Arkansas holds off Kansas 79-72 in March Madness matchup of coaches Calipari and Self

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — John Calipari got past a familiar foe to put himself — and the coach's new school — back on the winning side in March.

Jonas Aidoo scored 22 points to help 10th-seeded Arkansas to a 79-72 opening-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 7 seed Kansas on Thursday night in the latest meeting between two of college basketball’s winningest coaches.

Johnell Davis added 18 points, including some crucial late free throws, to help Calipari to his first tournament victory with the Razorbacks. Freshman standout Boogie Fland played for the first time since having right thumb surgery in January and scored six points in 24 minutes.

“We have to rely on everyone. When you’re down in numbers, everyone’s got to help you," Calipari said. “That’s where we are. The second half, we didn’t shoot it well. We didn’t make 3s, but we made the ones that mattered and we made free throws.”

Arkansas will face No. 2 seed St. John's — led by another national title-winning coach, Rick Pitino — in the second round of the West Region on Saturday.

Zeke Mayo had 18 points for Kansas (21-13), which has made 35 straight NCAA Tournaments and hadn't lost in the first round since 2006 — coach Bill Self's third season at the school. AJ Storr finished with 15 points and Hunter Dickinson added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Thursday’s matchup was the third March Madness meeting between two of the four active win leaders in men’s college basketball. Calipari is second (876), with Self fourth (831) on the list. Both previous meetings were in the national championship game, with each winning once.

Despite having a third consecutive tournament appearance end before the Sweet 16 since Kansas' last national title in 2022, Self doesn't believe the Jayhawks are in decline.

“We’ve got to reevaluate on how we do things and you can’t afford misses," Self said. “In today’s time, there’s going to be schools that do a great job, but still there’s an element of luck involved, I think more now than there was even before.”

Kansas erased an 11-point second-half deficit and nudged ahead 65-64 on a follow shot by Storr with less than six minutes remaining.

The Jayhawks kept the lead until Aidoo connected on a pair of free throws to put the Razorbacks back in front. Arkansas got a stop on the other end and then got a 3-pointer by Davis that gave it a 71-67 cushion with less than two minutes on the clock.

Arkansas’ edge was down to 71-69 before Davis dropped in a pair of free throws. Dickinson missed a 3 on Kansas’ next trip and Arkansas added two more free throws.

The Jayhawks got it back down to 75-72 on a 3-pointer by Rylan Griffen with 13 seconds left. The Razorbacks called back-to-back timeouts trying to get the ball inbounds. They finally did and Davis calmly sank two free throws to help close it out.

“We believed in the moment,” Davis said. “Coach always stayed on us, pushed us, even when we were down and he helped us get through everything.”

Arkansas: Posted its first tournament victory since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2023 under then-coach Eric Musselman.

Kansas: Kansas fell to 47-6 in first-round games.

Kansas forward KJ Adams limped off the court with 3:10 to play with what Self said is an apparent Achilles tendon injury. Adams had 13 points and four rebounds.

“We’re hoping for the best tomorrow. I’m not sure it’s going to be great news, though,” Self said. “It’s one thing to lose the game but to see him potentially lose a year on top of the game, you know, that’s a pretty big blow.”

The Razorbacks face Pitino, the active coach with the most wins. He was also Calipari's longtime rival when he was with Louisville and Calipari coached at Kentucky.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.

Arkansas forward Jonas Aidoo (9) celebrates with Trevon Brazile (4) after defeating Kansas after their game in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Arkansas guard Boogie Fland, left, is fouled by Kansas guard AJ Storr, right, during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Arkansas guard Boogie Fland, left, is fouled by Kansas guard AJ Storr, right, during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

CAIRO (AP) — A recreational submarine taking 45 tourists on an underwater cruise of coral reefs in the Red Sea sank off the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada on Thursday, leaving six Russians dead, the provincial governor said. The remaining tourists, more than two dozen of whom were injured, were rescued, he said.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately known. The Russian consulate said it took place about 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) offshore.

The submarine was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crewmembers when it sank, Red Sea governor Maj. Gen. Amr Hanafi, said in a statement, adding that rescue teams were quickly sent.

He said all six dead were Russians, and that 29 of the 39 tourists rescued were injured and taken to hospitals. No one was still missing from the vessel, he said.

Hurghada is a major destination for divers, snorkelers and other tourists drawn by the Red Sea's extensive coral reefs.

The submarine, named “Sindbad,” runs tours lasting about 40 minutes underwater, cruising at about 20-25 meters (65-80 feet) underwater with panoramic windows on the bottom to give views of the marine life, according to the website of the company that the Russian consulate identified as running the vessel.

The company did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

Russia’s Tass news agency earlier said the Russian dead included at least two children, citing the country's consul in Hurghada. The consulate had said all 45 tourists on board were Russian, but the Egyptian governor said they also included Indian, Norwegian and Swedish citizens.

Footage posted by the governor's office showed Hanafy meeting survivors at the hospital, including two Egyptian crewmembers. One Russian tourist had a small bandage on his head. A family with two young daughters smiled and told him they were OK. An Indian man asked Hanafy to see his daughter, who remains in critical condition, doctors can be heard explaining.

In November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after warnings of rough waters, Egyptian officials said. At least four people drowned, while 33 were rescued.

Tourism is an important sector of Egypt's economy but many tourist companies have stopped or limited traveling on the Red Sea due to the dangers from conflicts in the region.

Tourists wait on the beach after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo)

A tourist watches search operations in the area where a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo)

A police vehicle stand alert in front of of the Egyptian hospital in Hurghada, where survivors receive medical care after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo)

A tourist watches search operations in the area where a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo)

Boats search for survivors after a tourist submarine sank in the popular Egyptian Red Sea destination of Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo)

FILE - Tourists walk on the Giftun Island beach as the sun sets over the Red Sea in Hurghada, Egypt, Thursday Aug. 20, 2015. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)