WATCH: Davonte Davis gets emotional, cries tears of joy following Arkansas upset over Kansas
Anyone that follows college basketball knows the Arkansas Razorbacks had plenty of talent and athletes this year. It was just a matter of them showing up when it mattered. On Saturday night against the No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament, the Razorbacks stepped up in a big way, making the plays when they needed them the most in the second half to stun the Jayhawks with a 72-71 victory in a classic battle that went down to the final seconds. It was gut check time for the Hogs in the second half after they trailed 35-27 at halftime, and Davonte Davis poured in 21 of his 25 points after the break in propelling the Hogs to a massive win.
Players lay their hearts on the line in the NCAA Tournament, and following the game it was easy to see how much the win meant to Davis and the Razorback program. He gave an emotional interview with Allie LaForce in which the tears started to flow.
Check it out.
“I put in a lot of work. It’s crazy. I dunno, it’s crazy. I’m feeling good and I’m glad we came out with a win,” Davis said in tears.
LaForce asked Davis why he was crying and his response was simple and to the point.
“[We] put in the work. This team’s been struggling and we figured it out. And I’m glad we did at the right time. And hopefully we continue to do it,” Davis said.
The interview with Davonte Davis is one of the most beautiful things about sports. Players put in countless hours of work all season long, only to lay their hearts on the line in the highly emotional and chaotic tournament that is March Madness. Moments like that are precisely why the nation is so captivated by the tournament. The joy of victory can be a beautiful thing to see spilling out of a player in real-time and that’s exactly what he gave us.
The 8-seeded Razorbacks were trailing for most of the game, but thanks to a masterful performance by Davis, he helped them storm back late in the second half. Not only did he stuff the stat sheet with 25 points for the game (one short of his career-high), he also grabbed eight boards, and dished out one assist. There’s no question the Hogs don’t win without his spectacular performance on Saturday night.
With the win, the Razorbacks punched their tickets to the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight season.