NBA mock drafts still seeing plenty of value in John Calipari's players

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Kevin McPherson | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 5:54 PM ET

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sure, Arkansas coach John Calipari had his record streak of 17 consecutive NBA Drafts with at least one player selected in the first round snapped in 2025.

But he's not slowing down in regards to adding the kind of player talent to his college rosters that the NBA covets year-in, year-out.

His transition from an impressive 15-year run at Kentucky to taking over at Arkansas just over a year ago meant venturing into some uncertainty, even if Calipari downplayed that by famously saying he was "only moving the headquarters" from Lexington, Ky., to Fayetteville, Ark.

Part of that equation of unknowns was sending his next crop of players to the 2025 NBA Draft in June.

Midway through his first Arkansas team's 2024-25 season, he had two Razorbacks that were garnering various first-round draft projections: Freshman guard Boogie Fland and transfer junior forward Adou Thiero.

Those two led the team in nearly every meaningful statistical category, and both looked the part of being all league caliber.

But then injuries struck both. Fland first early into SEC play followed by Thiero late in league action.

It was enough to eventually cause Thiero's draft stock to slide into the early second round while Fland's fate was harsher, causing him to withdraw from the draft with a transfer to Florida is next move.

Thiero ended up being selected No. 36 overall in the draft, that's early second round and meant Calipari's first-round un of success was halted.

But his ongoing roster build at Arkansas for his second and third rosters already has NBA Draft analysts pointing to multiple Hogs as near-future draft picks.

We took at look at five notable mock draft providers to gauge draft stock for three current Arkansas player and one future Razorback.