Arkansas basketball isn’t gaining total buy-in from all corners of the college basketball commentariat, but some pundits are beginning to be more convinced by the Razorbacks. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello ranked Arkansas hoops No. 10 in his latest offseason evaluation. He is obviously impressed by the new additions to the roster and the encouraging Bahamas exhibition tour:
“Key nonconference game: Nov. 26 at Michigan State in Detroit
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“John Calipari is no stranger to newcomer-laden lineups. The Razorbacks will also have nearly a month under their belts when they head to Detroit to face the Spartans. How are Arkansas’ four five-star prospects getting along? Is the steady drumbeat of positivity about Abdou Toure real? How is Miikka Muurinen translating to college? Who’s the go-to guy offensively for the Razorbacks? All of these should be better answered after this game. Plus, Jordan Smith vs. Jeremy Fears Jr. is a terrific freshman vs. senior matchup.
Projected starting lineup
Jordan Smith (No. 2 in SC Next 100)
Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.4 PPG at Georgia)
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Billy Richmond III (11.1 PPG)
Miikka Muurinen (five-star)
Cooper Bowser (13.8 PPG at Furman)”
Notable in Borzello’s assessment of the Hogs is that he has Miikka Muurinen in the starting lineup. That’s not surprising; we point that out only because Muurinen didn’t play in the Baha Mar series. What you saw with Arkansas the past week, in four exhibition games, was not the full end product. It’s going to be even better with Muurinen on board and sharing the court with other young stars.
What also stands out from Borzello’s evaluation of Arkansas is that he has Cooper Bowser as the starting big man on opening night. This is in spite of Caleb Ourigou improving significantly in The Bahamas while Bowser struggled. One wonders if Ourigou will quickly unseat Bowser as the starting big, or if Bowser will simply start games but ultimately not play more minutes, which is really what matters most.
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Beyond Borzello’s specific individual thoughts, what seems to be emerging is a consensus that the Sweet 16 – which felt like the ceiling for last season’s not-very-good defensive team – is now the floor for this much better defensive group of Hogs. This looks like an Elite Eight team, and it could be a Final Four team. All in all, it will rate as a disappointment if this group can’t at least make its way to a regional final and give itself one chance, 40 minutes, for a shot at a Final Four in 2027.
