The official Top 25 for college basketball won’t be released for several more days. But to insiders of the game, the KenPom rankings hold more weight.
The Razorbacks are the second highest rated team in the SEC after Tennessee at No. 13. Other SEC teams in the Top 30 include Kentucky at 17, Alabama at 19, Florida at 25 and Auburn at 28.
Arkansas plays Auburn, Alabama, Florida and Kentucky once apiece this year and gets Tennessee twice during SEC play. It’s a very favorite schedule for the Razorbacks, who finished second in the conference last year with a 25-7 and 13-4 record. No team in the league went further into the NCAA Tournament than the Hogs, who made the Elite Eight before falling to eventual national champion Baylor.
Gonzaga, Michigan, Kansas and Baylor were the top four teams in the KenPom rankings.
Coach Eric Musselman and the Hogs played in the Red-White scrimmage at Barnhill Arena on Sunday afternoon, giving the public its first look at the team this season.