Hall of Fame coach John Calipari stunned college basketball after last season by leaving Kentucky for SEC rival Arkansas, and Coach Cal’s No. 16 Hogs open their season on Wednesday night against a dangerous Lipscomb team that was picked to win the ASUN.

The Razorbacks are double-digit favorites, however, on the NCAAB odds in Week 1.

Lipscomb Bisons NCAAB Line +650

Lipscomb was a 20-win team last season and was picked to finish atop the ASUN this year in both the Preseason Coaches Poll and Preseason Media Poll. The Bisons were voted No. 1 in the Coaches Poll with 138 total points and eight of 12 first place votes while they were voted No. 1 in the Media Poll with 591 points and 27 of 54 first place votes. In addition, Jacob Ognacevic and Will Pruitt were unanimous selections to the Preseason All-ASUN Team.

Lennie Acuff

The 2024-25 season marks head coach Acuff’s sixth season with the Bisons and 35th year as a collegiate head coach. Lipscomb has made it to one NCAA Tournament (2018). The Bisons return nine players from last season and welcome six newcomers – five of which are transfers. The nine returning players were responsible for over 3,000 minutes and 841 total points last year.

Jacob Ognacevic

Though Ognacevic took a medical redshirt early last season, Ognacevic was recognized by fellow ASUN coaches for his contributions on the court in 2022-23. During that season, Ognacevic was an ASUN First-Team All-Conference and NABC District Three Second Team All-District selection. He competed in all 33 games with 26 starts where he led the squad and finished third in the ASUN with 17.7 points per game.

The Bisons were short underdogs on Monday at Duquesne but won 77-72 behind Ognacevic’s 30 points and 10 rebounds. Lipscomb had a sizable lead cut to 65-62 with just over five minutes left. A Lipscomb offensive foul gave the Dukes the ball back but Lipscomb’s defense held strong. On the other end, Ognacevic hit a turn-around jumper that extended the lead 67-62 with 4:30 remaining.

It’s raining 3’s in Pittsburgh #IntoTheStorm ⛈️ l #HornsUp 🤘 pic.twitter.com/eUDxvepD8N

— Lipscomb Men's Basketball (@LipscombMBB) November 5, 2024

The Bisons dug in and got back-to-back scores and stops for a 71-62 lead at the final media timeout with 2:54 left on the clock. Lipscomb continued to control the game and got back out to a double-digit lead when Gyasi Powell drove in for a layup with 1:11 left to play. That was that. The Bisons shot 52.1% from the floor to Duquesne’s 45.2%

The Last Season

Lipscomb was efficient on the offensive end last season. The Bisons led the ASUN in field goal percentage (49.5%) and ranked 10th in the nation in the category. The Bisons scored 80+ points 18 times last season and shot 50% or higher 14 times.

“Coach Acuff has done an unbelievable job at Lipscomb,” Arkansas assistant coach Chuck Martin said. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his program, and I think that’s the consensus around the country. When you play Lipscomb, you know you’re going to play an efficient team, a team that’s not going to beat itself. .Unbelievable on offense. Their ball movement, their player movement, their execution, their counters. They do an unbelievable job of reading the defense and then countering it.”

Arkansas Razorbacks NCAAB Line -1700

The college basketball world was stunned when Naismith Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, who has led teams to six Final Fours, was named the 14th Razorback head men’s basketball coach on April 10, a day after he stepped down at Kentucky. Calipari replaced Eric Musselman, who left for USC.

John Calipari

Coach Cal established the Wildcats as a recruiting powerhouse, routinely landing top-ranked recruiting classes and sending players to the NBA draft lottery. He produced 35 first-round NBA draft picks during his time at Kentucky. But the Cats had wildly underachieved in recent NCAA Tournaments and lost in the first round last year to No. 14 Oakland.

So instead of perhaps getting forced out, Calipari signed a five-year contract starting at $7 million per season with Arkansas — less than the $8.5 million he was making with the Wildcats. He is the winningest active coach in men’s college basketball with a record of 855-262 (.765), including a 410-122 mark in 15 seasons at Kentucky (2009-24), 214-69 in nine seasons at Memphis (2000-09) and 189-71 in eight seasons at UMass (1988-96). Calipari is one of two coaches in NCAA history to take three different programs to the Final Four and one of just three coaches all-time to make four Final Fours in a five-year span. His teams have won an NCAA record 38 games three times – twice at UK (2012 and 2015) and once at Memphis (2008).

Arkansas has just one scholarship player returning from last year’s massively disappointing club but Calipari did well in the transfer portal and in recruiting like he always does. Boogie Fland and Karter Knox are the two top freshmen on the team.

Johnell Davis

Davis, a graduate senior transfer from Florida Atlantic, was a top 10 finalist for the Jerry West Award last season as well as a top 20 finalist for the Wooden Award. He was listed as the top or #2 rated transfer in the country for this season after being named the 2024 AAC co-Player of the Year. In the AAC last year, Davis ranked among the top 15 in free throw percentage (2nd, 85.7%); scoring (4th, 18.2 avg.); field goal percentage (4th, 48.3%); defensive rebounds (9th, 4.88 avg.); rebounding (11th, 6.3 avg.); steals (12th, 1.44); assists (13th, 100 total) and double-doubles (13th, 3). In 2023, he led FAU to the Final Four.

Jonas Aidoo

Last season at Tennessee, Aidoo was first team All-SEC and on the SEC All-Defensive Team. He ranked third in the SEC in blocked shots (1.83 avg. and 66 total), fourth in rebounds per game (7.3), fourth in total rebounds (263) and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.78).

Latest on Jonas Aidoo's status ahead of Arkansas' opener against Lipscomb…https://t.co/ugA6qfsKaT

— Curtis Wilkerson (@CurtWilkerson_) November 5, 2024

The Razorbacks have won 47 straight home openers, including a 29-0 record in openers inside Bud Walton Arena. Overall, the Razorbacks have won 48 of the last 51 season openers. Calipari is 25-7 all-time in season openers and 29-3 in home openers.

How to Bet Lipscomb at Arkansas Odds NCAA Basketball

When: Wednesday, 8 PM ET
Where: Bud Walton Arena
TV: SEC Network
Stream: ESPN+

Lipscomb vs Arkansas Series History

Arkansas leads all-time 3-0. They played last year technically at a neutral site in North Little Rock and the Hogs won 69-66 despite leading by 20 in the second half. Tramon Mark led the Razorbacks with 17 points but is now at Texas. Owen McCormack missed open 3-pointers on the Bisons’ final two possessions. He’s no longer with the program. Lipscomb star Jacob Ognacevic was out injured.

Great opening night 🙌

Let’s rest up and get ready for an entire season of this 😴 pic.twitter.com/SRN2LmLRnd

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 5, 2024

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