Razorbacks' Calipari Sees Himself As an Underdog; Has The Seed To Go With Image

Arkansas coach in unfamiliar situation entering first tournament with Razorbacks

Daniel Shi | Mar 17, 2025

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari against the Texas Longhorns at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Nilsen Roman-HitThatLine.com

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari's reaction when he heard his team get called on NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday for the 24th time was slightly different than his first 23.

Even though it was consensus that the Razorbacks' late surge was enough to put them in the tournament, Calipari admitted he wasn't sure.

"I'm happy we're in," Calipari said. "Let's go play. There are other times where I'm like, 'Why would you put us there? Why would you put us in this when we've done this?' This year my first year trying to establish what we are and what we're about. We're in the NCAA tournament with a chance to advance."

In his previous 23 appearances, Calipari has been a top three seed 16 times. The 10 seed is his lowest ever for a Calipari-coached team. He was a No. 8 seed with Kentucky in 2014, which went on to make a run to the championship game before falling to UConn in the final.

Although Calipari's never been in this spot in the bracket, he always saw his teams as the ones with the chip on their shoulders regardless of the number by their name.

"Even as a high seed they’d say ’They’ll get upset [and] they won’t win,'" Calipari said. "I was raised as the underdog, us against everybody. So it was kind of nice this year to get back to my roots of 'We’re underdogs.'"

Their first round opponent is in a similar situation, Kansas' Bill Self has his lowest seed in 22 years as the Jayhawks coach. It's the lowest seed for a Self coached team since Tulsa was also a seven seed in the 2000 NCAA Tournament. That team went on to advance to the Elite Eight.

"You're a seven seed," Self said. "You're going to play a team that's similar to you regardless and then you're going to have to play a team that's had one of the best years in the country in the second game regardless if it was Arkansas, regardless if it was St John's. It's a hard draw, but that's the position that we're in and every other seven seed is in."

Arkansas and Kansas will tip in Providence, Rhode Island 6:10 p.m. Thursday and will be broadcast on CBS.