Kentucky basketball, John Calipari back in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 — just not together
John Calipari and Kentucky basketball are back in the Sweet 16 (just not together this go-round).
Almost a year after news broke that Calipari would leave UK's program, where he spent 15 years before leaving for Arkansas, the third-seeded Wildcats and 10th-seeded Razorbacks are set to play other teams in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament later this week.
With first-year coach Mark Pope and a new roster, the Wildcats are 24-11 and playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.
Pope is the first UK coach not named Calipari to lead the Cats to a regional semifinal for the first time since 2005.
After a hard-fought victory over sixth-seeded Illinois in the second round Sunday, the Wildcats will play second-seeded Tennessee in a Midwest Region semifinal at 7:39 p.m. ET Friday in Indianapolis (TBS/truTV).
The Razorbacks (22-13) have had a roller-coaster season in Year 1 with Calipari. They have found their stride at the perfect moment and upset second-seeded St. John's in the second round.
Calipari moved to 24-10 over another former Kentucky coach, Rick Pitino, in head-to-head matchups, and he has won nine of the last 11.
Arkansas will face third-seeded Texas Tech at 10:09 p.m. ET Thursday in a West Region semifinal in San Francisco (TBS/truTV).
Here's what you need to know about Arkansas and Kentucky in the Big Dance:
John Calipari, in the NCAA Tournament
Calipari and Pitino are the only coaches in NCAA history to advance to the Final Four with three different programs.
In Calipari's coaching career, he has taken 24 teams to the NCAA Tournament, 16 Sweet 16s, 12 Elite Eights, six Final Fours and two-time NCAA runner-up; he won the NCAA championship with Kentucky in 2012.
The Hall of Fame coach is 59-22 in NCAA Tournament games. His 59 wins are the most among active coaches.
Calipari started his collegiate coaching career at UMass, leading the Minutemen to their first Sweet 16 in 1992. That began a streak of five straight NCAA Tournaments, three Sweet 16s and a 1996 Final Four appearance.
He started coaching at Memphis in 2000, returning to college basketball after a coaching stint in the NBA. He took the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament six times, earning a 1-seed twice. The 2007-08 team went 38-2, setting an NCAA record at the time for most victories in a season. They made it to the national championship that year and fell in overtime to Mario Chalmers and Kansas.
At Kentucky, Calipari finally achieved the ultimate goal of winning a national championship. Led by freshman sensation and National Player of the Year Anthony Davis, the 2011-12 Wildcats went 38-2 (tied his previous record) and beat Kansas in the final. In 15 seasons at UK, Calipari went to the NCAA Tournament 12 times, totaling four trips to the Final Four.
Kentucky NCAA Tournament history
The furthest the Wildcats have advanced as a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament was to the Elite Eight in 1998 under Tubby Smith.
The Wildcats are playing in their 62nd NCAA Tournament and are the winningest program in NCAA history. Kentucky has played 187 games in the Big Dance and is 132-55.
The Cats have played in 17 Final Fours and have won eight national championships.
Arkansas NCAA Tournament history
In recent history, Eric Musselman, Calipari's predecessor, took the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 three times and the Elite Eight twice in five years.
As a 10-seed, this is the second-highest seed an Arkansas team has had that made it to the Sweet 16. They made it to a regional semifinal as a 12-seed in 1996.
Arkansas is playing in its 37th NCAA Tournament and holds a 52-35 record. It has been to six Final Fours and won a championship in 1994.
2025 March Madness Sweet 16 teams
- No. 1 Auburn (South)
- No. 1 Duke (East)
- No. 1 Houston (Midwest)
- No. 1 Florida (West)
- No. 2 Tennessee (Midwest)
- No. 2 Alabama (East)
- No. 2 Michigan State (South)
- No. 3 Texas Tech (West)
- No. 3 Kentucky (Midwest)
- No. 4 Purdue (Midwest)
- No. 4 Maryland (West)
- No. 4 Arizona (East)
- No. 5 Michigan (South)
- No. 6 BYU (East)
- No. 6 Ole Miss (South)
- No. 10 Arkansas (West)
Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: March Madness: Kentucky basketball, John Calipari back in Sweet 16
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