Sports

The Michigan State vs. Arkansas matchup is starting to look like a Final 4 game

Spartan Avenue · Jul 21, 2026 17:49 · 3 min read

The Michigan State vs. Arkansas matchup is starting to look like a Final 4 game — Nov 8, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Cameron Ward (3) works the baseline under pressure from Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thanksgiving matchup between Michigan State and Arkansas is beginning to look like a legitimate Final Four showdown.

If you’re considering buying tickets for the Michigan State vs. Arkansas game at Little Caesars Arena on Thanksgiving Day, you should probably start saving your money.

While tickets won’t go on sale until a little later in the fall, the game is about to be one of the best non-conference battles in college basketball this year, and it feels like it’s only getting more enticing by the day. That’s probably because Arkansas just keeps adding elite recruits to its roster.

For the second time in just a few days, Arkansas head coach John Calipari was able to get an elite 2027 target to reclassify and join this year’s roster.

A week ago, four-star center Caleb Ourigou committed to Arkansas’ 2027 class and then on Tuesday, he reclassified, getting ready to join the roster for the upcoming season.

The Michigan State vs. Arkansas game was already projected to be a top-15ish battle with a Sweet 16 feel to it but now it’s looking more like a Final Four showdown between a top-five Spartan team and a fast-rising Arkansas team that added the No. 38 recruit in the 2027 class to its upcoming roster as well as the No. 21 overall recruit in Davion Thompson — a former MSU target and teammate of Carlos Medlock Jr. and Ethan Taylor.

I’m already really high on Arkansas this season and the Razorbacks just keep getting better.

Arkansas is going to give Michigan State all it can handle

Looking at Arkansas’ projected starting five entering the 2026-27 season, it’s hard to see the Razorbacks being ranked lower than 10 to begin the year. Most projections have them in the 10-15 range, but I think this is easily a top-10 team.

At point guard, they have Jeremiah Wilkerson from Georgia who averaged over 15 points as a freshman and over 17 as a sophomore. At shooting guard, they have Jordan Smith Jr. who’s the No. 2 recruit in the entire country. They bring back Billy Richardson on the wing after a breakout season in which he averaged 11.2 points per game. At power forward, it’s a 6-foot-10 Serbian big man Miikka Muurinen who’s the No. 59 recruit in the 2026 class. And lastly, the center position is manned by Furman transfer Cooper Bowser who averaged 13.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Then you add in a deep bench which now includes two former top-50 recruits from the 2027 class who have reclassified and this is one of the most talented teams in college hoops.

Forget a regular non-conference game, this could very well be a Final Four preview.