John Calipari’s recruiting prowess lands Arkansas top transfer

Head coach John Calipari has already begun to make his mark on the Arkansas Razorbacks men's Division I college basketball program, accruing multiple high-impact players via the transfer portal.

First, Calipari convinced 7-foot-2 soon-to-be sophomore Zvonimir Ivisic to follow him from Kentucky to Fayetteville. Then, he successfully recruited Tennessee big man Jonas Aidoo to join the Razorbacks. Now he has landed arguably the top option available -- former FAU guard Johnell Davis.

John Calipari brings top-ranked transfer prospect Johnell Davis to Arkansas

Co-founder of The Field of 68 and basketball analyst Jeff Goodman was the first to break the news. 

Davis is labeled the No. 3 transfer player on each of Jeff Borzello of ESPN's rankings and the best available choice on On3's list, making this a significant acquisition for coach Cal and company.

However, there is a caveat in Goodman's report.

Goodman points out that while Davis intends to sign with Calipari and Arkansas, he also declared for the NBA Draft, "and his preference is to go pro." But the Razorbacks made him a "lucrative NIL deal north of $1 million," which can be considered a generous fail-safe option.

Davis has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining and appears set to take his talents to the SEC for it should he forego the draft.

After being a vital contributor to FAU's first Final Four trip in program history in 2023, Davis followed that up by guiding the Owls to a second consecutive March Madness appearance and earning 2023-24 co-American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year honors, sharing the honors with Chris Youngblood of South Florida. He averaged career-high marks in points (18.2), rebounds (6.3), assists (2.9), and 3-point percentage (41.4) this past season.

Davis projects to be a "possible" second-round pick despite dominating at the collegiate level, according to a scouting report from NBA Draft Room. Perhaps playing for Calipari and Arkansas on a bigger stage can propel his stock so he can go pro next year.