@RazorbackMBB Looks To Advance To Sweet Sixteen Tonight

AT A GLANCE
Behind a 20-point night from junior MICHAEL QUALLS and sophomore BOBBY PORTIS’ team-leading 13th double-double, fifth-seeded Arkansas picked up its first NCAA Tournament win since 2008 to advance to Saturday’s third round against fourth-seeded North Carolina. The game will be the fifth straight meeting between the two programs in the NCAA Tournament and eighth all-time.

• Arkansas is looking to make its 11th NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen and first since 1996.
• Arkansas and North Carolina have met four times in the NCAA Tournament (1990, 93, 95, 2008).
• Arkansas’ 27 wins are the most since 1994-95 and the second-most in coach Anderson’s career.
• Portis and Qualls are the top scoring duo in the SEC at 33.1 points per game.
• Arkansas finished second in the SEC regular season standings (13-5) and at the SEC Tournament.

#RAZORFACT
Head coach MIKE ANDERSON is one of 23 current coaches in the country to lead three different programs to the NCAA Tournament, doing so at Arkansas, Missouri and UAB.

@RAZORBACKMBB FAST BREAK FACTS
• First NCAA Tournament appearance and win since 2008.
• Looking to advance to the 11th NCAA Sweet Sixteen in program history.
• Won its first two NCAA Tournament games 10 times – last time coming in 1996.
• Hold a 41-29 overall record at the NCAA Tournament.
• Own a 21-9 record in NCAA Tournament openers.
• Improved to 2-0 in the NCAA Tournament when playing in the state of Florida – 1983/Tampa (Purdue, 78-68) & 2015/Jacksonville (Wofford, 56-53).
• Qualls’ 20-point game was the 49th in program history at the NCAA Tournament while he is the 22nd player to do so.
• Portis’ 13 rebounds are tied for the fourth-most in an NCAA Tournament game while his is the fourth player in program history with 15 & 13 in an NCAA Tournament contest.
• Most overall wins (27) since 1994-95 and the most SEC wins (13) since 1994.
• Won eight games by five points or less, good for the most since 1994-95 (12).
• Won five games when trailing at the half – 3 on the road, 1 neutral and 1 home.
• Rank in the top 25 nationally in points (77.4/15th), assists (16.1/12th), assist/turnover ratio (1.4/21st), turnover margin (+4.1/7th) and offensive rebounds (12.9/23rd) – all SEC bests.
• Lead the SEC in overall scoring (77.4) and in SEC games (75.1).
• Won 31 straight games when leading at the half.
• Portis and Qualls have combined for 30+ points 23 times (17-6) and 40+ points in seven games (7-0).
• Own a 20-0 record when forcing 15+ turnovers.

COACHING MATCHUP
@RazorbackMBB
Head Coach: Mike Anderson (Tulsa ‘82)
Record at Arkansas: 86-47 (4th Season)
Overall Record: 286-145 (13th Season)
At NCAA Tournament (Appearances): 8-6 (7)

North Carolina
Head Coach: Roy Wiliams (UNC ‘72)
Record at UNC: 331-99 (12th Season)
Overall Record: 749-200 (27th Season)
At NCAA Tournament (Appearances): 64-22 (25)

AGAINST NORTH CAROLINA
Arkansas will look to avenge its loss at the 2008 at NCAA Tournament against North Carolina, which was its last NCAA Tournament appearance before Thursday’s win over Wofford. The two programs met in the NCAA Tournament three times over a six-year span from 1990-95. The last regular season meeting came in 1984 in Pine Bluff, Ark. when the Razorbacks defeated a Michael Jordan-led North Carolina team that was No. 1 in the country and 19-0. Arkansas was able to pull out the win on a Charles Balentine bucket with just seconds remaining.

ALL-TIME MEETINGS

* – NCAA Tournament

FIRST TIME SINCE …

^ – Program record

* – Equals program record

IN A CLASS BY HIMSELF
In less than two complete years as a Razorback, sophomore BOBBY PORTIS has put his name in the conversation with some of Arkansas’ elite players in program history. Portis is the first player in program history with 1,000 points and 500 rebounds as a sophomore. In Thursday’s win over Wofford, Portis surpassed 600 points and 300 rebounds on the year, becoming the first player in program history to accomplish the feat.

1K CLUB
For just the second time in program history, Arkansas has four current players with 1,000 points. The quartet of ALANDISE HARRIS, RASHAD MADDEN, BOBBY PORTIS and MICHAEL QUALLS have all surpassed the 1000-point plateau this season. The 1990-91 club (Todd Day, Ron Huery, Lee Mayberry, Oliver Miller) is the only other Arkansas team to have four active 1,000-point scorers.

* – Harris played his first two seasons at Houston before coming to Arkansas.