Paul Finebaum: John Calipari NCAA Tournament run is a 'colossal disaster' for Kentucky

After beginning SEC play with an 0-5 record, Arkansas is heading to the Sweet Sixteen. During an appearance on Andy & Ari On3, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum explained why Razorbacks head coach John Calipari‘s success during March Madness is disastrous for Kentucky.

“It’s already been I think a colossal disaster for Big Blue Nation because they didn’t want [Calipari] to get in the tournament, let alone get where they are,” Finebaum said. “Winning Sunday for Mark Pope was significant but there’s a lot going on there. And I know schadenfreude is a big word but this boomeranged on them.

“In mid-January, Cal had no chance of making the field, and Kentucky was feeling pretty good, and then he comes up there and wins that game. I haven’t looked that far into the bracket because I know it’s a virtual impossibility but I wonder if they could meet in the Final Four.”

Schadenfreude, described as the pleasure derived from someone else’s misfortune, is what Finebaum believes Kentucky fans were feeling earlier this season while watching Calipari struggle at Arkansas. However, Wildcats fans certainly weren’t smiling after Calipari and his Razorbacks marched into Rupp Arena and upset Kentucky 88-79 on Feb. 1.

It was a turning point in the season for the Razorbacks, who were 1-6 in conference play at the time of the victory. After its win over Kentucky, Arkansas went 7-5 against conference opponents and earned an 10-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Alas, Arkansas didn’t stop there. The Razorbacks defeated 7-seed Kansas and 2-seed St. John’s to reach the Sweet Sixteen and secure a matchup against 3-seed Texas Tech. Along the way, Calipari looked like a hero and the elite coach many fans once considered him to be.

Despite Finebaum’s claims of Calipari’s run being disastrous for Kentucky, the Wildcats are still dancing as well. On Sunday, Kentucky defeated Illinois to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019.

For many Kentucky fans, the Wildcats’ success in the postseason only validated the program’s decision to hire Mark Pope. Unfortunately for college basketball junkies around the nation, Kentucky and Arkansas won’t be able to rematch this season unless they meet in the National Championship.

Thus, it’s perhaps better for both fanbases to be happy with the way their seasons turned out without being annoyed by the other’s success. Arkansas will take on Texas Tech on Thursday while Kentucky will square off against Tennessee on Friday.