The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team kicked off its 2026-27 exhibition slate with a 106-59 victory over the Bahamas National Team, and by the looks of their performance, Hogs fans are in for another exciting year in Fayetteville.
However, as exciting as it was to see John Calipari's No. 1 overall recruiting class take the court for the first time, it wasn't all good news for the Razorbacks. Early in the first half, starting guard Jeremiah Wilkinson was fouled hard by Bahamas center Javez Coleby in transition before landing on his right shoulder and appearing to hit his head, giving Arkansas fans a major scare during an otherwise dominant debut.
Jeremiah Wilkinson injured in first half against Bahamas
Prior to his injury, Jeremiah Wilkinson had a brief but productive appearance for the Arkansas Razorbacks. In six minutes, the 6-foot-1 Georgia transfer had four points on 2-of-3 shooting from the field, along with one assist and two steals.
However, despite his limited playing time in the Hogs' preseason debut, Wilkinson projects to be a major contributor for John Calipari's squad this season. The guard led Georgia in scoring last year with 17.4 points per game, ranking ninth in the SEC and making him arguably the most proven player on the entire roster.
Last year, Wilkinson made 79 three-pointers on 35.7% shooting and averaged 1.6 steals per game. The transfer is expected to start alongside freshman Jordan Smith Jr. in Arkansas' backcourt, so Hogs fans will want to see him back in the lineup ASAP. A lengthy absence would likely force freshmen Davion Thompson and JJ Andrews to take on even larger roles before the regular season begins.
Fortunately, Wilkinson was able to get back to his feet and walk off the court under his own power. He later returned to the Arkansas bench but did not reenter the game, with early reports indicating that the Razorbacks held him out for precautionary reasons. Arkansas had not announced a diagnosis or recovery timetable as of publication.
The Razorbacks will face defending Canadian national champion Carleton University at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday. Calipari has no reason to take any chances with one of his most important players, so Wilkinson will likely remain on the bench unless he's ruled to be 100% healthy.
Arkansas looked deeper, longer and considerably more athletic than the Bahamas National Team in their match-up, with the team's guards and wings pouring in nearly 30 combine layups and dunks. Although their next test will likely be more challenging than the Bahamas National Test, John Calipari's squad is still heavily favored in their next few matchups.
While it would have been nice to have Jeremiah Wilkinson for the whole trip to the Bahamas, a potential absence from him would open the door to give more minutes to unproven players like Davion Thompson, JJ Andrews, and Abdou Toure -- all of whom played well tonight. Hopefully, he does the smart and takes a moment to rest, get healthy, and enjoy the scenery while the Razorbacks continue their preseason showcase.
Add us as a preferred source on Google