Top 3 players in John Calipari's Arkansas heading into 2024 season ft. DJ Wagner
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari has put in significant effort in his first two months on the job to assemble the roster for the 2024-25 season. Thirteen players from last season's team left.
Five graduated, while most entered the NCAA portal. Devonte Davis, Arkansas's best player last season, joined Oklahoma State; 6-foot-5 guard Khalif Battle went to Gonzaga and Kansas State signed forward Baye Fall.
Since almost every player from the last season left the Razorbacks, Calipari had to fill the gaps.
"Look, there's going to be enough kids that would want to play here for us," John Calipari said. "That will be fine. I really believe that."
Calipari's comment turned out to be true. There is a clear trend of young players wanting to join Arkansas. According to 247Sports Basketball Commits, Arkansas will welcome eight new players next season, comprising three recruits and five transfers.
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Arkansas is expected to be led by the following three standout players.
Top 3 Arkansas players for 2024-25 season
#3, Jonas Aidoo
Jonas Aidoo was an All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection last season, averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Tennessee Volunteers.
His 51.5% field-goal rate underscores his efficiency, and despite only hitting 20.0% of his 3-point attempts, his size (6-foot-11, 241 pounds) and strong rebounding will be crucial assets for the Razorbacks.
Aidoo, who will be a senior, initially declared for the NBA draft but withdrew his name in March and committed to John Calipari's team.
#2, Johnell Davis
Johnell Davis will be entering his fifth year of college basketball with Arkansas in 2024-25. He played four seasons at Florida Atlantic and had his best season last year, averaging 18.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 2.9 assists per game.
Davis is poised to be a leading figure for John Calipari's roster. His shooting stats, 48.3% (41.4% from long range), make him a versatile player to watch. He won the AAC co-Player of the Year and secured a selection in first-team All-AAC in 2023-24.
#1, DJ Wagner
DJ Wagner, a five-star recruit in the 2023 class, will be a major addition to John Calipari's squad. After playing one season for the Kentucky Wildcats, he entered the transfer portal on April 15 and reunited with Calipari a month later.
In his freshman season, Wagner averaged 9.9 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 3.3 apg in 29 games and earned a spot on the coaches' SEC All-Freshman Team.
Wagner and Johnell Davis are both ball-playing guards, and the duo will likely make a good partnership at Arkansas.