Seth Greenberg reveals keys to success for Arkansas against Kansas in NCAA Tournament

Kansas and Arkansas match up in one of the most anticipated Round of 32 matchups Saturday afternoon, and ESPN College GameDay host Seth Greenberg is picking the Razorbacks in the absence of Jayhawks head coach Bill Self.

His pick has nothing to do with the man on the bench but instead believes Arkansas might be a matchup nightmare for the Jayhawks.

“I look at this Arkansas team, they are so talented. They’re so athletic. That backcourt is so dynamic and they have the ability to play downhill. They get to the free-throw line and put your defense in a conundrum,” Greenberg said on College GameDay Saturday morning. “The one thing that this Kansas team can’t afford is to get into foul trouble.

“Then, defensively, [Arkansas] has athletic, hard-playing defense. They take away what you want to get done. … A disruptive defense, a downhill offense — I know they don’t shoot it all that well, but they can get into the bench of Kansas, I think Arkansas wins this game.”

Arkansas is coming off a 10-point win over Illinois in the first round, while Kansas cruised past Howard by 28. Three Razorbacks scored in double figures for Arkansas on Thursday, including Ricky Council‘s team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Davonte Davis and Anthony Black combined for 28 and 12 rebounds of their own as well. Still, Arkansas’ 27.3 percent (3-11) shooting from deep is a major concern against a team like Kansas.

For Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman, beating Kansas starts internally. He wasn’t shy about pointing out his team’s defensive inconsistencies throughout the season, but praised his team for holding a team like the Illini to 63 points while holding the Fighting Illini to 38.5 percent shooting.

The Hogs take on the tall task of stopping the Jayhawks from its ultimate goal of repeating as national champions. Kansas star Jalen Wilson led the Big 12 in points (20.1) and rebound (8.4) this year. Dajuan Harris Jr. ranks ninth in the country with 6.3 assists per game and is solely tasked with getting on the Arkansas defense’s nerves.

Tip-off between the Razorbacks and Kansas is set for 5:15 p.m. ET live on CBS. The Jayhawks are four-point favorites over Arkansas heading into the matchup after the line opened at -3.5. Check out all of Saturday’s March Madness lines and odds here.