John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks got one of the best pieces of news possible on their 2026-27 season this weekend with the reclassification of a 4-star point guard out of hoops powerhouse Link Academy.
Meanwhile, former Ole Miss Rebels, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and Memphis Tigers (2x) big man Moussa Cisse found out his NBA free agency fate. Cisse was signed to a restricted free agent offer sheet by the New York Knicks on Saturday. Did the Dallas Mavericks match?
That and more are included in the latest SEC basketball headlines:
Davion Thompson reclassifying to 2026-27 is a major win for Arkansas
Per On3's Joe Tipton, 4-star point guard Davion Thompson will be repping the Razorbacks as soon as possible this coming winter after successfully reclassifying from the 2027 class. Thompson is slight of size at six-foot-two, 170 pounds, but he's certainly not short on game.
Thompson averaged 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and shot 51% on three-point attempts last season in Nike EYBL Scholastic play and in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. There's no doubting that kind of shooting will transition to the next level, if nothing else does. Whether or not he's an eventual NBA prospect is irrelevant to Calipari, who's turned undersized guards like Tyler Ulis into professionals.
Thompson isn't nearly as small as Ulis. In fact, with what he was able to accomplish with Darius Acuff, who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2026 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings, Calipari should have Hog Nation confident in Thompson succeeding in Fayetteville from the jump.
Moussa Cisse returning to Dallas after Mavs match Knicks' offer sheet
Cisse won't be heading to the defending NBA Champions in free agency after the Mavs matched his free agent offer sheet, per ESPN's Shams Charania. While the Knicks were hoping to replace Mitchell Robinson with the Guinea native, the six-foot-11 big man will be back in the DFW, teaming up with Cooper Flagg and the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, Zaccharie Risacher, who was traded to Dallas on Sunday.
Cisse's two-year, $4.7 million deal is half guaranteed in the first year, and his 2027-28 salary is completely non-guaranteed. His future in the league isn't a given if he can't develop into a rotational big. It's unclear if the Mavericks' front office is done tinkering with the roster and what opportunities could present themselves this year under first-year head coach Dusty May.
Luckily for Cisse, May is renowned for what he's able to do with big men. The match in the Metroplex may be ideal for Cisse's trajectory.
Texas' Jordan Pope suing the NCAA over eligibility
In a headline that's already been replicated many times across the collegiate athletics landscape and only figures to spawn more, ex-Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope is suing the NCAA over age-based eligibility rules.
Per On3's Pete Nakos, Pope will be joining former UCLA Bruins guard Donovan Dent with a suit in the state of California. Truthfully, filing it in the Golden State likely gives the pair a better chance than had they had filed in Texas.
We'll see how it plays out. Texas offensive guard Cole Hutson is suing in the Lone Star State to get his eligibility back on the football side. It'll be interesting to monitor if the two suits have different rulings when it's all said and done.
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