John Calipari reestablished himself as a March Madness force when his 10-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks knocked off Kansas and St. John's in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He will enter this year's Big Dance with a renewed aura, as his squad prepares to make a deep run. Saturday's road matchup against Missouri gave players a chance to test their resolve one last time before next week's SEC Tournament. Coach Cal was not disappointed.
Without projected top-10 NBA Draft pick and potential league player of the year Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas went into Columbia and gutted out an 88-84 overtime victory. Redshirt senior Trevon Brazile, who began his college career at Mizzou in 2021, nailed a go-ahead 3-pointer with 39 seconds left on the clock, via Basket Under Review's Brian Rauf. The clutch shot catapulted Calipari to a landmark 900th win and forced the selection committee to think a little harder about the Tigers' Tournament qualifications.
Arkansas just went on the road and beat Missouri in overtime without Darius Acuff.
Maleek Thomas led the way with 28 points, and was one of five Razorbacks in double figures. pic.twitter.com/AbvF8yKCfA
— Brian Rauf (@brauf33) March 7, 2026
Arkansas basketball fans are teeming with confidence after watching their team close out the regular season with a hard-fought win. “Incredibly proud of everyone!! Every single player fought their hearts out,” @TJMelt1015 commented on X. “Could not be any better than TB making a dagger 3 against Mizzou.”
“No Acuff, no problem,” @Scott_Sanders23 remarked. “That’s what I am talking about! Did this without the best player in college basketball,” @LibraSid40 proclaimed. “Everyone stepped up!! And how about Trevon? Helping to spoil Mizzu’s senior day! Way to go, HOGS!!!”
Since Calipari decided to let star guard Darius Acuff Jr. recover from his nagging ankle injury, others had to step up versus Missouri. Meleek Thomas scored a team-high 28 points on 9-of-22 shooting (five 3-pointers) with seven rebounds, one steal and one block. Overtime hero Trevon Brazile added 19 points, nine boards and three steals, while Malique Ewin gave the Razorbacks 17 points, nine rebounds and two swats in 31 minutes off the bench.
Arkansas' defense may cap its ceiling in March, but this team displayed great tenacity in Mizzou Arena. That quality could stand out boldly when people fill out their brackets. The No. 20 Razorbacks will enter the SEC Tournament with a healthier Acuff and a ton of confidence.
