For the first time since 2000, the No. 17-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks won the SEC Tournament on Sunday, and Arkansas head coach John Calipari wondered if winning the title was worth it.
Darius Acuff Jr. scored 30 points as the Razorbacks defeated the No. 22-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, 86-75. The tournament title will now rest in Fayetteville, Ark., until next season.
John Calipari Questions If Arkansas’s SEC Tournament Win Helps NCAA Seeding
After celebrating the victory with his team, Calipari met with reporters. He talked about where the Razorbacks might be seeded in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament while also wondering about getting his players some rest.
Trey Wallace, senior national college sports reporter for OutKick and Fox News, posted Calipari’s comments on X.
John Calipari, on NCAA seeding and rest, after winning SEC Tournament
“Now my guess is, we’ll play Wednesday..Hopefully they’ll say ‘Let them rest till Friday’. Not a chance” “Let’s see where they seed us..Does this matter. I don’t know” — Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace) March 15, 2026
“John Calipari, on NCAA seeding and rest, after winning SEC Tournament …,” Wallace wrote. “‘Now my guess is, we’ll play Wednesday..Hopefully they’ll say ‘Let them rest till Friday.’ Not a chance’ … ‘Let’s see where they seed us..Does this matter. I don’t know.'”
With Sunday’s results, the Razorbacks and Commodores both stand at 26-8 overall. The NCAA Tournament Selection Committee has its work cut out for it as the hours dwindle down toward Selection Sunday’s big reveal.
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Billy Richmond III added 18 points for Arkansas, while teammate Trevon Brazile contributed 16.
Calipari is in his second season as head coach of the Razorbacks. He took Arkansas to the NCAA Men’s Tournament last season, too. Counting this season, Calipari has taken his college basketball programs to 25 NCAA Men’s Tournament appearances.
Calipari took Massachusetts to a Final Four, Memphis to a Final Four, and Kentucky to four Final Fours. He won his lone NCAA championship with the Wildcats in the 2011-12 college basketball season.
Like coaches of many other college basketball teams, Calipari will be sitting with his players and watching when the NCAA Men’s Tournament seedings are announced. Through two seasons at Arkansas, Calipari has a 48-22 record, a 68.6% winning percentage. Overall, Calipari has a 902-285 record, a 76% winning percentage.
With Acuff leading the way, Arkansas hopes the SEC Tournament victory will help the Razorbacks get a good seeding in the tournament. Time will tell, and the Razorbacks are just going to have to wait and see how things turn out.
