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No. 4 Connecticut will try to stay red hot against a No. 8 Arkansas team that has suddenly hit its stride in the NCAA tournament. The teams square off in a Sweet 16 matchup in Las Vegas on Thursday night.
UConn has been dominant in the second halves of its wins over No. 13 Iona and No. 5 Saint Mary’s. The Huskies can beat you in a multitude of ways and have the look of a Final Four team. They outclassed Iona and Saint Mary’s behind a combined 52 points and 21 rebounds from big man Adama Sanogo, and dead-eye 3-point shooting from Jordan Hawkins and Tristen Newton.
The Razorbacks, despite struggling at the end of the regular season, posted an impressive win over No. 1 seed and defending champion Kansas in the second round after beating Illinois in the first round. Arkansas is talented — with two projected NBA lottery picks in Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black — but can play some pretty disjointed games and are a poor outside shooting team. Arkansas really got back in the game vs. Kansas via offensive rebounding and second-chance points. Rebounding will once again be key against UConn’s big men.
