After not going to a Sweet 16 for more than 20 years, the Arkansas Razorbacks are playing in their second straight. Eric Musselman has elevated the program. He’s reached 20 wins in each of his first three seasons, has had the Hogs in the AP Top 10 at some point in each of the last two years, and now has a chance to take the next step.

Want folks to take you seriously not just as an SEC power but a force on the national stage? Beat a No. 1 seed. And Gonzaga isn’t just any No. 1 seed, it’s the No. 1 seed—the top overall team in the field.

Here’s what Razorback fans should know about the Zags.

1. How they got here

The Bulldogs have been tested to a degree maybe some didn’t expect heading into the field. The 16th-seeded Georgia State Panthers were either tied with or leading the Zags for nearly 16 of the game’s 40 minutes in the first round.

With 13:09 to play in the second half, the Panthers had a 54-52 lead. Folks on social media were getting off their Chet Holmgren jokes. Media were frantically flipping to the game to see if their evenings were about to be consumed by “16 beats another 1” fallout columns.

And then, ya know, Gonzaga just kinda zagged everything up and buried Georgia State. Holmgren scored 12 of his 19 and Drew Timme scored 12 of his 32 and the Zags went on a 31-4 run. They won it 93-72.

As you were.

Timme was hot from the field again in the Zags’ second-round matchup with Memphis, pouring in a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go with 14 boards. Gonzaga shot 52%. But this one was close throughout as well, and the star frontcourt duo wasn’t able to exert itself over Memphis the way it did against Georgia State. The Tigers led for 16 minutes and things were tied for another seven. Still, Gonzaga won, 82-78.

Call them vulnerable. Say they’ve underperformed so far. But they’re 2-0 and their best players are playing like the best players on the floor.

2. Holmgren was outstanding early, but not without warts

The forward’s line against Georgia State: 19 points (8-13 FG, 0-2 3P), 17 rebounds, 7 blocks, 5 assists, 2 steals.

And his line against Memphis: 9 points (4-7 FG, 0-3 3P), 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists.

The Zags outscored Georgia State and Memphis by a combined 31 points in Holmgren’s 57 minutes at the tournament so far. But, he’s yet to connect on a 3-ball and he’s averaging 5.6 fouls per 40 minutes.

Timme has hit virtually everything he’s thrown up and Andrew Nembhard stepped up his scoring against Memphis when Holmgren fouled out, but the Zags need their star freshman to stay on the floor to win what they want to win. And Memphis took the approach you can probably expect others to take going forward.

The Tigers went right at Holmgren to start the game, setting the tone and telling the Zags’ 7-footer, “We’re coming at you and you alone.”

Holmgren has had a target on his back from Day 1 because of his frame and his pedigree and the way he plays. Folks like to say he’s too skinny regardless of how strong his on-court performance is. And that’s all unfortunate because he’s truly a marvel. He held his own against the Tigers’ physicality and had a play on the offensive end in a busted situation where he attacked a closeout to get into the lane, then spun himself into a fall-away shot. Few guys have the fluidity Holmgren has.

But he doesn’t force the issue very often. Is he going to take over one of these games? Is Arkansas the team to test him and ask, “Can you?”

Against teams with athleticism and physicality, Gonzaga has been tested. Arkansas has the athletes, but the Hogs aren’t very tall. How they choose to defend the post vs. the “others” in Gonzaga’s offense will be interesting.

3. Gonzaga wants to push it

Per KenPom, there is no team in the country that allows a lower effective field goal percentage than the Bulldogs and there’s only one team in basketball that takes less time, on average, to get up a shot when they have the ball. Gonzaga plays at one of the 10 fastest adjusted tempos in America, per KenPom, and missed shots from the opponent are largely what fuels that.

They aren’t going to turn you over. Their forced turnover percentage of 16.4% ranks 296th nationally and their 8.8% steal rate (so, live-ball turnovers) ranks 228th nationally.

Their transition flows from you missing shots. The aforementioned Holmgren is seventh nationally in block percentage, swatting away 12.7% of the attempts he faces. That’s the foundation of one of the best interior defenses in basketball. Opponents shoot 41.6% on 2s against the Zags, the lowest clip in the country, per KenPom.

It almost forces you into a numbers quandary. Long shots equal long rebounds and a lower conversion rate, and Gonzaga’s a good enough rebounding team that if you miss they’re an outlet away from easy points at the other end. But if you try and attack inside, as Memphis did, you’re going right at the strength of the defense. Arkansas isn’t a great 3-point shooting team, so how does Musselman choose to play it?

4. Best offense in basketball

Gonzaga has the No. 1 offense, according to KenPom’s adjusted efficiency metric. The Zags put up a raw 119 points per 100 possessions, a clip that trails only South Dakota State for the top spot in basketball and does so by just 0.2 points per-100.

5. Gonzaga is the heavy favorite

For a Sweet 16 matchup, there’s quite a bit of lean toward the Bulldogs. They’re favored by 9.5 in Vegas. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives Gonzaga an 85.8% chance to win. KenPom predicts an 82-72 win for the Zags, with an 82% chance of victory.

6. Only the 2nd all-time meeting

These schools have played once before, on Nov. 27, 2013. Gonzaga won on a neutral floor in Maui, 91-81.

Since there’s not much history, how about a look at Gonzaga’s past Sweet 16 appearances? They’ve made the regional semifinal game in 7 straight tournaments. Last season, they won by 18 points. In 2019 (no tourney in 2020), they beat Florida State by 14, avenging a 75-60 loss to the ‘Noles in the 2018 Sweet 16.

Three straight decided by double-digits, huh? Their 2017 and 2016 appearances in the Sweet 16 were both decided by 3 points. The 2015 game was a 12-point win.

The recurring theme in those double-digit victories? Gonzaga reaching 70 points.