Arkansas Upsets Kansas 79-72 in March Madness Opening Round/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Arkansas, led by Jonas Aidoo’s 22 points, knocked off No. 7 seed Kansas 79-72 in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. John Calipari earned his first tournament win with the Razorbacks in a high-profile coaching duel with Kansas’ Bill Self. Arkansas moves on to face No. 2 seed St. John’s and coach Rick Pitino in the second round.
Arkansas vs. Kansas March Madness: Quick Looks
- Arkansas beats Kansas 79-72 in NCAA first round
- Jonas Aidoo leads with 22 points for Razorbacks
- Johnell Davis adds 18 points, including key late free throws
- Calipari secures first NCAA win with Arkansas
- Kansas’ KJ Adams suffers potential Achilles injury
- Jayhawks eliminated in opening round for first time since 2006
- Arkansas will play St. John’s and Rick Pitino next
- Kansas falls to 47-6 in tournament first-round games
Arkansas Upsets Kansas 79-72 in March Madness Opening Round
Deep Look
Arkansas Outlasts Kansas 79-72 in NCAA Opener Behind Calipari’s Leadership
In a first-round NCAA Tournament clash of coaching titans, 10th-seeded Arkansas defeated No. 7 seed Kansas 79-72 on Thursday night, sending head coach John Calipari into the second round in his first tournament appearance with the Razorbacks. It marked a return to March success for Calipari and a frustrating early exit for Kansas and veteran coach Bill Self.
Jonas Aidoo led the charge for Arkansas, scoring 22 points in a performance that helped the Razorbacks withstand a second-half surge from Kansas. Johnell Davis was equally impactful, contributing 18 points and hitting crucial free throws in the final minutes to seal the victory.
Arkansas will now meet No. 2 seed St. John’s on Saturday in a second-round matchup that will feature another elite coaching showdown—this time between Calipari and Rick Pitino, longtime rivals during their respective tenures in the SEC.
The victory was Arkansas’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2023, when they advanced to the Sweet 16 under former head coach Eric Musselman. For Calipari, it marked a personal milestone, signaling a successful start to his postseason tenure with the Razorbacks.
“We have to rely on everyone,” Calipari said. “When you’re down in numbers, everyone’s got to help you. We didn’t shoot it great in the second half, but we made the shots that counted and hit our free throws.”
Arkansas needed all of it to fend off a Kansas rally. After trailing by 11 early in the second half, the Jayhawks clawed back and briefly took the lead, 65-64, following a putback by AJ Storr with under six minutes remaining.
But the Razorbacks quickly regained control. Aidoo knocked down two free throws to reclaim the lead, and Davis followed with a timely 3-pointer, giving Arkansas a four-point cushion. Kansas stayed within striking distance and cut the deficit to 75-72 on a three-pointer by Rylan Griffen with 13 seconds remaining, but Davis calmly converted two more free throws to ice the game.
Kansas, which entered the tournament with 35 straight appearances and a 47-5 record in first-round games under Self, exits the dance early for the third straight year without a Sweet 16 appearance since their 2022 championship run.
Despite the recent early exits, Self pushed back on the notion of a decline in Lawrence.
“We’ve got to reevaluate how we do things,” he said. “You can’t afford misses. There’s more luck involved now than before. But we’re not falling off.”
The Jayhawks also suffered a major blow late in the game when forward KJ Adams left the court limping with an apparent Achilles injury. Adams had scored 13 points and grabbed four rebounds before the injury.
“We’re hoping for the best tomorrow,” Self said. “But I’m not sure it’s going to be great news. Losing a game is one thing, but potentially losing a year for KJ—that’s a big blow.”
Boogie Fland, Arkansas’ talented freshman, returned to action for the first time since undergoing thumb surgery in January, logging six points in 24 minutes and offering a glimpse of his potential impact moving forward in the tournament.
This game also marked the third NCAA Tournament meeting between Calipari and Self—two of the four winningest active coaches in men’s college basketball. Calipari, with 876 career wins, ranks second among active coaches, while Self is fourth with 831. The two had split their previous tournament meetings, each winning once in a national championship game.
Their latest clash was intense, physical, and emblematic of the evolving nature of March Madness, where coaching pedigree still plays a role, but roster adaptability and late-game execution often determine outcomes.
Now, Calipari prepares for a marquee matchup with another legendary coach. Rick Pitino and his St. John’s squad await in the West Region’s second round—a battle that will pit two of the sport’s biggest personalities and brightest basketball minds against one another once again.
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