Maybe John Calipari’s better off as the underdog.
Calipari’s 10th-seeded Arkansas beat No. 7 Kansas, 79-72 Thursday in one of the marquee matchups of the first round of the NCAA tournament.
In doing so, the Razorbacks eliminated a Kansas team that was ranked No. 1 early in the season and Calipari’s Hall of Fame counterpart Bill Self. The loss marks a disappointing end to a Kansas season that started with championship expectations in Lawrence. Instead the Jayhawks exit the NCAA tournament without a win.
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The loss ends a 17-season streak for Kansas of advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The last time Kansas lost in the first was was to Bradley in 2006.
The win marks the first NCAA tournament win for John Calipari since 2023 and his second since reaching the Elite Eight with Kentucky in 2019. A first-round exit as a No. 3 seed spelled the end of Calipari’s Kentucky tenure last season, two years after his Wildcats lost as a No. 2 seed in the first round to No. 15 seed St. Peter’s.
This time, it was Calipari’s turn to win as the underdog in his first time coaching a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament in 24 trips. He’ll lead the Razorbacks into the second round, where they’ll take on the winner between No. 2 seed St. John’s and No. 15 Omaha. A potential coaching showdown between Calipari and Rick Pitino awaits.
Arkansas led 47-44 after a sizzling first half for both teams. The Razorbacks then took control with a 7-0 run to start the second, only to see Kansas rally back for a 67-64 lead with 4:55 remaining. But Arkansas answered with another 7-0 run to take a 71-67 lead with 1:47 remaining on a Johnell Davis 3-pointer. Kansas never led again.
Kansas got back into the game by switching to a triangle-and-2 zone in the second half. An Arkansas team that turned the ball over just three times finished with 10 for the game and allowed Kansas to take its late lead with a 17-10 run. But Arkansas withstood the pressure and closed out the game with its own 15-5 run to secure its spot in the second round.
This is a breaking news story that will be updated.
