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Sweet memories: A look back at all 14 Arkansas games in the Sweet 16

Arkansas basketball and its fans have longed for this. The Razorbacks are a national powerhouse again.

Thursday’s game against Connecticut will mark Arkansas’ third straight appearance in the Sweet 16, something the Hogs have done 14 times overall. There have been ups – US Reed, anyone? – and downs – Louisville again four years later.

Most of Arkansas’ runs that deep into the NCAA Tournament have come with the Razorbacks favored. Saturday’s upset over Kansas was an underdog story. Another win against UConn would be the same. But “underdog” isn’t what the Razorbacks really are, not with this talent.

So, let’s look back at those previous teams and what they did at this point.

Note: From 1939 until 1950, the NCAA Tournament had just eight teams. Arkansas participated three times, beating Wyoming in 1941 just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, beating Oregon in 1945 and falling to Oregon State in 1949. For the purposes of this list, those games are excluded because there were not 16 teams in the tournament. However, we felt it prudent to acknowledge their quality.

1958: Oklahoma State 65, Arkansas 40

Arkansas’ first Sweet 16 wasn’t exactly that. Arkansas shot just 28% against Henry Iba’s Oklahoma State team, then, in the regional third-place game, Cincinnati won by 37 points.

1978: Arkansas 74, UCLA 70

Marvin Delph scored 23, Sidney Moncrief 21 and Ron Brewer 18 as the Triplets made Arkansas a national powerhouse in the 1978 NCAA Tournament. UCLA was the blue-blood of college basketball still in this era, but this was perhaps Arkansas’ best-ever team, despite falling in the Final Four.

1979: Arkansas 73, Louisville 72

This is the greatest Sweet 16 game in Arkansas history. Louisville were the defending champions heading into the tournament. The Cardinals buried a jumper with five seconds left to take a 72-70 lead. U.S. Reed would…well, you should watch the video. Legendary.

1981: LSU 72, Arkansas 56

The good news with this tip is so few people saw the outcome. In fact, it’s modestly difficult to find video of LSU’s win over the Razorbacks. Arkansas’ 21 turnovers that day doomed the Hogs.

1983: Louisville 65, Arkansas 63

The world was ready for the rematch. Arkansas had eliminated the Cardinals just four years prior on Reed’s buzzer-beater from halfcourt. This time, Louisville had its revenge, outscoring the Hogs by 12 points in the second half to rally.

1990: Arkansas 96, North Carolina 73

North Carolina had five NBA regulars on its 1990 roster. Arkansas had three. Todd Day, Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller all scored in double figures, but it was Lenzie Howell’s 25 points that lifted the Razorbacks into the Elite Eight.

1991: Arkansas 93, Alabama 70

After falling in the Final Four to Duke the year before, Arkansas had dreams of a national title in 1991, what with Day, Mayberry and Miller all back. They looked the part in a dominating 23-point win over Alabama, though Kansas would dispatch them in the Elite Eight.

1993: North Carolina 80, Arkansas 74

No team has ended Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament runs more often than North Carolina. It’s happened four times. This was the first. The Tar Heels would win the national title, but the Razorbacks were just getting started.

1994: Arkansas 103, Tulsa 84

For people like this author, few games live as vividly in the memory. The geography alone, in a pre-internet era, made it a trip for Arklahoma folks. Shea Seals was mid-major superstar and Gary Collier wasn’t far behind him. But Arkansas wouldn’t stopped en route to a national title.

1995: Arkansas 76, Memphis 71 (OT)

The flip of the year before. But instead of the Arkansas-Oklahoma border folks enjoying, it would be western Arkansas folks enjoying. The Hogs needed overtime to do it, but they’d beat Memphis on their way to another national championship appearance.

1996: Massachusetts 79, Arkansas 63

Arkansas was loaded with new faces. Pat Bradley, Kareem Reid and Darnell Robinson had gumption, though. UMass was just too much in a game that would start a nice little Arkansas-vs-John Calipari rivalry. Unfortuantely, it would be the Razorbacks’ final trip that far for a long time.

2021: Arkansas 72, Oral Roberts 70

Devo Davis’ legend didn’t start Saturday against Kansas. It was cemented then. Davis’ trip into Arkansas royalty began two years ago when he hit this jumper with 6.4 seconds to lift the Razorbacks into the Elite Eight.

2022: Arkansas 74, Gonzaga 68

And this is it. That’s where we left Arkansas in its last Sweet 16 win. At least until Thursday, perhaps.

Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire