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1. Has John Calipari built a Final Four caliber roster?

Right when everyone counted out John Calipari in year one at Arkansas, his squad made a Sweet 16 run, knocking off Bill Self and Rick Pitino along the way.

Year two could end up even better, as Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman discuss in our Offseason Grades series.

For one, Arkansas has continuity, which isn’t exactly common for Cal’s teams. DJ Wagner, Karter Knox, Billy Richmond and Trevon Brazille all return and will have big roles. And Arkansas added the right portal pieces around them in bigs Malique Ewin from Florida State and Nick Pringle from South Carolina.

The potential difference makers? Five-star freshman guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. Both were prolific scorers and ball-dominant players in high school, and if they can play up to their potential in college, Arkansas could really be dangerous. Like Final Four dangerous.

It’s a lot to put on two freshman, but Acuff was ranked top-five in 2025 for a reason and could be running the show. Wagner showed flashes at the point last season, but he’s more likely to serve as a secondary creator and primary defender. That’s something Arkansas will have to figure out, but those two will likely be carrying most of the ball handling duties.

On the wing and in the paint, this is an intriguing bunch with offensive and defensive versatility. Knox and Richmond are as athletic as they come and can do just about anything on the court: shoot, facilitate and guard. The trio of Ewin, Pringle and Brazille at the four/five fit seamlessly, and they all are high-quality rebounders.

Projected lineup:

• Starters: Acuff, Wagner, Knox, Brazille, Ewin.

• Bench: Thomas, Richmond, Pringle

Really, it’s going to come down to the freshmen, and if the returners can make jumps. On paper, that top eight is undoubtedly this is a top-15 team in the country. But depth could be a question mark if people miss time. Freshman guard Isaiah Sealy and freshman big man Paulo Semedo are great prospects, but they may not be college ready, along with international big Elmir Dzafic. It could be a very tight rotation.

2. Dayton’s late transfer addition

When it comes to mid-summer transfer portal acquisitions, its hard to find one as impactful as Keonte Jones, who reportedly signed with Dayton.

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