"I don't care, we won!": John Calipari gets candid in opening statement after sending Kansas home in March Madness

It was an intense faceoff between Kansas and Arkansas on Thursday at Dunkin' Donuts Center. John Calipari's No. 10 Razorbacks eventually came out triumphant with a comeback 79-72 victory against No. 7 Jayhawks.

The game also saw an Achilles injury to Jayhawks' KJ Adams Jr. with 3:14 remaining, with the Jayhawks leading 67-64 at the time. That gave Arkansas the opening they needed to get themselves back in the game and advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Calipari acknowledged that Kansas’ shift to a triangle-and-two defense disrupted their rhythm. However, despite the challenges, his team did well to come out on top, and that's what mattered for the coach.

"We ended up shooting too many jumpers and had to do some different things," Calipari said. "They went a little triangle-and-two, which also screwed us up a little bit. But the kids fought. Nelly makes a shot, makes a couple of free throws. Jonas makes free throws. It took us three times to get it in. I don't care. We won.

"If it took us four, you know what we didn't do? We didn't turn it over. So, it took our third out-of-bounds play to get it in. That's fine."

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John Calipari praised vital contributors in win vs Jayhawks

For the Razorbacks, Jonas Aidoo led the team with 22 points while he also contributed with five rebounds and one assist.

Forward Trevon Brazile registered a double-double with 12 rebounds and 11 points. Guard Dajuan Wagner Jr. acted as a floor general, playing 40 minutes and throwing for six assists.

"This was a good win," Calipari added. "That was an NCAA Tournament game — two teams battling it out, making shots, making plays. And we kind of got away from them in the very end. TB was really good. How active is he? Jonas was really good. Nelly made big shots. DJ played well."

The battle of two of the best coaches in college basketball ended in favor of John Calipari as Bill Self and Co. were sent packing. However, the journey for Calipari only gets harder, as they are set to face second-seeded St. John's Red Storm in the second round.