Arkansas Basketball: 3 keys to beating Gonzaga in Sweet 16 matchup

This Thursday, No. 4 Arkansas Basketball will take on the No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16. While other regions in the 2022 NCAA Tournament descended into chaos, the West Region emerged chalky as all four top seeds reached the regionial semifinals. As a result, March Madness fans will be treated to a high-octane matchup between two programs each looking to advance to their second respective Elite Eight in as many years.

The Razorbacks were a popular pick to be upset in their first-round game against No. 13 Vermont. The Catamounts were among the most efficient teams in the nation and had a plethora of veteran players on their roster. It was a back-and-forth affair, but Arkansas weathered the storm and walked away with a 75-71 win.

Senior guard Stanley Umude scored a team-high 21 points on efficient shooting while pulling down nine boards. Star senior guard JD Notae scored 17 points, all in the second half. Both guards played the full 40 minutes.

Arkansas Basketball was then pitted against No. 12 New Mexico State following the Aggies’ upset of No. 5 UConn. While this game provided the setting for Arkansas’ worst offensive performance of the entire season, the Razorbacks rode their defense to a 53-48 win and a Sweet 16 berth. NMSU’s Teddy Allen was held to 12 points on 5-16 shooting and JD Notae featured for Arkansas with 18 points and eight steals.

For as good as the SEC was this year, the Razorbacks are the conference’s final representative remaining in the NCAA Tournament. They have won 17 of their last 20 games and will look for the winning to continue in their upcoming matchup with Gonzaga.

Here are three keys for Arkansas Basketball to have the best chances in their upset bid versus the Zags.