Arkansas football is right on the horizon, as the Razorbacks will open their season on Thursday in Little Rock against UAPB.
With a neutral-site opener and a week two road clash against Oklahoma State, it won’t be until the third game of the season that the Hogs make their Razorback Stadium debut.
While at first glance that non-conference clash against lowly UAB might not inspire much excitement, it turns out the matchup could be of great consequence for the Razorback basketball program.
Recent announcements and whispers indicate Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari will host a star-studded cast of high school recruits for that game.
In fact, it might be the most talented crew of visitors in a single particular weekend that the program has ever seen.
Be on your best behavior, folks.
Secret Visitor for Arkansas Basketball Added to Loaded UAB Slate
The Hogs have been hot on the heels of a number of five-star prospects in the wake of landing Darius Acuff Jr., the nation’s top point guard.
A pair of consensus top-ten prospects in power forward Koa Peat and combo guard Meleek Thomas have publicly announced visits to Fayetteville on the weekend of September 14. Additionally, it appears there will be a third five star visitor that weekend, as revealed by Pig Trail Nation’s Kevin McPherson.
Arkansas has been in pursuit of 6-foot-10 forward Chris Cenac, a five-star prospect ranked as high as No. 5 nationally by On3. He plays his high school ball at Link Academy in Branson, Mo., just a few hours north of Fayetteville.
That interest ramped up after priority big man target Malachi Moreno committed to Kentucky. Cenac’s recruitment seems to still be in its early stages, with On3 national insider Joe Tipton telling Best of Arkansas Sports on Friday that he has not set up any visits yet. The Hogs did make the cut for his top 12 schools.
“I’ve heard that they’re trying to get involved,” Tipton said. “I would anticipate Arkansas getting an official visit at some point.”
That prediction has reportedly come true, according to McPherson. He said on Sunday’s edition of “Hog Hoops Report” that Cenac will in fact be visiting that same weekend.
“He’s told one national analyst, ‘Look, I haven’t actually scheduled visits yet,’” McPherson said. “What I’m told is he just hasn’t released them yet…he’s also planning to visit that weekend.”
Perhaps that one national analyst could have been Tipton…
Despite Cenac’s attempts to move in silence, it looks like Arkansas will end up with a trio of five stars in town in a few weeks’ time.
Chris Cenac’s Fit With Arkansas Basketball
Cenac was described by McPherson as a “chart climber” and a “stock riser,” with the big man not earning his fifth star until the spring. His impressive performances have seen him shoot up the rankings, now in the national top 20 of every recruiting service and considered the top center of his class. This summer, he was part of USA basketball’s U17 team that steamrolled through the FIBA World Cup.
He displays all the traits of a prototypical blue-chip big man: height, mobility, athleticism, finishing and rim protection. What sets Cenac apart is his advanced guard skills for his size and age:
In addition to his interior finishing off the catch, he’s adept at going off the dribble, as well. His highlight tape flashes the ability to dish to open teammates, take it to the rack himself or step back for an easy mid-range jumper:
It’s rare enough to find a teenager close to seven feet tall that’s coordinated enough to do the big-man basics, let alone play the role of the modern “pace and space” big man. That versatility encapsulates the appeal of Cenac, though, and explains why scouts have grown so fond of him.
The race for the nation’s No. 1 big man is still wide open, with plenty of high-profile contenders in the pack. His top 12 includes blue bloods like Kentucky and UConn in addition to other elite teams like Houston and Alabama.
Tipton and McPherson both mentioned LSU as a team that will be tough to beat given Cenac’s Louisiana roots – the rising senior attended Isidore Newman High School in New Orleans before transferring to Link Academy. On3 lists the Tigers as the current favorite for Cenac.
His attendance of the Missouri boarding school might provide Calipari an important…link…with Arkansas, as the Razorbacks very recently sent a Link Academy product to the NBA in Jordan Walsh.
Former Head Hog Eric Musselman had another Link product signed to the program in Jalen Shelley, but the pair eventually ended up at USC. Link Academy head coach Bill Armstrong also changed jobs this summer, so that bridge admittedly isn’t as strong as it was a year ago.
If Calipari were to end up landing Cenac in the long run, he would go down as Arkansas’ highest-rated big man to ever step foot on campus in the modern recruiting era. Cenac currently holds a 247 Sports composite rating of .9937, which tops Razorback legend and Little Rock native Bobby Portis’ .9911 mark in the Class of 2013.
(Al Jefferson’s .9984 rating in 2004 beats out the rest of the big-and-tall pack, but he went straight to the NBA and never played for the Razorbacks)
As far as Coach Cal’s potential recruiting pitch to Cenac, it’s a pretty simple one. Over the years, he and big-man savant assistant coach Kenny Payne have worked wonders with a number of five-star forwards in the past. Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo and Karl-Anthony Towns ring a bell, anyone?
The first two just won a gold medal for the senior national team Cenac is aiming to make himself one day.
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Watch the full Hog Hoops Report with McPherson on Pig Trail Nation here:
More on Arkansas basketball from BoAS:
