Arkansas upsets defending champion Kansas to advance to Sweet 16

There shall be no repeat champion in March Madness.

The top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks are headed residence after being upset by No. 8 Arkansas, 72-71, within the second spherical.

Kansas led by as many as 12 factors, however Arkansas responded with an 18-5 run to take a one-point lead, its first because it was 2-0.

Davonte Davis (4) of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts towards the Kansas Jayhawks in the course of the second half within the second spherical of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.  (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Both groups exchanged buckets with neither workforce in a position to enhance its lead by greater than 4 factors for a number of minutes.

The sport was tied at 65 with 1:07 to go together with the ball within the Razorbacks’ possession, and a tip-in gave them a two-point lead. The Jayhawks drew a foul within the double-bonus, although, and Jalen Wilson made each free throws with 39 seconds left to tie it up once more.

Arkansas’ Ricky Council IV drew a foul with 23.7 to go, however he solely made one in every of two foul photographs. However, Arkansas bought the offensive board on the missed second shot, and Council once more went to the road after a capturing foul. With 20.4 seconds left, he drilled each free throws to make it a three-point sport.

Kamani Johnson of the Arkansas Razorbacks reacts towards the Kansas Jayhawks in the course of the second half within the second spherical of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.  (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Kansas referred to as its closing timeout with 16.1 second left, and it opted to try a layup, and a foul was referred to as. Wilson made two free throws to chop their deficit to 1, however Kansas needed to foul Council and make him shoot a pair of free throws with 7.1 seconds left. 

Council hit each photographs, and a blocking foul put Kansas again on the road. Wilson made the primary, and he tried to overlook the second however banked it in. Arkansas was in a position to preserve possession for the ultimate three seconds to win and advance.

“We’re celebrating again there as a result of we’ve got such unbelievable respect for Kansas, defending champions, MVP of their league in No. 10, Jalen Wilson,” head coach Eric Musselman informed reporters after the sport. 

“I’ve been teaching a very long time. That’s as nice of a win as I’ve ever been part of. Again, due to the historical past of Kansas, due to a few of their veteran gamers that had been a part of a championship workforce final 12 months. Lots of people did not suppose we had been going to win our first-round sport.”

Davonte Davis of Arkansas completed with 25 factors, 21 of them within the second half.

Arkansas will face the winner of the sport between No. 4 UConn and No. 5 St. Mary’s.

Arkansas’ Jordan Walsh reacts to his 3-pointer in the course of the second half of a second-round sport within the NCAA Tournament Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.  (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Half the match’s No. 1 seeds are actually eradicated after No. 1 Purdue was on the shedding finish of the largest upset in match historical past to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Friday.