Calipari has non-conference revenge tour in mind again as 2026-27 schedule takes shape
Just like last season, the Razorbacks will look for revenge in a Sweet 16 rematch against Arizona during non-conference play in Phoenix.
This will be the first regular season meeting between the Razorbacks and Wildcats since 1995. Next season’s game will be part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series on Saturday, Dec. 19, inside the Phoenix Suns’ Mortgage Matchup Center.
Arkansas will play the role of hosts at Bud Walton Arena in 2027 while Arizona will host in 2028 at McKale Center. The multi-year agreement has an optional fourth game which will be played in or near Arkansas, which will probably be in Dallas at the American Airlines Arena.
Razorbacks Revenge Tour
There’s a trend settling in as third-year Razorbacks coach John Calipari responded to his team’s postseason disappointment by scheduling the very team that knocked Arkansas out of the NCAA Tournament.
After Arizona ended Arkansas’ season with a 109-88 Sweet 16 victory in San Jose, Calipari once again responded by putting the Wildcats on the schedule. He employed the same strategy a year ago with Texas Tech, and Arkansas responded with a 93-86 victory in Dallas.
This game won’t be the only marquee game on tap next season with a trip to Detroit to face Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day at Little Caesars Arena.
The Razorbacks lost 69-66 to the Spartans last November inside a rabid Breslin Center that drew national audience on FOX of 1.67 million viewers.
Long List of Departures
The Wildcats will look a bit different next season as stars like Koa Peat, Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, Brayden Burries, and Anthony Dell’Orso either entered the NBA Draft or saw their eligibility expire.
For Calipari and his Razorbacks, their roster took on a vast overhaul as superstar freshman Darius Acuff, Meleek Thomas, and Trevon Brazile will all likely become NBA Draft picks this summer.
Then, forwards Malique Ewin, Karim Rtail, Elmir Dzafic and Karter Knox each entered the portal along with veteran guard DJ Wagner.
Injection of New Talent
It’s been a few years since Calipari made it popular to build teams primarily on the best freshmen in America. Well, he’s done it again with the addition of four 5-stars in Jordan Smith, Jr., JJ Andrews, Abdou Toure and Miikka Muurinen.
After a pair of official visits, 4-star center Maper Maker committed to Arkansas late following a year of prep school. The 7-footer will likely use his redshirt year as a freshman before seeing his role expand in 2027-28.
Out of the transfer portal, the Razorbacks added athletic big man Cooper Bowser from Furman and high-scoring Georgia guard Jeremiah Wilkinson. Each of them were efficient pieces at their previous stops and project as starters for the Razorbacks next season.
When it comes to Arizona’s roster build, coach Tommy Lloyd added the nation’s No. 1 shooting guard in Caleb Holt out of Prolific Prep. Holt (6-foot-5, 200 pounds) possesses a 6-foot-9 wingspan and is a pest on the perimeter on both ends of the floor.
The Wildcats added shooting guard Derek Dixon (North Carolina), point guard JJ Mandaquit Washington), power forward Ugnius Jarusevicius (Nebraska) and center Evan Otten (Idaho State).
Without a single transfer averaging double-digits in scoring, Arizona will likely rely on a heavy dose of an inside-out game between Mo Krivas and Holt to make another NCAA Tournament run in 2027.
Star Watch
Holt is considered an effective finisher at the rim with a body built to overcome physicality of the college game.
One area he has improved on throughout his development is his three point shot as he drilled 52% (13-of-25) of his attempts at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup last summer.
His knack for making the big shots were apparent this spring as he connected on two big three pointers to clinch the McDonald’s All-American Game for Team West.
Then, Holt turned in arguably the best performance of anyone at the Nike Hoops Summit by recording 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including a 5-of-9 clip from three, eight rebounds, seven steals in a team-high 33 minutes of action.
Who Will Limit Holt?
Arkansas will need to respect Holt’s halfcourt game from the jump because he can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry without someone locking him down.
The return of Billy Richmond III might be just the player who can shut him down.
Known as a lockdown defender on the perimeter, the Memphis native has often been positioned to guard an opponent’s best offensive option by Calipari which shouldn’t change this year either.
Richmond plays with such grit defensively as he sits down in his stance, moves his feet well and uses quick hands to make every possession matter.
His 6-foot-8 wingspan allows him to play more of a position-less style as a player who can truly guard four positions.
Clash of Styles
The Razorbacks are going to run with supreme athletes, an efficient high-scoring offense and a defense predicated on forcing turnovers and block shots.
Arkansas is going to be much more physical on the offensive end with guards and wings who want to get downhill more often than shooting threes. They are only one capable big man away from being among the best teams in college basketball next season.
When it comes to Arizona, Lloyd’s teams are generally tall, technically sound and hellbent on being imposers on each end of the court.
However, their lack of having a true point guard on the floor limited their ceiling which showed up in the Final Four against Michigan. That’s why the addition of Mandaquit looms large as a guy who will be depended upon to run the Wildcats offense.
Arizona relied solely on combo guards such as Bradley and Burries last season. The backcourt should still be talented but not nearly as deep in comparison to what Arkansas will have.