The Arizona Wildcats are two wins away from returning to the Final Four for the first time since 2001, advancing to the Sweet 16 in San Jose. They're the No. 1 seed in the West Region but face a formidable opponent in the No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks.
Here are a few things for fans to know about Arizona's next opponent.
Sweet 16 pic.twitter.com/1F6y8QFe4S
– Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 23, 2026
1. Arkansas's NCAA Tournament History
Arkansas is making its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 37th overall. The Razorbacks have made the Sweet 16 in five of the last six seasons, advancing to the Elite Eight twice under former head coach Eric Musselman. They reached this point as a No. 10 seed last season.
The Arkansas program rose to prominence under legendary head coach Eddie Sutton in the 1980s and continued along that trajectory under Nolan Richardson in the 1990s, reaching three of its five Final Fours during his tenure. Yet the Razorbacks are also in the midst of a Final Four drought — their last appearance was in 1995.
Arkansas also beat Arizona on its way to the National Championship in the 1994 Final Four in Charlotte.
2. Coach Cal's NCAA Tournament Lore
Head coach John Calipari is known as one of the most successful college basketball coaches of all time. He's making his 25th overall NCAA Tournament appearance and 17th in the Sweet 16. His teams have made six Final Fours and three championship game appearances, winning one title in 2012.
Calipari is one of five active coaches to take four programs to at least the Sweet 16. This will be the third time he has faced Arizona in the NCAA Tournament, going 1-1 with Memphis in 2006 and 2007. He is 3-5 all-time against No.1 seeds.
3. Darius Acuff Jr Is Not the Only Standout Freshman for Arkansas
By now, most know about Arkansas star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. The Detroit native is a projected NBA Lottery pick as the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, 1st team All-SEC, and SEC All-Freshman team, as voted by the league coaches and media. He's seventh in the country in scoring at 23.3 points per game. BYU's AJ Dybantsa is the only freshman with more.
However, another freshman to watch for the Razorbacks is Meleek Thomas. He's also an SEC All-Freshman team member and second on the team in scoring, putting up a similar season as former Razorbacks' one-and-done NBA Lottery pick Moses Moody. Together, Acuff Jr and Thomas are the highest-scoring freshmen duo in the nation.
4. Arkansas Boasts the Second-Best Offense in College Basketball
Where Arizona relies on a heavily physical and defensive identity, Arkansas is a full pedal-to-the-metal offensive squad. The Razorbacks average 90.3 points per game. trailing only Alabama. They've topped 90 points in each NCAA Tournament game this year and were only held under 75 points three times this season.
Four Arkansas players average over 11 points per game, and eight players shoot above 45% from the field.
5. Arkansas Is on a Massive Hot Streak
Obviously, getting to the Sweet 16 means a team is on some sort of winning streak, but for Arkansas, it goes back even further. The Razorbacks have won seven in a row without a loss in March. They also won the SEC Tournament championship. Overall, Arkansas has won 15 of its last 18 and 12 of its last 14.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arizona as Five Things Wildcats Fans Should Know About Arkansas.