College basketball and everything- SEC analyst Paul Finebaum had a lot to say about the Kentucky Wildcats’ basketball program Monday. As the program heads into the Sweet 16, Finebaum remained critical of one specific fact around the Wildcats’ potential exit this tournament.
Paul Finebaum weighs in on what happens if John Calipari’s Arkansas surpasses the Kentucky Wildcats in March Madness
On On3’s Andy Staples’ “Andy & Ari,” Finebaum said former Wildcat and current Arkansas Razorback head coach John Calipari’s team surpassing Kentucky would be “a colossal disaster.”
It was all joy in Lexington, Kentucky as Calipari’s Razorbacks were struggling in his first year away from the Wildcats, sitting at 13-7 with a 1-6 SEC record, heading into Rupp Arena. Arkansas blue the roof off No. 12 Arkansas.
Now, as both teams sit in the Sweet 16, Finebaum said a lot is on the line for the Wildcats, the team Calipari left after not feeling fully supported last year.
I asked @finebaum what it could do to the collective psyche of Big Blue Nation if John Calipari’s Arkansas team made it further than Kentucky in this NCAA Tournament.
His answer?
“A colossal disaster.” pic.twitter.com/c2dlDyGuqm
— Andy Staples (@Andy_Staples) March 25, 2025
“It’s already been, I think, a colossal disaster for Big Blue Nation because they didn’t want Cal to even get in the tournament, let alone get where they are, but winning Sunday for Mark Pope was significant,” Finebaum said.
“There’s a lot going on there and I know ‘schadenfreude’ is a big word but this is boomerang on them because in mid-January Cal had no chance of making the field and Kentucky was feeling pretty good and then he goes up there and wins that game. I haven’t looked that far into the bracket because I know it’s a virtual impossibility. But I wonder if they could meet in the Final Four.”
What’s Next in the Sweet 16
No. 10 Arkansas is set to play No. 3 Texas Tech on Thursday for a spot in the Elite Eight, where they’ll face the winner of No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Maryland.
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No. 3 Kentucky will take on No. 2 Tennessee on Friday, with the winner advancing to face either No. 1 Houston or No. 4 Purdue.
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