Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari expressed his thoughts on going up against Kansas coach Bill Self ahead of program’s first round NCAA Tournament matchup on Thursday.
Calipari took Arkansas to a 20-13 record and a ninth-place finish in the SEC while Self led Kansas to a 21-12 record and a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 conference.
“Playing someone that I really respect and have a friendship with is hard,” Calipari said. “Because we’re gonna try to beat each other’s brains in and afterwards you’re gonna feel bad for about 12 seconds and then you have to move on. Bill’s a great coach though who has built terrific programs and cultures that win.”
Bill Self has a 7-6 record against John Calipari and both coaches have two national championships each. For the Razorbacks, Trevon Brazile has scored double figures in the last four games while Hunter Dickinson has scored 15 points or more for Kansas in the last seven games.
John Calipari and Bill Self bring a wealth of experience and success to the sidelines. The return of Boogie Fland will be an added boat to the Arkansas’ roster, expanding their rotation to eight players and providing much needed depth.
John Calipari takes shot at NCAA Selection Committee over Arkansas’ placement
John Calipari’s Arkansas started the season with an impressive 12-3 before they stumbled, dropping their first five SEC games, which put their tournament hopes in doubt. Despite the rough patch, coach Calipari steadied the ship, guiding his program back on track.
Later in the season, injury struck when key player Adou Thiero suffered a hyperextension to his left knee against Missouri (Feb. 22), leaving Arkansas with a seven-man rotation. Calipari and Arkansas found a way to move on from that and now find themselves in the NCAA Tournament.
On Wednesday, Calipari took a lighthearted shot at the NCAA Selection Committee regarding Arkansas’ placement in the NCAA Tournament.
“John Calipari jokes that ‘someone must have been sick’ or ‘went to the bathroom’ on the NCAA Selection Committee for not putting Arkansas in Lexington,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel posted on X.
His remark was a playful nod to his departure from Kentucky last year. Having led the Wildcats to a national championship in 2012, a tournament appearance in Lexington would have had fans buzzing.
Arkansas and John Calipari will be aiming to defeat Kansas and make a deep tournament run, taking advantage of Calipari’s experience.
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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash
