The Arkansas basketball program has won only two Final Four national semifinals in its history. 1994 against Arizona was the first. Let's look back.
The Arkansas basketball team faces Arizona in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and the Sweet 16. Before the game starts in San Jose, let's take this opportunity to recall the biggest game these schools have played in men's college basketball.
It was April 2, 1994. Charlotte Coliseum hosted the 1994 Final Four. Notably, this was the next-to-last time in which a conventional basketball arena hosted the Final Four. The very last time was in 1996, when the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hosted college basketball's big show.
Arkansas, which had made the 1990 Final Four and had come agonizingly close to the Final Four in 1991 before losing to Kansas in the Elite Eight, knocked the door down once again and returned to the Four-most event in college hoops. Arkansas beat Michigan -- the remainders of the Fab Five -- in the Elite Eight in Dallas to get back to the Final Four. The Razorbacks were the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region and looked like the team to beat coming to Charlotte.
Standing in UA's way was an Arizona team which was hugely skilled but which benefited from a great draw in the 1994 NCAA Tournament. Arizona was a No. 2 seed but got a draw fit for a No. 1 seed. Arizona stayed home in the West Region with a good-not-great Missouri team being shipped West as the No. 1 seed. Missouri was able to get to the Elite Eight in Los Angeles, but Arizona easily outclassed the Tigers and made its way back to the Final Four after first crashing the party in 1988.
The fact that Arizona's path to the NCAA Tournament was so fortunate gave Arkansas reason to be confident heading into this national semifinal. Yet, at halftime, the score was knotted at 41, with the Wildcats showing how talented they were.
So many 2026 Arkansas games have been decided by the fact that the Hogs had Darius Acuff and their opponents did not. This Arkansas-Arizona game 32 years ago was decided by the fact that the Razorbacks had Corliss Williamson and the Wildcats did not. Big Nasty not only scored 29 points; he did so on efficient 11-18 shooting. Williamson pulled down 13 rebounds, handed out 5 assists, swiped 2 steals, and blocked a shot. He did everything. He was everywhere on the court. He was the hammer Arizona could not match or contain. No one else in the game scored more than 20 points. Williamson was a man among boys in this game.
Arkansas scored 50 points in the second half to pull away and win 91-82. The margin of victory would have been even larger if the Razorbacks had been able to make their free throws. They earned 32 attempts -- 18 more than Arizona, a bloodbath -- but made only 20 of them. This could have been a 15-point win if the Hogs had been sharper at the charity stripe.
The difference in the game was Arkansas' perimeter defense. The Hogs hounded the talented Arizona backcourt of Damon Stoudamire and Khalid Reeves, limiting them to 2-of-22 shooting from 3-point range. Arizona finished 6 of 32 on 3-pointers, below 20 percent. Both teams shot above 52 percent on 2-pointers, but Arizona's bad shot selection and Arkansas' pressure defense led to a lot of wasted Wildcat possessions.
This was Arkansas' first-ever win in a Final Four national semifinal. The Hogs lost in 1941, 1945, 1978, and 1990. This game set the scene for Scotty Thurman's decisive rainbow jumper in the final minute against Duke two nights later. Arkansas would become the Boss Hog of college basketball. A win over Arizona made that defeat of Duke possible.