The Arkansas Razorbacks will look to pull off an upset on Thursday evening. It's a matchup of historic coaches in the middle of not-so-historic seasons, with seven-seed Kansas awaiting John Calipari's Arkansas squad in the first round of March Madness.
There's a lot at stake here. Cal currently owns the most NCAA Tournament wins of any active head coach, with Self a close second. Arkansas made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances in 2022 and 2023. Kansas hasn't been past the second round in a couple years, but Self secured his second NCAA title back in 2022. These are programs steeped in basketball tradition.
In terms of narrative and the scope of history, there aren't many more important matchups in the first round — even if neither team projects as a Final Four threat. The winner also moves on to likely face Rick Pitino's St. John's in the second round. We all want to see Cal and Pitino go at it on the March Madness stage.
The Razorbacks are in a tough position without top scorer Adou Thiero, but Cal has an ace up his sleeve in the form of freshman point guard Boogie Fland.
Is Boogie Fland playing today vs. Kansas?
Yes, Boogie Fland is expected back in the lineup for Thursday's showdown between all-time great coaches. The talented freshman has missed the last two months with a broken hand, but he emerged as a clear first-round NBA Draft prospect beforehand.
So many of Cal's teams are built around star freshmen in the backcourt. Fland was supposed to be that guiding force in 2025. Instead, after such an extended absence, Fland will come off the bench in his return to action, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Boogie Fland will come off bench in his first action in nearly two months. He couldn’t remember the last time he came off the bench in a non-All-Star game. Can he regain the form that had him projected as a first-round pick? https://t.co/SC4IfBtqEg
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 20, 2025
There is understandable skepticism around Fland's return, which came out of nowhere. Just last week, Cal was blunt in saying Fland probably wouldn't play. Now the 18-year-old is back, and Arkansas gets a major shot in the arm with Thiero out of commission. Before the injury, Fland averaged 15.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on 51.2 percent true shooting. He's a dynamic pull-up shooter who exerts tremendous control over tempo. As the game slows down in March, Fland's exacting pick-and-roll game could prove beneficial.
That said, the Razorbacks didn't really resurrect their season until after Fland got hurt. That is not necessarily a direct cause and effect, but Arkansas played its best basketball of the season with Thiero as the undisputed top option and D.J. Wagner leading the backcourt. Fland is an inexperienced point guard who relies heavily on his jump shot, which is not always the best combo in the NCAA Tournament.
Kansas also brings it on the defensive end. This Jayhawks team has potentially catastrophic shortcomings on offense, but Self brings his usual assortment of high-end veterans and explosive, up-and-coming talent into March. You'd be hard-pressed to find a Jayhawks team that doesn't guard extremely well, especially with time to prepare ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Fland won't get a cakewalk matchup out of the gate, and he'll be coming off the bench ice cold.
Only time will tell how well Fland performs, and whether his return is a blessing or a curse. But, Arkansas needs something with Thiero out. Fland is the most polished creator on the team, with an impressive 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio. He should be able to settle the offense in the face of adversity and create a few easy looks for Arkansas' versatile frontcourt scorers. Expect Trevon Brazile to feature heavily in this one.