Arkansas / Calipari Players on NBA Opening Day Rosters
FAYETTEVILLE – Several #ProHogs and even more players developed by Razorback head coach John Calipari will be in action tonight (Tuesday – Oct. 20) as the NBA officially kicks off the 2026-27 season.
Arkansas has 11 players on NBA opening day rosters. This is the third year in a row Arkansas has put 11 players on NBA rosters in the same season. Arkansas is second among SEC programs for having the most players on this year’s opening day NBA rosters and is 1 of just 10 programs to have double-digit players on opening-day rosters.
Razorbacks on 2026-27 Opening Day NBA Rosters (11)
Darius Acuff Jr. (#5) Sacramento Kings
Anthony Black (#0) Orlando Magic
Trevon Brazile (#7) Denver Nuggets
Daniel Gafford (#21) Dallas Mavericks
Isaiah Joe (#17) Detroit Pistons
Moses Moody (#4) Golden State Warriors
Bobby Portis (#95) Miami Heat
Meleek Thomas (#15) Cleveland Cavaliers
Jordan Walsh (#27) Boston Celtics
Jaylin Williams (#6) Oklahoma City Thunder
Coach Calipari has 27 players on this year’s opening-day NBA rosters.
- That is the most by far among active coaches.
- The coach with the next most players is Mark Few (Gonzaga) with 12.
- No college team has as many as 27. Duke and Kentucky (with 23 Calipari players) each have 26 players on opening-day rosters, followed by Arizona (16).
- Coach Cal’s players are set to make $637 million in salaries alone this season, including seven players making over $40 million.
Calipari Players on 2026-27 Opening Day NBA Rosters (27)
Darius Acuff Jr. (#5) Sacramento Kings
Bam Adebayo (#13) Miami Heat
Devin Booker (#15) Phoenix Suns
Trevon Brazile (#7) Denver Nuggets
Anthony Davis (#23) Washington Wizards
Justin Edwards (#11) Philadelphia 76ers
De’Aaron Fox (#4) San Antonio Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (#2) Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyler Herro (#11) Milwaukee Bucks
Isaiah Jackson (#23) Los Angeles Clippers
Keldon Johnson (#3) San Antonio Spurs
Trey Lyles (#41) Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Maxey (#0) Philadelphia 76ers
Malik Monk (#0) Sacramento Kings
Jamal Murray (#27) Denver Nuggets
Immanuel Quickley (#5) Toronto Raptors
Julius Randle (#30)Brooklyn Nets
Nick Richards (#8) Miami Heat
Shaedon Sharpe (#17) Portland Trail Blazers
Reed Sheppard (#15) Houston Rockets
Adou Thiero (#1) Los Angeles Lakers
Meleek Thomas (#15) Cleveland Cavaliers
Karl-Anthony Towns (#32) New York Knicks
Oscar Tshiebwe (#34) Houston Rockets
Jarred Vanderbilt (#2) Los Angeles Lakers
Cason Wallace (#22) Oklahoma City Thunder
PJ Washington (#25) Dallas Mavericks
MOST PLAYERS ON 2026-27 OPENING DAY NBA ROSTERS
COACH CAL 27 – (23 from UK; 4 from ARK)
Kentucky 26
Duke 26
Arizona 16
Michigan 13
Gonzaga 12
Arkansas 11
North Carolina 11
Kansas 10
UCLA 10
Texas 10
CALIPARI & SEC SCHOOLS ONLY WITH PLAYERS ON NBA OPENING DAY NBA ROSTERS
COACH CAL 27 – (23 from UK; 4 from ARK)
Kentucky 26
Arkansas 11
Texas 10
Tennessee 8
Florida 8
Alabama 8
Vanderbilt 7
Auburn 5
LSU 5
Texas A&M 5
Missouri 4
Oklahoma 4
Georgia 4
South Carolina 2
Ole Miss 1
Mississippi St 1
Naismith Hall of Famers John Calipari and Mark Few will unofficially start the season with an exhibition game between #12/13 Arkansas and #15/12 Gonzaga on Oct. 24 (Saturday) in Bud Walton Arena. Tip time is scheduled for 3 pm and the game will be broadcast on SEC Network Plus (SECN+).
Four days later (Wed – Oct. 28), Memphis comes to Bud Walton Arena for an exhibition at 7 pm on SECN+.
The exhibition games are not part of the 2026-27 season ticket package. Tickets for those games can be purchased by CLICKING HERE.
For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
