Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari is happy with how his team competed in the NCAA tournament so far. The Razorbacks are in the Sweet 16 after defeating St. John's Saturday, 75-66. Following the victory, Calipari elaborated on his feelings.

“They’re fun to coach… I’ve told them many times I’ve felt this is the most rewarding year we’ve had based on how far we’ve come,” Calipari said to reporters postgame, per Rhody Vault.

Arkansas is one of the more surprising stories of the tournament so far. The Razorbacks are a no. 10 seed and were underdogs in both of their March Madness games. Arkansas basketball got big wins over Kansas and St. John's, to make the Sweet 16.

This is Calipari's first trip to the second weekend of March Madness since 2019. Back then, he was leading the Kentucky Wildcats.

John Calipari has exceeded expectations with Arkansas basketball 

rkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari watches his team practice during the First Round Practice Session at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Arkansas and Calipari joined forces soon after the coach decided to leave Kentucky. Things had gotten stale for Calipari in Lexington; he had gone five seasons without a trip to the Sweet 16. His last Final Four appearance with the Wildcats was in 2015.

Arkansas basketball has found the right mix with Calipari and his players. Like at Kentucky, Cal is using a lot of freshmen to lead the charge. That includes guard Boogie Fland, who followed Calipari from Lexington to Fayetteville.

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Arkansas struggled to shoot the ball against St. John's, but used excellent defense to disrupt the Big East champions. The Razorbacks' size caused problems for the St. John's guards. That length also caused issues for Kansas in the Round of 64.

“I said prior to the game, ‘How about we give ourselves a chance to make some magic? Let's go fight like heck, play free and loose, [and] whatever happens, happens,'” Calipari said, per ESPN.

Arkansas now moves on to face Texas Tech from the Big 12. It will be another tough battle for the Razorbacks, who will be the underdog for the third consecutive game in regard to seeding. Texas Tech is the no. 3 seed in the West region.

“It's been a really tough year,” said Arkansas assistant Bruiser Flint. “We lost our best players. We didn't really have that many guys. He kept 'em together. He got the big guys going. He kept the focus. He kept telling the guys to believe we're going to be the most improved team in the country. And we did that.

“And he made the guys believe, and then he kept telling everybody, your time will come and we're going to need you and just be ready. And he just kept preaching that, and that's a big reason why we're here right now.”

Arkansas and Texas Tech play Thursday.