8 ppg - 45% / 35% / 86%)
Keeshawn Barthelemy (7.9 ppg - 46% / 39% / 67%)
Jadrian Tracey (7.6 ppg - 42% / 36% / 78%)
Kwame Evans Jr. (7.3 ppg - 45% / 27% / 80%)
Nate Bittle (10.0 ppg - 49% / 33% / 73%)
Mookie Cook (1.2 ppg - 60% / 0% / 0%)
Transfers
Ra’Heim Moss (15.5 ppg @ Toledo - 46% / 31% / 75%)
Brandon Angel (13.0 ppg @ Stanford - 57% / 45% / 82%)
Supreme Cook (10.5 ppg @ Georgetown - 58% / 0% / 57%)
TJ Bamba (10.1 ppg @ Villanova - 43% / 37% / 82%)
Dez Lindsay (JUCO)
Jayson Williams-Johnson (14.2 ppg @ Muhlenberg College - D3)
Recruits
Jamari Phillips (ESPN #47 / 247Sports #60)
Ibrahima Traore
Going into last season, we here at BracketBound were a little concerned that perhaps Dana Altman had lost his fastball - and while Oregon hasn’t been as consistently great under his guidance in the last 3 years as they were the several years before, they were one of the hottest teams in the country this past March, despite battling incredibly unfortunate injury luck for most of the season. They defeated a hot UCLA team, regular season PAC 12 champion Arizona, and a Colorado team with 3 NBA draft picks en route to winning the PAC 12 Tournament and ensuring themselves a spot in the NCAA Tournament field. Oregon lost to Creighton in the 2nd round, in one of the best games of the entire tournament. If the Ducks weren’t missing big, important chunks of their roster for weeks-long stretches of the season, they probably would have been a much better team that made an even deeper run - and we should probably be considering that counter-factual when thinking about the base of this roster and how good Oregon can be next year. The roster will look a bit different this season than last, as the Ducks lose their two best players - lead guard Jermaine Couisnard and dominant center N’Faly Dante (whose return from injury in January was a big catalyst for their run) - but there is still a lot of talent available. And while Oregon football clearly takes precedence over basketball in terms of importance and investment, it’s also worth wondering if Phil Knight’s recent comments about committing vast resources to Oregon athletics in pursuit of a championship will have a near-term impact on the hoops program.
This team won’t have the same elite individual talents like Couisnard and Dante, but it does quietly offer an impressive breadth of talent, meaning this could be a balanced, deep team that has the ability to make the tournament again this year. Last year’s squad had 10 players that averaged at least 17 mpg, and 5 of those players are returning to Eugene for another year: guards Jackson Shelstad, Jadrian Tracey, and Keeshawn Barthelemy; and bigs Kwame Evans and Nate Bittle. They’re joined by 4 impactful transfers: guard Ra’Heim Moss from Toledo, forward Brandon Angel from Stanford, forward Supreme Cook from Georgetown, and wing TJ Bamba from Villanova. This will be Jackson Shelstad’s team next season - he played the most minutes on the team last year as the starting freshman point guard, and I think he’s going to be one of the most high-utilization point guards in the country next year. BracketBound loaded up on Shelstad stock before last season, and it was one of our best investments - we may even buy some more before November. The guy is a fearless, true gamer. He wants the ball, he wants to take the big shots, and he can get open for them off the dribble. He probably needs to improve as a facilitator, and I think he will have the opportunity to develop that muscle with a more balanced offense that doesn’t rely so much on Couisnard and Dante.
The Ducks will be very glad to get Keeshawn Barthelemy back from injury - the senior guard is one of the better shooters on the team, able to knock down shots at every level, any which way: spot-up, off the dribble, off screens / dribble-handoffs…he’s a great offensive weapon in the backcourt. Jadrian Tracey returning is a great sign for Oregon’s backcourt depth, as well. He’s a solid shotmaker and glue-guy who can keep the offense humming. Sophomore forward Kwame Evans is on “breakout” watch - he was VERY impressive in his first year, displaying a combination of versatile scoring ability, rebounding proficiency, and defensive hustle that coaches dream about from their bigger guys. He only shot ~27% from 3 last season, but I think we’ll see that jump up this season - he’s got a smooth shot and shoots about 80% from the free throw line, so I think he can extend his range a few more feet. He’s already on mock draft boards as a late first-round pick…if his shot improves significantly, he could probably sneak his way into a late lotto pick. Senior center Nate Bittle could be one of the overlooked keys to Oregon reaching its ceiling this year. He’s a talented 7-footer who was hyped as a very strong backup behind Dante going into last season, but was only able to play in 6 games due to nagging injuries. The good news is, he was pretty damn good in all but the first of those 6 games. He has potential to be an excellent rebounder and shotblocker, he can score efficiently (averaged 10 pts on 17 mpg, which is good), and has a shooting range that extends beyond the arc (33% on twelve 3pt attempts). He won’t be as dominant as Dante because he’s much leaner and less athletic, but if he’s healthy, he will serve important roles as an effective rim-running backup big who can space the floor on offense and make Oregon’s rotation aggravatingly deep.
Those 5 returning players are good enough to serve as a starting 5 on their own - but the incoming transfers take this team’s talent level up a notch. Ra’Heim Moss from Toledo is a quick, aggressive guard who does most of his damage by attacking and converting or drawing fouls at the rim. He’s a decent - not great - three point shooter, but he’s a capable scorer, passer, and defender who will pair well with Shelstad and Barthelemy. He tried to do too much at times last year, but he may be more effective with much more talent around him. Brandon Angel was Stanford’s second leading scorer, and is an unbelievably efficient shooter for a 6’8” forward. He’s also very smart about drawing defenders in with pump fakes, then blowing by them and taking better shots or dishing the ball to open teammates while drawing defensive help. He shot 62% from 2, 45% from 3, and 82% from the line…that’s pretty damn good. Supreme Cook, transfer center from Georgetown, will likely start in the frontcourt for the Ducks. Although he’s slightly undersized for a starting 5, he’s one of the strongest big men in college basketball. He was a Top 10 offensive rebounder in the game last year, he shoots 57% from the field, and he excels at drawing fouls down low (though not making foul shots). On a team full of guys with offensive skill and finesse, he is the enforcer that will take care of business on the block. And finally, TJ Bamba from Villanova is a smooth veteran wing who can really shoot. He’s one of the better catch-and-shoot snipers in college basketball (64% eFG% on such shot attempts). He had a bit of an underwhelming last year at Villanova, but he was one of the most sought-after transfers in the portal in the last offseason cycle, and I’m willing to bet Dana Altman can get more out of him than Kyle Neptune did.
This team is once again incredibly deep with D1-starter-level talent - the Ducks will be able to play 9-10 deep every game with no problem and very little variability in lineup quality. The most interesting thing to me is what the starting lineup and playing time will look like for certain guys. I know Shelstad will get his minutes, and Cook and Bittle will rotate in/out as needed. But who starts and plays more between Barthelemy and Moss? If Bamba starts at the 3, will Angel or Evans start at the 4? It’s a wonderful set of questions to have to answer, but I’m really curious to see how Altman manages lineups with this roster. Regardless, I think the Ducks may be one of the more underrated teams coming into this year and could be set for a comeback season.
#23: Tennessee Volunteers
Returning
Zakai Zeigler (11.8 ppg - 39% / 34% / 71%)
Jordan Gainey (6.8 ppg - 36% / 29% / 87%)
Jahmai Mashack (4.5 ppg - 45% / 36% / 72%)
JP Estrella (1.6 ppg - 71% / 0% / 71%)
Cameron Carr (1.6 ppg - 30% / 28% / 67%)
Cade Phillips (0.9 ppg - 67% / 0% / 89%)
Transfers
Chaz Lanier (19.7 ppg @ North Florida - 51% / 44% / 88%)
Darlinstone Dubar (17.8 ppg @ Hofstra - 54% / 40% / 73%)
Igor Milicic Jr. (12.8 ppg @ Charlotte - 49% / 38% / 82%)
Felix Okpara (6.6 ppg @ Ohio State - 59% / 0% / 59%)
Recruits
Bishop Boswell (ESPN #64 / 247Sports #97)
For the first time in several years, the Tennessee Volunteers won’t have Santiago Vescovi nor Josiah Jordan-James as key contributors. This Vols team will look much different than recent rosters, in terms of personnel. They won’t have Dalton Knecht, which is a big enough loss by itself to substantially impact expectations, and the Vols are also losing big men Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo, leaving some big vacancies down low. Tennessee was a serious Final Four threat last season because they added a dynamic, NBA-level talent and star offensive player in Knecht…and while I think they’ll be a good basketball team this season, I don’t think they’ll be competing at that same altitude in college hoops without a guy like Dalton.
The good news for Rick Barnes and Tennessee fans, is that the defense should be really damn good again. Two of the better defensive guards in the country are returning to Knoxville: veteran Zakai Zeigler (who should be getting some Perry Ellis jokes this year) and Jahmai Mashack. Zeigler is a great two-way threat at point guard, usually rating among the top in the country in terms of steals and assists. Mashack is a solid defensive player, whose offensive game has steadily progressed over his tenure at UT. Jordan Gainey will still be around to provide some backcourt depth - he struggled shooting last year while making the transition to high-major D1 ball, but he’s still a very effective defensive presence. Incoming freshman combo guard Bishop Boswell should also see some playing time - he appears to be a capable defender and a shooter with a mean stepback move. Barnes also loaded up on 4 solid transfers, including 2 of my favorite prospects in the portal (both in terms of name and ability). Senior SG Chaz Lanier (great name) from North Florida is one of the best shooters of basketballs in the country. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Lanier blew up last year. He averaged under 5 ppg for the first 3 years of his career, before jumping to nearly TWENTY points per game. He hit 106 threes on 44% 3FG% shooting - that is INSANE. He also shot ~60% inside the arc, which is also very impressive. I think he’s going to be very fun to watch next season, and I’m interested to see if he can lead the Vols in scoring. Fun stat about Chaz: he hit 55% of his 3s from above the break on the left side…I mean, those are video game numbers. The second most important inbound transfer for Tennessee is one 6’8” senior forward named Darlinstone Dubar…tell me that isn’t a Top 10 college basketball name of all time. Dubar is not only one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball (made 73 threes on 40% shooting and 64% of his 2FGs), he’s also a staunch defender who will fit the Tennessee system very well. Dude is lethal from the corners - he’s shooting between 45% and 56% from each side. He’ll be a great replacement for Triple-J (Josiah Jordan-James). 6’10” senior forward Igor Milicic is a lesser-known transfer, but he’s a similarly talented shooter as Dubar, but with even better rebounding and shot-blocking ability. Finally, let’s take a look at Tennessee’s new center, 6’11” junior Felix Okpara from Ohio State. Okpara is a great get for Rick Barnes, and yet another great fit for this defensive-minded Tennessee team - he boasted a Top 20 shot-blocking rate in the country last season. His offensive game is limited, but he’s a solid finisher down low, and the Vols have enough shooting at the other positions that he won’t venture far from the rim unless he’s setting screens, anyway.
Like I said, Tennessee will almost certainly be an elite defensive team once again - the offense, as usual, is the biggest question. Even with Dalton Knecht, the Vols were 28th in offensive efficiency (and 3rd in defensive eff.) last season, and it’s hard to imagine their offense being much better this year unless the transfers go on a ballistic shooting streak. I think there’s a lot of talent on this team and their ceiling is certainly higher than where I have them ranked, but I’m discounting them a bit based on their reliance on transfers coming from worse conferences and the amount of change the team is going to undergo this year. All that said, I’m going to watch Chaz and Darlinstone at every damn opportunity.
#24: Texas Tech Red Raiders
Returning
Darrion Williams (11.4 ppg - 49% / 46% / 88%)
Chance McMillian (10.8 ppg - 48% / 39% / 91%)
Devan Cambridge (10.5 ppg - 53% / 9% / 69%)
Kerwin Walton (8.5 ppg - 50% / 48% / 73%)
Eemeli Yalaho (2.5 ppg - 49% / 27% / 35%)
Transfers
JT Toppin (12.4 ppg @ New Mexico - 62% / 34% / 57%)
Kevin Overton (11.1 ppg @ Drake - 44% / 35% / 80%)
Elijah Hawkins (9.5 ppg @ Minnesota - 39% / 36% / 78%)
Federiko Federiko (4.7 ppg @ Pitt - 64% / 0% / 41%)
Recruits
Leon Horner
Christian Anderson
Texas Tech may have a pretty damn good coach in Grant McCasland. The Red Raiders exceeded pretty low expectations in his first year at the helm in Lubbock - they were picked 8th in the Big 12 preseason poll, only to go 23-11 overall, finish 4th in the league with an 11-7 conference record, and earn a 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That is a hell of a first year for a mid-major hire into the toughest conference in college basketball. Tech was picked 7th in this year’s preseason poll, which at first glance may seem disrespectful based on last year’s performance, but is more a reflection of the league’s strength and addition of 4 new teams. Being picked in the top half of this season’s Big 12 is basically a Top 25 vote.
This Texas Tech team is missing some key pieces from last season’s squad (including the Top 2 scorers, Pop Isaacs and Joe Toussaint), but they’re returning 4 key players - including 3 of their most efficient players on offense - and are bringing in a pretty strong transfer class. Junior forward Darrion Williams was the team’s 3rd leading scorer and best frontcourt player last season. He shot just under 50% from the field, a staggering 46% from 3, and was a great rebounder and passer - he should be a key part of the team’s success again this year. Chance McMillian is a fantastic shooter, which is why he was the 4th leading scorer as the team’s 6th man. He hit 65 threes on 39% shooting, shot 63% from 2, and hit 91% of his charity shots. He’s a career 40% shooter, so look for him to light it up again. 6th year forward Devan Cambridge is back in action after suffering a season-ending knee injury 8 games into last year. He was solid for Arizona State in 2023 - good rebounder, great defender, pretty versatile scoring option - and was on track to have another career year last season before being sidelined, so Tech will be happy to have him back in the frontcourt rotation. And wouldn’t you know it, shooting guard Kerwin Walton is back for a 5th season as well. Kerwin re-emerged as a reliable rotation player last season after going mostly dormant for two seasons following his promising freshman campaign at UNC. KenPom had him ranked as a Top 10 player in offensive efficiency last season, mostly because he made 65 threes on 48% shooting and never turned the ball over…besides playing solid defense, that’s about all he does.
McCasland landed 4 transfers to complement his returning core, and I think he did a pretty good job. The transfer class is headlined by one of the best (and most surprising) freshmen in the country last season, forward JT Toppin from New Mexico. Toppin was one of the better bigs in the country right out of the gate: he averaged 9 rebounds per game (45th in the country) in under 27 mins per game, he was Top 50 in shot-blocking rate, and he shot 62% from the field. Those are WILD numbers for a freshman! I’m really excited to see if he can elevate this Tech team to compete with the class of the Big 12 this season. Toppin will play alongside senior center Federiko Federiko (wonderful name) from Pitt, who should raise the defensive ceiling for Tech this year. He’s more of a traditional center: great rebounding and shotblocking skills, scores well around the rim, but not much offensive skill outside that. Senior Elijah Hawkins from Minnesota will take over point guard responsibilities for the Red Raiders, and he should be a great fit from Day 1. Hawkins was Top 10 in assist rate, 2nd in overall assists, and had decent steal numbers on defense as well. There may not have been a better transfer point guard available to facilitate what looks like a sure-fire Top 25 offense. Sophomore wing Kevin Overton from Drake is another valuable addition that will give the Red Raiders high-level depth - he hit 59 threes on 34% shooting, and made almost 57% of his shots inside the arc.
I really like the way this Texas Tech roster is put together - I think they should be better on defense this year, which wasn’t their strong suit last season, and even better offensively. The backcourt might be a little thin on ball-handlers…I would’ve liked to see one more point guard or combo guard to back up Hawkins…but overall, the talent is really solid. I think success for this team would be finishing Top 6 in the Big 12, getting another Top 6 seed in the tournament and winning at least their first game. And I think the Red Raiders are fully capable of doing all of that.
#25: Arkansas Razorbacks
Returning
Trevon Brazile (8.6 ppg - 49% / 35% / 70%)
Transfers
Johnell Davis (18.2 ppg @ FAU - 48% / 41% / 86%)
Melo Sanchez (14.6 ppg @ Hawaii Pacific - 33% / 50% / 0%)
Jonas Aidoo (11.4 ppg @ Tennessee - 52% / 20% / 63%)
DJ Wagner (9.9 ppg @ Kentucky - 41% / 29% / 77%)
Adou Thiero (7.2 ppg @ Kentucky - 49% / 32% / 80%)
Zvonimir Ivisic (5.5 ppg @ Kentucky - 58% / 38% / 77%)
Recruits
Boogie Fland (ESPN #16 / 247Sports #22)
Karter Knox (ESPN #27 / 247Sports #25)
Billy Richmond (ESPN #41 / 247Sports #27)
Jaden Karuletwa
And so, the John Calipari era begins at the University of Arkansas. After another disappointing First Round showing in the NCAA Tournament, another year mismanaging and/or squandering talent (I will never stop talking about Dillingham and Sheppard coming off the bench), Coach Cal has sought refuge from the angry Big Blue mob by preemptively leaving Lexington for Fayetteville, AR. Coaching at a program like Kentucky can come with high expectations, lots of stress, and exhausting interactions with crazy super fans. When it became too much for John, he did what any good Arkansas fan would do: he called the hawgs. Some (most?) of his troubles were self-induced, but regardless, it seems like he was very ready for a change of scenery. This could be a much-needed fresh start for Cal. Maybe that’s what he needs to get back to winning conference titles and winning >0 games in the NCAA Tournament.
As it goes with many new coaching hires, almost the entire Razorbacks roster from last season is gone, save for athletic forward Trevon Brazile. He’s a solid, versatile player and the rest of the roster didn’t do so hot last year, so starting from scratch with him as the lone leftover isn’t necessarily a bad way to begin. Cal managed to bring a few of his Kentucky players along to his new home: sophomore point guard DJ Wagner, junior forward Adou Thiero, and 7’2” sophomore center Zvonimir Ivisic. Wagner was okay last year - he shot just above 40%, just under 30% from 3 which isn’t great for a PG, and was a decent facilitator (3.3 ast / game). I like Thiero a lot - he’s a strong, athletic forward who can move more like a wing. He’s a really solid rebounder and shot-blocker, and he scores pretty efficiently inside the arc - he *can* shoot from outside a bit, but it’s not a strength of his. Ivisic is interesting - he set the college hoops world on fire in his first outing for Kentucky, hitting threes, throwing behind the back passes, and blocking shots. He’s a very strong rebounder, he has elite shot-blocking ability, he scores very efficiently around the rim (67%) and he has some serious shooting range. His biggest problem will be staying out of foul trouble - as an example of the potential issue, he fouled out in the game at Vanderbilt in 12 minutes. Cal slowly played “Big Z” more and more after he became eligible in January, but limited his minutes in some closer games and high leverage situations. I think he’s going to play a lot more and have a bigger impact in this pretty thin rotation, though he will be splitting time with transfer center Jonas Aidoo, from Tennessee. Aidoo is one of the 3 non-Kentucky transfers that Cal managed to secure for next season. He rounds out one of the best 1-2 combos at center in the country, which is something I love to see in teams. He’s a fantastic defender, incredible rebounder (esp. on the offensive glass), and finished 36th in the country in block rate last year. He doesn’t have the expansive offensive game that Big Z has, but he’s a pretty reliable scorer in the paint (53% on 2pt FGs). The most important of all of Cal’s transfers, though, is former Florida Atlantic guard Johnell Davis. Davis was the Co-AAC Player of the Year last season and was one of the best guards in the country. He’s an all-around great player who can lead a team - he’s an elite 3pt shooter (41%) and one of the best catch-and-shoot scorers in the country (97th percentile). He’s also a crafty playmaker in the mid-range, he’s smooth and powerful in driving to the basket, he’s a great passer and a solid defender…he’s exactly the kind of guy you want to form a team around if you’re building a roster from scratch. I expect him to be an All-American candidate. There’s also a very random portal pickup in former Hawai’i Pacific (D2) guard named Melo Sanchez, who appears to be a 3pt specialist and one of the better 3pt shooters in D2 over the last two years. We’ll see how he adapts to SEC play, but can’t hurt to have a true shooter on the perimeter, I guess.
And finally, we come to Calipari’s specialty: the elite freshmen recruits. It wouldn’t be a Calipari team if he wasn’t relying heavily on the play of several highly-rated freshmen, and this year won’t be an exception. Though, his reliance on them this year may be based more on the lack of roster depth, which *could* be a problem.
Boogie Fland is a fringe 5 star combo guard who will probably get lots of run in this thin backcourt rotation. He specializes in shot-making, though he apparently has a tendency to dilute his shooting numbers by attempting wild shots. His stepback moves are very impressive and allow him to create lots of space. His ball-handling has come along enough to make him a reliable 2 guard, and the combination of his length and quick hands allows him to steal the ball at a high rate on defense. Karter Knox is the younger brother of former Calipari recruit Kevin Knox, and he’s going to be similarly effective as a freshman. He’s a strong, highly-skilled 6’6” small forward who can score any which way. He can power through you on a drive to the rack, or he can finesse you with a turnaround fadeaway jumper - and much, much more. I think he may be Arkansas’ most impactful freshman because he’s the most complete player in Cal’s class - his versatility and strength make him ready to compete at the college level from Day 1. Billy Richmond is a highly competitive 6’5” shooting guard. He loves to drive downhill and get to the basket. He’s also very good at turning opponents over and getting out to run in transition. He’s not much of an outside shooter at this point, but he doesn’t need to play that role in this offense. If he can serve as a glue guy / playmaker that scores inside the arc and sets up his teammates by drawing help, he will have a valuable role in this rotation.
Oh, how does one predict how a modern-day John Calipari team will perform? Like many of his teams, this one has a lot of NBA-bound talent aboard. And this team will also rely significantly upon freshmen every game. The frontcourt is stacked: the Arkansas is two-deep with starter-level talent at both the 4 (Thiero, Brazile) and 5 (Ivisic, Aidoo) spots. I think the backcourt is the source of more question marks for the Hawgs. Davis is obviously going to be the leader among that group, as well as the broader team, but this may be a different offensive lineup / system for him. If Wagner is going to play meaningful minutes, he needs to be a lot better this year. I expect Fland to get the remaining starting spot (because apparently Cal’s highest ranked recruits get the starting spots by default), with Knox and Richmond coming off the bench. Basically, if Wagner and/or Fland aren’t very good, the Razorbacks are going to struggle. I think future Calipari rosters will be deeper and more complete, especially given the reported available NIL budget in Fayetteville. And I think if the freshmen recruits are hits, this could be a really good, Top 10ish squad…but based on recent history, I’m skeptical that this will be a Top 3 team in the SEC.