Arkansas men’s basketball will play against Central Arkansas in North Little Rock.
Arkansas men’s basketball is set to play Central Arkansas in North Little Rock during the 2024-25 season, with the exact date yet to be determined. The initial report came from Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, citing a source.
This game marks the fifth nonconference matchup revealed for the Razorbacks. Besides Central Arkansas, Arkansas is scheduled to play Illinois on Thanksgiving in Kansas City, face Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 3, meet Michigan on December 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and play Oakland at Bud Walton Arena on December 30. Among these, only the Miami game has been officially confirmed by Arkansas.
This upcoming game against Central Arkansas will be the third meeting between the Razorbacks and the Bears, following previous matchups in 2021. Arkansas emerged victorious in both prior encounters, held in Fayetteville, with scores of 97-60 in 2021 and 100-75 in 2020.
Central Arkansas, which finished last season with a 9-23 record and did not qualify for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, made coaching changes, hiring John Shulman after Anthony Boone’s departure. The team saw significant roster changes due to the transfer portal, losing players like Tucker Anderson, Carl Daugherty, and Camren Hunter. Anderson, notably, was named ASUN Freshman of the Year.
In response, Central Arkansas has rebuilt its roster with freshmen Tyler Lee, Layne Taylor, Ty Robinson, Owen Dehrmann, as well as transfers Diogo Seixas from San Jose State and Brayden Fagbemi from Johns Hopkins (D-III).
Arkansas, now under the leadership of new head coach John Calipari, has undergone substantial roster turnover since the tenure of former coach Eric Musselman. Returning players Trevon Brazile and Lawson Blake are among the few from last year, with the team now bolstered by transfers Zvonimir Ivisic, Jonas Aidoo, Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero, DJ Wagner from Kentucky, and freshmen Karter Knox, Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, and Billy Richmond.
