John Calipari: Arkansas Season 'As Rewarding' As I've Had amid March Madness Run

After Arkansas upset No. 2 seed St. John's on Saturday, John Calipari called their success "as rewarding as a year I've had, based on how far we've come," per The Associated Press.

This will be Calipari's 16th appearance in the Sweet 16 following the 75-66 victory over Rick Pitino and St. John's. The advancement is especially meaningful for the Arkansas first-year head coach after the team faced early-season injuries and started the Southeastern Conference season 0-5.

Billy Richmond III came off the bench for the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday and finished as the leading scorer with 16 points and nine rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Forward Karter Knox added 15 points as the team shot 42.9 percent.

The St. John's Red Storm shot just 28 percent from the field. Despite having the No. 1 defense in the country this past season, their offense couldn't compensate. They recorded just five assists in the game.

"We lost the game because we did not move the basketball well enough," Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino told reporters after the loss. "And that led to us shooting a very low percentage. We're a team that has to have a high number of assists to win. We didn't tonight."

The Razorbacks finished the season ninth in the SEC, entering the tournament as a 10 seed. They first defeated seventh-seeded Kansas 79-72 before upsetting St. John's.

The Arkansas coach started his career in 1988, coaching the Massachusetts Minute Men for eight years. He also coached the Memphis Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats over his 37-year career.

Calipari is advancing on his way to securing his second NCAA Championship, following his 2012 title with the Kentucky Wildcats.