The Arkansas Razorbacks are set to begin their quest for a national championship on Thursday, facing off against Kansas in Providence. The fact that the Razorbacks are even in the NCAA Tournament is remarkable, considering the challenges they faced earlier in the season. After starting the year 12-3, Arkansas hit a rough patch, losing their first five games in SEC play.

John Calipari and his team eventually found their rhythm, but another setback occurred late in the season when Arkansas lost Adou Thiero to an injury. This left Calipari with a seven-player rotation, which might be a nightmare for some teams. However, for whatever reason, this situation seemed to benefit the Razorbacks. Now, what happened in the regular season is irrelevant—one more loss means the end of their tournament run.

Arkansas’ matchup against Kansas in the first round promises to be an exciting one. Both Calipari and Bill Self are renowned coaches, each with a history of tremendous success. The return of Boogie Fland will be a significant boost, expanding the Razorbacks’ rotation to eight players instead of seven.

The key matchup to watch will be Hunter Dickinson against either Jonas Aidoo or Zvonimir Ivisic. This battle could very well decide the game—if Arkansas can’t contain the Jayhawks’ center, it could be a long night for them.

On Wednesday, Calipari had some fun taking a playful jab at the NCAA Selection Committee.

“John Calipari jokes that ‘someone must have been sick’ or ‘went to the bathroom’ on the NCAA Selection Committee for not putting Arkansas in Lexington,” ESPN’s Pete Thamel tweeted.

Of course, Calipari made this remark because he left Kentucky around this time last year. Calipari led the Wildcats to a national championship in 2012, and playing in Lexington during the tournament would have been quite a spectacle. Kentucky fans are still upset over his sudden departure, and it certainly would have been interesting if the Razorbacks had ended up in Lexington.