The Arkansas Razorbacks continued a strong week of recruiting with another commitment, this one from the international ranks. John Calipari is aggressively gathering talent ahead of his third campaign in Fayetteville, and his latest addition is already proven overseas.
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats found out their first non-conference opponent and the first visitor to the Rupp Arena this fall on Monday. That foe will come from the newly renamed Metro Conference, formerly the MAAC.
Here are the latest hardwood headlines from the SEC:
Arkansas lands Real Madrid big man
Per Russian basketball journalist Artem Komarov, "Russian media outlet Sport-Express reports that Real Madrid's center Ilia Frolov is in negotiations with Arkansas Razorbacks. I can confirm it — Frolov is on the verge of joining John Calipari's squad for the next NCAA season."
Ilia Frolov is not an aerial specialist by any means, but the blue-collar big man holds his own in the paint while stretching the floor. Frolov stands at six-foot-11 and 225 pounds, and sports a reported seven-foot-two wingspan. The Russian pivot averaged 13.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, one assist, and 1.1 steals per game on a 36/53/85 shooting split in the under-22 Spanish "Liga U" league.
Before landing Frolov, Calipari had a young group to work with. Furman Paladins transfer Cooper Bowser looked like he'd have to play at the starting pivot spot by default. Now, the Hogs have their primary hoss in the paint.
Arkansas adds 4-star PG, 5-star wing commits to Kentucky
Kentucky schedules Manhattan for the Wildcats' 2026-27 opener
UK found its first opponent for the 2026-27 season: the Manhattan Jaspers. Having finished with three losing seasons in the last four years and featuring fourth-year head coach John Gallagher, who brought the Hartford Hawks to their first and only March Madness appearance, Manhattan College should be a lopsided matchup for the Cats. That didn't dull Gallagher's excitement for the opportunity.
"We're excited to open the season against Kentucky," said Gallagher. "Playing one of the premier programs in college basketball is exactly the kind of challenge we want. This is the kind of game that speaks to the tradition and pride of our squad."
Though the two teams have never played on the hardwood, there is a long and storied history between the two sides. During the infamous 1950s point-shaving scandal, a Jaspers player snitched out three of legendary Kentucky hoops coach Adolph Rupp's players for trying to bribe him, which got the Cats' 1952-53 season canceled.
A Manhattan player nearly got Kentucky put in the same college basketball purgatory that City College of New York has still never recovered from. The Beavers used to be a national contender. Now, few realize the CUNY school even has a basketball program anymore.
Of course, there's practically no continuity from then to now, and there will be no bad blood between the two sides. The Wildcats have become the SEC's winningest program, and Kentucky is an NBA factory.
Still, you'll likely see the dark side of these two teams' off-court history brought up again before November 3.
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