PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Arkansas basketball is one win away from the Sweet 16 after a 79-72 victory over Kansas in the first round of the men’s NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
The No. 10 Razorbacks (21-13) got 22 points from Jonas Aidoo and 18 from Johnell Davis, erasing a late deficit in a comeback victory over the No. 7 Jayhawks. Their reward is setting John Calipari up with a Hall-of-Fame matchup against St. John’s (31-4) and Rick Pitino.
Calipari is 13-10 against Pitino at the collegiate level. They used to frequently go head-to-head when Calipari was at Kentucky and Pitino was in charge of Louisville.
Below is a scouting report and prediction for the March Madness showdown between the Hogs and Red Storm.
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Can Arkansas basketball score enough points against Rick Pitino defense?
According to KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating, St. John’s has the No. 1-ranked defense in the country. The Red Storm have allowed 75 points or more in just two of its past 20 games.
Kadary Richmond was a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award, while Zuby Ejiofor is an athletic presence in the post. St. John’s starting guards are all at least 6-foot-6, and the backcourt height makes life difficult for opposing guards.
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Arkansas also struggled against the zone from Kansas on Thursday, and Pitino has never shied away from that defensive alignment.
Can the Hogs front court take advantage of its size?
While the St. John’s guards are big, the Red Stom doesn’t have a player taller than 6-9 who plays more than 10 minutes a game.
That should be a good omen for Aidoo and Trevon Brazile, who have come to life in recent weeks. Brazile was terrific against Kansas with 11 points and 12 rebounds, and he could be a difference-maker on the offensive glass.
Razorbacks must slow down RJ Luis Jr.
Luis entered the tournament averaging 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. He can score at all three levels and consistently gets to the free-throw line, averaging 5.2 attempts per game.
His size and athleticism at 6-7 presents a difficult matchup for Arkansas. He’s too big for D.J. Wager or Boogie Fland and too quick for any of the front court trio.
That could leave the defensive assignment to Johnell Davis or freshmen Karter Knox and Billy Richmond.
Arkansas prediction vs St. John’s: March Madness second round
The Razorbacks have the athletes and talent to matchup with St. John’s, but they’ll endure one-too many scoring slumps against arguably the best defense in America. Pitino will get the Red Storm into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. St. John’s 73, Arkansas 65.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected] or follow him@jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
