FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — At least one ESPN show host has come away impressed by No. 10 seed Arkansas Razorbacks run to the Sweet 16 with a 75-66 victory over No. 2 seed St. John’s.
Yo y’all. @RazorbackMBB is surprising me. I expected @StJohnsBBall to look like the more athletic team, creating problems defensively. But that’s been Arkansas thus far. Even with a frenetic base. Interesting game. Very interesting.
With Kansas and Bill Self at his first road block, Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari defeated his old friend and fellow hall of famer to advance past the first round. His old rival, Rick Pitino, stood directly in his path for a chance at the second weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2019.
Early on, the Razorbacks showed the nation its brand of physical basketball could match that of St. John’s and Pitino, leading 13-6 at the first media timeout in the first half. By the 11:32 mark of the second half, guard Johnell Davis’ putback swelled Arkansas’ lead to 13.
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Each time it seemed like Calipari’s squad tried to shut the door on a Red Storm’s comeback, Zuby Ejiofor or Deivon Smith woudldn’t allow their team to die just yet. St. John’s forward Ruben Prey drove the baseline for a dunk to pull his team within two points with just over four minutes to go but wasn’t enough to flip the momentum and get the Madison Square Garden-lite crowd back on its feet.
Calipari’s team held on once again, just like it has in nearly every game since Feb. 1 when facing adversity. Arkansas’ selflessness turned into a team goal of making the NCAA Tournament and proving others wrong.
“They knew they finally, not at the beginning of the year, that we absolutely need each other or we’re going down together and they became one heartbeat,” Calipari said. “They figured out that, ‘If I worry more about the team and less about myself, man, I play better.’ It took time.”
Well, this team has plenty of confidence now and national college basketball reporters continue to come out of the woodwork to praise Calipari, changing course from just days, weeks and a year ago.
ESPN’s Jay Bilas even shared his thoughts about Arkansas’ second round upset. No, it wasn’t supposed to happen but it sure made people start talking and realize Caliapri isn’t done coaching teams to deep tournament runs.
Give Calipari his flowers, with all eyes on him with his shocking move from Kentucky to Arkansas, he was able to prove doubters wrong. Last year was no April Fool’s joke, he was even compared to Brittany Spears as a “has been” but there’s nothing like a good “I told you so” go wrong.
Matt Jones of On3’s Kentucky Sports Radio and his media persona smeared the anti-Calipari content everywhere for months that he was right about the former Wildcats’ coach.
“You know, everything I told you you’d learn about [Calipari], Arkansas fans, I was right,” Jones said. “They’re not going to make it, you have to get in to lose in the first round the NCAA Tournament.”
Jones changed course, congratulating his former coach for his monumental victory Saturday against one of the top-seeds in the tournament.
Without the injuries to start the year, an embarrassing loss to then No. 1 Tennessee or the 0-5 start in SEC play this season could have played out differently. Each setback was a lesson and instead of letting the bad times keep them down, they pulled together in unity to keep writing their own story.
“Each [Razorback player] in their own way were in a dark place,” Calipari said after Arkansas beat Kansas in the first round. “The battle they had was with themselves. They had to get through that first. Then, they had to figure out they needed each other. Now, they’re one heartbeat.”
Calipari is a great storyteller, he’ll even repeat it a few times to make sure its understood. While some stories are retold, it symbolic in significance to his life, career and love for coaching this game.
While his team may not be have a roster as talented at every position or boasts the same amount of depth some of his other squads in years past have, there is something special about his first group of Razorbacks. He’s proven doubters wrong, pointed a deaf year toward all the hate pointed his way and is focused on making this as special of a season that not many thought was possible 50 days ago.
NEW: Went 1-on-1 with John Calipari after Arkansas upset St. John’s to advance to the Sweet 16. On how his team pulled off the victory, a reflection on the last 365 days of his life and marching on to a Sweet 16 with the Razorbacks, sharing a moment with his wife and more. pic.twitter.com/RhBXOzotfv
“I told them this is as a rewarding a year as I have had based on how far we come,” Calipari said after his team defeated St. John’s to advance to the Sweeet 16. “I told them prior to the game, ‘How about we give ourselves a chance to make some magic? Let’s go fight like heck, play free and loose and whatever happens, happens.’”
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — A major event aimed at raising awareness and funding cancer research in Arkansas is coming up this weekend.
The 6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk benefits the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, helping fund cancer research, clinical trials, and long-term survival studies, with every dollar raised staying in Arkansas.
Joining us this morning are Elizabeth Birrer, co-chair of the walk, and Lesley Murphy, this year’s emcee.
Murphy, a professional travel journalist, has shared her own cancer prevention journey after undergoing a preventative double mastectomy at UAMS when genetic testing revealed she carried the BRCA2 gene. She now uses her experience to help educate and raise awareness about cancer prevention.
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The walk is designed to bring the community together, survivors, families, and supporters, while highlighting the importance of research and patient care. Participants can expect a day of walking, activities, and opportunities to learn more about the institute’s ongoing work.
Online registration is available at here and closes at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 1st. In-person registration opens at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2nd at War Memorial Stadium, Gate 1.
Every dollar raised during the event directly supports research and clinical studies here in Arkansas, helping to advance treatment and improve outcomes for patients across the state.
The 6th Annual Be a Part of the Cure Walk is a community effort that combines awareness, education, and support, all focused on the fight against cancer.
Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.
Three people were killed and another injured in crashes on Arkansas roads from Wednesday to Friday, according to preliminary police reports.
On Wednesday, Lonnie Scott, 81, of Clinton was killed when the car he was driving struck another vehicle in Clinton, a report from Clinton police says.
Scott was driving a 2003 Chevrolet Impala west on Volunteer Parkway at 10:22 a.m. when he failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a 2023 Dodge 5500 headed south on Quality Drive, the report says.
On Friday, Marvin Brown, 48, of McNeil was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Camden, a report from Camden police says.
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Brown was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado north on Cash Road near Washington Street at 5:09 p.m. when the vehicle left the roadway and struck a utility pole, the report says. Shamika Milton, 39, of Camden, a passenger in the truck, was injured, the report says.
Around 6:50 p.m. Friday, Ricki Rich, 77, of Parkdale was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Arkansas 8 in rural Ashley County, a report from the Arkansas State Police says.
Rich was driving a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox east near Ashley Road 34 when the vehicle left the roadway and hit a tree, the report says.
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Rafael Escalera Montoto
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Rafael is a crime and breaking news reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Before joining the Democrat-Gazette, he wrote breaking news and feature stories at Reuters in Mexico City, where he covered a range of topics across Central and South America. He has also covered housing, education, business and other topics at The Baltimore Banner. He is a graduate of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York (CUNY) and is from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
