John Calipari has been on the NCAA Tournament bubble before. And while it’s rarely the most gratifying position to be in at the end of the regular season, it’s one the first-year Arkansas head coach is well-versed in navigating.

John Calipari probably wanted a smoother ride in his first season with Arkansas basketball, but what matters is making the NCAA Tournament. That’s what the Razorbacks (19-12, 8-10 SEC) are in position to do after escaping with a 93-92 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.

Arkansas finds itself very much on the bubble of making the NCAA Tournament. While ESPN's Joe Lunardi has the Hogs as one of the last four teams in, John Calipari is hoping the South Carolina disaster was an isolated incident for the entire program.

The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team currently sits at 18-12 overall. And their head coach, John Calipari is well aware this season has taken many twists and turns along the way. His team has evolved a number of times throughout the 2024-2025 college basketball campaign.