# 2024–25 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team

The 2024–25 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represents the University of Arkansas during the 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team is led by first year head coach John Calipari, who accepted the job after he resigned from his position at Kentucky after 15 years. Arkansas plays its home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference.

## Previous season

Arkansas finished the season 16–17, 6–12 in SEC play to finish in a tie for 11th place. As the No. 12 seed in the SEC tournament, they defeated Vanderbilt before losing to South Carolina in the second round. This was Arkansas' first losing season since 2009-10.
Following the completion of the season, head coach Eric Musselman took the vacant USC Trojans job, which Andy Enfield had left to become the head coach of the SMU Mustangs. On April 10, former Kentucky coach John Calipari was hired to be Arkansas' head coach.

## Offseason
### Departures

Nearly all of Arkansas' 2023-24 roster either entered the transfer portal or graduated after the season was over and Musselman departed for USC. Trevon Brazile elected to return to the team after testing his NBA draft status.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Davonte Davis | 4 | G | 6'4" | 185 | Senior | Jacksonville, AR | Transferred to Oklahoma State |
| Layden Blocker | 6 | G | 6'2" | 175 | Freshman | Little Rock, AR | Transferred to DePaul |
| Denijay Harris | 7 | F | 6'7" | 200 | Senior | Columbus, MS | Transferred to Southern Miss |
| Khalif Battle | 0 | G | 6'5" | 185 | Senior | Hillside, NJ | Transferred to Gonzaga |
| Baye Fall | 10 | F | 6'11" | 200 | Freshman | Dakar, Senegal | Transferred to Kansas State |
| Tramon Mark | 12 | G | 6'6" | 185 | Junior | Dickinson, TX | Transferred to Texas |
| Joseph Pinion | 5 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Sophomore | Morrilton, AR | Transferred to Arkansas State |
| Keyon Menifield | 1 | G | 6'1" | 150 | Sophomore | Flint, MI | Quit basketball to be a rapper |
| El Ellis | 3 | G | 6'3" | 180 | Grad | Durham, NC | Graduated |
| Chandler Lawson | 8 | F | 6'8" | 210 | Grad | Memphis, TN | Graduated |
| Jalen Graham | 11 | F | 6'10" | 220 | Grad | Phoenix, AZ | Graduated |
| Makhi Mitchell | 15 | F | 6'10" | 240 | Grad | Washington, DC | Graduated |
| Jeremiah Davenport | 24 | G | 6'6" | 215 | Grad | Cincinnati, OH | Graduated |

### Incoming transfers

Arkansas signed the #1 ranked transfer class in the nation for 2024.
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| D. J. Wagner | 21 | G | 6'4" | 190 | Sophomore | Camden, NJ | Transfer from Kentucky |
| Adou Thiero | 3 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Junior | Pittsburgh, PA | Transfer from Kentucky |
| Zvonimir Ivišić | 44 | C | 7'2" | 235 | Sophomore | Vodice, Croatia | Transfer from Kentucky |
| Johnell Davis | 1 | G | 6'4" | 205 | Senior | Gary, IN | Transfer from Florida Atlantic |
| Jonas Aidoo | 0 | F | 6'11" | 245 | Senior | Durham, NC | Transfer from Tennessee |
| Melo Sanchez | 11 | G | 6'4" | 185 | Sophomore | San Diego, CA | Transfer from Hawaii Pacific |

### Recruiting Class
#### 2024 recruiting class

Arkansas signed six high school athletes for the 2024 class, three of whom signed in the late signing period in April 2024, while the other three signed over the summer. The three April signees had originally signed with Kentucky while John Calipari was still head coach there, but followed Calipari to Arkansas.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Johnuel "Boogie" Fland CG | Bronx, NY | Archbishop Stepinac | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Apr 1, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 91 ||||||
| Karter Knox SF | Riverview, FL | Overtime Elite | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Apr 1, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Billy Richmond SF | Memphis, TN | Camden (NJ) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Apr 1, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 88 ||||||
| Jaden Karuletwa SG | Sun Valley, CA | Village Christian (CA) | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 25, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Ayden Kelley CG | Southaven, MS | Northpoint Christian (MS) | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Jul 4, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Casmir Chavis CG | Minneapolis, MN | Park Center (MN) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 10, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 5 247Sports: 4 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arkansas 2024 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 11, 2024. "2024 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 11, 2024. ||||||

### 2025 recruiting class

Arkansas signed three high school players to its' 2025 class, to include two McDonald's All-Americans and the top player in the state of Arkansas. This class is ranked the #4 class in the country according to On3.com, ESPN, and 247Sports, and the #5 class by Rivals.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Darius Acuff PG | Detroit, MI | IMG Academy | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jul 26, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 95 ||||||
| Meleek Thomas CG | Pittsburgh, PA | Overtime Elite | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Nov 12, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 94 ||||||
| Isaiah Sealy SF | Springdale, AR | Springdale | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Apr 1, 2024 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 5 247Sports: 4 ESPN: 4 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Arkansas 2025 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025. "2025 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 21, 2025. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 25, 2024* 8:00 pm, SECN | No. 16 | No. 1 Kansas | W 85–69 | – | 22 – Fland | 6 – Ivišić | 5 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 1, 2024* 7:00 p.m. | No. 16 | vs. TCU | L 65–66 | – | 20 – Thiero | 9 – Brazile | 5 – Fland | Dickies Arena (4,407) Fort Worth, TX |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 6, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 16 | Lipscomb | W 76–60 | 1–0 | 17 – Fland | 6 – Davis | 3 – Bland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 9, 2024* 6:30 p.m., ESPNU | No. 16 | vs. No. 8 Baylor | L 67–72 | 1–1 | 24 – Thiero | 6 – Thiero | 7 – Fland | American Airlines Center (10,207) Dallas, TX |
| November 13, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 18 | Troy | W 65–49 | 2–1 | 19 – Thiero | 7 – Thiero | 7 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 18, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 20 | Pacific | W 91–72 | 3–1 | 23 – Thiero | 6 – Tied | 5 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 22, 2024* 8:00 p.m., SECN | No. 20 | Little Rock Turkey Throwdown | W 79–67 | 4–1 | 23 – Thiero | 8 – Thiero | 7 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 25, 2024* 7:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | No. 19 | Maryland Eastern Shore Turkey Throwdown | W 109–35 | 5–1 | 21 – Knox | 9 – Richmond III | 6 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| November 28, 2024* 3:00 p.m., CBS | No. 19 | vs. Illinois Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase [Turkey Throwdown] | L 77–90 | 5–2 | 26 – Thiero | 6 – Tied | 6 – Davis | T-Mobile Center (5,707) Kansas City, MO |
| December 3, 2024* 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Miami (FL) ACC–SEC Challenge | W 76–73 | 6–2 | 18 – Fland | 5 – Tied | 6 – Fland | Watsco Center (6,389) Coral Gables, FL |
| December 7, 2024* 1:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | UTSA | W 75–60 | 7–2 | 26 – Thiero | 10 – Thiero | 7 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, Arkansas |
| December 10, 2024* 8:00 p.m., ESPN | | vs. No. 14 Michigan Jimmy V Classic | W 89–87 | 8–2 | 20 – Fland | 7 – Aidoo | 7 – Fland | Madison Square Garden (14,846) New York, NY |
| December 14, 2024* 3:00 p.m., SECN+/ESPN+ | | vs. Central Arkansas | W 82–57 | 9–2 | 16 – Fland | 7 – Brazile | 9 – Fland | Simmons Bank Arena (15,535) North Little Rock, AR |
| December 21, 2024* 1:30 p.m., SECN | | North Carolina A&T | W 95–67 | 10–2 | 17 – Aidoo | 11 – Aidoo | 11 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, Arkansas |
| December 30, 2024* 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | No. 23 | Oakland | W 92–62 | 11–2 | 22 – Tied | 7 – Brazile | 6 – Tied | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, Arkansas |
| SEC regular season |||||||||
| January 4, 2025 12:00 p.m., ESPN | No. 23 | at No. 1 Tennessee | L 52–76 | 11–3 (0–1) | 17 – Wagner | 5 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Thompson–Boling Arena (21,678) Knoxville, TN |
| January 8, 2025 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | No. 23 Ole Miss | L 66–73 | 11–4 (0–2) | 17 – Thiero | 9 – Thiero | 5 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 11, 2025 3:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 8 Florida | L 63–71 | 11–5 (0–3) | 17 – Thiero | 9 – Aidoo | 4 – Fland | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 14, 2025 8:00 p.m., SECN | | at LSU | L 74–78 | 11–6 (0–4) | 19 – Fland | 10 – Tied | 5 – Fland | Pete Maravich Assembly Center (8,675) Baton Rouge, LA |
| January 18, 2025 5:00 p.m., SECN | | at Missouri | L 65–83 | 11–7 (0–5) | 14 – Ivisic | 10 – Ivisic | 6 – Fland | Mizzou Arena (15,061) Columbia, MO |
| January 22, 2025 8:00 p.m., SECN | | Georgia | W 68–65 | 12–7 (1–5) | 17 – Thiero | 11 – Thiero | 3 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| January 25, 2025 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 | | Oklahoma | L 62–65 | 12–8 (1–6) | 18 – Davis | 6 – Ivisic | 5 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 1, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 12 Kentucky | W 89–79 | 13–8 (2–6) | 21 – Thiero | 8 – Thiero | 8 – Wagner | Rupp Arena (21,266) Lexington, KY |
| February 5, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | at Texas | W 78–70 | 14–8 (3–6) | 24 – Davis | 12 – Ivisic | 4 – Wagner | Moody Center (10,799) Austin, TX |
| February 8, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 3 Alabama | L 81–85 | 14–9 (3–7) | 27 – Ivisic | 7 – Ivisic | 9 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 12, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | LSU | W 70–58 | 15–9 (4–7) | 25 – Ivisic | 8 – Knox | 7 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 15, 2025 11:00 a.m., ESPN | | at No. 8 Texas A&M | L 61–69 | 15–10 (4–8) | 17 – Knox | 6 – Tied | 4 – Thiero | Reed Arena (10,752) College Station, TX |
| February 19, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 1 Auburn | L 60–67 | 15–11 (4–9) | 16 – Thiero | 8 – Ivisic | 5 – Wagner | Neville Arena (9,121) Auburn, AL |
| February 22, 2025 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | No. 15 Missouri | W 92–85 | 16–11 (5–9) | 20 – Ivisic | 5 – Theiro | 4 – Davis | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| February 26, 2025 8:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Texas | W 86–81 $^{OT}$ | 17–11 (6–9) | 18 – Ivisic | 8 – Brazile | 5 – Wagner | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| March 1, 2025 12:00 p.m., SECN | | at South Carolina | L 53–72 | 17–12 (6–10) | 11 – Knox | 10 – Aidoo | 5 – Knox | Colonial Life Arena (11,754) Columbia, SC |
| March 4, 2025 9:00 p.m., SECN | | at Vanderbilt | W 90–77 | 18–12 (7–10) | 21 – Davis | 14 – Brazile | 3 – Wagner | Memorial Gymnasium (8,829) Nashville, TN |
| March 8, 2025 11:00 a.m., SECN | | No. 25 Mississippi State | W 93–92 | 19–12 (8–10) | 24 – Wagner | 11 – Brazile | 6 – Richmond III | Bud Walton Arena (19,200) Fayetteville, AR |
| SEC tournament |||||||||
| March 12, 2025 12:00 p.m., SECN | (9) | vs. (16) South Carolina First round | W 72–68 | 20–12 | 16 – Brazile | 11 – Aidoo | 6 – Wagner | Bridgestone Arena (–) Nashville, TN |
| March 13, 2025 12:00 p.m., SECN | (9) | vs. (8) Ole Miss Second round | L 80–83 | 20–13 | 17 – Aidoo | 11 – Brazile | 4 – Tied | Bridgestone Arena (–) Nashville, TN |
| NCAA Tournament |||||||||
| March 20, 2025 6:10 p.m., CBS | (10 W) | vs. (7 W) Kansas Round of 64 | | | | | | Amica Mutual Pavilion Providence, RI |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Final |
| AP | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 23 | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Coaches | 16 | 21 | 24 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |