College basketball insider projects Arkansas as second-best in the SEC

Arkansas completely changed their season with how they played from late in January on, going all the way to the Sweet 16 with a missed chance at the Elite Eight. Now, with how their offseason has gone in Fayetteville, Jon Rothstein thinks that will carry over to next season with the ‘Hogs being one of his best teams in the SEC.

Rothstein discussed the Razorbacks as one of his three big things during his stream on Monday. He noticed something with them that he values, which is roster retention despite others more so focusing on recruiting from high school or the portal.

“I’m somebody, when I’m looking at teams who are returning large portions of personnel? I always tend to give those teams the benefit of the doubt,” said Rothstein. “I know we live in a day and age right now where everybody loves the portal adds. Everybody seems to love the dynamic of adding people in April and May. There’s a buzz. I get it. I understand it.”

Because of that, Arkansas has his eye with who all will be back from year one to year two for the program under John Calipari. DJ Wagner (11.2 points, 3.6 assists), Karter Knox (8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds), Trevon Brazile (6.8 points, 5.4 rebounds), and Billy Richmond (5.7 rebounds, 3.0 rebounds) are back from that core, giving the Razorbacks a total of 43.1% of their scoring, 42.2% of their rebounds, 46.2% of their assists, and 37.9% of their defensive stats back. They’ll now, with none of them transferring and Knox withdrawing from the NBA Draft, be back to play alongside a pair of Top-12 freshman and a pair of Top-150 transfers.

“I’m looking at Arkansas now? I’m looking at a team that, again, had a lead comfortably over Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 before Texas Tech came back and went to the Elite Eight, in overtime in San Francisco. And I’m looking at Arkansas as being undervalued a bit in the SEC. Look at what Arkansas returns – four players who had prominent roles on that run to the Sweet 16. DJ Wagner – four NCAA Tournament games, about 12 points and 3.5 assists. Billy Richmond – 16 and nine against St. John’s in the Round of 32. Karter Knox – in his last two NCAA Tournament games, Texas Tech and St. John’s, went for 35 and 12. And then Trevon Brazile was a steady presence up front.”

“Those players are coming back to Arkansas and they’re also adding two of the Top-15 freshmen in the country, Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas. Freshmen, more than ever, have an asterisk next to them because of the day and age we’re in right now but college basketball isn’t going to be quite as old. And Arkansas also added two quality veterans up front in Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin.”

With that, Rothstein thinks the ‘Hogs have a real case to be second in the Southeastern Conference coming into next season after only Florida. That would particularly bother those in Lexington as well as some in the state of Alabama but, as of now, Rothstein is just that high on Arkansas.

“I think Arkansas, without question, should enter next season in the discussion of being the second-best team in the SEC behind Florida,” said Rothstein. “You’re giving Florida the benefit of the doubt, as you should because Florida is the defending national champions…I like Kentucky’s pieces. I also think Kentucky has a lot of question marks…But I think Arkansas’ returning personnel and the pieces that Arkansas is bringing in is being undervalued heading into next season. I think you could make a real case that Arkansas could be the second-best team in the SEC next year, entering the year behind Florida.”

“If I’m forecasting the SEC – and this is not an SEC Preview, we will do that later in the summer. (But) Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, Auburn, Alabama…Tennessee and Texas are my first seven teams in that conference,” Rothstein listed.

What Arkansas was from November through January has to be in consideration as well with what they were from February through March. Still, with the pieces coming back, plus the ones coming in, from when we last saw them being a comeback and overtime away from the Elite Eight, Rothstein thinks the Razorbacks could be as good as second in the SEC come tip-off in ’25-’26.