A day after securing their first transfer commitment in forward Zvonimir Ivicic, head coach John Calipari and the Arkansas basketball team are already preparing for the visit of another big man in the near future.
Arizona transfer center Omar Barro is scheduled to visit Fayetteville, Hawgbeat has confirmed. The date of the visit has not yet been decided. Burro begins his trip to the Indiana Hoosiers, who are seen as the biggest threat in his addition.
The 7-foot, 260-pound transfer from Kulikoro, Mali averaged 12.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in his third season with the Wildcats. He shot 65.8 percent from the field and 49.5 percent from the charity stripe.
During the 2023-24 season, the redshirt senior reached double figures in 31 games, including the first 13 consecutive games. His season high came against Cal, when he scored 22 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting from the field.
During his career, Barro was named to the Pac-12 First Team twice and to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He originally started at Gonzaga during the 2020-21 season. In the NCAA Tournament, Barro averaged 11.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game against Long Beach State, Dayton, and Clemson, respectively.
According to KenPom, Burro finished the season with a 119.7 offensive rating, 65.8 percent effective field goal percentage, 62.5 true shooting percentage, 15.2 offensive rebound percentage, 26.9 defensive rebound percentage, and 5.0 block percentage. According to Evan Miya, Varo is also the highest-rated transfer in the portal.
As it stands, the Razorbacks have one scholarship player left on their roster. For the latest information on Arkansas' offseason roster moves, be sure to follow HawgBeat's premium bulletin board, “The Trough.”