SAN FRANCISCO — Twenty years ago, Eric Musselman was introduced as the new head coach of the Golden State Warriors. And two years later, he was fired after missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.
On Thursday, however, Musselman found success in the Bay Area when he led his Arkansas squad to a 74-68 upset win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs, the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament and last year’s national runner-up.
Arkansas is headed to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row but just the third time since 1995.
Gonzaga made things interesting late, getting within three when Andrew Nembhard hit a 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds to play. But Chris Lykes, an 87 percent free-throw shooter, made a pair of free throws to extend the Razorbacks’ lead back to five. Au’Diese Toney’s block on Nembhard’s layup at the other end ended any hopes of a Bulldogs comeback. Toney’s dunk with a second to play punctuated the moment.
Arkansas turned the corner in this game with a couple of significant runs.
In the first half, Chet Holmgren — a projected top-three pick this summer in ESPN’s latest mock draft — picked up his second foul with Gonzaga leading 22-17 and didn’t return until the second half. Arkansas then went on a 15-7 run, turning the game in its favor.
Holmgren picked up his fourth foul midway through the second half, and Arkansas extended its lead to eight points shortly after he left the game. Holmgren eventually fouled out with 3:29 to play.
JD Notae, who scored 21 points, stole the show. Notae had averaged 17.5 PPG through his team’s first- and second-round wins over Vermont and New Mexico State. He was lukewarm from the field, shooting just 9-for-29, but he seemed to be involved in every play on both ends of the floor. A pump-fake 3-pointer with 6:33 to play in the game extended Arkansas’ lead to nine points.
Near the five-minute mark, he came up with a loose ball, and Jaylin Williams hit a 3-pointer to drive up Arkansas’ lead again. Notae was everywhere. It was his drive that cost Holmgren a fifth foul.
Jaylin Williams, the rising NBA prospect, had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Trey Wade recorded 15 points.
Gonzaga had entered this tournament as the favorite to win it. Mark Few had led his team to two of the past four national championship games. With Timme returning and Holmgren arriving, the Bulldogs clearly had the makings of a real contender.
In the end, however, Gonzaga missed the mark on too many shots Thursday night. The Bulldogs entered the game shooting 37.2 percent from the 3-point line, a top-25 mark nationally, but they missed 15 of their first 19 3-point attempts against the Razorbacks, who will advance to play the winner of Texas Tech’s matchup against Duke on Saturday.
Timme (25 points) did all he could. But Holmgren’s foul trouble put him in a tough spot and limited his opportunities. Timme and Nembhard also had five turnovers apiece. It just wasn’t Gonzaga’s night. And when that happens in the NCAA tournament, the morning’s aren’t great, either.
It’s unclear what happens next for Gonzaga. Timme could return or pursue his dream of playing at the next level. Holmgren (11 points, 14 rebounds) will most likely declare for the NBA draft. And Few will attempt to make another run toward his school’s first national championship.
With Thursday’s victory, Musselman’s full-circle moment continues after his team knocked off Gonzaga and broke a lot of brackets.
“The day I was fired from the Warriors to think that I would be coaching in the Sweet 16 in the Bay Area,” Musselman told reporters on Wednesday, “if anybody would have asked me at that particular time, I would have told them there was zero chance. Not five percent, not 10 percent. Literally zero chance.”