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.
