John Calipari is a national brand when it comes to recruiting, but that does not mean he will turn a blind eye to a treasure trove of talent within the borders of the Natural State.
Arkansas’ new head coach hire has landed a top-two signing class 12 times, including seven top-ranked hauls. He has signed 69 ESPN 100 players, 44 McDonald’s All-Americans and had 47 players drafted during his tenure at Kentucky.
The Hoop Hogs are officially an option on the table for any prospect in the country, but the search for talent starts at home.
“It’s the first place you look,” said Calipari. “Are they good kids, and are they good enough? If they are then we will recruit them.
“It was the same thing at Kentucky. Derek Willis. Dominique Hawkins. Some of them are on different paths now. It may take them a little bit longer, but so what? Those kids are all professionals.”
Calipari’s most recent example of home-cooking was a young man from London (Ky.) who ranked No. 79 nationally at 247Sports in the 2023 class.
Perhaps those reading are familiar with the name Reed Sheppard?
“Reed Sheppard,” Calipari said. “‘Why did you take him? He’s not… You’re not going to play him. He’s not…’ What? You play the best players. ‘Well, you didn’t start him.’ He’s fine. He’s going to be a lottery pick. How about that?”
While Calipari is new to the job, he is not new to poaching talent from the state of Arkansas.
Archie Goodwin and Malik Monk are two names that immediately come to mind. While losing them stung at the time, those connections could very well pay dividends now that Calipari is at the helm in Fayetteville.
“I’ll do the same here,” Calipari said. “Archie Goodwin was a good player for us. Malik (Monk) was a really good player for us.
“Malik never thought he took a bad shot. And the reason was he got it off… What are you doing? You’ve got two people on you. ‘I got it off.’
“One of the greatest kids. Really smart. His mother already hit me. Marcus already called me. Mom’s going to cook for us. She said she’s coming to practice. I love it. Come on.”
Looking ahead, the amount of in-state talent to be had is staggering for Arkansas.
Terrion Burgess (Benton) and Isaiah Sealy (Springdale) are a pair of coveted prospects in the 2025 class. The 2026 crop features the likes of JJ Andrews (LR Christian), Aidan Chronister (Rogers) and Jacob Lanier (Maumelle).
All five currently hold at least four-star status and are ranked inside the top 75 in their respective classes.
Curtis,
Is there any chance Cal could flip Boateng? I know he’s already signed but I wasn’t sure how binding that is.