Barring a meeting in the NCAA Tournament, Eric Musselman and John Calipari likely won’t square off in an actual game this coming season. Instead, we’ll have to settle for a different kind of Arkansas vs USC matchup.
Even though the former and current Arkansas basketball coaches are no longer in the same conference, they will cross paths on the recruiting trail — both in the transfer portal and in the high school ranks.
That has already unfolded once, with Calipari and the Razorbacks beating out Musselman and the Trojans for Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner, and is the case with another in-state five-star recruit.
Little Rock Christian star JJ Andrews announced that was re-offered by Arkansas on Monday and a day later, Musselman re-offered him on behalf of USC. Those two schools joined a race that also includes Missouri, LSU, Oklahoma and Ole Miss from the SEC, plus North Carolina State and Marquette.
Ranked as the No. 15 overall player in the Class of 2026 by ESPN, he’s received quite a bit of interest from other schools, as well, with that list of offers expected to grow in the wake of a strong performance at the Peach Jam.
It’s unclear who might be the early leaders for Andrews and it’s probably too early for him to even know. That will become more apparent when he starts taking on-campus visits Aug. 1, but it’s hard to ignore his prior relationship with Musselman when it comes to USC and the allure of playing for his home state when it comes to Arkansas — not to mention Calipari’s track record of putting guys into the NBA.
Another thing working in the Razorbacks’ favor is that Andrews is an Arkansas legacy. His father is Shawn Andrews, who is one of the greatest offensive linemen in school history. A two-time All-American, he was a first-round NFL Draft pick and went on to be a two-time Pro Bowler with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“[The Arkansas offer] is a big deal to my friends and family in Arkansas,” Andrews told SBLive. “A lot of people think since my Pops went to Arkansas, I am going to go to Arkansas, but I am going to go wherever fits me best. It is big, though, that my Pops went there and going to the campus and seeing all the things he did.”
However, Musselman has the benefit of getting in on Andrews’ recruitment very early in the process. He first offered him as the Razorbacks’ head coach last May, at the end of his freshman year. Calipari, on the other hand, never offered him at Kentucky – but that’s par for the course with him, as he doesn’t typically offer players that early.
JJ Andrews Shines at Peach Jam
A two-time state champion at Little Rock Christian, JJ Andrews added another title to his resume last week in North Augusta, S.C.
The rising junior played a major role in Bradley Beal Elite going 7-0 en route to capturing the 2024 Nike EYBL Peach Jam E16 championship. In just 27.3 minutes per game, Andrews averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while shooting a ridiculously efficient 65.8% from the field. That includes going 5 of 16 (31.3%) from beyond the arc. He also shot 76.2% from the free throw line on high volume (6 attempts per game).
In a matchup with the Indy Heat, Andrews dropped 29 points. That was according to the Peach Jam’s official stats, but they might have actually shorted him:
He followed that up with back-to-back double-doubles leading up to the championship game, in which he scored 17 points against CP3. Not only that, but he was the X-factor for Bradley Beal Elite down the stretch.
With the score tied and less than a minute remaining, Andrews threw a lob for a go-ahead dunk, forced a jump ball on the very next possession to essentially seal the victory and then put the exclamation on the win with a dunk in the closing seconds.
Among the many coaches in the stands for that game were Arkansas basketball head coach John Calipari and assistant Chin Coleman, who also watched a couple of his previous games at the Peach Jam.
They apparently liked what they saw from the big wing, who recently measured in at 6-foot-6 (without shoes) and 219 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan at the Nike Elite 100 camp.
Arkansas was already interested in Andrews, as evidenced by three different coaches — Calipari, Coleman and Ronnie Brewer Jr. — reaching out to him on the first day allowed to contact Class of 2026 prospects, but his performance at the Peach Jam seemed to push them over the ledge with a scholarship offer.
Arkansas Basketball Recruiting Update
Considering his father and the fact that he’s an in-state kid, there’s a lot to be excited about the idea of JJ Andrews suiting up for Arkansas basketball. However, if he ultimately chooses the Razorbacks, that wouldn’t happen until the 2026-27 season.
In the more immediate future, Arkansas is still waiting for the first domino to fall in the Class of 2025 — and that could happen sooner rather than later.
Darius Acuff Jr., considered the top point guard and ranked as high as No. 4 nationally by 247Sports, is set to announce his decision Friday. The Detroit native who now plays at IMG Academy in Florida will be choosing between Arkansas, Kansas and Michigan.
The Razorbacks are believed to be the favorite, with On3 national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw, On3’s Joe Tipton and six Rivals reporters all predicting him to pledge to Calipari.
Another couple of five-star prospects have recently included Arkansas among their top choices.
Meleek Thomas, the No. 5 player in the country according to Rivals, is down to seven schools. The Razorbacks are joined by Alabama, Auburn, Kansas, Kansas State, Pittsburgh and UConn. The two-time defending national champions are believed to be the frontrunner for him, though.
Jasper Johnson, who checks in at No. 10 nationally in the 247Sports Composite, released his top five schools Wednesday. In addition to Arkansas, he’s also considering Alabama, Kentucky, Louisville and North Carolina. Getting him to Fayetteville might be tough, though, as he is originally from Kentucky and is the son of Kentucky football great Dennis Johnson.
Another name to keep an eye on is AJ Dybantsa, the unanimous No. 1 overall recruit in the Class of 2025. He is expected to release a top eight soon and, according to Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Arkansas will likely make the cut – with several factors working in their favor.
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Darius Acuff and Maleek Thomas
Six months ago, the frontrunner for 5-star guard Darius Acuff Jr. appeared to be his home state school with with Kentucky lurking. The coaching carousel vaulted the Razorbacks to the front of the line, though, because the Wolverines fired Juwan Howard and John Calipari left the Wildcats to become the head coach at Arkansas.
On Friday afternoon, the Hogs are heavy favorites to land Acuff’s commitment. That would be massive news for Arkansas basketball, as he’d be the school’s fourth five-star recruit since John Calipari was hired. That would be a program record for back-to-back classes.
However, there is a flip side to the news.
Read more more:
Check out some highlights of JJ Andrews:
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