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Ultimate Guide to Razorbacks in Portland: Hogs’ NCAA Tourney Quad Breakdown

Arkansas opens March Madness against Hawaii while Wisconsin and High Point await in an offensive-heavy West Region bracket
Jacob Davis|
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff during game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff during game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Razorbacks basketball squad learned its seeding and destination for the NCAA Tournament Sunday with a first round game against Hawaii in Portland.

How to Watch

WHO: No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks vs. No. 14 seed Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
WHEN: Thursday, March 19, 2026, 3:25 p.m. CT
VENUE: Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
TV: TBS
STREAM: Paramount+
RADIO: Razorbacks Sports Network affiliates

Not only will the Razorbacks play out West, they will also be what could potentially be one of the more exciting quadrants of the whole tournament.

There will be plenty of offense on deck with Arkansas (No. 6), Wisconsin (No. 11), High Point (No. 66) all ranking in the top100 of KenPom's metrics while Hawaii ranks in the top-50 for defensive efficiency.

Portland Seeds and Records

No. 4 seed Arkansas, 26-8, SEC
No. 14 seed Hawaii, 24-8, Big South
No. 5 seed Wisconsin, 24-10, Big Ten
No. 12 seed High Point, 30-4, Big South

Arkansas coach John Calipari reacts to play during SEC Tournament Championship Game against Vanderbil
Arkansas coach John Calipari reacts to play during the second half of the SEC tournament championship game against Vanderbilt at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, March 15, 2026. | ANDREW NELLES / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

KenPom Ratings

Arkansas: No. 15 overall (+26.05), No. 6 offensive efficiency, No. 48 defensive efficiency
Wisconsin: No. 22 overall (+23.39), No. 11 offensive efficiency, No. 51 defensive efficiency
High Point: No. 92 overall (+8.40), No. 66 offensive efficiency, No. 161 defensive efficiency
Hawaii: No. 108 overall (+5.97), No. 211 offensive efficiency, No. 42 defensive efficiency

Key Razorback to Know

There may not be another player in Portland who will command as much attention as Darius Acuff on or off the court. The SEC's Player of the Year averaged 30 points and nine assists per game in Nashville during the conference tournament while also making his case for National Player of the Year.

That's not the only postseason accolade that could possibly come his way as he surges up mock NBA Draft boards, forging his way into the conversation as the best NBA prospect.

Acuff has fought through injuries over the final portion of the regular season and has only gotten better as the season prolonged. His presence in the West Region will make Portland must-see-tv during the NCAA Tournament.

Key Hawaii Player to Know

Isaac Johnson, the Warriors' 7-footer leads the team in scoring at 14 points per game and presents a problem in the post that Calipari will have to address.

He plays his role as a stretch big perfectly, active in pick-and-roll action on offense. As a defender, Johnson ranks in the top-third of college basketball in rebound percentage, according to CBB Analytics, while his length forces teams that play off ball screen action to play out of rhythm.

Key High Point Player to Know

There's one player who still likely gives John Calipari and Kentucky fans nightmares to this day, and it's Jack Gohlke. The former Uber driver turned NCAA Tournament legend has been reincarnated into electric High Point guard Chase Johnston.

The 6-foot-3 guard has skills as a sniper beyond the perimeter, making 64-of-132 (48) off three-point attempts on the season for the Panthers. Here's where his offensive game gets silly, as good of a shooter Johnston is from deep, he is 0-of-4 inside the arc this season.

Luckily, Wisconsin will be tested by him first. If Arkansas advances and High Point pulls off an upset, a Razorbacks-Panthers game would certainly be one to watch given Calipari's recent struggles with mid-majors in the first weekend.

Key Wisconsin Players to Know

Speaking of the Badgers, they have a pair of guards who are capable of lighting the floor up from three. The combination of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell have connected on just over 38% of their 407 attempts during the regular season.

If there's a duo who can bring down High Point from its best season in school history it'll be Badgers' star duo. They combine to score 40 points per game and are fully capable of scoring closer to 60-70 points when needed against non-premier defenses such as Michigan, TCU, and Purdue (Jan. 3).

Style of Play

Arkansas: The Razorbacks play an up-tempo, position-less style of basketball predicated on aggressive defense that forced turnovers which leads to transition buckets. Calipari's offenses have historically thrived with playmaking guards, athletic wings and size along the front line to protect the rim.

Wisconsin: The Badgers' Card implements a modern, up-tempo, high-scoring offense that emphasizes ball screens, increased spacing for its shooters, and a faster pace than the Big Ten is normally known for. While he wants to be a high scoring offense, Card still wants his team to keep an efficient basketball (8.9 turnovers per game, No. 9 nationally).

High Point: The Panthers play a methodical brand of ball using an extremely fast-paced, high-scoring offense that prioritizes three-point shooting and efficient scoring at the rim with dribble drives. Similar to its first round opponent Wisconsin, High Point likes to implement five-out sets to space the floor for its shooters to open up lanes for high percentage buckets.

Hawaii: Known for his team's "no help" defense, the Warriors play strictly man-to-man which has paid off for most of the season and nearly led to victories against Oregon and Arizona State in non-conference play. Offensively, Eran Garot's squad takes a more old school, inside-out halfcourt approach using their 7-footer and other post players for post-up opportunites near the basket.

Best WIns

Arkansas: Texas Tech (neutral), Louisville (home), Vanderbilt (twice), Tennessee, Missouri (twice), Texas A&M

Wisconsin: Michigan (road), Illinois (road), Michigan State, Purdue (home)

High Point: Winthrop (twice)

Hawaii: UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton

Historical Notes

Arkansas: The Razorbacks are in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament under Calipari. He is the only coach in school history to make the field in each of his first two seasons.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are looking to advance past the first weekend of the tournament for the first time since 2017, which was Greg Card's first full season at the helm.

High Point: The Panthers enter the tournament on a 15-game winning streak, have won 30 games for the first time program history.

Hawaii: This will be the Warriors' sixth appearance in the tournament (1972, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2016) and have advanced to the second round once in 2016, a 77-66 upset of Cal.

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Jacob Davis
JACOB DAVIS

Jacob Davis is a reporter for Arkansas Razorbacks on SI, with a decade of experience covering high school and transfer portal recruiting. He has previously worked at Rivals, Saturday Down South, SB Nation and hosted podcasts with Bleav Podcast Network where his show was a finalist for podcast of the year. Native of El Dorado, he currently resides in Central Arkansas with his wife and daughter.

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