The young’uns have it good. Those who have been following Razorback basketball since before COVID know how down this program was for so long. Between 1997 and 2020, Arkansas failed to get out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

The Hogs scattered victories here and there. Sonny Weems scored 31 in a win over Indiana in the 8/9 game in 2008. The 2015 Wofford and 2017 Seton Hall wins were thrilling. But all three of those seasons ended with losses to North Carolina in the second round. No trips to the second weekend.

Eric Musselman was hired to break through and win again in March. In just his second season, the Hogs ended their Sweet 16 drought with a thrilling win over Texas Tech in the Round of 32. That was the first of five straight postseason trips that saw the Hogs reach the second weekend.

This weekend was the most recent example. The Hogs took down 13-seed Hawaii and 12-seed High Point in Portland to reach the second weekend for the second straight year to start John Calipari’s Razorback tenure.

• 
  Box Score Breakdown: The Hogs are back in the Sweet Sixteen
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  Matchup Analysis: Can the Hogs slow down High Point’s clutch shooting?
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  Matchup Analysis: Hawaii’s unusual defense will challenge Arkansas’ preparation

Arkansas 97, Hawaii 78

This was never a game. The Hogs jumped out to an 11-0 lead and 11-2 was the last time it was in single digits. Most of the game was spent with a margin between 13 and 18 points. As expected against a less-athletic opponent, the Hogs dominated transition, going +18 in transition points and +11 in fast break points.

Hawaii’s drop coverage did not get the job done. The Hogs got to the rim at ease and dished out assists easily, and the rim protector for the ‘Bows had no impact defensively. Hawaii knocked down a few 3-pointers and ran the Hogs off the perimeter but that was about it.

Despite Acuff’s 24 points, half of the final margin was recorded in the four minutes he was on the bench. Richmond had a quiet game, but the other four starters played well.

Not a lot of takeaways here. The preview sort of understated how friendly this matchup was for Arkansas, but Hawaii didn’t have a lot of advantages it could create.

Arkansas 94, High Point 88

This one, on the other hand, was a dogfight. Credit to High Point, a very good basketball team. Our model’s pick of a 90-86 final ended up being nearly perfect. Both sides battled throughout a chaotic, tense game, which is exactly what we expected. Arkansas led 43-42 at the half. High Point built an early second-half lead, but just like in the SEC title game, a Calipari timeout helped stop the opponent’s momentum. The Hogs broke an 83-83 tie with a personal 7-0 run by Acuff, punctuated by his pull-up 3 with about a minute to play to make it 90-83. Acuff finished with 36 points.

Arkansas allowed too many transition possessions for the Panthers, but the Hogs were more efficient in both transition and halfcourt. Not turning it over was our number-one key given High Point’s dependency on it, and you can see the Panthers with just seven points off turnovers.

Arkansas’ ability – or lack thereof – to defend around the rim is extremely concerning. The Hogs took way too many midrange shots when they should have fought to get to the rim much more. The Hogs did not do a good job on the offensive glass. Lots to nitpick here, but ultimately, they made their 3-pointers, didn’t turn it over, and didn’t let High Point beat them from beyond the arc. That proved to be just enough.

To me, the turning point in this game came when Chase Johnston tried to channel his inner Jack Gohlke and be a hero. The Panthers were scoring at will on the Hogs with Rob Martin, and Johnston attempted contested 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, with 2:46 and 2:17 to play in a tied and then two-point game. Both shots were offline and the Hogs eventually got the lead to two possessions for good. There was no reason to take those shots other than the fun storylines that would have resulted had he hit them. You may argue that he’s a 48% 3-point shooter so any shot he can get off is a good one, but my response to that is that he averaged fewer than four attempts per game during the regular season, and the vast majority were not contested like that. After starting 3 of 4, he missed his final four attempts over the last eight minutes.

Richmond’s three steals were fantastic, and while Ewin played poorly for much of the game, he finished strong. Acuff was obviously overwhelming on offense. We are witnessing history every time we watch him play at this point.

Up next

Arkansas will face the winner of Arizona and Utah State in the Sweet 16. That probably means the Wildcats, though Hog fans should cheer for the Aggies.

This is not a friendly matchup. Arizona is built like Florida, with a 7-foot rim protector, a high-scoring power forward, and good defenders. Unlike Florida, however, they are much more dependent on freshmen and their coach has struggled against high seeds in March. Arkansas will have to play over their head to have a shot, but it’s not so lopsided that there’s no chance. I’d argue the Hogs have a better chance to win this one than the 2022 team had to beat Gonzaga, and they did.