FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Even if John Calipari wins big at Arkansas, he cautions that he might not win quickly. “It normally takes my programs two or three years to really get stuff established the way you want it,” Calipari said Tuesday.
The former Kentucky coach arrived in April, sending shockwaves across college basketball. Only days before he showed up, Arkansas was considered on the downslope. Eric Musselman had left of his own volition after a tumultuous season that saw the Razorbacks not only fail to make a fourth straight Sweet Sixteen, but not even make the NCAA Tournament at all.
Calipari might be wise to temper immediate expectations a bit. Only one scholarship player from last season’s Arkansas roster returned to play for him, and that player — former All-SEC forward Trevon Brazile -- teased both an NBA draft entry and transfer portal exit before deciding on a third year in Fayetteville. Normally, his return would have been the story of the offseason when it came to on-court personnel.
This year, it barely made a wave. DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic all transferred from Kentucky to join Calipari at Arkansas. Point guard Johnell Davis, the reigning American Athletic Conference player of the year, transferred in from Florida Atlantic and center Jonas Aidoo shifted one state west from conference rival Tennessee for his final season of college basketball.
Toss in three highly touted freshmen, and Calipari acknowledged one of his early concerns i.