What Should The Expectation Be For Arkansas Basketball This Season?

FAEYTTEVILLE — With this being the third season under hall of fame coach John Calipari, the stakes are extremely high for an Arkansas basketball team loaded with talent top top bottom.

This is without a doubt, at least on paper, the deepest Razorback team he has assembled in quite a number of years. There is one hole that is worth questioning at the center position, but with true freshman forward Miikka Muurinen being deemed eligible to play this season, it sent Arkansas from a team that might get to the Sweet 16 to one that will contend for a national championship.

Just like last season showed everyone, it takes depth, size, lockdown defenders and a roster that can shoot exceptionally well at every position to go all the way. That's exactly what Michigan did just a year ago under Dusty May, and could very well be the model to help Arkansas get over the hump into the Elite Eight and further.

Last season, the Wolverines ranked No. 4 nationally in offensive efficiency and led the country defensively, according to KenPom's metrics. Arkansas' offense was prolific enough as well by finishing the season ranked No. 7, but struggled defensively coming in at No. 60 and much of that was due to depth concerns if freshmen guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas were in foul trouble.

During the offseason, Calipari signed the consensus No. 1 overall recruiting class in the country while adding a pair of transfers in center Cooper Bowser (Furman) and shooting guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (Georgia) that gives him relative college experience to make a run.

His roster believes they can make a run for a title, Calipari does, too, but he knows it's going to take some coaching up to do so with them being such a young group. So, he decided to challenge them a bit in non-conference play to prepare them for the ultimate grind of SEC play, and beyond.

Non-Conference View

Calipari has never shied away from challenging his team no matter what year it is. Kentucky always played the best, he made sure Memphis wasn't a pushover, and put UMass on the map because he coached teams that were afraid of nobody.

That's going to be the same case at Arkansas again this season. Despite not being able to bring a marquee non-conference game into Bud Walton Arena this season, he found away to get teams to meet them on neutral floors across the nation.

"We have a group that thinks they can, but they have no idea what that would take. That's part of what my job is, teaching them how to win, how to play in tough games," Calipari said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "Our schedule's ridiculous. Why I opened the season with Virginia, I must have been on crack. Then you go Michigan State. 'What?'

"Then you go we're going to go play in Phoenix, play Arizona. Indiana, way better than I thought. We're playing them in New York. Then we play an easy one, North Carolina in the Dean Dome. What? I must have lost my mind when I did all that with this group being so young."

Virginia certainly won't be the benchmark for the season whether or not the Razorbacks lose in the nation's capitol or not. However, it will show whether this team is ready to compete against a program like the Cavaliers that returns several key players while running a balanced two-way attack under Ryan Odom.

Indiana rebounded to well to a 17-8 mark midway through Big Ten play last season before crashing and burning in the final stretch by losing six of their final seven games.

North Carolina has its own questions under first-year coach Mike Malone and Arizona has been picked to repeat as Big 12 champions under Tommy Floyd. Yes, the same Wildcats team that dominated Arkansas into submission in the Sweet 16 earlier this year.

Then, there's a clash of two close friends as Calipari and Michigan State coach Tom Izzo meet for seventh time in their respective careers with the series tied at three games apiece.

What's Coming in the SEC?

After playing a fairly balanced schedule in non-conference play, the SEC is going to be a grind that will test the will of this Razorbacks team. It all starts at Bud Walton Arena with Missouri coming to town with a very talented roster capable of making a run to the tournament themselves.

A trip to South Carolina will be a quality tune-up game before taking on a stretch that doesn't provide a breather until the second week of February against Ole Miss. The season finale in Bud Walton will test the Razorbacks while also giving Oklahoma an opportunity to score a resume building victory for the NCAA Tournament.

"That and the fact, what league are we in? This league. What's that mean," Calipari said. " Last year we played I think eight of the Elite Eight teams we played last year. So this year, when you start talking all those teams, talking 12, 14 NCAA tournament teams that you're going to end up playing in this league. Some of 'em twice."

NCAA Tournament Seeding Potential

The Razorbacks take their lumps early in non-conference play against Virginia and Arizona, but much like last season Calipari will have his team rolling in conference play. Back-to-back losses on the road to Tennessee and Texas A&M will only be a couple of blemishes on an overall resume that is worthy of a three-seed or better in the NCAA Tournament.

Arkansas is predicted to finish No. 3 in the SEC, and will have the opportunity to face both teams picked in front of them. With Texas on the road, and Florida at home which makes picking the Hogs to split those meeting a bit easier.

Predicted Tournament Seed: No. 3, Midwest Region

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