No. 1 seed Kansas FALLS to 8 seed Arkansas in an upset 72-71 the second top team to fall in 24 hours

The second single seed in the country fell within a 24-hour span as Kansas was shocked Saturday night by Arkansas 72-71.

Four players for the Jayhawks had double figures, led by Jalen Wilson’s 16 points and four rebounds.

Davonte Davis led the way for the University of Arkansas – grabbed 25 points, seven rebounds and one assist.

The loss to Kansas continues the NCAA’s drought of back-to-back champions – with the University of Florida Gators the last team to accomplish the feat in 2006 and 2007.

Davonte Davis led the way for the Arkansas Razorbacks with 25 points and seven rebounds

Playing without ailing coach Bill Self, Kansas became the second-top seed not to escape the first weekend of the tournament after Purdue lost to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson on Friday night.

Self has spent the past few days recovering from a procedure after complaining of chest tightness.

He missed some of the team’s games in the Big 12 Tournament and their first round match of the Big Dance against Howard.

Arkansas (22-13) and coach Eric Musselman return to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. The Razorbacks will play against Saint Mary’s of UConn in the West Region Semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday.

Musselman and his players rushed to a group of fans who sat at the court after the final buzzer. The 58-year-old coach ripped off his polo shirt, waved it over his head and shouted with joy.

Self has been with the Jayhawks (28-8) since they arrived in Des Moines and has attended practices and meetings, but he still doesn’t feel well enough to coach a game after having a heart procedure on March 8 to clear clogged arteries .

Longtime assistant Norm Roberts was acting coach for a fifth straight game in Self’s absence.

Davis scored 21 of his points in the second half. He fell out with 1:56 left and turned matters over to the Veterans Council, a transfer from Wichita State that scored nine of the Razorbacks’ last 11 points.

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman took his shirt off in celebration as his team moved forward

The Council’s free throw put Arkansas ahead to stay, 68–67, with 24 seconds remaining. He then bounced back his own miss of the second free throw and made two more to give the Razorbacks a three-point lead.

The teams traded free throws and Arkansas sent Kansas’ Jalen Wilson to the line with 3 seconds left to avoid a possible three-point tie. Wilson made the first free throw and appeared to deliberately try to miss the second, but it landed hard off the glass and in, and Kansas never regained possession.

Wilson led the Jayhawks with 20 points.

Arkansas played a No. 1 seed for the third year in a row. Last year, the Razorbacks knocked out Gonzaga en route to their second straight Elite Eight.

Arkansas, who beat Illinois in the first round, was considered a scary game for the Jayhawks with its explosive transition play and ability to play lockdown defense.

Joy for the Razorbacks means heartbreak from Jayhawk as Arkansas stays alive and well

But conditions weren’t ideal for the Razorbacks. Guard Anthony Black recovered from a nagging ankle injury early and went to the bench to be taped again and changed shoes.

Fellow guard and projected senior NBA draft pick in the first round Nick Smith Jr. got two quick fouls and was limited to 10 minutes and no points in the first half. Big man Kamani Johnson was also sick and played with a sore toe.

The Razorbacks were too eager to shoot three-pointers early. They missed 8 out of 9 in the first half and were unable to get their running game started.

Kansas seemed to be in complete control early on. The Jayhawks got their fans out of their seats with a series of electric plays, including Gradey Dick’s fast-break dunk of Dajuan Harris’ stealing, Wilson’s contested inside basket on an-and-one and his primal scream addressed to Arkansas fans, and Joseph Yesufu’s high- arcing 3 of the logo to beat the shot clock.