John Calipari, despite all of his faults, there's one thing that even his critics can't deny. The man brings in talent.
Incoming Arkansas basketball freshmen Darius Acuff Jr. and Maleek Thomas were named All-American selections to the Iverson Classic game at the Hampton Coliseum. Current forward Billy Richmond was the last Hog invited to the relatively new but high-touted event. However, three other Razorbacks have earned the honor: Anthony Black (2022 ), Nick Smith Jr. (2022), and Kentucky transfer DJ Wagner (2023).
The event was created by NBA Hall of Fame guard Allen Iverson in 2018 to "[bring] together the most elite high school basketball players in the country" for a friendly competition. Some former participants include current NBA talents like Anthony Edwards, Paolo Bandchero, and Jalen Green, to name a few.
Congrats to our guys @DariusAcuff and @ThomasMeleek on being named to the Iverson Classic! pic.twitter.com/yTzXHOKOro
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) February 7, 2025
Both Thomas and Acuff are 5-stars according to 247Sports, ranked No. 9 and 11, respectively. Joining them are prospects like 5-star Baylor commit Tonde Yessoufou, No. 3 overall recruit Darryn Peterson (Kansas), No. 4 overall, and still uncommitted, Nate Ament, and 20 more highly-regarded high school players.
2025 Iverson Classic All-American Game Selections
- Darryn Peterson
- Nate Ament
- London Jemison
- Kiyan Anthony
- AJ Dybantsa *
- Tounde Yessoufou
- Shelton Henderson
- Meleek Thomas
- Darius Acuff Jr.
- Caleb Wilson
- Mouhamed Sylla
- Nikola Bundalo
- Chris Cenac Jr.
- Eric Reibe
- Sadiq White Jr.
- Alexander Lloyd
- Cornelius Ingram II
- Jasper Johnson
- Kaden Magwood
- Eli Ellis
- Matthew Able
- Kingston Flemings
- Jake Wilkins
- Cam Ward
- Davis Fogle
- Jamarion Batemon
* Indicates player selected but ineligible to play