In John Calipari's first year at Arkansas, the Razorbacks are heading to the NCAA Tournament as a 10 seed in the East region, facing Kansas (unofficially) for the second time this season.
In the last 13 games, Arkansas won eight to earn the Razorbacks an invitation to March Madness. Starting with Kentucky, Arkansas marched its way through five quad-1 teams, with the only real slip-up being at South Carolina. Now, they have the opportunity to play a team they've already faced this season.
Arkansas vs Kansas: Round one of the NCAA Tournament
Before the season started, Arkansas and Kansas played an exhibition game. The Hogs dominated the Jayhawks, 85-69. It was the first time Razorback fans saw a Calipari-led team in an Arkansas uniform, and it was the first time they saw star freshman Boogie Fland shine.
He dropped 22 points on the Jayhawks, earning while only hitting one three-point attempt. Arkansas thought it lost Fland for the season, but luckily, the Bronx native is making a return for the tournament.
However, this isn't an exhibition game. It's for real, and the stakes haven't been higher. During the first meeting, star center Hunter Dickenson was sidelined with an injury, taking away one of the Jayhawks biggest (literally) wepons. And now, Kansas is looking for revenge for making them look silly in the preseason, and for ending their season in NCAA Tournament in 2024. Arkansas is still without Adou Theiro, so the Hogs must play their A-game heading into the first round.
The Hogs and Jayhawks will play in Providence on Thursday, March 20.