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The Arkansas basketball team is on a Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament following back-to-back upsets over Kansas and St. John’s. The 10th-seeded Hogs are now headed to the Sweet 16.
John Calipari is back in the second weekend of the Big Dance for the first time since 2019. He bested two legendary coaches to get there.
The Razorbacks first took down Bill Self and the Jayhawks, a team that entered the year as the No. 1 team in the AP Poll. He then set his sights on Rick Pitino and the Big East champs.
Many left his team for dead at the start of SEC play. They’ve since been revived!
“They threw us in a coffin. They just forgot the nails. We pushed it open and we come out.”
🗣️ @CoachCalArk on @RazorbackMBB‘s turnaround from 0-5 in the SEC to the Sweet 16 | @EvanWashburn pic.twitter.com/fR8y2Pu7Iu
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 22, 2025
Arkansas’s success isn’t sitting well with a number of Kentucky Wildcats supporters. After seeing John Calipari drop early NCAA Tournament games to much lower seeded teams during his final years in Lexington, they’d hoped for an early exit with his new school.
That result might’ve solidified any previous doubts about parting ways with the head coach. Unfortunately, they’ve seen the opposite. Calipari’s exceeded expectations in his first season in Fayetteville after flopping with more highly ranked Kentucky squads.
Though the Wildcats also find themselves in the Sweet 16, many couldn’t help but to be spiteful.
John Calipari’s daughter blasted hateful attacks on social media.
Just want to be clear that this is MEGAN. You all are coming on here to be mean to me when you should be directing your hate at someone else🖤. #WooPigSooie https://t.co/1OtO3ik3Og
— Dr.ErinCalipari (@TheErinCalipari) March 24, 2025
Calipari posted a photo of his daughter, Megan, and wife watching along at the NCAA Tournament. It resulted in a negative response from a small portion of his following.
Some of those uninformed trolls mistook Megan for Calipari’s other daughter, Erin, who’s much more active on social media. She set the record straight!
She then further twisted the knife by thanking the Wildcats for having their eyes glued to Arkansas’s success.
Also, just to be clear, we aren’t about to be embarrassed about watching our dad take his fourth school to the sweet sixteen, but we love you are here for the ride with us!
-Erin Calipari on X
The Razorbacks will face off against Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. Big Blue Nation will likely tune in before watching the Wildcats play Tennessee.