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Former UK coach and current Arkansas coach John Calipari hugs Kentucky coach Mark Pope before the game Saturday Feb. 1, 2025 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN with bold prediction Razorbacks will meet rival in Final Four

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Jacob Davis | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 3:25 PM ET

While football is receiving the boatload of attention around Arkansas, Razorbacks basketball coach John Calipari remains at the forefront of topics nationally.

The second-year coach performed a miracle of sorts last season after his team began the season 1-6 in SEC play, an afterthought in the NCAA Tournament discussion. Questions arose if coaching had passed him by, but he continued to believe in his group of players despite all the troubles.

Injuries played a major role for most of the regular season, and with seven players available for most of March, Arkansas made a ferociuos run defeating Kansas and St. John's in the NCAA Tournament.

With a bid to the Elite Eight on the line, Arkansas lost to Texas Tech with an epic collapse in the final moments. Despite the loss, the Razorbacks go into a new season with utmost confidence to contend for a national championship.

The Razorbacks are also receiving high expectations outside the program as ESPN believes they could leap into the national spotlight as a sneaky good team.

The Razorbacks picked up steam late in the season and made a stunning run to the Sweet 16 that capped a turbulent year in John Calipari's first season with the program.

This season's group, however, could be a sleeper to make a run at the national title. Darius Acuff is a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft and will be surrounded by veteran talent in D.J. Wagner, Karter Knox and Trevon Brazile.

If the Razorbacks can stay healthy, a challenge for them a year ago, Calipari could contend for his seventh trip to the Final Four. Myron Medcalf, ESPN

Arkansas will be led by a quartet of returning contributors from last season such as point guard D.J. Wagner, Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond and Karter Knox. Calipari signed a top five recruiting class that is headlined by a pair of 5-star guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas along with key transfer bigs Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin.

There will be plenty of opportunities for Arkansas to make noise during non-conference play with premier games against Duke in Chicago, Houston in Brooklyn, Texas Tech in Dallas and a road trip to Michigan State.

With SEC teams included, Arkansas will play each team that played in the Elite Eight last season with Auburn, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee on the schedule.

One bold prediction that ESPN's Myron Medcalf added is Arkansas and Kentucky meeting in the Final Four.

Darius Acuff is a top newcomer for an Arkansas squad that made a run to the Sweet 16 in March, giving the Razorbacks depth and experience that last season's group lacked. And while Kentucky might need some time to get off the runway, it could have one of the nation's most talented rosters as March approaches if Jayden Quaintance is healthyMyron Medcalf, ESPN

ESPN also included Acuff among the top freshmen going into the season after a prolific high school career averaging over 20 points per game while being named a McDonald's All-American and 2025 Allen Iverson National Player of the Year as a senior.

The Razorbacks are expected to tip-off the 2025-26 inside Bud Walton Arena Nov. 11 against Central Arkansas.