Bill Self describes challenges of facing a John Calipari team

One of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament’s biggest games is going to come when the Kansas Jayhawks take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. A 10-seed taking on a seven-seed, the game will be highlighted by the two coaches, Bill Self and John Calipari.

Ahead of the game, Self praised Calipari. In particular, he shared what makes the teams that he coaches so difficult to beat.

“To me, he’s always recruited great players and terrific athletes,” Bill Self said. “I think they do a great job coaching them too, and I think they usually guard, and I’m sure they’ll do that and they’re battle-tested going through the grind of the SEC.”

Coming into the game, Kansas is 21-12 and 11-9 in Big 12 play. However, Self’s squad stumbled at the end of the season, losing three of its final five games this season. Then, Arkansas was 20-13 and 8-10 in the SEC. The Razorbacks, for their part, won five out of their seven final games.

“But, it’ll be a fun, competitive game. I know we’re going to have to play really well to win,” Self said. “And I believe they’re going to have to play well to win too. So, we’ve gone against each other quite a bit over time, but I don’t believe we’ve ever gone against each other, except in two really big games, in the NCAA Tournament, and we split those. So, it’ll be a much-talked-about matchup, I assume.”

Self and Calipari each have one national championship in their respective careers. Coincidentally, they also each won their respective championship against the other. Self’s came while Calipari was at Memphis while Calipari got Self once he moved to Kentucky.

There is certainly mutual respect between Self and Calipari. That respect is deep enough, in fact, that Calipari doesn’t even want to play against Self in the first round. He explained that perspective on The Pat McAfee Show ahead of the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re here in Providence,” Calipari said. “A four-team tournament. Kansas, come on. Bill Self, he won his national championship against us and me. We won our national championship against them. So, we’ve won at Allen [Fieldhouse]. They had won at our place. Bill and I, when I left Kansas, he followed me at Kansas. So, he went into the role I was in. Unbelievable the culture he’s built, the program, all of that stuff. He and I are friends. I hate playing people that I consider friends or know well. All these teams, why you gotta put me against him first game? So, we know what we’re up against.”

Tip-off for Kansas and Arkansas is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. EST on Thursday. The winner is going to advance to the Round of 32 where they will take on either Omaha or St. John’s.