FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks men’s basketball team advanced deep into the SEC Tournament before earning a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament West Region, following a strong postseason run.
In the SEC Tournament semifinals on March 14 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, No. 3-seeded Arkansas (24-8, 13-5 SEC) defeated No. 15-seeded Ole Miss 93-90 in overtime. Freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. scored 24 points with seven assists, while Meleek Thomas led with 29 points to help the Hogs overcome a resilient Rebels squad that had upset higher seeds en route to the semis. The win advanced Arkansas to the SEC championship game on March 15 against Vanderbilt, where they ultimately claimed the title.
The victory over Ole Miss marked Arkansas’s first SEC Tournament championship appearance in years and boosted their resume heading into Selection Sunday.
Arkansas was selected as a No. 4 seed in the West Region, with a first-round matchup against No. 13-seeded Hawaii on Thursday, March 19, at 3:25 p.m. CT in Portland, Oregon, at the Moda Center. The Hogs enter the NCAA Tournament at 26-8 overall, riding momentum from their SEC title win.
Under Coach John Calipari, the team has featured standout play from Acuff, who earned SEC Player and Freshman of the Year honors during the regular season, along with contributions from Trevon Brazile, Billy Richmond, Karter Knox and others.
Fans can follow the tournament action through ESPN broadcasts and streaming on SEC Network+. The Razorbacks aim to build on their conference success in March Madness.
