Arkansas men’s basketball team will play against Central Arkansas in North Little Rock.
Arkansas men’s basketball is slated to play against Central Arkansas in North Little Rock during the upcoming 2024-25 season, with the exact date yet to be determined, according to a report by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, citing a source.
This game marks the fifth nonconference matchup reported for the Razorbacks. In addition to facing Illinois on Thanksgiving in Kansas City, Arkansas is scheduled to play Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge on December 3, Michigan at Madison Square Garden on December 10, and Oakland at Bud Walton Arena on December 30. Among these, only the Miami game has been officially confirmed by Arkansas.
This upcoming contest will be the third meeting between Arkansas and Central Arkansas, with the Razorbacks winning their previous encounters in Fayetteville: 97-60 in 2021 and 100-75 in 2020.
Central Arkansas had a challenging season last year, finishing with a 9-23 record and missing out on the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament. After dismissing coach Anthony Boone, they appointed John Shulman, who previously coached at Division II Alabama-Huntsville from 2019 to 2024.
Following Boone’s departure, Central Arkansas faced significant losses through the transfer portal, including standout players like Tucker Anderson (Utah State), Carl Daugherty (California-Davis), and Camren Hunter (Wisconsin). Anderson, in particular, was named ASUN Freshman of the Year.
The Bears have since revamped their roster with incoming freshmen such as Tyler Lee, Layne Taylor (Farmington), Ty Robinson (Lake Hamilton), and Owen Dehrmann (Bentonville). They’ve also added transfers Diogo Seixas from San Jose State and Brayden Fagbemi from Johns Hopkins (D-III).
Meanwhile, Arkansas enters the new season under the leadership of new coach John Calipari, with nearly an entirely new roster compared to the one from former coach Eric Musselman’s final season. Only Trevon Brazile and walk-on Lawson Blake return from last year’s team. The Razorbacks have bolstered their lineup with transfers Zvonimir Ivisic (Kentucky), Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee), Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), Adou Thiero (Kentucky), and DJ Wagner (Kentucky), along with freshmen Karter Knox, Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, and Billy Richmond.
