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They call the NCAA Tournament The Big Dance, but careful when you dance.
Players from No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga’s team apparently started boogying a little early Thursday night before playing No. 4 seed and 9.5-point underdog Arkansas at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
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Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard (3) walks off the floor with guard Julian Strawther (0) and guard Rasir Bolton (45) after Gonzaga was defeated by Arkansas in a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
And the Razorbacks (28-8) are the ones still dancing after a 74-68 victory, advancing them to the NCAA West Regional championship game on Saturday (8:49 p.m. eastern, TBS) against No. 2 seed Duke (31-6). The Blue Devils beat No. 3 seed Texas Tech, 78-73, Thursday night. The winner steps to the Final Four at the Superdome in New Orleans, April 2-4.
"We felt like they were dancing before the game," Arkansas sophomore forward Jaylin Williams said. "That was a disrespect to us. We came into the game playing hard and had a chip on our shoulder."
Arkansas was picked to finish third in the SEC behind Kentucky and Alabama back in October despite being the last SEC team standing after the first weekend of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and reaching the Elite Eight. The Hogs lost to eventual national champion Baylor. No. 2 seed Kentucky and No. 6 seed Alabama both lost in the first round of this tournament.
Some were dancing on Arkansas’ grave last January when the Hogs started off 0-3 in the SEC with losses at Mississippi State, 81-68, at home to Vanderbilt, 75-74, and at Texas A&M, 86-81. None of those made the NCAA Tournament and finished 10th, 11th and tied for fifth in the league, respectively. The Razorbacks regrouped, beat No. 1 Auburn and finished fourth in the SEC at 13-5, but then lost to the Aggies again in their SEC Tournament opener, 82-64.
Arkansas beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history after 10 losses since seeding began in 1979 and became the first team anywhere to beat a No. 1 team in the regular season (Auburn) and a No. 1 team in the NCAA Tournament (Gonzaga).
Arkansas guard Davonte Davis, left, celebrates with forward Kamani Johnson after Arkansas defeated Gonzaga in a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
"I think we’ve been disrespected the whole year," Williams said after scoring 15 points with 12 rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. He also broke the record for rebounds in a season of 349 set by Derek Hood in 1998-99 and has 354 on the season.
"They (prognosticators) gave them an 86 percent chance to win," Williams said. "We saw that, and everything they were saying."
Duke is a four-point favorite to win Saturday by FanDuel, provided the Blue Devils don’t dance around before the game.
"God bless them. What a great group these kids," gushed Mike Krzyzewski after his team’s win. He announced last summer that this his 42nd season as Duke’s coach would be his last.
"They’ve grown up so much in the last 12 days. It’s such a joy. It’s an amazing thing," he said.
Arkansas last played Duke on April 4, 1994, in the national championship game in Charlotte, N.C., and won, 76-72, for its only national championship. Duke beat Arkansas, 97-83, on March 31, 1990, in the Final Four national semifinals in Denver before falling to UNLV, 103-73, in the national title game.
Krzyzewski, 75, won five national championships since that loss from 1991-2015 and will be coaching for his 13th Final Four.
Musselman, 57, is in his second straight Elite Eight in his third season at Arkansas after taking Nevada to three NCAA Tournaments and a Sweet 16 in 2018. He made sure his players knew few, if any, were giving his chance a team to beat Gonzaga and will likely do the same for Duke.
Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams reacts after dunking against Gonzaga during the first half of a college basketball game in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
"There’s been not much talk about Arkansas," Musselman said.
"Yeah, just being the underdog, man, and using it to your advantage. They never see you coming," said Arkansas forward Trey Wade, who scored 15 points with seven rebounds and a blocked shot and steal.
"I can’t compliment these guys enough and the entire team for the way that they buy in to game preparation," Musselman said. "It’s probably the coolest thing I’ve ever been a part of that they just kind of do what we ask."
And then they danced.
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"We got the water bottles, went crazy," Williams said. "We started dancing. It’s fun to win."
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