Getty Image / Keith Gillett
Perhaps more than in any NCAA Tournament in recent memory, this year’s edition of March Madness has been absolutely loaded with shocking results.
We’ve seen a 16-seed take down a 1 for just the 2nd time in tournament history.
We’ve seen a 15-seed from New Jersey take down a heavily favored 2-seed from one of the Power 5 conferences.
That school has even already claimed it’s second victim of the tournament with a win over their region’s 7 seed.
Now we’ve seen a second 1-seed fall on the 1st day of the tournament’s round of 32.
Today, Kansas met 8-seed Arkansas in their second matchup of the tournament. Kansas had spent their day on Thursday demolishing Howard while Arkansas worked their way past 9-seed Illinois in a game where they were in control just about the whole way.
Kansas entered this 1vs8 matchup as a small favorite, but with many picking the Jayhawks to prevail.
The game didn’t play out according to expectations.
Kansas did what they were supposed to in the first half, working their way to a 9-point lead before halftime behind a balanced offensive performance from their starters.
Arkansas fought back in the second half, and were able to take the lead with just under 9 minuted left in the game. The teams battled back and forth from there until the Razorbacks finally took a lead they would’t relinquish with 24 seconds remaining.
After the emotional win, the team’s head coach ripped his shirt off as Arkansas celebrated.
Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman is fired up after beating 1-seed Kansas 😭pic.twitter.com/tssZEOQsZL
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) March 18, 2023
Musselman has now made it to the Sweet 16 in every season he has been with the Razorbacks so far where a tournament has been played. It is also the 4th time he has made it that far in the NCAA Tournament in the last 5 seasons where it was possible.
Now Musselman and Arkansas will take on the winner of a game between UCONN and St Mary’s for the chance to make a 3rd consecutive Elite 8 appearance.