FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Even if John Calipari wins big at Arkansas, he cautions that he might not win quickly.
“It normally takes my programs two or three years to really get stuff established the way you want it,” Calipari said Tuesday.
The former Kentucky coach arrived in April, sending shockwaves across college basketball. Only days before he showed up, Arkansas was considered on the downslope. Eric Musselman had left of his own volition after a tumultuous season that saw the Razorbacks not only fail to make a fourth straight Sweet Sixteen, but not even make the NCAA Tournament at all.
Calipari might be wise to temper immediate expectations a bit. Only one scholarship player from last season’s Arkansas roster returned to play for him, and that player — former All-SEC forward Trevon Brazile — teased both an NBA draft entry and transfer portal exit before deciding on a third year in Fayetteville.
Normally, his return would have been the story of the offseason when it came to on-court personnel. This year, it barely made a wave.
DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic all transferred from Kentucky to join Calipari at Arkansas. Point guard Johnell Davis, the reigning American Athletic Conference player of the year, transferred in from Florida Atlantic and center Jonas Aidoo shifted one state west from conference rival Tennessee for his final season of college basketball. Toss in three highly touted freshmen, and Calipari acknowledged one of his early concerns is cohesion.
“Reality is, it’s going to take a team,” he said. “These guys got to come together. … You are responsible for you, then we bring this team together and they care about one another so much that it’s amazing when they accomplish stuff.”
Calipari has sold togetherness since his introductory press conference to Arkansas fans shortly after his hire. It was an emphasis at Kentucky, where he spent the last 15 seasons, winning a national championship in 2012.
That was about the time Arkansas was beginning to climb back upward in the SEC following several down years in the post-Nolan Richardson era. Razorbacks fans still consider Kentucky their greatest basketball rival.
Calipari’s role in keeping the Razorbacks down suddenly was forgiven when he took the Arkansas job. He already has the team gaining more attention than it has in decades.
An exhibition game against Kansas — among the teams likely to ranked higher in the preseason than Arkansas — should help the Razorbacks draw eyeballs.
That game is among the reasons Calipari is preaching caution.
“Probably going to get stung pretty good,” he said. “But it’s perfect for us to figure out where we are right now.”
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