It's finally here — the creme de la creme of postseason play, the Big Dance — March Madness. It is the greatest tournament of all time. Because it's single-elimination, the stakes are higher, and the upsets are grander.
And although it didn't seem like it'd happen for a while, the Arkansas Razorbacks have earned their spot in the Dance. The Hogs are a 10-seed in the west region, drawing 7-seed Kansas as their opponent. Two other programs will join them in Providence, Rhode Island, as 11-seed Omaha will take on 2-seed St. John's.
Breaking down Arkansas' opponents in Providence
While Arkansas knows it'll play Kansas on Thursday, if they win, the Hogs could play either St. John's or Omaha in the next round. Here, we'll break down what challenges each team poses to Arkansas and what advantages the Razorbacks might have.
Kansas
Record: 21-12
Conference Record: 11-9
Key Wins: Michigan State (77-69), Duke (75-72), Arizona (83-76)
Key Losses: Creighton (76-63), Missouri (76-67), BYU (91-57)
The Jayhawks and Razorbacks have already squared off this season in an exhibition game, but unlike their first meeting, the consequence for losing is that the season ends.
In October, Kansas played without a few players, most notably Big 12 preseason player of the year, Hunter Dickinson. The electric center is the Jayhawks' leading scorer, putting up 17.6 points a game and averaging a double-double with 10 rebounds a game. As a team that's struggled to slow down elite big men all season long, Arkansas may be unable to stop Dickinson from doing whatever he wants in the paint.
But Arkansas has something they haven't seen either (kind of). In the exhibition game, the Hogs' best players were Boogie Fland — who might have a new role when he rejoins the team — D.J Wagner, and Zvonimir Ivisic. But while they played in the game, Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond III, Karter Knox, and Johnell Davis were nonfactors, and Jonas Aidoo was out with a broken foot. However, Arkansas isn't the same team it was then.
Brazile and Aidoo have each had multiple double-doubles in the last two weeks. Davis looks like he's in mid-tournament FAU former. And last but certainly not least, freshmen Knox and Richmond are playing like 5-stars. Kansas has one new player Arkansas needs to gameplan around, while the Hogs have five for the Jayhawks.
St. John's
Record: 30-4
Conference Record: 18-2
Key Wins: Marquette (x3), UConn (x2), Creighton (2 of 3)
Key Losses: Baylor (99-98 (OT)), Georgia (66-63), Villanova (73-71)
If Arkansas beats Kansas, most likely, it'll face another old foe of head coach John Calipari. Rick Pitino and St. John's are one of the biggest stories in college basketball this season, probably second to only Cal's story at Arkansas. In fact, both have a ViceTV docuseries following their season.
Of teams in Providence, the Red Storm are easily the best rebounders (40.9 a game). Dickinson gives Kansas a huge shot in the arm in the post, but when it comes to paint play, St. John's reigns supreme. Specifically, their offensive rebounding is great, pulling down 14 per game.
At eight boards a game, Pitino's squad is led by 6-foot-9-inch forward Zuby Ejiofor — also, the second-leading scorer. As a 6-foot-7-inch guard, RJ Luis Jr. is second in rebounds with 7.2 and leads the team with 18.4 points per game.
Overall, it's not a great matchup for Arkansas, but Achilles Heel for St. John's is their three-point shooting is abhorrent. Of the players with at least 100 attempts this season, only Luis Jr. (32.5 percent) averages over 30 percent from deep. As a team, the Red Storm shot 30.4 percent. If Arkansas can warm up from beyond the arc, it could be an equalizer or, better yet, the end of St. John's season.
Omaha
Record: 22-12
Conference Record: 13-3
Key Wins: St. Thomas (Summit League Championship, 85-75), Oral Roberts (x2)
Key Losses: Iowa State (83-51), Minnesota (68-64), UNLV (80-69)
As far as Providence goes, Omaha is the weakest of the four. Earning its NCAA Tournament bid from winning the Summit League Championship, Omaha is out of its league (with all due respect) in the start-studded location.
On the other hand, the Mavericks are the best three-point shooting team in Providence. Arkansas has had trouble this season stopping the longshot, especially against teams the Hogs "should" beat.
Other than that, Omaha is outmatched by much bigger/athletic lines, including Arkansas. If somehow the Razorbacks meet Omaha in the Round of 32, all Arkansas has to do is play sound basketball, take care of the ball, and play their brand of defense.