The 2022 NCAA Tournament has been loaded with surprising results that busted many a bracket and storylines that are almost too good to be true. As we prepare to send two teams on to the Final Four in New Orleans on Saturday in the Elite Eight, it’s notable not just who has made it to this point, but also who is not here after a wild Thursday night that saw the top two No. 1 seeds fall.
No. 1 seed Gonzaga figured to be here in the Elite Eight, perhaps even against No. 2 seed Duke in a rematch of their regular-season thriller. But No. 4 seed Arkansas had other plans and will take the Zags’ spot on the big stage, facing Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils in the West Region final out in San Francisco. These two programs faced off in the national championship game in 1994 and Coach K was denied a title by Nolan Richardson’s Razorbacks. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman has already gotten the team to back-to-back Elite Eights for the first time since Richardson reached the title game in both 1994 and 1995, and he’d love to keep that renaissance rolling with a confident team that just bounced the No. 1 overall seed from the tournament.
The early game of the Elite Eight doubleheader will be No. 2 seed Villanova against No. 5 seed Houston in the South Region final. Like Arkansas, Houston is surging into the next round after beating a No. 1 seed. The Cougars beating Arizona wasn’t as much of a surprise as Arkansas’ victory, but it was unexpected to see a Wildcats team that had been so effective all year trail the entire game and lose by 12 points. On a night of thrillers with two No. 1 seeds bounced and Duke storming back against Texas Tech, Villanova was the lone winner without too much drama as Jay Wright’s team has flipped the narrative and made deep tournament runs commonplace for this modern college basketball power.
The field of 68 has been narrowed to eight, and now it’s time to send two teams…