In a closely contested clash, the Arkansas Razorbacks, coached by John Calipari, narrowly missed the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals, losing 83-80 to the Ole Miss Rebels last week. Despite this setback, the Razorbacks, holding the No. 10 seed, successfully secured their spot in the 68-team NCAA Tournament during Selection Sunday.
This Friday, the Razorbacks will face off against the No. 7-seeded Kansas Jayhawks, led by coach Bill Self, in the first round of the highly anticipated tournament within the Providence Region.
Following the revelation of their matchup, Self expressed in a CBS Sports interview that he had anticipated this pairing.
“Nothing surprised me,” Self stated. “I didn’t have any anticipation, but I told my staff a week ago, ‘You watch. (It will be) 7 versus 10. We’re playing Arkansas.’ You could ask any of them (assistant coaches). I’ve been saying that for a week.”
“It’ll be a fun, competitive game. I know we’re going to have to play really well to win, and I believe they’re going to have to play well to win, too. We’ve gone against each other quite a bit over time.”
Historic Rivalry: Calipari vs. Self
Coaching greats John Calipari and Bill Self have a storied history in NCAA Tournament matchups. Their rivalry kicked off when Self’s Jayhawks triumphed over Calipari’s Memphis Tigers, 75-68, in the 2008 national championship game. Calipari later sought redemption as his Kentucky Wildcats overcame Self’s Jayhawks, 67-59, in the national championship of 2012.
Recently, Calipari shared his thoughts on the upcoming encounter between the Razorbacks and the Jayhawks, emphasizing the competitive spirit of the coaches and their teams.
“We’ve played,”Calipari reflected. “He’s beaten us in Rupp [Arena], we’ve beaten him in Allen [Fieldhouse]. We got them in an exhibition game. If we go out there, they’ll probably get us. I mean, we’ve done this at a level for a long, long time, both of us. And I hate to play people that are friends or that I know well, but when you’re in this thing, you’re just, ‘Who are we playing? Alright, let’s see what we have to do to try to win.'”
This upcoming Friday marks the first meeting between Calipari and Self outside of the national championship game, setting the stage for one of the tournament’s most captivating first-round matchups in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Historically, the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Kansas Jayhawks have faced off twice in the NCAA Tournament, with Kansas prevailing 93-81 in the Elite Eight of the 1991 tournament and Arkansas earning a tight victory with a score of 72-71 in the second round of the 2023 tournament.