Arkansas
Arkansas Fans Should Love Latest 2027 NCAA Tournament Bracket Projection
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team is expected to contend for a top seed in the 2027 NCAA Tournament.
A year after winning the SEC Tournament Championship to earn a No. 4 seed in March Madness, the Razorbacks are loaded with a crop of 5-star freshmen and a portal class tailored to coach John Calipari’s liking.
When it comes to projecting how teams will finish the regular season, Arkansas is expected to be on the cusp of a top-four seed line once again. However, CBS Sports has the Razorbacks slotted as a 5-seed in the South Region and paired up against either Baylor or Virginia Tech, who are predicted for the expanded Dayton play-in games.
The NCAA Tournament selection committee hasn’t been kind to Arkansas as previous postseason trips sent them to Portland (2026), Providence (2025), and Buffalo (2022), Detroit (2018), Greenville (2017), Jacksonville (2015), Raleigh (2008) and Spokane (2007). All teams played around Indianapolis during the 2021 tournament which could be considered similar to the NBA’s “Bubble” during COVID.
South Region
1 Florida vs. 16 Howard/Jacksonville
8 BYU vs. 9 Indiana
5 Arkansas vs. 12 Baylor/Virginia Tech
4 St. John’s vs. 13 McNeese State
6 Texas Tech vs. 11 Saint Louis/SMU
3 Michigan State vs. 14 Western Kentucky
7 North Carolina vs. 10 Marquette
2 Arizona vs. 15 Tarleton State
Why Arkansas Fans Should Like This Draw
From a pure matchup standpoint, Arkansas would probably welcome a draw similar to this one.
The Razorbacks have built a roster designed around length, athleticism, versatility, and defense, which should allow them to match up favorably with most teams in the field.
While Florida would likely enter the tournament as one of the national title favorites, Arkansas has enough talent on paper to compete with anyone in the country, especially if Calipari’s young talent can rise to the occasion and match preseason expectations.
There won’t be an easy path through the South Region for a single team as Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, St. John’s and Texas Tech all enter the season with realistic championship expectations. That’s what makes this one of the deepest projected regions in the bracket.
The winner of this one will ultimately be battle tested with coaches who understand how to make deep runs in March. However, those same expectations surround Arkansas entering the season with the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class combined with impact transfers who want to compete for a title.
If CBS Sports’ projection proves accurate nine months from now, Arkansas would have a realistic path to a third consecutive Sweet 16 and perhaps more. For a fanbase still chasing its second national championship, this is exactly the kind of regional the Razorbacks want and need to get there.
Teams Arkansas does miss this go around are Kansas, Duke, Houston, UConn, Michigan and Illinois, who are all teams expected to have reloaded again for next seaoson.
Regional Made for Television
There is potential for plenty of built-in storylines in the South Region as Florida was tabbed as the No. 1 seed and set to face the winner of Howard or Jacksonville.
The Gators won’t get away with an easy second round matchup though as BYU and Indiana are expected to be fairly competitive under a pair of second-year coaches Kevin Young and Darian Devries.
With a chance to get to the Elite Eight on the line, Arkansas will more than likely have to get past a well-coached Gators squad to advance. Since Calipari arrived at Arkansas, his team is 0-2 against Florida, including a 111-77 thumping in Gainesville to end February.
The Razorbacks could potentially have a rematch from the second round in 2025 against No. 4 seed St. John’s. Calipari got the best of his longtime coaching rival Rick Pitino and will once again have the chance to out-athlete the Red Storm with his team’s length and athleticism.
Other potential opponents for the Razorbacks include old Southwest Conference rival No. 6 seed Texas Tech, Calipari’s friend Tom Izzo at No. 3 seed Michigan State, former assistant coach Chuck Martin at No. 7 seed North Carolina and a possible rubber match against No. 2 seed Arizona.
Arkansas Invades DFW?
For Arkansas, Fort Worth would be about as close to Bud Walton-South as the NCAA Tournament can actually provide.
History says the Razorbacks routinely draw strong crowds while in Texas, and the combination of alumni, Razorback Foundation members and fans from across the Southwest could create a noticeable advantage if Arkansas were assigned to Dickies Arena.
Few fanbases in the SEC travel better for postseason basketball than Arkansas’, especially when the destination is within driving distance.
With the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games for the South Region being held at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, this could be as good a year as any for the Razorbacks to crash the party.
If Arkanas can potentially make it out of the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995, they will head to Detroit’s Ford Field for the Final Four.
While it’s only a June projection, Arkansas fans will surely spend the next few months analyzing and debating all possibilities. If Calipari’s freshmen develop as expected and the transfer additions mesh quickly, the road to Detroit may begin much closer to home than Razorback fans are accustomed to when the Field of 76 is released.
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