The Arkansas Razorbacks remain in the NCAA Division I Tournament, although many might feel that their fate in the competition will be sealed when they play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday night.

March Madness has reached the Sweet Sixteen stage and the No. 4 ranked side have pretty much managed to live up to expectations thus far, however with a match against the No. 1 seed standing between them and a place in the Elite Eight round, it might be a bridge too far for Eric Musselman’s team.

Arkansas has done well to get where they are so far

As mentioned, the Hogs have been rather impressive in their two games in the NCAA Division I Tournament thus far, as they have managed to overcome a couple of challenging teams, although they were college basketball programs many would have expected the team to ease past given their recent form on the court.

In order to get this far, they managed to defeat:

• First Round: No.13 Vermont – 75-71
• Second Round: No. 12 NM State 53-48

One of the reasons that may explain why the team has managed to do rather well and remain consistent could be due to the fact that Musselman has been keeping a balance between basketball and fun with his players and camp.

Headed to the Bay! #BayHogs pic.twitter.com/Aa1QOzo0Jo

— Eric Musselman (@EricPMusselman) March 22, 2022

In the first game against Vermont, the Hogs had four players each manage to record double figures in the scoring department, thus highlighting perhaps how well-oiled this college basketball team is when it comes to landing baskets.

Stanley Umude led the team with 21 points whilst fellow guard, JD Notae also managed to put up 17 points as the duo led the program. Add in the 14 and 13 points respectively from Davonte Davis and Jaylin Williams, as well as accounting for the fact that each other individual who got action on the court also managed to score, it was a complete performance from Arkansas.

The game against No. 12 NM State was a little more challenging, although that perhaps was not a surprise given that NM State had managed to oust No. 5 UConn 70-63 in the previous round and would have been up for the contest with the Razorbacks.

Nonetheless, Musselman’s side made sure they were able to overcome that potential banana skin and were able to put up a total of 53 points compared to their opponent’s 48. Indeed, things were so challenging for the college basketball program, that only two players had managed to achieve double figures in regard to points: Notae and Williams.

Notae managed to score 18 points on the night whilst Williams was able to put up a total of 10. Again, each individual who played a number of minutes managed to score points in the game, except for Trey Wade, but he did only have six minutes of court action.

Is there reason to be confident about the Arkansas Razorbacks’ chances?

Following the two strong performances that the team has managed to put on the court, there might be some interest amongst sports betting fans who enjoy placing a wager on the NCCA Division I Tournament this season, especially as there seems to be an air of confidence being bred throughout the program.

Indeed, punters are now able to use the BetMGM Arkansas sportsbook if they are considering placing a wager on the team’s chances and can look to take advantage and utilize one of the available promo codes that can be used to enhance their bet.

Of course, March Madness has been able to provide individuals who have placed a bet on the college basketball action with a range of shocks already, and with the way that the Hogs are playing, there are many that are suggesting they could be a team to also get in the act of providing an upset.

However, it might be worth considering that their Sweet Sixteen round clash is against the No. 1 seed: the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

What are Arkansas Razorbacks’ chances of progressing to the Elite Eight?

Let’s not forget, the Arkansas Razorbacks did manage to reach the Elite Eight stage of the NCAA Division I Tournament last season, although it was the stage where their 2021 dream came to an end at the hands of the eventual champions: Baylor; a team that suffered a huge shock defeat in the Second Round of this competition.

In truth, some will have argued that the Hogs had an easier route in the competition last season compared to this year’s edition, as they defeated (14) Colgate, (6) Texas Tech, and (15) Oral Roberts to reach the Elite Eight.

Sweet Sixteen dancin’ deets pic.twitter.com/uJaB94y9gC

— Sweet Sixteen Hogs (@RazorbackMBB) March 21, 2022

Nonetheless, Musselman’s side has been impressive this season and has had to work just as hard to be able to reach this stage. However, they have not had a challenger like Gonzaga stand in their way this year.

The Bulldogs will be looking to avenge their defeat in the National Championship Game last season and will have had their confidence levels boosted even further after seeing the defending champions Baylor be ousted in a shock defeat in the Second Round.

Naturally, Gonzaga was the pick for many ahead of March Madness 2022 given the form that they produced in the regular season, and their displays on the court have been solid in the tournament. They have defeated (16) Georgia State 93-72 and (9) Memphis 82-78 thus far to reach the Sweet Sixteen stage and will be expecting to get past Arkansas, too.

Forward Drew Timme has been exceptional when it comes down to scoring points in this year’s NCAA Division I Tournament and will pose a significant danger to the Hogs in their upcoming clash on Thursday. He managed to net 32 points against Georgia State before adding a further 25 against Memphis which allowed them to survive a potential scare.

What can we expect?

Unfortunately for the Arkansas Razorbacks, it really would not be a surprise if we were to see their March Madness campaign this season come to an end on Thursday once they take to the court and play the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

The college basketball program can undoubtedly be proud of what they have been able to achieve this season, though, but a repeat of last year’s campaign in the NCAA Division I Tournament or going better than they did would really appear unlikely ahead of the contest.

However, there have been a number of shocks to happen already, so it is not out of the question for the Razorbacks to provide their own!