Who: No. 8 seed Arkansas Razorbacks (21-13) vs No. 1 seed No. 4-5 Kansas Jayhawks (28-7)
What: Arkansas will be playing a No. 1 seed for the third consecutive year.
When: Saturday, Mar. 18, 4:15 p.m.
Where: Wells Fargo Arena (16,110) in Des Moines, Iowa
Television: CBS (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce)
Listen Online: No streaming for NCAA Tournament games
Radio: ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
–Sirius/XM National Broadcast: 136 (Sirius) / 206 (XM) || SXM App: Channel 967
DES MOINES, Iowa — For the third straight year, Arkansas will be facing a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when the No. 8 seed Razorbacks face No. 1 seed Kansas (ranked No. 4-5) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament West Region on Saturday (Mar. 18). Tipoff is set for 4:15 p.m. and the game will be televised on CBS.
The Jayhawks will be without coach Bill Self, who made the announcement Saturday morning he would not be on the sidelines for the game with the Razorbacks.
“Well I’m feeling much better,” Self told Greg Gurley. “I’ve got more energy. I’ve been with the team all week on a limited basis, you know, in practice. But I’m there every day and doing a lot of sitting in practice, I’ve never really done that. But I’m getting better at that I guess. But I feel better, but still, I’m not ready to coach the game.”
We’ll see if that works to the Hogs’ advantage or not.
• Arkansas and Kansas have me on 13 previous occasions. The Jayhawks own an 8-5 advantage in the series.
• This is the second time Arkansas has faced Kansas in the NCAA Tournament. Then No. 2 Razorbacks (also seeded second) lost 93-81 to then No. 12 Kansas (seeded No. 3) in the 1991 NCAA Elite 8 in Charlotte.
• Arkansas is coming off a first-round win over Illinois. This is the first time since 1996, ’95 and ’94 that the Razorbacks have won three straight NCAA openers.
• For the third straight year, Arkansas will face a No. 1 seed. Previously, Arkansas lost to No. 1 seed (No. 3 ranked) Baylor in the 2021 Elite 8 and defeated No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the 2022 Sweet 16.
• Ricky Council recorded his first double-double as a Razorback and the third for his career in the win over Illinois. He had 16 points (11-of-12 at the free throw line) and pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds, including eight defensive.
• Anthony Black is THE ONLY player in the SEC to rank among the top 25 in five major categories (Pts • Rebs • Asts • Stl • Blk). He ranks 3rd in STEALS (2.00), 4th in ASSISTS (4.06), 18th in POINTS (12.82), 22nd in REBOUNDS (5.11) and 23rd in BLOCKED SHOTS (0.62).
