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5 storylines to watch during Arkansas vs Duke in Elite 8 Round of 2022 March Madness

By Jacob Ellerbee

Arkansas Basketball Elite 8 Duke; Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Au'Diese Toney (5) and guard JD Notae (1) react after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half in the semifinals of the West regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Arkansas Basketball Elite 8 Duke; Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Au'Diese Toney (5) and guard JD Notae (1) react after a play against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the second half in the semifinals of the West regional of the men's college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Arkansas Basketball Elite 8 Duke
Arkansas Basketball vs Duke Elite 8; Mar 24, 2022; San Francisco, CA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) hugs Arkansas Razorbacks forward Jaylin Williams (10) after the game in the semifinals of the West regional of the men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament at Chase Center. The Arkansas Razorbacks won 74-68. (Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports) /

The Arkansas Basketball team shocked the college basketball world when they upset No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs March 24 in the Sweet Sixteen round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s March Madness tournament 74-68.

The Razorbacks got a huge boost from Trey Wade, who dropped 15 points in the game marking just the fourth time he’s scored in double figures all season. The 6’6″ senior averaged 3.6 ppg during the regular season, so his production was not being counted on, but ended up being a difference-maker.

The Hogs now turn their attention to blue blood power house Duke, a No. 2 seed in this year’s tournament in the Elite 8 round of the men’s tournament.

The path doesn’t get any easier for the Razorbacks, despite defeating No. 1 seed Gonzaga. The Blue Devils have one of the most decorated resumes and storied histories in college basketball history.

Duke has won five national championships in program history, with the most recent coming in 2015. Legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, also known as Coach K, is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA tournament history. They boast a potential top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft in Paolo Banchero.

Here are the biggest storylines to watch when Arkansas and Duke tip-off at 7:49 p.m. CT on TBS.

Will Duke finally get revenge for the 1994 National Championship game vs Arkansas?

The Hogs and the Blue Devils have only played each other three times prior to tonight’s matchup, with the most recent meeting coming in the 1994 championship game.

That win gave Arkansas it’s first and only national championship in college basketball, something Coach K was on the Duke sidelines for to see first-hand.

Scotty Thurman and Corliss Williamson defeated eventual NBA superstar Grant Hill and Duke 76-72 in what amounted to a home game for Duke. Williamson and Thurman scored a combined 38 points in one of the biggest days in the history of the Arkansas basketball program.

The championship game was played in Charlotte, just a two hour drive from the campus of Duke University.

Duke will surely enter this game with a chip on their shoulder, despite none of their players having been born when this game was played.

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