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John Calipari Sends Clear Message Before Second Season at Arkansas

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated May 29, 2025 7:31 PM ET

John Calipari recently concluded his first season with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Calipari made the move to Arkansas after a long tenure with the Kentucky Wildcats. After serving as the head coach of Kentucky from 2009 to 2024, Calipari made the jump to Arkansas and made a great first impression.

After working through a treacherous schedule in the SEC, Calipari led Arkansas to the NCAA Tournament, ranked as a No. 10 seed.

During the NCAA Tournament, the Razorbacks defeated Kansas and St. John's, two teams ranked above Arkansas.

Now, as the Razorbacks prepare for another season, their second year under head coach John Calipari, good news hit the program.

Former blue-chip prospect Karter Knox is returning to Arkansas after testing the NBA Draft waters.

As Calipari and his coaching staff prepare for the return of Knox, they showed off a photo of an early training session at the Arkansas facility.

"Can’t wait to get started with this group!" Calipari said. "Karter will be joining soon. Excited to have these guys on campus and coach them!"

Can’t wait to get started with this group! Karter will be joining soon.

Excited to have these guys on campus and coach them! pic.twitter.com/MeREt2TgIu
— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) May 29, 2025

Last season, after committing to Arkansas as a five-star recruit, Karter Knox posted 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assist.

Despite the return of one of their most promising players, Arkansas will be losing a plethora of talent, such as Adou Thiero to the NBA Draft and Boogie Fland to the transfer portal.

John Calipari has already established himself as one of the best head coaches in college basketball history.

While he's made a name for himself, mostly for his time with the Kentucky Wildcats and the Memphis Tigers, Calipari is charting new territory with the Arkansas Razorbacks.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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