Gonzaga vs Arkansas: 5 key storylines for 2022 NCAA Tournament matchup

Arkansas loves to get to the free throw line

On paper, the Razorbacks are one of the better offenses in the country, averaging over 76 ppg. They have six players averaging at least 8.0 ppg as well. But sometimes, the way they play isn’t the most pleasing to the eyes, despite playing at a fairly fast pace.

That’s because a bulk of the scoring production comes from the free throw line. Arkansas is No. 1 in the country in FT rate and overall attempts and makes, with all six key players getting to the line at least 2.3 times a game. All of them are great at drawing fouls and getting to the basket.

That’s one way that the Razorbacks can deal with Drew Timme. In the 80-76 overtime win over No. 1 Auburn, they went 26/32 from the charity stripe, as well as fouling out big man Walker Kessler. If they put Timme in screens and can a guard on him, it’ll be rough for the Bulldog big man to consistently defend that while not getting into foul trouble.

Because Arkansas isn’t a great shooting team (more on that later), getting points in any way they can will be important against the No. 1 scoring team in the country. And Gonzaga doesn’t much much scoring depth, so if Timme, Holmgren, or Nembhard has to sit for an extended period of time, the Razorbacks can all of a sudden keep up on the scoreboard.

It also means that how the refs officiate this game could play a role in how this is decided.