Someone had to be first. The first big fish to fall in the ɬַ tournament, that is, after the top four seeds in each region skipped through the first round 16-0.
That it turned out to be No. 2 seed St. John’s at the hands of Arkansas 75-66 was surprising. But how it happened was rather extraordinary.
Fourteen facts about the first truly major upset of 2025.
1. St. John’s had won the Big East season championship by three games. Arkansas had finished in a tie for ninth place in the SEC.
2. The Red Storm went 18-2 in league play, The Razorbacks started out 0-5, 1-6 and 4-9. “They became one heartbeat,” John Calipari said of his team’s recovery. “They figured out that if I worry more about the team and less about myself, man, I play better. It took time.”
3. When Thursday’s St. John’s game started, Rick Pitino officially became the first man ever to coach six different programs into the ɬַ tournament. When Saturday’s Arkansas game ended, Calipari become only the second man to coach four different programs into the Sweet 16. The other was Eddie Sutton. Both men had Arkansas and Kentucky on their list.
4. Arkansas was 2-for-19 in 3-point shooting. Abysmal. St. John’s was even worse at 2-for-22. That’s a combined .0975 percent.
5. But the Razorbacks shot 56 percent in 2-pointers.
6. Arkansas freshman Billy Richmond III is a reserve who came into the game averaging 5.5 points. St. John’s RJ Luis Jr. and Kadary Richmond were all-Big East selections producing 31 points between them. The Razorback freshman outscored the both of them combined Saturday 16-14. “I just take it as a regular game,” he said afterward. Calipari wasn’t surprised to hear it. “That's how he is. Nothing fazes him.”
7. Luis was 3-for-17. Whether it was his shooting or something else, Rick Pitino decided not to use him late in the game. So the Big East Player of the Year watched the last 4:56 from the bench as his team swirled down the drain. Pitino grew rather testy when asked about it afterward at his press conference. “You already know why he didn't play,” he said to one questioner. “You know he was 3-for-17. You know he was 0-for-3 (in 3’s) . . . I’m not going to knock one of my players.”
8. In 48 hours, Arkansas just took out Kansas and St. John’s, and was never behind either by more than four points. Meanwhile, Calipari beat Bill Self and Pitino, two coaches with four national championships and more than 1,700 wins.
9. Before Thursday, St. John’s had not won an ɬַ tournament game in 25 years.
10. A decisive underdog, Arkansas trailed for only 3:57. “Like I said prior to the game, how about we give ourselves a chance to make some magic?” Calipari said of his pregame talk. “Let's go fight like heck, play free and loose, whatever happens happens.”
11. Kadary Richmond led St. John’s this season in minutes played. Because of foul trouble, he was on the court for only 16 minutes.
12. St. John’s had 28 offensive rebounds and Arkansas still won. “Which is crazy,” Calipari said.
13. Johnell Davis had 13 points for the Razorbacks Saturday and 18 against Kansas. He’s made noise in March before. He was one of the Florida Atlantic ringleaders when the Owls went to the 2023 Final Four. In their victory that year over Fairleigh Dickinson, he became the first player in ɬַ tournament history to get 25 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals in a single game. Now he’s back thriving on the big stage. “It’s an amazing journey,” he said.
14. The Red Storm revival under Pitino was a fairy tale this season. Until it wasn’t.
“They outplayed us. They deserve to move on and we don't,” Pitino said. “That's what March Madness is all about. No matter how good a regular season you have, you play this way, you're going to get beat.
“I hate to see them go out this way. We thought we were championship-driven in our minds, but I have been disappointed before with this. I don't mind going out with a loss, I just hate to see us play that way offensively. You gotta live with it.”
