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Jay Wright: Arkansas could 'give Kansas a problem' in potential second round matchup

Chandler Vesselsby:Chandler Vessels•03/12/23•

ChandlerVessels

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Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Former Villanova coach and two-time national champion Jay Wright knows a thing or two about the NCAA Tournament, and he sees Arkansas as a team that could potentially cause chaos in the West Region. The Razorbacks landed as the No. 8 seed in the region when the bracket was revealed Sunday, drawing a first-round matchup with Illinois.

Not only does Wright see Arkansas taking out the Fighting Illini, but he also believes it could give No. 1 seed Kansas a run for its money in the second round. He explained why on the Selection Sunday Show on CBS, citing the recent play from star freshman Nick Smith.

“I like Arkansas here against Illinois,” Wright said. “If Arkansas can get past Illinois, which is gonna be a great game, they match up with Kansas really well. Their length and speed, Nick Smith playing the way he is. They could give Kansas a problem right there (in the) second round game.”

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Smith, a projected lottery pick, missed nearly two months due to a knee injury before returning to the court in February. He has seemed to shaken off the rust at the right time, scoring 20 or more points in three of the final four games of the regular season, including a season-high 26 points against Georgia.

Smith isn’t the only freshman playing big minutes for the Razorbacks, as Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh are also key contributors. If they do advance to face the Jayhawks, it will be interesting to see how those young players handle their first March Madness experience.

Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament with a target on its back after having won the national championship in 2022. The Jayhawks followed that up with a 27-7 finish this season and still earned a No. 1 seed despite losing 76-56 to Texas in the Big 12 Tournament title. They are led by veteran forward Jalen Wilson, who is averaging a team-high 20.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, and freshman guard Gradey Dick (14.1 ppg).

Arkansas will begin its NCAA Tournament journey on Thursday against the Fighting Illini. Tip time for the game has still yet to be announced.