March Madness: Arkansas, John Calipari Hand Kansas Its First NCAA Tournament First-Round Loss Since 2006

March Madness: Arkansas, John Calipari Hand Kansas Its First NCAA Tournament First-Round Loss Since 2006

Perhaps John Calipari is better suited as the underdog after all.

In a thrilling first-round matchup of the NCAA tournament, Calipari’s 10th-seeded Arkansas team defeated 7th-seeded Kansas, 79-72, on Thursday, eliminating the Jayhawks from the tournament. The loss ended Kansas' remarkable streak of 17 consecutive second-round appearances and marked the team's first first-round exit since 2006, when they fell to Bradley.

Arkansas' victory also signaled a disappointing conclusion to a Kansas season that began with championship aspirations. Kansas, which was ranked No. 1 early in the season, exits the tournament without a win. Calipari’s Razorbacks, meanwhile, advance to the second round, marking Calipari's first NCAA tournament win since 2023 and his second since reaching the Elite Eight with Kentucky in 2019.

The loss also spells an early exit for Kansas under Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, whose team couldn’t meet expectations. Calipari and Arkansas will now look ahead to their next challenge in the tournament. After the win, Calipari and his squad are moving on to face either No. 2 seed St. John's or No. 15 Omaha in the next round, where a potential coaching showdown between Calipari and Rick Pitino looms.

Razorbacks Fight Back

After a heated first half, Arkansas led 47-44. They opened the second half with a 7-0 run, only to see Kansas rally and take a 67-64 lead with 4:55 left in the game. But Arkansas quickly responded with another 7-0 run, highlighted by a clutch 3-pointer from Johnell Davis, taking a 71-67 lead with 1:47 left. From that point on, Kansas never regained the lead.

Kansas made a defensive adjustment, switching to a triangle-and-2 zone in the second half, which briefly rattled Arkansas, who had only committed three turnovers in the first half but finished the game with 10. The Jayhawks used a 17-10 run to seize their brief lead, but Arkansas closed out the game with a 15-5 run, securing their spot in the second round.

Strong Performances from Arkansas

Point guard D.J. Wagner, who followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas, played all 40 minutes, contributing 14 points, six assists, and two steals. Johnell Davis finished with 18 points, including 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. Jonas Aidoo led Arkansas in scoring with 22 points, while Trevon Brazile recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Kansas Injury Woes

Kansas' KJ Adams Jr. scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds but left the game in the final minutes with a non-contact injury. He was helped off the court, and Coach Bill Self later confirmed that Adams had suffered an Achilles tendon injury, which will require further evaluation. Self expressed hope but acknowledged uncertainty about the severity of the injury.

Zeke Mayo led Kansas with 18 points, shooting 4-of-5 from three-point range, while All-American Hunter Dickinson contributed 11 points and nine rebounds. However, Dickinson struggled in the second half, failing to score during the game’s final stretch.

As Arkansas moves on, Kansas faces the tough reality of a first-round exit, a rare and disappointing result for a program accustomed to March success.

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