Regardless of an 0-5 begin to SEC play and a 10-seed subsequent to its title, Arkansas remains to be dancing at March Insanity and appears extra like a prime seed than a Cinderella.
That is principally thanks to go coach John Calipari, who has now led 4 completely different colleges to the Candy Sixteen in his 37-year profession.
Calipari is most identified for his dominant years main the Kentucky Wildcats, showing in 4 Last Fours and profitable the 2012 nationwide championship.
On the finish of the 2023-24 season, he introduced he can be leaving Lexington and never lengthy after he signed with Kentucky’s SEC rival in Fayetteville.
His success in only one 12 months has been obvious, knocking off 7-seed Kansas and 2-seed St. John’s within the event’s first weekend.
Calipari’s departure created a large emptiness at Kentucky, which was ultimately stuffed by former BYU head coach Mark Pope, a Wildcat alum.
Pope’s place at BYU was then stuffed by former Phoenix Suns affiliate head coach Kevin Younger.
All three at the moment are teaching their groups on this 12 months’s Candy 16.
