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Arkansas is gearing up for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2023, crashing into March Madness during the first season under head coach John Calipari. While the Razorbacks underwhelmed a bit while battling injuries, they grabbed a 10-seed in the West Region to face Kansas in the opening round.
These two sides faced off the last time Arkansas made the Big Dance, a dramatic 72-71 win by Eric Musselman’s Razorbacks in the second round to send Bill Self and Kansas packing. However, the two teams meet under vastly different circumstances this time around.
This time around, Kansas is listed as a 4.5-point favorite for the matchup per BetMGM, and neither side is given a great shot at a deep run. Kansas is only +1200 in the Final Four odds to win the West Region while Arkansas is considerably worse at +6000.
Still, all it takes is for the right group to get hot at the right time, and it all starts this week. Here are the key things to know about the matchup with the Jayhawks:
Not the average Jayhawks
Fans accustomed to the dominance of Kansas under Bill Self will be a bit taken aback by the numbers the Jayhawks produced this season. Kansas already has double-digit losses in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-2000 when Roy Williams was the head coach, and the program was just 6-11 in Quad 1 games while finishing 6th in the Big 12.
It resulted in a 7-seed for Kansas which is a strange feeling indeed. In fact, that is the lowest seed for Self as a head coach since 2000 when he was the head coach at Tulsa and also garnered a 7-seed. It is also the worst seeding for the Jayhawks since 2000 when they grabbed an 8-seed under Williams.
Since 2000, Kansas had been a 4-seed or better in every NCAA Tournament from 2001-24, including a staggering 11 times as a 1-seed. That doesn’t mean Kansas cannot be dangerous, but it is a different squad than in years prior.
Scoring might be a problem for Arkansas
Injuries played a significant role for Arkansas this season, though that could get a boost with Boogie Fland reportedly looking at a return. However, with or without Fland, this is not a great matchup for the Razorbacks offensively.
According to KenPom, Kansas is 11th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. On the flip side, Arkansas is 73rd in adjusted offensive deficiency.
The Jayhawks are tough both inside and out the 3-point arc. Opposing teams are shooting just 30.9% from 3-point range against Kansas and just 46% from inside the arc.
Combined, that comes out to a 39.9% shooting percentage defensively, a mark that ranks 15th nationally. Add on 4.8 blocks per game for the Jayhawks and it will be hard for the Razorbacks to get things rolling.
Big Z vs. Hunter Dickinson
Looking for a must-see matchup? It should be a fantastic big man duel between Zvonimir Ivisic and Hunter Dickinson.
Both players have fantastic size and length with Dickinson listed at 7-foot-1 and Ivisic checking in at 7-foot-2. Both have versatile skillsets and are not afraid to step out and shoot from the 3-point range, though Dickinson has regressed heavily from deep throughout his career. Meanwhile, Ivisic is shooting 37.9% from 3-point range in his career.
As expected with those kinds of frames, both are solid rim protectors with Ivisic averaging 2 blocks per game and Dickinson averaging 1.3 this season and 1.5 overall for his career. Dickinson can be a bit more physical inside the post, so look for him to try and get Ivisic into some foul trouble early to swing the game.
Either way, fans do not often get to see a pair of talented and skilled 7-footers of this caliber in a head-to-head matchup very often. And in a game like this, that matchup is bound to play a big role in the final outcome.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
