The Arkansas basketball team is gearing up for the start of the regular season, which begins on Nov. 6 against Lipscomb. Preseason charity exhibitions at home against Kansas on Oct. 25 and in Fort Worth against TCU on Nov. 1 will take place before the official season opener.
First-year head coach John Calipari arrived at Arkansas in April with zero scholarship players on the roster, so he had to go out and build his team from scratch. He retained one scholarship player — junior forward Trevon Brazile — from last year's team, but aside from Brazile, every player is at Arkansas for the first time.
Utilizing both the transfer portal and high school ranks, Calipari now has a full roster of players. There are seven transfers and five high school prospects who will be on the floor for the Razorbacks this season.
During a press conference last week, Calipari said there are still several aspects of the team that haven't been set in stone yet. He used the summer for individual development, and the preseason exhibitions will be a good way to test his team against live competition.
"How do we play for this team to be at its best?" Calipari said. "We’re going to play fast, we’re going to be unselfish, but how do you get into playing fast? Who takes it out of bounds with this group? I’ve done different things. I’ve had the 5 take it out, I’ve had the 4 take it out, I’ve had the 3 take it out different places because of those teams. We’re still working that through."
With the season just a few short weeks away, let's take a look at what HawgBeat believes is the most likely starting five when the ball is tipped.
Note: This is not an official starting five, just what HawgBeat projects for the start of the season.
