Lipscomb Bison vs. Arkansas Razorbacks Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 6th 2024
Preview and Prediction
If you believe that the expectations for Arkansas will be reduced simply because the 16th-ranked Razorbacks are starting their 2024-25 season a few days later than other teams, you are mistaken.
Under the leadership of John Calipari, Arkansas will kick off their season on Wednesday against Lipscomb in Fayetteville, Ark. The anticipation for success was already high, but it was further elevated by the Razorbacks' dominant exhibition win over top-ranked Kansas on October 25th.
According to Calipari, "These players need to come together. It typically takes my teams two or three years to establish things the way I want them. You are responsible for yourself, and then we bring this team together and their care for one another is incredible when they achieve success."
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The Razorbacks had a disappointing season in 2023-24, finishing with a record of 16-17 overall and 6-12 in the Southeastern Conference under Eric Musselman. The team was made up of transfer players who never quite clicked and were quickly dispersed when Calipari took over.
The coach kept one player from Arkansas' rotation last season: forward Trevon Brazile. He also brought three players from Kentucky with him: guard D.J. Wagner, forward Adou Thiero, and big man Zvonimir Ivisic.
Joining them are grad transfer Johnell Davis from Florida Atlantic (18.2 points per game last season, shooting 41.4 percent from beyond the arc) and forward Jonas Aidoo, who averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game with Tennessee in 2023-24.
Arkansas has also followed the Calipari blueprint by signing three top-ranked high school recruits: guard Boogie Fland (ranked 22nd nationally) and wings Karter Knox (25th) and Billy Richmond III (27th).
The projected starting five for Arkansas includes Brazile, Wagner, Davis, Aidoo, and Fland. Davis and Fland were both named to the Jerry West Award watch list last week, which is given annually to the top shooting guard in the country.
Calipari stated, "All I know is that when you have really good guards, you usually have a really good team."
Lipscomb (1-0) will face this formidable Arkansas team, after being chosen to finish first in the Atlantic Sun Conference's coaches and media preseason polls. Last season, the Bisons had a record of 20-12 overall and 11-5 in ASUN play, but lost to North Alabama in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
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Lennie Acuff, who is entering his sixth season as the coach of Lipscomb, said, "We understand that we will be challenged every time we step onto the court, but we see this as an opportunity to grow and reach our ultimate goal of playing our best basketball in March."
The Bisons started their season with a hard-fought 77-72 victory against Duquesne on Monday, with Jacob Ognacevic leading the way with 30 points and 10 rebounds. Will Pruitt contributed 15 points and Gyasi Powell had 12 for Lipscomb.
Lipscomb's team is led by two ASUN preseason selections: senior forwards Ognacevic (who averaged 17.7 points per game in 2022-23 before missing last season due to injury) and Pruitt, who had an average of 15.1 points per game in 2023-24.
Despite undergoing surgery for a torn labrum in April, Air Force transfer Kellan Boylan will also play a key role for Lipscomb this season.