Arkansas Basketball 2024 (and beyond) Recruiting Thread **TR G DJ Wagner Commits**

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The coaching change that shocked the college basketball world has had some time to marinate in the minds of those that follow the sport, but the ripple effect of the move has just begun.

Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy takes a look ahead to the class of 2025 prospects with whom Arkansas could suddenly find itself in the mix once Calipari begins to work the trail in Razorbacks gear.

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DARIUS ACUFF JR.

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Michigan and Kentucky felt like the main players in the Acuff sweepstakes before Calipari made the move to Fayetteville, so it stands to reason that the volume-scoring guard will begin to consider the Razorbacks should their new head coach continue to push for his commitment.

Toppling home-state Michigan, which has been refreshed by a coaching change of its own, isn't going to be easy but the Razorbacks feel like a lock to be hanging around Acuff’s recruitment until its conclusion. Acuff has already visited Lexington and has a bond with Kentucky assistant Chin Coleman in addition to Calipari, so it’ll be worth loosely monitoring where Coleman lands when the dust settles.

This could end up being a battle that pits Michigan, Kentucky and Arkansas against each other down the stretch.

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CAMERON AND CAYDEN BOOZER

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This feels like a bit of a long shot because the twins seem most focused on hometown school Miami and their famous father’s alma mater of Duke. That said, Calipari managed to get the brothers to Lexington for an official visit in the fall. Expect the lines of communication to be open as the Razorbacks’ new coach gets settled into his new digs.

The Boozers aren’t especially likely to sign with Arkansas, but if reports of Calipari’s massive NIL backing are accurate, nothing is completely off the table.

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A.J. DYBANTSA

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The No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, Dybantsa received a Kentucky offer back in November. The Wildcat staff had started to become frequent bystanders at his games late in the season, and traveled several hundreds miles to watch him play on a few occasions.

Dybantsa’s recruitment is crowded obviously so quickly selling him on Arkansas, a program in which he has shown little interest to this point, might be difficult. Still, a chance exists, and Calipari will likely do everything he can to reinsert himself into the five-star’s process.

Should Dybantsa decide to take a visit to Fayetteville, things could get interesting. Dybantsa was close with former Wildcat Terrence Clarke, who played one season under Calipari before he passed in a tragic traffic accident following his freshman season and says the two discussed his time playing for Cal in Lexington on several occasions.

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DARRYN PETERSON

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Another blue-chip prospect that has taken an official visit to Lexington, Peterson is the No. 3 prospect in the Rivals150 and is already navigating a hyper-crowded recruitment. That said, the fact that he has been to UK’s campus on two occasions (one official and one unofficial) is notable for obvious reasons.

Calipari offered Peterson back in August 2022, which feels a bit early for those familiar with how the head coach worked at Kentucky. The early offer may end up working in Arkansas' favor, however, as the bond between Cal and those around Peterson will be difficult to break.

It is probably worth mentioning that Peterson has an NIL deal with adidas and Arkansas is a Nike school. Then again, so was Kentucky and the five-star seemed undeterred by that fact while taking a pair of visits.

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MELEEK THOMAS

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Thomas has been a priority target for Kentucky for years now, and the five-star guard has already formed a bond with both Calipari and members of his UK staff. Thomas visited Lexington in early February and feels especially likely to check out Arkansas now that Calipari is captaining the pig-shaped ship.

Thomas seemed extremely high on the Wildcats before the coaching change, and a lot of that can be attributed to the legendary head coach running what Thomas once called “a one-and-done factory.”

Expect Thomas to continue to listen to pitches from the new UK staff, but the Razorbacks will almost certainly be deep in the mix as well. Thomas is captivated by the long line of pros Calipari developed in Lexington, so it will be interesting to see if he’s more strongly drawn to the man that coached them or the school that housed them.

Pitt, Alabama, Villanova, UConn, Auburn and Kansas are also worth watching for the time being.

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Karter Knox, the No. 26 recruit in the 2024 ESPN 100 who had decommitted from Kentucky, has recommitted to John Calipari at Arkansas, he told ESPN on Monday.

"Throughout my whole recruiting process, Coach Cal always said he wants to make me a pro, and I trust that he will do that for me at Arkansas," Knox said. "I also have a great relationship with Coach Kenny Payne, so getting to play for two coaches I admire is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to getting there, getting to work and bringing a winning mentality to Fayetteville."

Payne, the former Louisville head coach, is joining Calipari's staff as associate head coach.

Knox is one of the most aggressive scorers in high school basketball, averaging 22.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30 minutes in the Overtime Elite League this season. He converted 81 3-pointers in 30 games for RWE, which lost in the decisive Game 5 of the OTE Finals to the City Reapers.

Knox also posted 19.8 points in just 24 minutes per game in the Nike EYBL last spring and summer, making him the No. 1 per-minute scorer in the league -- duplicating a feat he achieved in 2022 (at the 16U level) and 2021 (15U).

He elected to reopen his recruitment after Calipari's decision to depart for Arkansas earlier this month. He has now reunited with the coach who also helped his brother, Kevin Knox, become the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft after one season at Kentucky.

Karter Knox was one of several touted high school seniors -- a group which previously made up the No. 2 recruiting class in college basketball -- who have elected to part ways with Kentucky following Calipari's departure. They all may again join forces in Fayetteville; five-stars Jayden Quaintance and Boogie Fland are still undecided on their future plans, as are four-stars Billy Richmond and Somto Cyril.

All 13 of Arkansas' scholarship players from last season have either exhausted their eligibility, entered the transfer portal or are departing for the NBA draft, leaving Calipari a fresh slate.

Kentucky freshman Zvonimir Ivisic became Arkansas' first commitment via the transfer portal.

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Jonathan Givony @DraftExpress

NEWS: Karter Knox, a five-star recruit and one of the most aggressive scorers in high school basketball, has recommitted to John Calipari at Arkansas, he told ESPN.

Karter Knox is the first player in Nike EYBL history to lead the 15U, 16U and 17U age-groups in per-minute scoring in three consecutive summers. He made 80 3s in 30 games this season with OTE, averaging 22 points per game.

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Knox is a built, 6-6 wing with long arms and excellent athletic ability. A strong driver and explosive finisher around the basket.

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Most likely destination: Arkansas

Former Kentucky commit Boogie Fland and his inner circle aren’t saying much publicly these days, but the five-star point guard is currently visiting Fayetteville and doesn't have a single other visit planned as things stand.

On one hand, it doesn’t take much training to read those kinds of tea leaves. On the other hand, there’s no such thing as a lock in recruiting. Nevertheless, it’s difficult to imagine Fland landing anywhere other than Arkansas if things on his campus visit go as planned..

Should he schedule other visits in the wake of his trip to Fayetteville, however, things could get interesting. That said, a quick commitment to the Hawgs seems more likely than an extended visit tour.

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Most likely destination: Arkansas

Richmond and his family have impossibly strong ties to John Calipari, so buzz around Richmond becoming a Razorback started to build the minute the legendary head coach landed at Arkansas. There was a bit of silence out of Richmond’s camp in the wake of the four-star wing’s decommitment from Kentucky, but things are now starting to move forward quickly.

Richmond is currently on a visit to Fayetteville and it’s hard to imagine things falling apart, seeing as though Calipari coached Richmond’s father at Memphis years ago. Stranger things have happened in recruiting, sure, but Richmond seems like a good bet to suit up for Calipari during the head coach’s inaugural year at Arkansas.

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Head coach John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks have earned the commitment of one of the top transfer portal prospects in the country, as Tennesssee center Jonas Aidoo has made his pledge to the Hogs according to multiple reports on Monday.

Baylor, North Carolina and Alabama were the three other teams linked to Aidoo, who is a 6-foot-11 former five-star prospect out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Aidoo still has his name entered in the 2024 NBA Draft as well, though he has not appeared on any mock drafts recently.

As a junior for the Volunteers during the 2023-24 season, Aidoo averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while making 51.5% of his shots from the field. The AP First-Team All-SEC selection also averaged 1.8 blocks and 1.0 assists per game last season.

Aidoo had a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double in a 92-63 win over Arkansas inside Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 14. He scored a career-best 29 points on Dec. 12 against Georgia Southern and he brought down a career-high 15 rebounds on Jan. 13 at Georgia.

According to KenPom, Aidoo finished the 2023-24 season as a better shot blocker (8.7% block rate) and rebounder (12.4% offensive rebounding rate, 19.5% defensive rebounding rate) than former Razorback Makhi Mitchell.

Aidoo took a huge step forward as a junior after averaging just 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore in 2022-23. He scored just 2.1 points and had 2.2 rebounds in 19 total games as a freshman in 2021-22.

With the Razorbacks this fall, Aidoo will be a senior with one year of eligibility remaining.

Arkansas currently has five scholarship players on the 2024-25 projected roster — Kentucky transfer big man Zvonimir Ivisic and 2024 prospects Karter Knox, Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond and Aidoo.

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Former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo has committed to join Arkansas via the NCAA transfer portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. The commitment confirms what CBS reports first.

Aidoo averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as he helped lead Tennessee to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament. Aidoo was also a defensive aid, serving to block 1.8 shots per game, a solid rim protector. At 6 foot 11, 241 pounds, he has excellent size in the post.

Moreover, Aidoo’s improvement over the last three years has been tremendous. He went from averaging 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds as a freshman, to 5.1 points and 4.9 rebounds as a sophomore, to 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds as a junior.

Prior to enrolling at Tennessee, Jonas Aidoo was a four-star prospect and the No. 40 overall player in the nation in the 2021 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He also checked in as a the No. 7 center in the class and the No. 1 overall player in the state of North Carolina, hailing from Charlotte (NC) Liberty Heights Athletic Institute.

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Arkansas basketball and John Calipari made another splash on the recruiting trail, this time landing an All-SEC talent. Former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo officially committed to the Razorbacks on Monday evening, as first reported by CBS Sports analyst Matt Norlander. The news comes after Aidoo visited Fayetteville over the weekend.

Aidoo is currently ranked as 247Sports' No. 11 overall player in the transfer portal the second-ranked power forward. He played three seasons at Tennessee, but this past season was easily the best of his collegiate career.

As a junior, he averaged 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field. Aidoo earned AP First Team All-SEC honors and a spot on the SEC All-Defensive team for his efforts with the Volunteers last year.

Arkansas fans will remember that Aidoo had a 23-point, 12-rebound double-double in Tennessee's 92-63 win over Arkansas inside Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 14. Earlier in the year on Dec. 12, he scored a career-best 29 points against Georgia Southern and recorded a career-high 15 rebounds on Jan. 13 against Georgia.

With Aidoo's commitment, the Razorbacks are now up to five scholarship players for the 2024-25 season and have just eight roster spots needed to fill.

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Aidoo earned All-SEC Second Team and All-SEC Defense Team honors this season with the Vols. He was the team's leading-rebounder (7.6 rpg) and second-leading scorer (12.1 ppg) during the regular season while his 60 blocks and 1.94 blocks per game both ranked third in the SEC. Aidoo's 54.7 shooting percentage during conference play ranked second in the league, while his 8.28 rebounds per contest ranked second. His 3.33 offensive rebounds were tied for third.

The native of Durham, N.C. finished his sophomore season in 2022-23 tied for fourth in the SEC at 1.4 blocks per game during SEC play and was Tennessee's top offensive rebounder on the season (1.8 orpg), as he appeared in 35 games with nine starts. Aidoo posted season averages of 5.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-best 1.3 blocks. He was the first Vol off the bench a team-high 19 times, led the Vols in blocks 21 times and rebounding eight times, while his 21 dunks were second-most on the team.

Aidoo averaged averaged 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 7.7 minutes per game while making 19 appearances off the bench as a true freshman during the 2021-22 season.

The 6-foot-11 forward graduated from Durham Voyager Academy in 2020 and spent a prep year at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, in 2020-21. He averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks while shooting 68 percent in his lone season at Liberty Heights.

Aidoo signed with Tennessee as a four-star prospect in the class of 2021 after decommitting from Marquette. He was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 47 overall player in the country and the top overall player in the Tar Heel State.

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UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE BIO

Honors

2024 NABC Second Team All-District
2024 First Team All-SEC (AP)
2024 Second Team All-SEC (Coaches)
2024 SEC All-Defensive Team
2022-23 Winter SEC Academic Honor Roll
2021-22 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll

High School

Graduated from Durham Voyager Academy in 2020 and spent a prep year at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, where he was coached in 2020-21 by Michael Wright.
Was rated as high as No. 21 nationally in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com, and he was tabbed as the top prospect in the state of North Carolina by the 247sports.com composite.
Averaged 15 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and two blocks while shooting 68 percent in his lone season at Liberty Heights.
At the Phenom HoopState Championship in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in March of 2021, Aidoo posted a three-game scoring average of 17.3 points while leading Liberty Heights to the championship game.
As a high school senior in 2019-20, he averaged 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks per game at Durham Voyager Academy.
A growth spurt prior to his sophomore year added five inches to his frame.
Played his AAU ball with Pro Skill Basketball's "Team Curry" program, coached by Sim Frazier.

Personal

Full name is Jonas Parker Aidoo
Last name pronounced: AY-doo
Born Dec. 10, 2002, in Durham, North Carolina
Son of Regina Parker-Aidoo and Tony Aidoo
Enrolled at Tennessee with more than 400,000 followers and nine million "likes" on TikTok (@jonasaidoo).
Academic Major: Journalism & Electronic Media
Recipient of The Richard Mark Foster Family Scholarship

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Cassidy: It’s difficult to look away from John Calipari at Arkansas due to the fact that the situation still seems a bit surreal, but also because the former Kentucky coach is expected to land an impressive first class despite having a short time to do so. Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo will be visiting Fayetteville over the weekend for what feels like a hyper-important trip. Aidoo took a massive step forward as a junior at Tennessee last season and projects as one of the top veterans in the sport next season. The thought of Calipari armed with a veteran big man surrounded by younger, high-profile guards allows Arkansas fans to dream about a massive season in year one of the new regime. Baylor, Alabama and North Carolina are also involved.

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AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit in the country, has had quite the shakeup in his recruitment this spring due to the wild coaching carousel we have all witnessed.

It started with Andy Enfield, who got Dybantsa on his first official visit to USC, taking the SMU job which led Eric Musselman to USC and John Calipari to Arkansas.

With the major shakeup, Dybantsa talked about where things stood now: is the new Kentucky staff getting involved? Is Calipari continuing his recruitment of Dybantsa at Arkansas? What about USC? Any new visits? And much more.

According to Dybantsa, he confirmed that Calipari has already offered him at Arkansas and is under the impression that Kentucky has been in contact with his father.

He shared his thoughts on each move and where things stand as of this weekend:

Arkansas: "I got an offer about a week ago, not even. Cal reached out, Chin [Coleman] reached out and I got an offer. He said same 'brand, different location.' He said they're going to keep coaching the same way, keep doing things the same way but it's just a different location."

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Moving forward, Dybantsa says he doesn't know who will get his remaining visits but does have a plan as to how he will structure his next steps.

"I have only taken two [visits] but in the fall, September, October and November, when football season is coming, I will take more visits," he said.

"I have no clue," he added on a timeframe for a decision. "I will probably take four to five more visits and narrow it down from there."

Dybantsa is one of the top prospects and players we have seen come through grassroots in the last five years.

He reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025 and even after the move he remains the No. 1 recruit in the rising senior class.

He is a highly coveted recruit and although he experienced a shakeup due to the coaching carousel, his recruitment will really come into form as the live periods commence in May.

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One of the most athletic and productive big men in the 2025 class, 7-footer Malachi Moreno is in the midst of a stock-raising spring with the Indiana Elite grassroots program and promises to have an interesting year on the recruiting front. Both Arkansas and in-state Kentucky are in pursuit of the Lexington-area center and other major players have also taken note of his talent.

Rivals recently spoke with Moreno about where things stand in his process and which schools are heavily in the mix.

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ON OTHER SCHOOLS IN FREQUENT CONTACT:

“Arkansas reached out to tell me I still have my offer. I talked to them about everything. USC, North Carolina and Kansas also reached out throughout my season. With North Carolina, they have a rule that Hubert Davis has a rule that he has to see you in person before they get you down there for visits, so I’m waiting for that.”

ON SEEING JOHN CALIPARI IN ARKANSAS RED:

“It’s a little weird to me just because he's been at UK my entire life. I mean, this was a job he wanted and a job he went for, so I get it. He did all he needed to do at Kentucky, so I guess he wants to rebuild Arkansas now.”

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RIVALS' REACTION
Moreno’s standing as a Lexington-area native makes Kentucky impossible to dismiss, and the fact that Mark Pope has already reached out to schedule a meeting with the in-state star bodes well for the Wildcats’ chances.

Arkansas is expected to be a major pain in UK’s side here, however. Louisville, Iowa and Indiana are also in the mix to different extents, while other heavy-hitters could join the fray this summer. Moreno feels like a high-priority target for Pope, however, so the Wildcats will have every opportunity to close the deal down the road.

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Patience is wearing thin for the Arkansas fanbase, as the Razorbacks basketball team still has glaring needs ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft withdrawal date on May 29.

Fret not, as head coach John Calipari is shifting through the shadows behind the scenes to ensure the Hoop Hogs have one of the most competitive rosters in the country during the 2024-25 season.

Arkansas has already made appearances in preseason rankings despite only having seven scholarship players, though it helps when some of those are names like Johnell Davis, Jonas Aidoo and Boogie Fland.

The latest rumblings seem to indicate that Calipari is focused on adding 1-to-3 more contributors either from the NBA Draft withdrawal pool or the overseas market.

HawgBeat provides a recap with the latest intel, along with best-fit rankings of Arkansas' known priority targets:

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No. 1 - F Coleman Hawkins, Illinois

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Besides an experienced point guard, a forward capable of stretching the floor and initiating some offense is the biggest remaining need for the Razorbacks.

Hawkins is the unequivocal best fit, as the 6-foot-10, 225-pound senior averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game last season while shooting 45.1% from the field, 36.9% from beyond the arch and 79.2% from the charity stripe.

Still scheduled to meet with NBA teams this week, Hawkins has made it known that his main goal is to stay in the draft and forego his last year of collegiate eligibility. However, he'd likely earn a large NIL payday if he chose to return to college and Arkansas isn't scared of using its resources to get what it wants.

Should Hawkins delay his professional career by another year, Arkansas will be a major contender for his services. North Carolina was another program with interest, though that may me moot after the Tar Heels landed the commitment of transfer forward Ven Allen-Lubin.

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No. 2 - PG DJ Wagner, Kentucky

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Tick tock, Mr. Wagner. After visiting the Razorbacks two weeks ago, Wagner's recruitment has been at an apparent standstill. He hasn't taken any other known visits since then, and the connections to the Arkansas program are too hard to ignore.

In a world where experience and continuity are valuable, Wagner is a crucial piece of the puzzle for the Hogs' roster construction. Without him, Arkansas would have to rely on someone like Fland to lead the way in only his freshman campaign.

For the Wildcats under Calipari last season, Wagner earned a spot on the All-SEC Freshman team after averaging 9.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-4, 192-pound transfer shot 40.5% from the field, 29.2% from beyond the arch and 76.6% from the charity stripe.

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No. 3 - F Jaylen Wells, Washington State

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When you think of a true NBA wing prototype player, Wells fits the mold nearly perfectly. Standing at 6-foot-8, 205-pounds, he has the size to hold his own on the perimeter and is a deadly sharpshooter as he made 41.7% of his shots from distance last season.

Wells ranked in the 99th percentile out of spot-up shooting and is the roster piece to elevate a team from darkhorse to a contender. Will an NBA team take a chance on him in the second round? Will he want to turn down massive NIL for a contract that will almost definitely pay him less?

If the answers to those two questions lead him to a college return, don't be surprised if Arkansas makes a push for his signature if the Hogs can't land Hawkins or others on this list.

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No. 4 - G Wooga Poplar, Miami

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Buzz around Poplar's recruitment with Arkansas had gone to the wayside in recent weeks, but a report from Jack Pilgrim of KSR stating that the Miami transfer is expected to visit Arkansas along with Kentucky and Oregon changed that.

A lights-out three-point shooter who has impressed at the G-League Combine, Poplar has been there and done that throughout his collegiate career with Final Four experience and a true scoring mentality.

The only reason Poplar isn't higher on this list is because there can only be one player with the ball in his hands. Assuming Wagner commits and plays the lead guard position and Davis works off the ball, that would leave a lot of mouths to feed if Poplar joined the fold as well.

Still, landing a player that averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in the ACC while shooting 38.5% from beyond the arch is something you can live with.

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No. 5 - G Egor Demin, Real Madrid

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Calipari is no stranger to recruiting overseas, as he already has one foreign player in big man Zvonimir Ivisic on the roster. Real Madrid versatile combo-wing Demin has picked up a lot of steam with the Hogs, and could potentially fit multiple needs at once.

Because of his reported 6-foot-9 size and playmaking abilities, Demin could realistically play anywhere from 1-to-4 on the court if needed. Viewed as a high-end 2025 NBA Draft prospect, Demin recently dropped a 19-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist performance in 28 minutes against Milan in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament.

Illinois was once the perceived favorite to land Demin, but BYU and the Razorbacks are now the two known programs in contention for the do-it-all prospect.

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