The 2025 transfer portal is officially open, and college basketball is in full chaos mode. Players are jumping in, coaches are scrambling, and rosters are about to get a major shake-up. And who knows this world better than John Calipari? While he has the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation and acquiring transfers would be pretty easy, it doesn’t change the absurdity of the timing. “Welcome to my world,” Calipari joked after learning that the portal opens as the teams prepare for the second round. “So Monday we’re really preparing for a game and we’re having individual meetings about ‘Are you coming back?” 

After a 15-year stint at Kentucky ended in April 2024 amid a “cold war” with the athletic director, Calipari landed at Arkansas with a five-year deal and a roster rebuilt with seven transfers, including four ex-Wildcats. Now, with a 22-13 record and a late-season surge, he’s navigating a familiar storm with a new team. But, d

espite all the movement in the portal, Arkansas HC isn’t rushing in. He made that clear in a conversation with NBC Sports: “Right now we’re not on the phone with anybody.” That might sound surprising, but Calipari has a method to the madness.

His priority isn’t chasing players—it’s figuring out what’s happening with his own roster first.“Before you can figure out the portal, don’t you have to know who’s coming back and who’s leaving?” he pointed out. “I don’t know of anybody in these 16 teams that is sitting down with players and saying, ‘Are you coming back, or are you going to put your name in the portal?’ So it’s just difficult right now.” With Arkansas preparing to face No. 3 Texas Tech in San Francisco, he’s not about to disrupt his squad’s focus—or his own—mid-tournament.

He’s long been skeptical of a system that lets players—some as old as 26 or 27—jump ship annually, often chasing NIL deals. When with Kentucky, he had blatantly asked for a resolution. “First thing we could solve is the transfer portal,” said Calipari. “Easily. It used to be you have five years to play four — go back to it. If you want to transfer one time, do it. We got guys playing at 26 and 27. This is about safety of 17-, 18-, 19-year-olds.” Per Jack Pilgrim, he even joked that “there are players on their second marriage with kids still playing college basketball”. 

Now, at Arkansas, he’s choosing to go with a deliberate pace. However, while Calipari cannot afford to shift his energy, the staff of the program can. “My staff may be talking to guys, but I’m not. Not yet,” he further said. “If there’s a guy we know is really, really good and wants to talk, I’ll get on the phone. But for now, it’s mostly staff.”

The overlapping is truly maddening. At Kentucky, he made strides in the art of the one-and-done, sending 49 players to the NBA over 15 years. But the portal era, with its immediate eligibility and constant churn, has upped the stakes. Not one coach is wrong to question it—last year, over 1,800 players entered the portal, per On3, reshaping rosters at a dizzying pace. So, it makes sense why teams are skipping tournaments like the NIT to focus on recruiting.

The timing problem isn’t new. The football portal opened in December—two weeks before the College Football Playoff—forcing players to choose between chasing a title or securing their next opportunity. But football’s season runs into late January, making changes harder. In basketball? There’s no excuse. Moving the portal back a few weeks would solve many issues.

As for transfers eyeing Arkansas? Cal has a message:“If you want to get better, if you want to be challenged, if you want to play with good players, be coached like you’ve already made it, be hugged and challenged and made uncomfortable—then come with me. You come to Arkansas.”

While other programs scramble, Calipari is staying patient. He has a plan, and when he moves, it’ll be big. Right now, it looks like Arkansas is betting on its freshmen. But when Calipari strikes the portal, expect it to shake things up.

John Calipari’s Plan: Arkansas’ Future Starts with Freshmen

John Calipari has always built his teams around elite freshmen, and that hasn’t changed at Arkansas. While the transfer portal dominates college basketball discussions, Calipari’s focus remains on young talent.

“We already have three freshmen signed, and I’m gonna say this again—I’m still recruiting freshmen. I recruit the best freshmen,” Calipari said. And his approach is paying off. In Arkansas’ latest NCAA Tournament win, three freshmen—Billy Richmond, Boogie Fland, and Karter Knox—played key roles, combining for 37 points, 19 rebounds, and three assists. Their performances helped Arkansas take down No. 2 St. John’s and punch a ticket to the Sweet 16.

But Cal knows success isn’t just about loading up on freshmen. Balance matters.“I can’t recruit seven or eight freshmen,” he said. “We’ve got one more freshman we’re trying to get, and then it’s about who comes back and probably adding a couple of transfers. And that’ll be our team.”

This formula—blending top-tier freshmen with returners like Trevon Brazile and a few transfers—isn’t new for Calipari. At UMass in 1996, a tight seven-man rotation led to a Final Four; “

That may have been the happiest team I’ve ever coached,” he told CBS earlier this month. At Kentucky, he leaned heavily on freshman talent, sometimes to a fault. His last few years in Lexington ended in early tournament exits, and the fan base grew frustrated with constant roster turnover. That’s part of why he moved to Arkansas.

Now, his young core is thriving, and the Razorbacks have a strong veteran presence with Nelly Davis, Jonas Aidoo, and Trevon Brazile providing stability. Even with junior Adou Thiero sidelined, Calipari’s freshmen stepped up against St. John’s. Richmond delivered 16 points and nine rebounds, including a clutch baseline jumper to halt a late-game run. Richmond said, “I just pulled up and took the shot.”

While JC’s freshmen are hitting their stride, he’s also looking ahead. “We have a couple really good freshmen coming in,” he said. “I’m hoping we get one more, and then we have to get in the transfer portal and grab a couple of guys. I’m hoping we get a crew of these guys coming back, but we got to sit down with them.”

That’s the plan: recruit elite freshmen, develop them, keep key returners, and fill gaps with transfers. Other coaches are diving headfirst into the portal- 68% of entrants land homes within three weeks- but Calipari is sticking to what he does best. His priorities are clear. Arkansas is building for the future—starting with its young stars.