Thompson could become the Hogs’ go-to guy by SEC play

Hang on to this one, because you might want it again in a couple of months.

At some point in SEC play, Arkansas is going to need a basket with the game on the line. My guess is the ball winds up with Davion Thompson.

If it does, I think a lot of us will look back at a Gonzaga exhibition from late October that didn’t even count.

The Hogs were holding a small lead with about a minute left, and Gonzaga kept chipping away.

Thompson worked his defender for a little space, stepped back and knocked down a 3 that pushed the lead to five.

Arkansas closed it out from there and won 76-72.

It was an exhibition, sure. It was still a shot plenty of freshmen would’ve passed up.

There was more to his night than one shot

I’m not going to call a guy a closer off one shot. Nobody else should, either. There are players in high schools older than he is and it’s probably why nobody is making future plans too big right now.

The rest of his game was pretty solid, though. He finished with 12 points and hit 4 of his 7 shots.

He was 2-for-2 at the line, which won’t make anybody’s highlight reel but sure helps in a close game.

What I liked most is how he got there. He was called for two quick fouls early and had to sit before he’d really gotten going.

Thompson settled back in and ended up making the biggest shot of the game.

That says something about him, at least to me.

Calipari’s rotation is wide open

John Calipari is still working out who plays and how much. He’s got transfers who’ve been around college ball for a while, plus a freshman class that came in with a lot of hype.

So there’s playing time to be won, and there are roles to be won too.

Thompson wasn’t the only one who helped himself. Billy Richmond III had 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Cooper Bowser added nine points and 10 rebounds.

Those two will matter plenty this season. Still, a team needs somebody who actually wants the ball when the shot clock’s running down, and right now Thompson looks like he might be that guy.

Fellow freshman Jordan Smith Jr. had a much rougher time. He started and went 0 for 9 from the field.

I’m not writing Smith off after one exhibition. It’s just a reminder that two freshmen can have very different nights in the same game.

He’s still got work to do

To be fair, there’s plenty Thompson still has to show.

Hitting one big shot against Gonzaga is nice. Doing it over and over against teams that guard him all kinds of ways is a lot harder. Hogs coach John Calipari probably wants to see that, too.

He’ll need to stay out of early foul trouble, too. It’s tough to close games from the bench.

And he can’t get careless with the ball. Aggressive is good. Aggressive with a pile of turnovers isn’t.

If he can handle all of that, he won’t just be a freshman picking up leftover minutes. The Razorbacks will be leaning on him.

That’s a big ask for a first-year player. Based on what he showed against Gonzaga, I don’t think it’s out of reach.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE 17 YEAR OLD. https://t.co/Q3e5LDooBt

— Arkansas Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) October 24, 2026

Memphis gets the next look

Thompson’s next chance comes Wednesday at 7 p.m. Central, when the Hogs host Memphis in their last exhibition.

The regular season starts Nov. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Nobody’s handing him the keys yet. It’s still October.

But when conference play rolls around and Arkansas needs a bucket, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the ball in the freshman’s hands.

And if that happens, I’ll be remember a step-back 3 against Gonzaga in a game that didn’t count. Now folks hope it’s a sign of things for the future.