The Arkansas basketball roster is starting to show a clearer picture ahead of next season, but the product isn't yet finished.
Last week, head coach John Calipari announced the return of three main pieces from last season, as D.J. Wagner, Billy Richmond III and Trevon Brazile are all returning for the 2025-26 season.
There's still one returner with a question mark, though, as Karter Knox announced he is entering the NBA Draft process while maintaining his eligibility. This gives him the chance to get feedback from NBA scouts, and it will also show him what he needs to work on should he decide to return to Arkansas.
With the transfer portal about to close for undergraduate entries, the pool of available players is only going to get smaller, but there are still a few pieces the Hogs need to grab before next season starts.
With the shakeup, let's take a look at who is and isn't coming back to the program, and some of the latest intel surrounding Arkansas' transfer portal targets.
*Karter Knox is testing the NBA Draft waters, but is maintaining his eligibility.
We got more clarity last week on Arkansas' overall roster after Calipari dropped a video that announced the returns of Wagner, Brazile and Richmond. It also had clips from the incoming players as well.
That news came shortly after Knox made his NBA Draft announcement, so while we have a lot more clarity, it's still not 100%. By June 15, the last day for NBA Draft entrants to withdraw and maintain their college eligibility, we should have an even clearer picture.
Retention is something Arkansas' coaching staff has harped on early throughout the offseason, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that three (possibly four, depending on Knox's decision) of the key pieces from last year are running it back.
What that means is that, as of right now, Arkansas is returning 32.1% of its scoring from last season. If Knox decides to run it back, that number jumps to 42.9%.
The end of the bench guys, Jaden Karuletwa and Ayden Kelley, haven't made any kind of announcement on what their plans are for next season, and with the transfer portal closing, appear to be returning as well.
Since HawgBeat's last roster breakdown update, there have been two names added to this board: Florida State transfer Malique Ewin and South Carolina transfer Nick Pringle. Those two announcements came in quick succession on April 15, with Pringle announcing at 2:43 p.m. and Ewin just a couple hours later.
Both Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas have played on several big stages in recent weeks. The five-stars played in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, and Acuff also suited up for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit, where he dropped 24 points on 64.3% shooting that included four threes.
The Hogs did lose out on the sweepstakes for five-star forward Nate Ament, who committed to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. Arkansas had been in the mix for a while, but the Volunteers made a late push and sealed the deal, so he won't be added to the list.
Calipari did say in the video he dropped last week that his roster is "not quite finished," so it's possible there's another name added to this board before it's all said and done.
Two of Arkansas' most veteran players have no option to return, as both Aidoo and Davis are fully out of eligibility. Both dealt with injuries in the offseason that hindered their ability on the court throughout the season, but they turned it up late and the Razorbacks likely wouldn't have made their NCAA Tournament without them.
Blake was a walk-on for all four years of his Razorback career, and while he technically could get a medical redshirt from the NCAA because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the offseason, that's doesn't appear to be the plan.
Watkins rode the end of the bench and only appeared in three games in his final season of eligibility.
There had been some smoke that connected Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara to the Razorbacks, but a source told HawgBeat that Arkansas wasn't pursuing the 26-year-old.
Florida State transfer Jamir Watkins, who was teammates with Ewin, is one guy the coaching staff is in pursuit of. He almost came to Arkansas two years ago and took an official visit with former Razorback Khalif Battle, but chose Florida State instead.
Watkins averaged 18.4 points on 42.7%/32/1%/74/7% shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season for the Seminoles.
Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest developments around Arkansas basketball's roster construction.
Last week, head coach John Calipari announced the return of three main pieces from last season, as D.J. Wagner, Billy Richmond III and Trevon Brazile are all returning for the 2025-26 season.
There's still one returner with a question mark, though, as Karter Knox announced he is entering the NBA Draft process while maintaining his eligibility. This gives him the chance to get feedback from NBA scouts, and it will also show him what he needs to work on should he decide to return to Arkansas.
With the transfer portal about to close for undergraduate entries, the pool of available players is only going to get smaller, but there are still a few pieces the Hogs need to grab before next season starts.
With the shakeup, let's take a look at who is and isn't coming back to the program, and some of the latest intel surrounding Arkansas' transfer portal targets.
Returners
Potential Returners*Karter Knox is testing the NBA Draft waters, but is maintaining his eligibility.
| NAME | POS. | HEIGHT, WEIGHT | CLASS IN 25-26 | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D.J. Wagner | G | 6-4, 195 lbs. | Jr. | 11.2 Pts, 2.7 Reb, 3.6 Ast |
| Trevon Brazile | F | 6-10, 180 lbs. | R-Sr. | 6.8 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 0.7 Ast |
| Karter Knox* | F | 6-6, 220 lbs. | So. | 8.3 Pts, 3.3 Reb, 1.0 Ast |
| Billy Richmond III | F | 6-5, 205 lbs. | So. | 5.7 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 1.4 Ast |
| Ayden Kelley | G | 5-10, 170 lbs. | So. | 1.0 Pts, 0.5 Reb, 0.0 Ast |
| Jaden Karuletwa | G | 6-5, 185 lbs. | So. | 0.0 Pts, 0.0 Reb, 0.0 Ast |
We got more clarity last week on Arkansas' overall roster after Calipari dropped a video that announced the returns of Wagner, Brazile and Richmond. It also had clips from the incoming players as well.
That news came shortly after Knox made his NBA Draft announcement, so while we have a lot more clarity, it's still not 100%. By June 15, the last day for NBA Draft entrants to withdraw and maintain their college eligibility, we should have an even clearer picture.
Retention is something Arkansas' coaching staff has harped on early throughout the offseason, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that three (possibly four, depending on Knox's decision) of the key pieces from last year are running it back.
What that means is that, as of right now, Arkansas is returning 32.1% of its scoring from last season. If Knox decides to run it back, that number jumps to 42.9%.
The end of the bench guys, Jaden Karuletwa and Ayden Kelley, haven't made any kind of announcement on what their plans are for next season, and with the transfer portal closing, appear to be returning as well.
Incoming Players
Incoming players| NAME | POS. | STARS | PREV. SCHOOL/TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | G | 5 | IMG Academy |
| Meleek Thomas | G | 5 | Overtime Elite |
| Isaiah Sealy | G | 4 | Springdale HS |
| Karim Rtail | F | Neptūnas-Akvaservis | |
| Malique Ewin | F | Florida State | |
| Nick Pringle | F | South Carolina |
Since HawgBeat's last roster breakdown update, there have been two names added to this board: Florida State transfer Malique Ewin and South Carolina transfer Nick Pringle. Those two announcements came in quick succession on April 15, with Pringle announcing at 2:43 p.m. and Ewin just a couple hours later.
Both Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas have played on several big stages in recent weeks. The five-stars played in the McDonald's All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, and Acuff also suited up for Team USA in the Nike Hoop Summit, where he dropped 24 points on 64.3% shooting that included four threes.
The Hogs did lose out on the sweepstakes for five-star forward Nate Ament, who committed to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon. Arkansas had been in the mix for a while, but the Volunteers made a late push and sealed the deal, so he won't be added to the list.
Calipari did say in the video he dropped last week that his roster is "not quite finished," so it's possible there's another name added to this board before it's all said and done.
Out of Eligibility
Out of eligibility| NAME | POS. | HEIGHT/WEIGHT | STATS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Aidoo | C | 6-11, 240 lbs. | 6.9 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 0.8 Ast |
| Johnell Davis | G | 6-4, 210 lbs. | 12.0 Pts, 3.4 Reb, 1.6 Ast |
| Lawson Blake | F | 6-10, 240 lbs. | DNP (Achilles injury) |
| Kareem Watkins | G | 5-8, 175 lbs. | 0.3 Reb, 0.3 Ast |
Two of Arkansas' most veteran players have no option to return, as both Aidoo and Davis are fully out of eligibility. Both dealt with injuries in the offseason that hindered their ability on the court throughout the season, but they turned it up late and the Razorbacks likely wouldn't have made their NCAA Tournament without them.
Blake was a walk-on for all four years of his Razorback career, and while he technically could get a medical redshirt from the NCAA because he ruptured his Achilles tendon in the offseason, that's doesn't appear to be the plan.
Watkins rode the end of the bench and only appeared in three games in his final season of eligibility.
Latest intel in the transfer portal
There had been some smoke that connected Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara to the Razorbacks, but a source told HawgBeat that Arkansas wasn't pursuing the 26-year-old.
Florida State transfer Jamir Watkins, who was teammates with Ewin, is one guy the coaching staff is in pursuit of. He almost came to Arkansas two years ago and took an official visit with former Razorback Khalif Battle, but chose Florida State instead.
Watkins averaged 18.4 points on 42.7%/32/1%/74/7% shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists last season for the Seminoles.
Be sure to stay tuned to HawgBeat for the latest developments around Arkansas basketball's roster construction.
