Arkansas Knocked Off St. John's as a 10-Seed

The Razorbacks were the only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16 in the most chalk tournament in memory. Their second-round upset of the 2-seed Johnnies was the tournament's signature moment.

Why it matters: In a year where top seeds dominated, Arkansas's win over St. John's was the one result that reminded everyone this is still March. Kansas, once ranked No. 1 in the country, also fell in the first round to the Razorbacks' fellow 10-seed in a different game.

Published: March 23, 2025

The 2025 tournament didn't have much chaos. But it had Arkansas.

The Razorbacks entered as a 10-seed - a team that had been wildly inconsistent all season. They lost games they shouldn't have. They won games nobody expected. They were the kind of team that could beat anyone or lose to anyone on a given night.

In the first round, they beat 7-seed Kansas 79-72. Kansas had been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll earlier in the season. But Bill Self's team had been sliding for weeks, and the Jayhawks were bounced in the first round for the first time since 2006.

Then Arkansas faced 2-seed St. John's in the second round. The Johnnies had been one of the best stories of the regular season - a program that hadn't been a national contender in years, suddenly playing like a top-10 team. They were expected to make a deep run.

Arkansas won 75-66.

The Razorbacks played with energy and physicality that St. John's couldn't match. Their defense forced 15 turnovers. Their guards attacked the rim relentlessly. By the midpoint of the second half, Arkansas had built a double-digit lead and St. John's couldn't close the gap.

It was the tournament's only true bracket-busting result in the second round. And it mattered for bracket pools. St. John's was a popular Sweet 16 and Elite Eight pick. Their loss reshuffled standings in pools across the country.

Arkansas's run ended in the Sweet 16 against 1-seed Houston, which had too much defensive firepower for the Razorbacks to overcome. But for one weekend, Arkansas was the team that kept March interesting in a year when the favorites were winning almost everything.

The Razorbacks were the only team seeded lower than 6 to reach the Sweet 16. In a tournament where the Elite Eight consisted of four 1-seeds, three 2-seeds, and one 3-seed, Arkansas's presence in the second weekend was the lone reminder that upsets still happen, even in the calmest of Marches.

In short: 10-seed Arkansas upset 7-seed Kansas and 2-seed St. John's to reach the Sweet 16, the only double-digit seed to make the second weekend in 2025. In the chalkiest tournament in decades, the Razorbacks provided the one real surprise.