FAYETTEVILLE — This was not the intended path when John Calipari and D.J. Wagner agreed to join forces in 2022.
When he committed to Kentucky, following in his father's footsteps of playing for Calipari, Wagner was the No. 1 recruit in America. He was supposed to be a one-year player in college before becoming a lottery pick in the NBA draft.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementInstead, Wagner is in the midst of his third year at the collegiate level, now at his second school with Arkansas basketball. He's still playing for the same coach that recruited him out of Camden High School, and Calipari sees a different version of Wagner now as the experienced veteran.
"A lot of these kids get ranked, then they're trying to live up to rankings. What does the ranking mean? You got to go in and compete and take what you want, but it could be a burden," Calipari said. "I think with him, he needed to shed that and just be the player he is. Let's see your best version. I believe his best version is being more aggressive, less dribbles, more attack. The things that he's doing, the way he leads; he's just matured."
Maturation often happens through adversity, and Wagner's first two seasons were far from smooth. He dealt with a nagging ankle injury as a freshman at Kentucky. The ailment might have been the biggest factor in altering his one-and-done projections.
Feb 12, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner (21) talks with head coach John Calipari during a break in the action against the LSU Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 70-58. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn ImagesWagner followed Calipari to Arkansas and struggled out of the gates. He ceded point guard duties to Boogie Fland and never quite found a role until Fland went down with a wrist injury in January. At the time of the injury, Arkansas was 11-7 overall and 0-5 in the SEC.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut everything flipped when Wagner assumed full-time point guard duties. He helped orchestrate a turnaround that led the Razorbacks all the way back into the NCAA tournament picture. Eventually, they reached the Sweet 16.
His potential was finally starting to be realized. Wagner was one of three Hogs to play in every single game last year. He averaged 11.2 points and a team-high 3.6 assists. He made statistical strides in steals, rebounds and 3-point percentage.
Wagner thanked his head coach for his faith along the way.
“He’s always honest with me, never sugarcoats anything,” Wagner said of Calipari. “He’s just a great coach, a legendary coach. That’s what it’s about. It’s a blessing to be able to play under John Calipari."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWagner now gets at least one more season playing for the Hall of Fame coach. Arkansas entered the preseason ranked No. 15 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, but there's a belief on campus this team has the required ingredients to reach the Final Four.
Wagner's return, along with three other Hogs from last year's team, are key factors. That doesn't mean the adversity that's followed Wagner's career will evaporate.
He once again must settle into a new role with another five-star freshman in the backcourt. Darius Acuff Jr. will spend plenty of time at point guard this winter, but through the early weeks of the season, it appears like those duties will be more shared than they were last year with Fland.
But Wagner's role off the court might be his biggest contribution to this year's team. Calipari believes the New Jersey native is more comfortable in his third year, and it's made Wagner into the locker room leader. He's embracing the role.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"(Lead) by example. Just from having experience being under Coach (Calipari) for three years," Wagner said. "I might know more than the other guys just from being here more. So just helping them with stuff like that. If he says a certain thing or he says a certain play, just kind of showing them where to go and stuff like that, just from knowing it."
With that mindset instilled, Calipari is going to cherish every moment of Year 3 with Wagner.
"I'm just happy he's still with me and I'm coaching him," Calipari said. Love being around him every day."
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: D.J. Wagner, John Calipari embrace journey to Year 3 at Arkansas
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