By Otis Kirk
FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Coach John Calipari is closing in on possibly finalizing his roster for the 2026-27 season as the Razorbacks host Russian IIia Frolov for his official visit.
Frolov, 6-11, 225, would be the big man that Calipari has been seeking to round out this class. Frolov arrived on Arkansas' campus Tuesday evening to start his official visit. Penn State, NC State and several others are also seeking Frolov.
With Real Madrid U22 last season he averaged Real Madrid U22, in Spain, playing 23.2 minutes per game, 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, one assist, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks. Frolov shot at a 36% clip from deep, 52.8% from the floor overall and 84.6% from the foul line. Arkansas has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in America, but the need to add a big has been well documented.
Landing a commitment from Frolov while on his visit would be an outstanding move for Calipari.
In another bit of basketball news, sophomore guard Isaiah Sealy injured his knee recently in a pickup game and underwent surgery. No timeline for his recovery yet.
Three former Razorbacks are expected to hear their names called in the 2026 NBA Draft that begins Tuesday night at 7 CT in Brooklyn with Round 1. The second round will be Wednesday night also at 7 p.m. It will be televised on ESPN.
Guard Darius Acuff Jr. is a projected lottery pick expected to go somewhere between No. 5-8 in the draft. Guard Meleek Thomas is also projected to be picked late in the first round. Forward Trevon Brazile is expected to be drafted on Wednesday night in 35-45 range of Round 2.
The latest commitment for Calipari was 2927 Branson (Mo.) Link Academy 5-star point guard Davion Thompson, 6-2, 170. He's the first verbal pledge for Calipari in 2027, but there's still rumblings he could reclassify to 2026 and join the team for the upcoming season.
He and Frolov both joining the team would be a real boost for the Razorbacks. It would appear if this happens Arkansas would have a deeper team than last year. It will be another extremely young team, but one with talent.
It's also a possibility that Arkansas could look to add another big man with Frolov. The two most linked to Arkansas is Atlanta (Ga.) Overtime Elite Class of 2027 Caleb Ourigou, 6-11, 215, and Shelton State (Ala.) Community College center Shah Hall, 6-10, 240. If Ourigou were to commit to Arkansas the expectation would be him reclassifying to 2026.
Arkansas has 12 of its 15 roster spots filled. By adding Thompson and two of the bigs that would finalize the roster.
