Field Level Media Top 25: No. 15 Arkansas

Oct 28, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images Field Level Media college basketball writers submitted ballots for their Top 25 men's basketball teams entering the 2026-27 season. The poll results are in: Here's a closer look at No. 15 Arkansas. 15. ARKANSAS 2025-26 record: 28-9 Outlook for 2026-27: Coach John Calipari led Arkansas to the Sweet 16 in each of his first two seasons. Can a strong freshman class take the Razorbacks to the next level? What we like: There's some serious star power on this Arkansas roster. The Razorbacks return Billy Richmond III (11.2 ppg), added Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.4 ppg, 35.7% from 3-point range) and brought in three five-star freshmen: guards Jordan Smith Jr. and JJ Andrews and forward Abdou Toure. All three ranked among the nation's top 20 recruits. Trouble ahead: For a team that will rely so heavily on freshmen, the nonconference schedule is challenging. It includes a matchup with Virginia during the opening week of the season and two more games against top-10 opponents, Michigan State and Arizona, before Christmas. Top newcomer: Wilkinson has been a prolific scorer in his first two college seasons at Cal and Georgia, averaging 16.3 points over 63 career games. On a team that could rely on balanced scoring at times, he's likely to be the go-to option in crunch time. --Field Level Media