Arkansas Razorbacks Claw Past Kansas Jayhawks in Opening Round Upset

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The Amica Mutual Pavilion witnessed a tense and gritty battle on Thursday night as the No. 10 seed Arkansas Razorbacks overcame the No. 7 seed Kansas Jayhawks in a 79-72 victory in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Arkansas coach John Calipari, appearing visibly relieved, entered his postgame press conference without his sport coat, his dress shirt damp with the sweat of a hard-fought win. "We gutted it out," Calipari declared. "I don’t care. We won.”

The game, far from a display of elegant basketball, was a physical and mental test between two programs with rich histories but recent struggles. For Calipari, the win holds particular significance. Having endured a frustrating final five seasons at Kentucky, marked by only a single tournament victory, this win represents a crucial step in rebuilding his reputation and establishing a new era at Arkansas.

While it is premature to declare a full-fledged renaissance for Calipari in Fayetteville, this victory provides a much-needed momentum boost. Arkansas hopes to replicate the success they had under Greg Musselman, who guided the Razorbacks to multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances before departing for Southern California. This year’s Razorback roster, largely rebuilt through transfers and highly touted recruits, including several players who had initially committed to Kentucky under Calipari, entered the tournament as a significant unknown.

Guard Johnell Davis, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, was the team’s only player with substantial tournament experience. This uncertainty led even Calipari to admit to internal doubts. "Every one of us, including me, had doubts,” he confessed. “We all had to convince ourselves we’re going to do this.”

The victory, however, comes with a caveat. This Kansas team is far from the powerhouse that has defined their program in recent years. The Jayhawks concluded the regular season a distant sixth in the Big 12, a full eight games behind conference champion Houston. It is evident that Bill Self faces a significant challenge in revitalizing the program. His performance in the late stages of the second half only strengthened that belief. Self’s decision-making seemed erratic, most notably his continued reliance on center Hunter Dickinson, whose presence appeared to stifle Kansas’s halfcourt offense.

Despite the perceived weaknesses of their opponent, the win propels Arkansas into the second round, where they could face a formidable matchup against No. 2 seed St. John’s, coached by another Hall of Fame figure, Rick Pitino.

"We’ve still got to take care of business," Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner emphasized. "Just knowing the stakes. Like, win or go home. Treat every game the same. Of course, being grateful and celebrate every win, but don’t celebrate too much. Because we’ve got another game to play.”

The victory is invaluable for Calipari. It alleviates some of the pressure that has been mounting after his tenure in Lexington faltered. A tournament win in his inaugural season at Arkansas shifts the narrative. It directs attention toward the future of the Razorbacks under his leadership, rather than dwelling on the disappointments of his past at Kentucky.

“I didn’t want the albatross around my neck of my history of coaching,” Calipari explained. “Like, you’re supposed to win every game. No. No, you’re not.”

Arkansas has been operating under a win-or-go-home mentality for several weeks. Their position on the tournament bubble forced them into postseason mode long before the official start of March Madness. This experience, combined with Kansas’s struggles and the sheer depth of the SEC, contributed to their opening-round victory. A remarkable fourteen of Arkansas’s final sixteen regular-season games were against tournament-bound teams, transforming each contest into a high-stakes referendum on their season.

The constant pressure and intensity of the SEC schedule proved to be beneficial. Arkansas demonstrated remarkable composure in the game’s final minutes. After relinquishing an eleven-point lead early in the second half and falling behind 67-66 with less than three minutes remaining, the Razorbacks responded with a crucial 5-0 run to regain the lead. They then sealed the victory by converting all eight of their free-throw attempts down the stretch.

“Being in the games we were in, just playing the great teams we were playing every night … every night was basically a game like that, down to the final two minutes," Wagner said. “That prepared us a lot. Even when they made a run, we’d been in situations like that. It helped us stay calm and stay locked in.”

The road ahead will not be easy. Pitino has revitalized the St. John’s program, leading them to a Big East regular-season and tournament championship. The Red Storm now appear as a legitimate contender for a deep tournament run. The West region is also loaded with talent. This includes No. 1 seed Florida, No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 4 seed Maryland, and No. 8 seed Connecticut, the two-time defending national champions.

Calipari is no stranger to navigating these high-pressure situations. Every tournament win serves to distance him from the past and reinforces the promise of his future with the Razorbacks.

“It doesn’t have any bearing on right now,” Calipari stated. “It doesn’t matter. Final Four, national title, none of it matters. It’s this team, trying to make us better.”