Arkansas Basketball Faces Hawai'i in NCAA Tournament First Round

Razorbacks earn No. 4 seed in West Region, take on No. 13 Hawai'i on March 19

Mar. 15, 2026 at 11:35pm

The Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team has earned a No. 4 seed in the West Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They will face the No. 13 seed Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in the first round on Thursday, March 19, in a matchup of two teams looking to advance in March Madness.

Why it matters

This is an important first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament, as the winner will move on to the second round and continue their quest for a national championship. Both Arkansas and Hawai'i will be looking to pull off an upset and extend their tournament runs.

The details

The Razorbacks finished the regular season with a 26-8 record and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after a strong season in the SEC. Hawai'i, the champions of the Big West Conference, enter the tournament with a 22-12 record and are looking to pull off a surprise in the opening round.

  • The first-round matchup between Arkansas and Hawai'i will take place on Thursday, March 19, 2026.

The players

Arkansas Razorbacks

The Arkansas Razorbacks are the men's basketball team of the University of Arkansas, competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors

The Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors are the men's basketball team of the University of Hawai'i, competing in the Big West Conference.

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What’s next

The winner of the Arkansas-Hawai'i matchup will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face the winner of the game between the No. 5 seed and the No. 12 seed in the West Region.

The takeaway

This first-round NCAA Tournament game between Arkansas and Hawai'i promises to be an exciting matchup, as both teams look to advance and continue their quest for a national championship.