FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas coach John Calipari has made a good living coaching basketball with young rosters.
But over the past decade or so, he's gone a different direction from predominantly freshmen-laden squads. That's not the case this year for the Razorbacks with eight players entering their first year at the college level.
There's at least one freshman at each position who can contribute in a major way, but don't let Calipari kid you. He knows how special his team could potentially be, but he's not ready to place unfair expectations on them at least for now.
Arkansas men's basketball coach John Calipari during a July practice before leaving for the Baha Mar Summer League. | Nilsen Black, Hogs On SI Images
"I like my team," Calipari said. "This is a hard league to do it with young guys, which is what we're going to do. We're really young but competitive. Now we just got a lot of things to figure out. I'm loving what I'm seeing. But for anybody to predict this team, you're crazy. I don't have an idea. Will we be good? Will we be real good? Will we be bad? I don't know yet."
Every year there are multiple freshmen who surpass individual expectations. Last year, it was Darius Acuff, who became a consensus All-American and among the top picks in the NBA Draft.
Some guys thrive when they are put in the right situation, and that's likely the case for each of these three Razorbacks listed below. While they likely won't be scoring in double-figures every single night, their best ability will be availability and that's why they will each bring tremendous value this season.
Arkansas Razorbacks freshman forward Maper Maker goes through drills during practice at the Martin Family Basketball Performance Center. | Nilsen Roman - Hogs on SI
The 7-foot-1 freshman can play multiple roles in the post and Calipari is already a fan of what the lengthy Australian brings to the team.
"Maper [Maker] gives everything he can," Calipari said following the victory over Memphis. "I'm comfortable playing him at the 5 and 4."
On a night where Arkansas was dominant in the paint offensively, Maker was able to get his with seven points, five rebounds, and one steal in over 21 minutes of action.
His biggest asset is a wingspan that is approaching 7 feet, 7 inches that allows him to disrupt passing lanes, contest shots anywhere on the court and even understands how to switch defensively.
The 17-year-old has let it rip since arriving on the college scene in July at Baha Mar, averaging 12 points per game on 41% shooting from the field. Arkansas was in need of a point guard to run things when Jordan Smith needed a breather, and Calipari didn't think twice about convincing Thompson to reclassify to the 2026 class and potentially play a year or two.
What Calipari needs most out of him is to not overdribble during possessions, keep the ball off the floor and let it find him again.
"Davion, right now, I gotta get him off the ball...he dribbles the ball too much," Calipari said after Arkansas' 93-81 win over Memphis. "How is he as a scorer? Pretty Good. Now, I want you to think about this. If you pass it and cut and it comes back to you, you're playing one on one or two on two. If you bring it up and dribble, listen to me..19 times and then go try and score.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Davion Thompson (9) drives against Memphis Tigers forward Jerry Deng (7) during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"How many guys are you going against? All five. And the three officials will get in your way. So pass, give it up early. When he's in an open space, he's good. He's learning. He's 17 years old, but he's one of our best scorers. I need him to shoot balls. I don't He was a minus 17 today. How is that? Minus-17. He's too good a player to be a minus-17."
While Thompson's scoring ability was never questioned coming out of high school, his biggest challenge will be learning how to play without trying to create everything himself. And that's going to be easier said than done for an athlete who was still playing high school basketball just five months ago.
Calipari wants him to understand that just because his mindset is score-score-and score some more, it doesn't always translate to winning basketball. The longer Thompson stays with his development, he'll grow more comfortable in his role.
This has nothing to do with the Furman transfer's ability to play basketball, but everything to do with him exceeding expectations during exhibitions against No. 15 Gonzaga and Memphis. Both games took place at home and the 6-foot-11, 235 pound center quickly showed why he was the most efficient big man in college basketball by nearly averaging a double-double.
The Razorbacks struck out on several big men in the portal during the offseason, but assistant head coach Kenny Payne went to work with Bowser to make sure he was ready for the physicality at the high-major level.
Arkansas Razorbacks center Cooper Bowser celebrates with guard Jordan Smith Jr. | Arkansas Communications
That's likely why his emergence was even more encouraging during exhibition play because he's shown the potential to make an impact around the basket while doing the dirty work in the post that Arkansas lacked at times last season.
His willingness to rebound, defend and play physically could make him one of Calipari's most dependable frontcourt options.
He'll have an opportunity relatively early this season to show whether he can operate in the post against the likes of Virginia, Michigan State, Indiana, Arizona and North Carolina. But the biggest question will be how well he does once the Razorbacks enter SEC play.
For a player who arrived in Fayetteville with plenty to prove, he's quickly becoming someone Calipari can depend on while quickly becoming a fan favorite.
Arkansas will begin the regular season with UA-Pine Bluff on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Three Arkansas Basketball Players Whose Stock Is Rising Ahead of Season Opener .
