Five predictions for Arkansas Razorback football, basketball, softball and more in 2022-23

It won't be long till fall comes, and when it does, Arkansas athletics will be back for its 2022-23 seasons.

After an academic year with stellar seasons from football, softball, men's basketball and more added to the revelry of Razorbacks fans, expectations are high for nearly every Arkansas team.

From football in September to baseball in June, here's what we think is in store for the Razorbacks in the year to come.

Arkansas football will win nine games

Arkansas football opens the 2022 season against a 2021 playoff team in Cincinnati, and their non-conference schedule continues with strong opponents such as BYU and Liberty. Add in the usual SEC West powerhouses, and Arkansas' schedule is a gauntlet.

But the Razorbacks are returning plenty of experienced players on both sides of the ball and are coming off an eight-win regular season that restored faith in the program. Arkansas will fall victim to the usual suspects in Texas A&M, Alabama and LSU, but the Razorbacks will achieve nine regular-season wins for the first time in more than a decade.

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Arkansas men's basketball will start slow

The Arkansas team surrounded by the most hype in 2022-23 is men's basketball. The Razorbacks ranked No. 1 in ESPN's way-too-early Top 25 at the end of last season, and that was before coach Eric Musselman added an exceptional haul out of the NCAA transfer portal.

Although five key players from last season's Elite 8 run are gone, Musselman has plenty of options to build a new lineup. Five players transferred to Arkansas, all of them highly touted.

Much like last season, Arkansas will struggle early as those new players learn to play together and the staff works to find the best combinations with a loaded roster. There might be some dark days, like last season's embarrassment against Hofstra, but the Razorbacks eventually will live up to the hype and make a deep NCAA Tournament run.

Women's basketball will exit NCAA Tournament early

Arkansas women's basketball made the NCAA Tournament with an 18-14 record last season. The Razorbacks lost two key players from that team, senior star Amber Ramirez and young talent Sasha Goforth, who retired from basketball because of medical issues.

UConn transfer Saylor Poffenbarger and Syracuse transfer Chrissy Carr are newcomers with high expectations. SEC Freshman of the Year Samara Spencer, senior leader Makayla Daniels and rising star Jersey Wolfenbarger will be back.

A combination of experience and strong newcomers will help Arkansas to its third straight NCAA Tournament, but as they have in the previous two seasons, the Razorbacks will fall in the first round to a team with better size and talent.

Softball will three-peat as SEC champions

Arkansas softball's 2022 season will be hard to top. The Razorbacks set numerous program records, including single-season wins with 48.

Some key hitters will be back next year, as will ace Chenise Delce. Strong recruiting classes under coach Courtney Deifel position the Razorbacks to replace lost talent with fresh players to avoid a hangover from last year's success.

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The Razorbacks will win their third straight SEC regular-season title with the help of Delce in the circle.

Baseball's identity will change

During the past few seasons, Arkansas baseball has become known for power hitting. The Razorbacks led the country in home runs in 2021. Arkansas didn't rake at quite the same level in 2022, but the Razorbacks still frequently relied on the long ball; they finished 12th in the SEC in team batting average but fifth in home runs.

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Arkansas will have to replace all but one regular starter from the 2022 batting order next season. A slew of junior college transfers and developing younger players will help Arkansas fill the gaps and improve as an overall hitting team. But the 2023 Razorbacks will be known for their pitching.

Stellar freshmen Brady Tygart and Hagen Smith will be back, plus late-bloomer Will McEntire and future draft prospect Jaxon Wiggins. Ace Connor Noland could return, too, and Arkansas added a talented South Carolina transfer in Julian Bosnic. With all that firepower, the Razorbacks will earn a reputation on the mound.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks. You can email her at clong@swtimes.com or follow her on Twitter @christinalong00.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Five predictions for Arkansas football, basketball and more in 2022-23