That early meeting will have no influence on the first-round NCAA Tournament game between No. 7 Kansas (21-12) and No. 10 Arkansas (20-13), scheduled for Thursday night at 7:10 at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. Arkansas’ 85-69 thrashing of Kansas last fall is a minor detail as legendary coaches, Bill Self and John Calipari, prepare to meet again.

The NCAA Tournament is set to tip off and in one of the opening matchups, there is a marquee game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Kansas Jayhawks. That, in turn, is going to a pair of Hall of Fame coaches against one another in John Calipari and Bill Self.

PROVIDENCE -- Arkansas coach John Calipari says he called his shot. The Naismith Hall of Fame coach says he “predicted” that Arkansas would land in the same bracket as Kansas and St. John’s -- which feature fellow Hall of Fame coaches Bill Self and Rick Pitino, respectively.