John Calipari: Five things new Arkansas basketball coach must do in first weeks on the job

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Any honeymoon period for John Calipari and Arkansas basketball must be short-lived. There's simply too much work to be done.

The Razorbacks officially announced Calipari as the program's 14th head coach Wednesday, poaching the Hall of Famer from Kentucky to replace Eric Musselman. Calipari arrives in Fayetteville to an empty cupboard, as Arkansas has zero scholarship returnees and zero high school commits in the class of 2024. Eight Razorbacks have already entered the transfer portal.

Retooling rosters has been one of Calipari's biggest strengths over his 32 seasons coaching college basketball, but a complete overhaul is required at Arkansas.

Here is a look at five crucial steps Calipari must take in his first few months as Arkansas basketball coach.

Will any Arkansas basketball players return from the transfer portal?

The Razorbacks have eight players from this year's team that have already entered the portal. Khalif Battle, Tramon Mark and Devo Davis are veterans who could bring back experience, while freshmen Layden Blocker and Baye Fall still possess high ceilings. Will any of them remove their names and return to Fayetteville?

Calipari would be smart to try and bring a couple Hogs back. With so many open roster spots, Arkansas could use a little continuity, and there are some beloved players currently slated to leave the program.

However, the reality is Arkansas is coming off a 16-17 season that ended in the second round of the SEC Tournament. The team needs an influx of talent, so Calipari probably wants more of a fresh overhaul than a similar roster.

Which high school recruits can he poach?

According to 247sports, Kentucky has the No. 2 class in the country with six commits ranked inside the top 100. Four of those recruits have already signed with Kentucky, but they all could ask for a release from their national letters of intent with Calipari's departure.

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The gem of the class is five-star center Jayden Quaintance. Convincing Quaintance or any of his high-level recruits to come to Arkansas would be a major coup and give the Razorbacks a new foundation for the future.

Bring in fresh blood from the portal

This is the most important step of the Arkansas offseason. Calipari has the chance to use a robust NIL budget to round out the roster with experienced newcomers.

Arkansas has no shortage of holes and will be seen as a top destination nationally. Will any Kentucky players make the jump? The possibilities for the 2024-25 Arkansas basketball roster are limitless and exciting.

Start building connections with top prospects from the Natural State

There are five high school recruits from Arkansas over the next two classes who sit inside the top 100 of 247sports' national player rankings. Benton's Terrion Burgess (2025) and Little Rock Christian Academy's JJ Andrews (2026) are the gems of the cycles.

In-state connections took a dramatic fall in Musselman's final season. Devo Davis, Layden Blocker and Joseph Pinion all entered the transfer portal, and Arkansas failed to sign any of the state's top recruits in the 2024 class. That figures to change under Calipari, but don't be surprised if the Hogs continue to recruit at a national level with his arrival.

A healthy look in the mirror

This might be the biggest head coaching hire in the history of Arkansas athletics, but there's no sugarcoating it, Calipari's final stretch in Lexington was a disappointment. Since 2019, he's won one SEC title and hasn't reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Talent hasn't been an issue, so what's been behind the downtick in performance? College basketball is a whole new world compared to when Calipari won a national title in 2012. It's become increasingly difficult to make Final Four runs with teams led by freshmen, which was Calipari's calling card early in his Kentucky tenure.

With some added energy and a fresh start, Calipari must take a look inward to try and right some of his recent wrongs in roster construction and in-game management.