Trey Wade shares special phone call he made following Arkansas win
After Arkansas defeated No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Thursday, Razorbacks forward Trey Wade knew he had to make one special phone call. In his postgame press conference, he shared who it was on the other end.
“It was one of my brothers,” Wade said following the victory. “They had called me and congratulated me. It’s a big stage. It’s what you dream of. I’m happy we got it done. I’m happy I played a good game, but on to the next one.”
Wade played a major role in the victory, scoring 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting to go with seven rebounds. He was one of three Razorbacks to score in double figures, and even got a shoutout from Dwyane Wade — and although he has the same last name and wore the same number, they aren’t related.
Now, Wade and Arkansas have to get ready for an Elite Eight showdown with No. 2 seed Duke for a chance to go to New Orleans for the Final Four.
Arkansas makes college basketball history with Gonzaga upset
Arkansas stands alone in college basketball history following its 74-68 upset victory against top-seeded Gonzaga on Thursday in the Sweet Sixteen. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the Razorbacks are the only team to beat an AP No. 1 team during both the regular season and NCAA Tournament.
Thursday’s victory also marked the first win against a number one seed for Arkansas, which was previously 0-10 in such games. It also happened to be the 100th win for Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman in Fayetteville. Guard JD Notae led the Razorbacks with 20 points on 9-for-27 shooting in the win, while they also forced 15 Gonzaga turnovers. Jaylin Williams and Trey Wade added 15 points apiece.
“Same thing all year,” Musselman said when asked what his team showed in the win over Gonzaga. “I mean, our defense, to hold them to 68 — just incredible defense. We believed. Nobody else did. We read everything. I’m telling you: we put it up on the screen every single meal. Thank you to everybody that said we had no chance!”
Arkansas held the Bulldogs to just 23.8% from 3-point range and 37.5% from the floor in the win. The Razorbacks also affected the game by getting Gonzaga star and projected No. 1 NBA Draft pick Chet Holmgren in foul trouble, limiting his impact on the game. Holmgren played just 23 minutes as he dealt with the fouls, finishing with 11 points and 14 rebounds. He fouled out with 3:29 remaining in the game, as Arkansas hit its free throws to close out the game with a victory.