Arkansas has a new coach, completely new roster and a ton of excitement surrounding its basketball program entering the 2024-25 season.
Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari is set to officially take the reins as the Head Hog with his prototypical roster that consists of highly talented guards. His squad was ranked preseason No. 16 by the Associated Press (AP).
Expectations were high after the Razorbacks handled preseason AP No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks in a charity exhibition 85-69, and they remain at a good level despite the 66-65 exhibition loss to TCU in Dallas on Friday. After the Kansas win, Calipari was quick to remind the fanbase not to do backflips, but Razorback fans are feverishly awaiting the start of the season.
Keeping with the annual tradition at HawgBeat, I will be giving my preseason predictions for the Hogs' schedule. Here are my predictions since 2020:
2020 predictions: 21-5 (13-5)
2020 actual record: 21-5 (13-4) (Texas A&M game canceled)
2021 predictions: 20-11 (10-8)
2021 actual record: 24-7 (13-5)
2022 predictions: 26-5 (15-3)
2022 actual record: 19-12 (8-10)
2023 predictions: 22-9 (10-8)
2023 actual record: 16-17 (6-12)
*records do not include the SEC or NCAA Tournaments
