While Rick Barnes, John Calipari, Nate Oats kept stopping working, the Arkansas Razorbacks constructed league’s competition track record
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.– The greatest concern heading into the NCAA Tournament this year is whether the league can hold up to the basic developed by Arkansas coach Eric Musselman without him there bring the load.
The competition field is loaded with SEC groups regardless of numerous with low win overalls and high losses. This is since of the conference’s credibility developed mostly on Musselman’s back the previous 3 seasons.
In 2021, the Razorbacks were the only SEC group aside from No. 2 seeded Alabama to make it out of the very first weekend. Naturally, per typical, the Crimson Tide underperformed when getting to the part of the season that mattered, losing to No. 11 seed UCLA in the Sweet 16. Arkansas advanced to the Elite 8 where the Hogs ended up being the only group to hole ultimate nationwide champ Baylor to a single-digit video game.
In 2022, the whole SEC beyond Arkansas was cleaned from the NCAA Tournament map by the end of the very first weekend. No. 2 seeded Kentucky made legends of the St. Peter’s Peacocks with a preliminary loss. No. 2 seeded Auburn a minimum of made it to the 2nd round before getting drubbed by 18 at the hands of No. 11 seed Michigan.
And while the remainder of the league sat in your home, Eric Musselman brought his group spotlight in primetime and removed No. 1 Gonzaga to advance to the Elite 8 where a Duke group attempting to complete Mike Kryzewski’s last chapter got the very best of them.
Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) hugs Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jaylin Williams (10) after the video game in the semifinals of the West local of the guys’s college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Even in 2023, when the Razorbacks squeaked into the NCAA Tournament with a losing record in the SEC, the remainder of the league could not out-perform the Hogs. This time, 2 groups besides Arkansas made it out of the very first weekend.
For the very first time in permanently, Tennessee handled to not be a total frustration by advancing to the Sweet 16. There the Volunteers got bounced by No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
The other was Alabama, which was ranked No. 1 for a great deal of the season. The Tide offered their soul, neglecting Brandon Miller’s function in the murder of a pregnant lady in hopes of winning a championship game. Rather, they were knocked out by No. 5 seeded San Diego State, a group Arkansas beat previously in the season.
For the very first time in the Musselman age, Arkansas didn’t advance to the Elite 8. Rather, the Hogs was up to ultimate nationwide champ UConn. The Razorbacks did have the huge minute of the competition,
