'It's what you dream of': Wade spectacular for Hogs in Sweet 16 win

Arkansas forward Trey Wade (3) dunks the ball during an NCAA Tournament game against Gonzaga on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in San Francisco.

SAN FRANCISCO — Inside the Golden State Warriors’ practice gym at Chase Center, Trey Wade stepped through the black curtain that separated the hardwood floor from the postgame interview room with a smile on his face.

Before finding his designated seat on the raised platform and coming to a rest behind a microphone, Wade was talking on his cell phone. On the other end of the call were his brothers.

“I’ve got to go do media,” Wade said with with some urgency.

They called to congratulate the forward on a job well done.

On Thursday, during Arkansas’ 74-68 victory over No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16, the Wichita State transfer had the podium game of all podium games. He finished with 15 points on an efficient 6 of 10 from the field and 7 rebounds.

The player who teammates have labeled the uncle of the team on account of his demeanor, style and leadership qualities, played with the craftiness and savvy of someone far beyond the age of his peers.

“It’s a big stage,” Wade said. “It’s what you dream of. I’m happy we got it done. I’m happy I played a good game.

“But it’s on to the next one.”

The Razorbacks will celebrate Wade a bit longer, and he is deserving of the spotlight. For only the fourth time this season, he scored in double figures.

Thursday’s game marked the first time he had done so since scoring 12 during Arkansas’ road victory over Missouri on Feb. 15. Wade’s 15 points were two shy of his season high set against the Tigers in Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 12.

“Trey Wade’s points when we desperately needed them were huge for us,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said.

Remaining ready and being engaged in the Razorbacks’ mission is what Wade does best. Of his 4 games at Arkansas with 10-plus points, 3 have come immediately after a scoreless performance in which he played 12 minutes or less.

And Wade found his perimeter touch at an ideal time. The Razorbacks made 7 of 25 three-point attempts, and he was 3 of 4 — all from the corners.

Prior to the matchup with Gonzaga, Wade had made 2 three-pointers in Arkansas’ previous 15 games.

“Trey makes those shots in practice,” Musselman said. “He’s a lethal three-point shooter with his feet set, and they sloughed off and helped and over-helped off of him. He did a great job of shooting the ball with great confidence.”

His first three of the second half gave Arkansas a 39-36 lead with 16:35 to play. The Razorbacks did not trail again.

The biggest of his scores — a left-corner three in front of the Arkansas bench — came with 2:08 left. The hit, assisted by Davonte Davis, put the Razorbacks ahead of the heavily favored Bulldogs, 66-58.

Seconds later, Gonzaga coach Mark Few called timeout. Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams ran to Wade when the action ceased and let out a celebratory yell that was a strong indicator that the Bulldogs were officially in the danger zone.

Wade was the Razorbacks’ second-leading scorer after halftime with 10 points. JD Notae led the way with 11 of his team-high 21 in the second half. Wade hit 4 of 5 shots and both of his threes after halftime.

Musselman, Notae and Williams also pointed to the forward’s defensive contributions in his 34 minutes. Wade recorded a blocked shot for the first time since the SEC Tournament opener against LSU and a steal for the second consecutive game.

Wade also drew the defensive assignment on Gonzaga All-American Chet Holmgren, a skilled 7-foot freshman who is projected to be one of the top picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. Holmgren scored 11 points before fouling out, three points below his season average. 

It added to Wade’s memorable night.

“I thought Trey Wade did a great job of denying and pressuring their trail man,” Musselman said. “We eliminated a lot of their high-lows, which was extremely important for us.”

Asked to describe the team’s locker-room celebration, Wade said the first person he ran to to savor the moment with was Cade Arbogast, the former walk-on guard who was placed on scholarship in January.

“Cade is my dog,” Wade said. “He knew how bad I wanted to play well, so, you know, he was probably the happiest person for me.”

Arbogast may have been the happiest person for Wade inside Chase Center. Halfway across the U.S., countless people in Arkansas are undoubtedly in the same boat.

“Just being the underdog, man, use it to your advantage,” Wade said. “They never see you coming.”