Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari is known for getting his teams involved in early-season heavyweight bouts, year in and year out.
Not only are these matchups a good chance to test the players and prepare for the postseason, but putting his programs on a national stage is also a part of his constant focus on brand-building. Last year alone saw Kentucky face off against Kansas and North Carolina at neutral sites, host Miami and Gonzaga and face rival Louisville on the road.
That trend will continue for Calipari as the Head Hog, as Arkansas already has neutral-site matchups on the books with Baylor (Dallas), Illinois (Kansas City) and Michigan (Madison Square Garden), as well as a road clash with Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge:
The rest of the non-conference slate is kitted out with a nice buffet of cupcakes, but there’s still one open slot on the schedule. Pig Trail Nation’s Kevin McPherson has a theory on what that 13th and, judging on previous schedules, final non-conference game will be.
On Sunday’s Hog Hoops Report, McPherson speculated the last domino would be a fifth high-major opponent rather than another buy game. Calipari has referenced potential “home and away” opponents multiple times, which we can infer means a marquee matchup. You don’t set up a home-and-home with the likes of Pacific and Lipscomb, McPherson said.
So who could be this mysterious fifth matchup for Arkansas basketball? Here are some prominent schools with gaps on their schedule that could be likely candidates.
Into the Belly of the UConn Basketball Beast
If you want to prove yourself before the SEC gauntlet begins, who better than the back-to-back defending national champions to test your wits?
In their quest to win the first three-peat since John Wooden’s UCLA, the Huskies would do well to stock their schedule with early tests.
Arkansas would make a fine addition to the UConn schedule. The Huskies currently have 30 games on the books, meaning they’ve got room for one more. Head coach Dan Hurley already has his hands full with non-conference matchups against Memphis, Baylor, Texas and Gonzaga – but similar to Arkansas, he could make it an even handful by adding one more test.
Calipari and Hurley have yet to face off in their distinguished careers, but Calipari has plenty of history with UConn over the years before the bald-headed maniac took over the reins. Kentucky faced the Huskies four times during Calipari’s tenure, winning just once.
Two of those losses were incredibly high-stakes, in the Final Four of the 2011 and 2014 NCAA Tournaments. There’s also Calipari’s well-documented beef with longtime UConn coach Jim Calhoun, going back to his days at UMass. A matchup with UConn would take him back to his east coast roots and offer a chance for revenge.
Mark Few and John Calipari Reignite Non-Conference Flame
If Calipari wants to lean on a pre-existing relationship to find a final opponent, he need not look further than Gonzaga basketball coach Mark Few. The Wildcats and Bulldogs faced off last year in Rupp Arena, and the two programs will meet again in Seattle this year.
The Zags currently have only 28 games on the schedule, and they’re always desperate to load their non-conference slate given the sad state of the West Coast Conference. Games against UConn, UCLA, West Virginia and Arizona State are already finalized, but strength of schedule is always in need of improvement for the Bulldogs.
Gonzaga will certainly be hungry for revenge after its top-seeded squad was upset by Arkansas in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Long Time, No See, Coach…
Here’s a matchup that would dominate the national news cycle for at least a day – Eric Musselman returning to Bud Walton Arena, just a few months after he abandoned ship for the USC job.
Now donning the Trojan rendition of a cardinal red polo, the former Head Hog could square off against his successor in a matchup that would make for a generational day on Arkansas Twitter.
Because of the tall task of taking a new job and fielding a roster amidst a conference shift into the Big 10, the Trojans’ schedule is yet to be completed.
Currently, the only noteworthy opponents on their non-conference slate are California and Saint Mary’s – yikes. It’s safe to say Musselman is in need of some more meat on the bone, and who better to supply it than Arkansas.
Calipari and Musselman are very familiar with each other from their showdowns over the last few years. So make the phone call, and make this dream matchup happen.
Dana Altman Facing the Music with Oregon Basketball
On the topic of former Head Hogs, how about a matchup with the joker who was Arkansas’ head coach for all of five seconds? Dana Altman notoriously backed out of the job right after his opening press conference brought about the most awkward Hog call in history.
Now well-established as the head coach at Oregon, Altman was considered one of the best coaches in the Pac-12 before conference realignment took the Ducks into the Big 10, along with USC.
Because of all that scheduling chaos, they still have some holes in their slate for the upcoming season. The Ducks’ non-conference list includes the likes of Texas A&M, San Diego State and Altman’s former team, Creighton. It could use some beefing up.
Who better to fill that slot than Arkansas? Altman coming to Bud Walton Arena and being faced with a roaring Hog call from almost 20,000 fans would be glorious. But as we all know, Altman’s word isn’t worth much. Even if he says “yes” to the matchup on the phone, I won’t consider it to be a done deal until the game actually tips off.
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Full Hog Hoops Report with Kevin McPherson:
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John Calipari’s storied beef with former UConn coach Jim Calhoun:
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More coverage of Arkansas basketball from BoAS:
