The Arkansas Razorbacks did not have a single first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. There was plenty of buzz around junior swingman Adou Thiero, but concerns over his shooting led him to tumble into the second round.
This is virtually uncharted territory for John Calipari, who has built his image around developing NBA talent and dominating the draft cycle. When a coach achieves the stature and status of Cal, however, he more easily becomes a punching bag for opposing fans. Much will be made of Arkansas' lack of draft capital when Calipari essentially transported half of his ex-Kentucky roster to Fayetteville and landed a top freshman recruit in Boogie Fland, who left for Florida in the transfer portal.
Maybe we should cut the Razorbacks some slack, though. This might even be a good thing. Thiero, the No. 16 prospect on the FanSided big board, will get picked early in the second round and probably earn a four-year NBA contract, just like his peers. An athlete of his caliber, with his defensive profile, just feels bound to stick. It's not like Thiero is out of the league.
This also affords Calipari the rare benefit of floating under the radar.
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Arkansas whiffing on NBA Draft first round with Adou Thiero isn't all that bad
Arkansas isn't in the national spotlight right now. Which is totally fine. One of the major failures of the Johni Calipari era in Kentucky, at least in those final years, was his consistent inability to live up to crushing expectations. He made a ton of splashy signings, he developed guys for the NBA, and then without he fail, his teams underperformed in the NCAA Tournament.
It's hard to build your roster almost exclusively around high-profile freshmen every season. It also ratchets up the pressure to an uncomfortable degree. This season, Arkansas gets to embrace the quiet. Folks aren't really talking about the Razorbacks like they used to talk about the Wildcats, even though Cal has plenty of top recruits lined up and a pretty excellent roster.
Arkansas has several returning stars, including former five-star point guard D.J. Wagner and two-way big man Trevon Brazile. Malique Ewin will presumably start at the five after transferring from Florida State. Billy Richmond is back for his sophomore go-around. He's a potential draft prospect in 2026. Arkansas will also welcome in top recruits Darius Acuff Jr. and Maleek Thomas, bringing some of that standard Calipari firepower and flare to the backcourt.
The Razorbacks made an unexpected run to the Sweet 16 in Cal's first season at the helm, but he could really hit the recruiting trail and flesh out his patchwork roster. This is a better Arkansas team coming down the pipeline in 2026, and the burden of supermassive expectations has been lifted. Razorbacks fans should feel good about things.
How many players will Arkansas get drafted in 2026?
Darius Acuff Jr. and Maleek Thomas, both five-star freshmen, feel like surefire first round picks. There's a bit of overflow in the Arkansas backcourt right now, but both are crazy talented scorers who fit a very familiar mold of Calipari guard, so don't be shocked if they put up numbers and enter the 2026 draft.
Karter Knox tested the draft waters this summer and opted to return for a bigger role as a sophomore. He needs to improve his offensive process a lot, but Knox's blend of size, athleticism and shot-making will always keep him on NBA radars. If he takes a leap, we can probably pencil him into the late first or early second round conversation a year from now.
The rest of the roster is a bit less clear in terms of NBA projections. Billy Richmond impressed in scant opportunities as a freshman, but will he take the leap necessary to crack draft boards as a sophomore? It's worth remembering that NIL has changed the draft calculus a bit for fringe prospects. Most underclassmen without first round guarantees are opting for college experience and NIL money over uncertain NBA futures.
D.J. Wagner has been on NBA radars since high school, but his lack of progress across two collegiate seasons is a bit worrisome. Cal will continue to feed him important point guard reps, however, so if he puts up big numbers on a competitive team, he'll get looks.
Trevon Brazile was once viewed as a potential first-round pick as a sophomore before knee injuries decimated his athleticism and complicated his stock. Now a fifth-year senior, there's still something to his instincts as a rim protector and vertical pop, but it's unclear if Brazile is the sort of athletic outlier needed to compensate for a limited offensive profile.
That said, we could see anywhere from two to six Razorbacks in the 2026 draft, with at least two strongly in the first round mix.