John Calipari has long been known as one of the best and most prominent head coaches in college basketball, especially during his long stint at the helm of the Kentucky Wildcats.
He left Kentucky following the 2023-24 season and spent last season at Arkansas. Just a few weeks ago, he guided the Razorbacks into the men’s NCAA Tournament, where they upset seventh-seeded Kansas and second-seeded St. John’s before suffering a gut-wrenching 85-83 loss in the Sweet Sixteen to Texas Tech.
Arkansas coach John Calipari reacts to a call during the game against Mississippi State.Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
The expectations for Arkansas are fairly high as it prepares for next season, and Calipari posted a hype video to get fans ready on his personal X account.
While the school lost forward Zvonimir Ivisic in the transfer portal, it has gained two new players who should contribute.
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Malique Ewin committed to Arkansas on Tuesday after spending last season with the Florida State Seminoles. The 6-foot-11, 230-pound forward averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting an outstanding 59.6% from the field during the 2024-25 campaign.
Some scouts seem to believe he has all the tools needed to become a rotation player in the NBA whenever he decides to declare for the draft.
Nick Pringle, a 6-foot-10, 220-pound forward who played for South Carolina last season, isn’t as intriguing a prospect as Ewin. He averaged 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 24.5 minutes a game and made 57.2% of his field-goal attempts this past season.
Calipari was named the SEC Coach of the Year four times while at Kentucky, and he led the Wildcats to the national championship in 2012.
Related: Conference Player of the Year Transfers to Big Ten Powerhouse
