The Arkansas Razorbacks, led by the remarkable Eric Musselman, made a historic statement on Sunday in the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. Kansas Jayhawks were 1 seed in a thrilling 72-71 victory in Des Moines, Iowa. Davonte Davis and Ricky Council IV were the stars of the show, scoring 25 and 21 points, respectively, as the Razorbacks overcame a halftime deficit to make school history.
Kansas, playing without the ailing coach Bill Self, became the second top seed not to escape the tournament’s first weekend. Davis scored 21 of his points in the second half and Council made five free throws in the final seconds to give the Razorbacks a three-point lead. Kansas had been 47-0 in the NCAA tournament when leading by eight points or more at half-time. Council rebounded his own missed free throw and made two more to seal the win, making Arkansas the first team to beat a no. 1 seed with three players fouling out
Musselman was overcome with emotion after the game, ripping off his red Polo shirt and waving it over his head in celebration, a signature move of his after the biggest wins. Arkansas will move on Thursday to the West Region semifinals in Las Vegas to either face Saint Mary’s or UConn.
The Razorbacks have now made it to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year, proving they are a force to be reckoned with in college basketball. This victory over the top-seeded Jayhawks is sure to be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in NCAA tournament history.