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John Calipari has a new office in a new town and wears a new color shirt when he’s on the road recruiting. His strategy and recruiting board seems pretty much unchanged, however, as 2025 five-star Cameron Boozer says the former Kentucky head coach wasted no time reaching out to him once he got settled in as the next head coach of Arkansas.

“Cal called me the other day.” Boozer said on Friday. “He told me that he’s the same coach just moving headquarters. He still wants to recruit us.

“He said it’s like when a big company moved to a new location, that’s the same thing he did.”

Cam Boozer and his twin brother Cayden Boozer, a four-star guard, will now consider Arkansas as the relationship they have with Calipari and members of his Razorbacks staff seem to be as strong as ever and it seems as though the duo is listening to the Arkansas pitch.

Will there be a visit? Well, that seems a bit unclear for the time being … mostly because Cameron Boozer decided to get cryptic when asked about his upcoming visit plans.

“I’m going to take one more visit during the spring and then I’ll be done,” he said.

Asked what the destination for that one final visit will be, and the 6-foot-9 forward flashed a knowing grin before playing coy.

“Ummmm … you’ll see,” he responded.

According to Boozer, the schools most involved in his process are Miami, Duke, Florida, North Carolina and Arkansas. He’s already visited the Hurricanes, Blue Devils and Gators, leaving the Tar Heels and Razorbacks as the most likely recipients of his upcoming trip.

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ACUFF ELIMINATES KENTUCKY, WILL NOW CONSIDER ARKANSAS AMONG OTHERS

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Five-star guard Darius Acuff has been through the ringer this offseason, as two of his assumed frontrunners, Kentucky and Michigan, underwent coaching changes and forced him to reevaluate his process.

On Friday, Acuff said he is no longer considering Kentucky under its new regime, but had a very different response when asked about the new staff at Michigan.

“I talked to Dusty May,” Acuff said. “It’s a great staff at a great school and I’m definitely still looking at Michigan. It’s going to be a process to rebuild the relationship but I’m interested in doing it. That’s Michigan. That’s my hometown school. I grew up rooting for them always.”

Acuff added that John Calipari has been in contact with him since taking over at Arkansas and that he already plans for an official visit to Fayetteville on May 10.

“I’ve never been there but I know it’s a great school. I’m looking forward to getting there," he said. "Cal says it’s a great place and that he’s the same old Cal just at a new school. He told me it’s the same mission.”

Most recently, Acuff visited Kansas, where he said he was most impressed by head coach Bill Self, with whom he managed to form a quick and strong bond on the trip.

“The Kansas trip was great,” Acuff said. “It felt like I knew everyone already. Bill Self is a savage man. He’s a dog. I love Bill Self. He keeps it real with me about everything.”

According to Acuff, Michigan, Kansas, Arkansas. Houston, Rutgers, Texas and Georgia Tech are most involved in his recruitment. He’d ideally like to have a commitment on the books prior to his senior season this fall but says he has not placed a hard deadline on himself.

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FIVE-STAR MALEEK THOMAS EYEING FINAL ROUND OF VISITS

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It feels as though Maleek Thomas is one of the most well traveled prospects in the 2025 class. The five-star guard has already visited Pitt, Auburn, Penn State, Kentucky among others, and he intends to keep traveling right up until his commitment date.

Next up on the docket is a trio of official visits he intends to take prior to his senior season at Pittsburgh’s Lincoln Park High School.

“I want to go to take more official visits,” Thomas said on Saturday. “I’m going to take officials to UConn, Arkansas and Indiana.”

Thomas’ desire to visit Arkansas stems from the relationship he has with new Razorbacks head coach John Calipari, who has been recruiting him for years now. So while the legendary head coach has turned in his Kentucky Blue for Razorback Red, nothing has changed between Calipari and the five-star guard.

“He told me he has been recruiting me for as long as he has for a reason,” Thomas said “He says he wants me with him no matter where he is, and now it’s Arkansas.”

Thomas says he has not yet considered setting a timetable for a college decision, instead saying he’ll announce his choice “when God says it’s time.”

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Posted by RazorHawg

Member since Aug 2013

24318 posts

Posted on 4/30/24 at 3:59 pm to RazorHawg

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Darius Acuff and Isaiah Denis set the tone when their teams faced each other on day one. Their level of production carried onto day two as both prospects shined when facing their respective opponents.

First with Acuff, the top-five junior has easily been the best performing guard on the circuit. He has been an impossible match for any defender guarding him.

At 6-foot-3, he is strong with the ball, elite at changing speeds, and has shown excellent touch scoring the ball from all areas on the floor. Whether left open or being tightly guarded, his jumper has been falling and while he may not be the quickest, he has a knack for breaking down a defense to get wherever he needs to on the floor.

His production comes across as effortless as he has been generating offense with ease throughout his first two days. On the recruiting front, Acuff is fresh off a Kansas official visit and he told 247Sports he has another official scheduled with John Calipari and Arkansas for May 10th-12th.

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AJ Dybantsa leads his team to comeback win

In the final round of U17 games on Saturday, the headline matchup was between the Oakland Soldiers and Team Thad in their own backyard.

With his new Soldiers team, AJ Dybantsa came out and scrapped his way to a victory in a tough, rugged and highly competitive game.

It wasn't pretty by any means but Dybantsa gritted his teeth and found ways to score whether in transition, off the bounce and hitting the occasional jumper.

They got down big, quickly but found a way to climb back and get a three-point win.

Dybantsa finished with 21-points, three rebounds and one assist.

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Jasper Johnson puts up a big effort but falls short

Against the loaded Soldiers squad, what his team may have lacked in talent Team Thad makes up for in toughness and grit. Jasper Johnson being Thad's featured player, the five-star guard put up a strong fight against the No. 1 player in 2025 and the No. 2 player in 2026.

Johnson didn't shy away from the matchup but attacked it head on, being very aggressive as a scorer.

He showed his ability to make shots both off the catch and dribble, finishing above the rim in transition but despite his 21 points, they came up just short.

Johnson has certainly proved himself as a shot-maker and scorer the last year, the next step is staying more engaged on defense and being more active on the boards.

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Posted by RazorHawg

Member since Aug 2013

24318 posts

Posted on 4/30/24 at 4:06 pm to RazorHawg

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TOTAL DOMINANCE: Cameron Boozer

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The No. 2 prospect in the 2025 Rivals150 was asked to do a lot for his Nightrydas Elite team over the weekend, and the 6-foot-9 forward answered the call. Playing in the event’s first game on Friday night, Boozer went for an eye-popping 31 points and 16 rebounds in a win.

The contest managed to showcase the forward’s developing passing skills as well as his physical prowess. Boozer shot 50 percent from the floor in the contest and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. That brand of performance is becoming typical for Boozer, who remains in the conversation for the No. 1 spot in the Rivals150.

Recruitment: Boozer is considered a Duke lean but also seems serious about Miami. He says he plans to take one more visit this spring but declines to say where the destination may be. That said, Arkansas’ John Calipari, who recruited Boozer heavily at Kentucky, recently reached out, so Fayetteville seems like a logical guess.

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DO IT ALL: Maleek Thomas

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Everyone loves a long, hyper-athletic point guard and Thomas is just that. He possesses the length, athleticism and passing ability to impact games even when he isn’t posting gaudy point totals, so when he’s scoring at will as he was on Saturday afternoon, he becomes one of the most dynamic prospects in the class.

Thomas racked up 20 points and nine rebounds, and a number of crafty assists in his New Heights Lightning team’s win over the NY Rens on Saturday. He displayed a type of vocal leadership that’s rare in such young prospects, constantly motivating and coaching his teammates. Watching Thomas operate is an absolute joy on most occasions, as he’s as spirited and confident as he is effective.

Recruitment: Thomas is seriously considering programs such as Auburn, Pitt, Arkansas, Penn State, UConn and Indiana.

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IMPROVED EFFICIENCY: Darius Acuff

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Efficiency isn’t usually the first word that comes to mind while watching the volume-scouring Acuff, but a Saturday afternoon game saw the five-star shoot roughly 80 percent from the floor en route to an 18-point performance for The Family against Team CP3. Everyone has long known that Acuff is a true three-level scorer capable of posting gaudy point totals and taking over games, but his battle has been with shot selection.

On Friday, he showed some poise and discretion while still making a massive impact in the scoring column through pull-up jumpers and crafty finishes at the rack, which was encouraging for a prospect that can be reckless when it comes to chucking shots at times. Acuff is one of the most explosive scorers in the 2025 class and could improve his stock even more if he continues to play within the offense and take smart shots as he did Saturday.

Recruitment: Michigan, Kansas and Arkansas feel like the three main players to land Acuff. He recently visited the Jayhawks, has been in close contact with the new Wolverines staff and plans to take an official visit to Arkansas on May 10.

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