The biggest Cinderella left in the NCAA Tournament is... John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks? Yep, that's where we're at.
The No. 10 seed in the West Region is the only double-digit seed left dancing as we move into the Sweet 16. Arkansas' improbable run has been, well, improbable. Cal deserves a ton of credit for getting his team to persevere and advance. That is the spirit of March Madness, after all.
Arkansas was 0-5 in SEC play at one point this season. Boogie Fland, their star freshman, went down with a broken hand in mid-January. Adou Thiero, the Razorbacks' leading scorer, followed him to the IL a little more than a month later. The Razorbacks have been through hell and high water to get here.
So, don't be shocked when Cal has other things on his mind than his former team.
This is a fraught situation for Kentucky Wildcats fans. Cal's exit from Lexington last offseason was somewhat cold. He did a lot for the Wildcats program, but the fanbase had turned on him and the Kentucky brass was tired of premature losses in March. A first-round upset at the hands of No. 14 Oakland was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. It was billed as a mutual decision, but it's clear Kentucky wanted Cal gone. And, well, maybe Cal did want to get out of dodge. That environment was toxic.
He quickly lined up the job at Arkansas and the rest his history. Both Arkansas, a No. 10 seed, and Kentucky, a No. 3 seed, will play in this week's Sweet 16, their national title hopes still alive. Cal is focused on his group.
John Calipari isn't thinking about Kentucky as Arkansas gears up for Sweet 16
"No, not worried about them," Calipari said on The Dan Patrick Show when asked about Kentucky (h/t On3 Sports). "This is what’s happened for us. This season has been the most rewarding season I’ve had. Seasons where we won more games and won national titles and Final Fours and Elite Eights. I’ve had all those but what this team has been through to survive it, it’s been as rewarding as any season."
Calipari continues to wax poetic about how "rewarding" this season has been. And sure, it's one hell of a run. Kentucky fans obviously won't take kindly to anything even approaching a knock on their program, but we shouldn't begrudge Cal for embracing new circumstances. It really is incredible how the arc of this season has played out for the Razorbacks.
More or less, Cal built this entire roster from scratch. Trevon Brazile stuck around from Arkansas teams past, but the Razorbacks are essentially an amalgamation of ex-Kentucky recruits, ex-Kentucky players, and a few savvy transfer portal adds. After going through early-season struggles we should've seen coming from a mile away, Calipari rallied the troops and has now experienced legitimate NCAA Tournament success with a wholly new group, in a new program. Of course, it's special. There's nothing like the first time.
Arkansas faces a tough path forward. Their Sweet 16 matchup pits them against the red-hot Texas Tech Red Raiders. JT Toppin and Darrion Williams are two of the hottest players in college basketball right now and it's unclear if Arkansas can really match up. It has been a rough tournament overall for the SEC, though, and Arkansas keeps on kicking. They've drowned out the noise and done something few thought possible a couple months ago. Credit where it's due.