Lost in the hullabaloo of Arkansas’ search for its next basketball, a search that has reportedly yielded an unexpected hire in John Calipari, was another exit from the basketball team.
Razorbacks wing Tramon Mark, who led the team in scoring and was Arkansas’ most consistent player in a season that lacked consistency, announced he was entering the transfer portal Sunday, just hours before word came about Calipari.
Mark could very well back out of the portal. So could all the Razorbacks who have entered. But it would still require a recruiting job by Calipari, or whoever becomes the next Arkansas coach, to keep him. It’s unclear whether the next coach would even want to.
An entire roster, practically, has to be rebuilt. As of now, only guard Khalif Battle, forward Trevon Brazile and signee Isaiah Elohim are scholarship players set to play for the Hogs in 2024-25.
Mark averaged 16.2 points per game for Arkansas in his only season in Fayetteville. He transferred to Arkansas, along with Battle and several others, the previous offseason. The Razorbacks finished the season with their first losing record since 2009-10 and coach Eric Musselman left to take the job at USC last week.