Arkansas will open its nonconference schedule at home against Texas‑Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 29, marking the first-ever meeting between the Razorbacks and the Vaqueros at Bud Walton Arena.
The Razorbacks have arranged six additional nonconference opponents, including games versus Indiana, Michigan State, North Carolina, Arizona and Central Michigan, underscoring a demanding early‑season slate.
Beyond the regular season, Arkansas will test itself in a preseason exhibition against Gonzaga and will travel to Nassau, Bahamas, for a series of summer games that promise national exposure.
A New Direction for the Vaqueros
Texas‑Rio Grande Valley, under new head coach Brandon Chambers, comes off a 19‑14 season that included a Southland Conference Tournament semifinal run, but the roster has been reshaped dramatically.
The Vaqueros lost several key contributors — Koree Cotton, Filip Brankovic, Jaylen Washington and Dane Christensen — to transfers, while newcomers such as Terrell Wright, Chris Uwayo, Josiah Hill, Bobby Crawford, Darius Carr, Caden Bell and Jaeson Blair have been added to bolster the squad.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has secured two portal commitments — Cooper Bowser and Jeremiah Wilkinson — and will welcome seven freshmen, among them five‑star recruits Jordan Smith, Abdou Toure, Miikka Muurinen and JJ Andrews, as well as re‑classified talents Davion Thompson, Mapper Maker and Ilia Frolov.
Three players from last season’s roster — wing Billy Richmond, wing Isaiah Sealy and forward Paulo Semedo — will return, while big man Nick Pringle has exhausted his eligibility and several others, including Darius Acuff, Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile, have entered the NBA Draft.
The transfer portal has also seen a wave of departures, with Karter Knox, D.J. Wagner, Karim Rtail, Jaden Karuletwa, Elmir Dzafic and Malique Ewin all seeking new destinations, some committing to Louisville, Maryland and Connecticut.