John Calipari: Arkansas playing exhibition against TCU, planning exhibition versus Kansas

Arkansas is getting ready for their fascinating first season under John Calipari. In order to do so, the Razorbacks are now looking to scrimmage against two teams out of the Big 12.

Calipari spoke at a press conference from inside Bud Walton Arena on Monday. While discussing scheduling, he noted that the ‘Hogs would be playing an exhibition game against TCU in Dallas. He also shared that they’re attempting to get another scheduled versus Kansas in Fayetteville.

Let’s start with the one that Coach Cal officially confirmed.

TCU is entering their ninth season under Jamie Dixon after winning 20-plus games and making the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three. Their roster lost their top-four contributors with Emanuel Miller and Jameer Nelson Jr. going pro while Micah Peavy (Georgetown) and JaKobe Coles (Grand Canyon) elected to transfer. They also lost four more to graduation in Trey Tennyson, Avery Anderson, Chuck O’Bannon, and Xavier Cork.

In turn, the Horned Frogs brought in six transfers of their own in the No. 35 portal class. Some notable names among that group include Frankie Collins (Arizona State), Trazarien White (UNC Wilmington), and RJ Jones (Kansas State). They’ll now pair with pieces like an Ernest Udeh Jr. to make up an all-new team in Fort Worth.

However, the more significant of the two has to be a potential meeting for Arkansas with Kansas. That’s the case when you consider the teams as well as the coaching matchup – albeit in nothing more than a scrimmage against one another.

The Jayhawks come into this season as one of the projected favorites in college basketball. That’s pretty usual in Lawrence under Bill Self with this being his 22nd year. Still, this team has put together quite the foundation of what could be a major contender.

For starters, Kansas returns three of the better players in the country in Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris, and KJ Adams. From there, they add in the No. 5 portal class with top-rated transfers in AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State), Rylan Griffen (Alabama), Shakeel Moore (Mississippi State) and Noah Shelby (Rice). That’s not to mention a Top-10 recruiting class with a pair of four-star freshmen coming in.

Arkansas still has plenty to get done before Calipari’s first season there leading the Razorbacks. If they can get both of these games official and play well in each, though, they’ll be even more prepared to handle what their upcoming year could look like.