Chet Holmgren, No. 1 Gonzaga Upset by No. 4 Arkansas in Sweet 16 Stunner
The Arkansas Razorbacks are going to back-to-back Elite Eights for the first time since 1994 and 1995.
Arkansas defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 74-68 in Thursday's Sweet 16 showdown in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Chase Center in San Francisco. JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade led the way for the No. 4 seed in the West Region.
A solid showing from Drew Timme was not enough for the top seed, which was going for a fifth Elite Eight appearance in eight years. Chet Holmgren notched a double-double but fouled out, and Andrew Nembhard struggled shooting throughout the game.
Notable Player Stats
- JD Notae, G, ARK: 21 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 3 STL, 2 BLK, 9-of-29 FG
- Jaylin Williams, F, ARK: 15 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST
- Trey Wade, F, ARK: 15 PTS, 7 REB
- Drew Timme, F, GON: 25 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST
- Chet Holmgren, C, GON: 11 PTS, 14 REB, 2 BLK
Arkansas Controls Game, Stuns Top Seed
Not many teams had an easier path to the Sweet 16 on paper than Arkansas with matchups against 13th-seeded Vermont and 12th-seeded New Mexico State, but it won those games by a combined nine points and trailed in the second half in each.
That didn't seem to bode well for a showdown with the top seed in the tournament, but the defense held up against Gonzaga's pace as the SEC representative took a 32-29 lead into intermission.
Every time it appeared as if the Bulldogs were going to seize control, the Razorbacks bounced back with their own run. Whether it was drawing charges, battling on the glass or forcing nine turnovers, Arkansas did many of the necessary but unheralded things to go toe-to-toe with the juggernaut in that first half.
Notae also had the greenest of green lights and scored 10 first-half points on 14 shots from the field with the final two coming on a coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer. He also facilitated when necessary as Williams provided secondary scoring and helped control the glass.
It was more of the same out of the locker rooms with Williams' interior defense giving Gonzaga fits and Wade emerging as another scorer all while Notae continued to fire.
Even when things could have unraveled when Williams picked up his fourth foul, he stayed in the game and drilled a monster three to extend the lead to eight. The occasional three-pointer like that from the supporting cast was critical because Notae started to force the issue at times as his efficiency became a question.
Wade must have received the memo because he also connected on a critical three-pointer to keep the Zags at bay in the final minutes.
Yet the Razorbacks fittingly put the game away with their defense as Au'Diese Toney swatted two shots in the final 30 seconds with the last one coming in dramatic fashion on a Nembhard layup attempt. It was quite the statement from the underdogs, who were in control throughout the second half and never faltered in the face of pressure.
Holmgren's Fouls, Team's Offensive Struggles End Gonzaga's Hope
Falling this short of the program's first national championship is frankly a failure for Gonzaga.
After all, it entered the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed with plenty of star power in Timme, Holmgren and Nembhard. It also advanced to the national championship game last season only to fall just short of the title, so motivation was not a question.
Yet Gonzaga trailed at halftime with arguably the biggest one of those stars, at least from a future NBA perspective, in Holmgren scoreless with foul trouble and Nembhard an ugly 1-of-8 from the field.
Arkansas' defense deserves plenty of credit for swarming to outside shooters and cutting off driving lanes, but the No. 1 offense on KenPom.com's rankings looked nothing like itself and was relying on secondary players like Julian Strawther and Rasir Bolton for stretches.
Perhaps sensing the moment, Holmgren wasted little time making his presence felt in the second half with soft touch from beyond the arc and the mid-range. Just like that, it appeared as if the Bulldogs would come back from a halftime deficit much like they did against Memphis in the second round.
However, turnovers and missed free throws remained a problem, and things appeared particularly dire when Holmgren fouled out with more than three minutes remaining. Timme was scoring, but Nembhard's struggles were magnified by the big man's absence as the top seed's back was firmly against the wall heading into crunch time.
While a desperation three from Nembhard temporarily cut the lead to three, the Bulldogs were outplayed the entire second half. They finished just 24-of-64 (37.5 percent) from the field and 5-of-21 (23.8 percent) from deep with 15 total turnovers, which were numbers they simply couldn't overcome against quality competition.
What's Next?
Arkansas advances to the Elite Eight and will face the winner of the matchup between No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Texas Tech on Saturday.
