No. 8 Arkansas Outlasts Defending Champion No. 1 Kansas to Nab Upset

The Razorbacks fought back from an eight-point halftime deficit to topple the West’s top seed.

Another No. 1 seed has fallen in the first week of the men’s NCAA tournament, as No. 8-seed Arkansas stunned the world Saturday by knocking off defending champion Kansas, 72–71.

The Razorbacks, led by junior guard Davonte Davis and forward Ricky Council IV, pulled off the upset after overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit to outscore the Jayhawks, 45–36, in the second half. The upset win secured the program’s third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance under coach Eric Musselman in his fourth season.

With the score tied 65–65 with a minute left in the regulation, the hotly-contested game turned into a free throw contest down the stretch. Junior forward Ricky Council IV, who scored seven of the team’s last nine points, converted a pair of free throws to give Arkansas a 72–69 lead before Kansas star junior Jalen Wilson drew a foul and converted both attempts at the line. KU then couldn’t foul quickly enough as Arkansas dribbled out the final three seconds to earn the huge win.

For Kansas, the stunning loss now means the hope of a repeat has come to an end as the program will exit the West region to join Purdue as No. 1 seeds to lose before the Sweet 16. Saturday’s loss was also the Jayhawks’ fifth straight game without coach Bill Self, who has been recovering from a health issue. 

ARKANSAS ELIMINATES THE CHAMPS 😱

THE RAZORBACKS ARE DANCING ON TO THE #SWEET16 🐗#MarchMadness @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/zTh7QTEPuZ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2023

The thrilling round of 32 contest came down to the wire following several big-time comebacks by the Razorbacks, who trailed 35–27 at halftime and by as much as 12 points with just over 15 minutes left in the second half. After continuing to hang around, Arkansas eventually rallied to put Kansas on the ropes behind standout performances by Davis, Council, and freshman forward Jordan Walsh.

A Walsh three-pointer at the 8:55 mark gave the Razorbacks a 52–51 lead—their first of the contest—but the teams would continue to trade baskets down the stretch. After scoring seven points through the first 25 minutes, Davis caught fire, pouring in 17 of the team’s 37 points before fouling out with 1:56 left in regulation.

With Davis out, Council, who scored 10 first-half points, took over to lead Arkansas to the epic win. Davis and Council finished the contest with 25 and 21 points, respectively while Walsh, the only other Razorback in double figures, added 10 points. Walsh also played a pivotal role in being the primary defender against Wilson, the Big 12 Player of the Year.

Arkansas finished the game shooting 24-of-58 from the field, and 3-of-15 from the three-point line. Meanwhile, Kansas shot 24-of-50 on the night, and 5-of-13 from beyond the arc.

Wilson led KU with 20 points, with sophomore forward K.J. Adams chipping in 14 points, senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. adding 13 points and junior guard DaJuan Harris Jr. scoring 12 points.