The Arkansas Razorbacks saw their 2024-25 campaign end heartbreakingly Thursday night, as they let a 16-point lead disappear en route to an 85-83 overtime loss to Sweet 16 opponent Texas Tech in San Francisco.
It was a tough end to a roller-coaster season, and while the players and fans might need a few days to grieve the loss, the coaching staff can't afford to. The transfer portal is already open and Arkansas will have several holes to fill as it prepares to make another postseason run next March.
"I need to sit down with these guys, but you really think tonight's the night or tomorrow morning?" head coach John Calipari said after the loss Thursday. "We're all kind of raw right now. I mean, I think they had visions of us continuing to play, and so did I. But there's only going to be one team standing. And there's a point where we need to sit down and talk about, again, returning. We've got some freshmen, and what do we do in the portal.
"We had names of guys out there, but I haven't done anything, haven't made a call. And I won't until I speak to my guys, who's coming back, who is it? I think a couple guys will put their name in the draft. I think a couple guys are done, their eligibility is done. So you're talking four or five guys. Let me sit down with them and see what that is."
It's worth noting that Calipari has admitted on multiple occasions that his decision to only have nine rotational players on the roster was a mistake. Couple that with the NCAA increasing available scholarships to 15 for next season, and Arkansas is expected to be a much deeper team a year from now.
So far, none of the Razorbacks who have the option to return next season have made any stay-or-go announcements, but let's take a look at who can and can't come back to the program and what holes Calipari and his staff may have to fill.
