FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Razorbacks will begin preparation for what's being touted as one of those special years.
Third-year coach John Calipari has assembled a roster predominantly made up of freshmen, a couple of transfers and returning fan-favorite Billy Richmond III and the expectations are sky-high.
Seven months after Darius Acuff blossomed into a superstar with his heroics, including an SEC Tournament title, the Razorbacks are positioned yet again to make a deep run in March Madness.
But with such a talented roster, Calipari has yet again challenged his team with a non-conference slate that will test just how good they can be early on.
Here are the six games that will potentially shape how Razorback fans and and college basketball media view this years squad.
Virginia, Nov. 6
The Cavaliers enter the season coming off a 30-win campaign under first-year coach Ryan Odom. He leads the exact team that his UMBC defeated in the 2018 NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed.
This version of Virginia has an unlimited ceiling one year after having one of the most efficient offenses in the country by scoring 120 points per 100 possessions. However, it was the defense that held opponents to 91.4 points per 100 possessions, which was one of the best rates in the nation.
"You can schedule whoever you want, but you might not be ready for it," Odom said at ACC Basketball Media Days . "This is a proud program. Virginia deserves to play in big games."
Odom returns key starters such as Sam Lewis, All-ACC forward Thijs De Ridder and center Johann Grunloh. Super sophomore Chance Mallory is also back after averaging nine points, four assists, three rebounds, and two assists on 24 minutes per game last season.
Mallory is an efficient three-level shooter who can get it done on the offensive end.
Former Arkansas State shooting guard Christian Harmon, UC-Irvine small forward Jurian Dixon and Loyola Marymount guard Jan Vide can all be impactful transfers in the rotation.
Michigan State, Nov. 26
Arkansas narrowly lost to Michigan State 66-63 last season at the Breslin Center and Calipari is probably searching for some type of retribution for his long-time adversary Tom Izzo.
The Spartans return All-Big Ten player of the year candidate Jeremy Fears, Jr.,who averaged 15.2 points and a nation-leading 9.4 assists per game last season. If he continues to improve his deep shot while remaining a steady presence as Izzo's key distributor, there's belief that he can solidify his NBA Draft stock this summer.
MSU also returns Coen Carr following a breakout season in East Lansing, averaging 12 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a junior. During the Spartans victory last season, Carr scored 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and will be a test for the Razorbacks' rebuilt frontcourt.
Much like Calipari, Izzo sees college basketball through the same lens but they each get to the endpoint a bit different.
"I get called old-school a lot; I think it's right school," Izzo said at Big Ten Basketball Media Days onThursday. "I have no interest in thinking this is an old-school way of doing it. We're doing the same things that I did for 25 years, putting the players first, putting relationships over transactions.
"I don't know what people want, but the relationships to me are going to be very, very important, and I don't plan on changing that. I look at different options and different ways to do it, but it'll be a cold day in hell before I have 12 new guys"
Tennessee, Jan. 16
The Volunteers are often an early season test for Calipari and the Razorbacks, with Acuff having his coming out party in Bud Walton Arena in an 86-75 victory.
However, Arkansas' SEC opener at Tennessee in 2025 went drastically different in a 76-52 loss in Knoxville. WIth stars such as Nate Ament, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, and Felix Okpara off to the NBA, things are going to be looking a bit different with Dai Dai Ames and high-scoring Wake Forest transfer Juke Harris in the backcourt.
Veteran coach Rick Barnes will more than likely have a starting lineup that consists of four guards and a frontcourt that will take a by committee approach. This early season SEC test ought to favor the Razorbacks considerably this one is a noon eastern time tipoff to end a two-game roadshow.
Alabama, Feb. 13
If there has been a team that's had Arkansas' number over the past seven years or so look no further than Alabama and coach Nate Oats.
The Crimson Tide have become one of the premier teams in the SEC utilizing a high-powered offense and opportunistic defense that overwhelms opponents on any given night.
Brandon Garrison, Drew Felder and Cole Cloer are expected to bolster the paint as Aden Holloway and Amari Allen expected to man the guard roles. A lot of what the Crimson Tide do best is utilizing the three-point line and did exactly that against a 111-93 exhibition win over Furman Thursday night.
The Crimson Tide made 16-of-39 attempts from deep, but allowed the Paladins to drill 18-of-43 of their own attempts beyond the arc. Oats will make emphasis of that leading up to the season opener Nov. 3 against Sam Houston State.
Kentucky, Feb. 20
Calipari returns to Rupp Arena again with revenge on his mind after Kentucky punked the Razorbacks in Bud Walton Arena in the second half, enroute to a 85-77 victory.
Arkansas won the initial game of the rekindled rivalry in Feb. 2025, which sparked the team's run to a suprising Sweet 16 appearance despite an injury to former point guar Boogie Fland.
Like most yearly trends in college basketball, teams are going to look different and this one led by Mark Pope is no different.
Iowa State transfer Milan Momcilovic was the prized win out of the portal after he spurned NBA Draft opportunities for a return to school following a season that saw him average over 17 points per game and knocked down 49% of his attempts from three.
Fellow transfers Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins could potentially be a formidable backourt duo for the Wildcats and really put stress on an athletic and versatile Arkansas defense. Pope has solid interior size in Malachi Moreno and Justin McBride, but there are a handful of inexperirenced depth pieces behind them.
Florida, Feb. 27
Arkansas will be looking to avenge its embarrassing drubbing from last February behind them and challenge a veteran-laden Gators squad expected to contend for a national chamionship.
Each team is relatively young with Arkansas ranked first in the SEC for average age at 19.07 years old and Florida hovering around No. 10 at 19.67 years, according to RotoWire.
Fland was able to lead the Gators to a dominant 111-77 victory in Gainesville with Fland finishing the day with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, four assists and two rebounds.
The Gators are expected to be the best and deepest team in the country with Fland, Denzel Aberdeen, Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu looking to make a run at a second NCAA Tournament championship in three seasons.
Each of Florida's five starters were double-digit scorers last season, which makes them lethal at nearly every position on the court.
If coach Todd Golden has figured out his single deficiency (three-point shooting) from last season, this could end up being Florida vs. The World in college basketball next season.
This will be the Razorbacks ultimate regular season test, and will tell Calipari and the rest of the sport if Arkansas has the horses to make a run to its first Final Four appearance since 1995.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Six Games That Could Define Arkansas Basketball's 2026-27 Season.