Arkansas, Calipari end St. John’s dream season to advance to Sweet 16 in upset win
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — John Calipari is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years.
After early NCAA Tournament exits defined the final years of his long tenure at Kentucky, the first-year Arkansas coach finds himself through to the second weekend of March Madness after his 10th-seeded Razorbacks outlasted No. 2 seed St. John’s, 75-66, here on Saturday afternoon.
Veteran guard Johnell Davis was one of three scorers in double figures for Arkansas, which led by as many as 13 points in the second half but had to hold off a frantic comeback bid by the Johnnies late.
The Razorbacks’ length and athleticism clearly bothered a St. John’s team that had prided itself in both its tenacious defense and its ability to get to the basket. Life was much more difficult than usual in the paint on both ends of the floor, particularly with the officials calling it tight. And the St. John’s offense sputtered with its season on the line, shooting just 28% on the day.
It was a much-ballyhooed matchup between two Hall of Fame head coaches, and once again Calipari got the better of his old rival Rick Pitino. Calipari now owns a 17-13 edge over Pitino head-to-head over the course of their long careers. And it was a most unexpected matchup, a gift from the basketball gods, between two coaches in the process of reinventing themselves — Pitino, taking a record sixth program to the NCAA Tournament by reinvigorating the long-dormant St. John’s program, and Calipari, facing a brand-new challenge after 15 years at the helm at Kentucky.
No one knew exactly what to expect from Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville, though. He certainly didn’t, reminding himself over and over this year that he needed to be patient. He needed to be at peace, understanding that just because he’d had so much success for so many years didn’t mean it would happen overnight at Arkansas.
There was that 0-5 start in Southeastern Conference play. All the injuries these Razorbacks sustained (and still are working through now). The historically deep league that spit Arkansas out into the NCAA Tournament as a double-digit seed — one that drew Bill Self’s Kansas team and then Pitino’s St. John’s squad.
“I’m kind of back to the roots of being the underdog,” Calipari said before the tournament began. “This was one of those years that was so rewarding. All I’m thinking about is where we were — threw us in the coffin, forgot the nails. No chance of the NCAA tournament and all of a sudden we’re here.”
And they’re not done yet. Arkansas will face the winner of Texas Tech-Drake in San Francisco with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
