Nov. 27—Site: T-Mobile Center (18,972), Kansas City, Mo.
Radio: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play) and former Illini Deon Thomas (analysis) will have the call on the Illini Sports Network on WDWS 1400-AM, WDWS 93.9-FM, WHMS 97.5-FM, WPXN 104.9-FM, WDAN-1490-AM, WDNL 102.1-FM, WSOY 1340-AM and WSOY 103.3-FM.
TV:CBS.
Series: Illinois leads 5-1.
Last meeting: Arkansas won 73-63 on March 15, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.
FYI: Illinois and Arkansas’ showdown in the first round of the 2023 NCAA tournament was a mere 624 days ago. Just more than 20 months. Exactly one player who appeared in that game is still on one of the rosters, and he won’t play Thursday in Kansas City. Illini junior guard Ty Rodgers, who had six points, four steals and three rebounds off the bench in that tournament game, is redshirting this season.
Tre White was the first Illinois starter subbed out of Monday night’s game against Little Rock, with Will Riley the first Illini off the bench just before the first media timeout. But White went to the bench with praise from Illinois coach Brad Underwood, who told the junior guard his four points, two rebounds and one steal in those first 3 1/2 minutes were “big time.” White ultimately finished the 58-point blowout victory against the Trojans with a season-high 16 points to go with eight rebounds and two steals.
“He got out and ran and got a layup,” Underwood said. “He was a handler once and got it all the way to the rim and did it with great pace. He doesn’t have to be a guy that’s in a lot of our actions.I always go back to the Butler scrimmage. He was close to being our leading scorer. It was just cuts, shooting open shots. His defense has gotten 100 times better. He’s a very good offensive rebounder. He can sneak his way to 10 or 12 points pretty easy, and I’m just feeling better with the way he’s playing.”
Last week’s pair of games saw Kylan Boswell find his footing offensively. The Arizona transfer averaged 15 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists against Alabama and Maryland-Eastern Shore, while shooting 61.5 percent at the rim. Boswell flashed that same assertiveness against Little Rock in attacking the basket, but turned it into a season-high seven assists instead of points of his own.
“It was just power,” Underwood said. “It was just strength. It wasn’t just reckless and drive in there and jump off one leg. It was simple. It was keeping the game simple, taking what it gives you and getting fouled. He’s a career (73.4) percent free-throw shooter. We need him getting fouled and putting stress on (opposing defenses). Now you get that duo with (Kasparas Jakucionis), and that sets up what I think can be really good perimeter shooting team for other opportunities. He was very dialed into his violent drives and great rim decision making.”
The combination of Jakucionis and Boswell has provided Illinois 20 points and nearly 10 assists per game so far this season. Underwood wants that guard duo to set the offensive pace. An up-tempo pace. The Illini are ranked in the top 30 in adjusted tempo by both Bart Torvik and Ken Pomeroy, and they go at mostly Jakucionis’ pace, but also Boswell’s pace, and Underwood doesn’t want to see them (or their teammates) jogging.
“What I’m trying to get is we don’t want to play faster than we’re capable of making decisions, but yet we have to understand it’s the little things,” Underwood said. “If the wings run really hard and get to the corners, that creates space. If they just jog and get to the free-throw line, that puts a defender there. … It’s just a little thing that’s really important.Those are things we’re still working at getting better at, but (Monday) we were better than we had been.”
Illinois has a shot for a winning record against SEC teams this season if it beats Arkansas. Starting in an 0-2 hole after last week’s loss to Alabama, if you count the charity exhibition against Mississippi, makes that task more difficult — the rest of the games have to be wins — but it’s not outside of the realm of possibility. The Razorbacks have similarly athletic and productive guards to Alabama, but it’s unclear if they can make enough threes to keep up with Illinois. The Illini can get shooting from just about everyone. Arkansas has, to date, leaned heavily on Boogie Fland and Zvonimir Ivisic beyond the arc. Illinois’ bombs away approach might be the difference-maker.
Starters
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Kylan Boswell Jr. 6-2 8.0 Champaign
G Kasparas Jakucionis Fr. 6-6 12.0 Vilnius, Lithuania
G Tre White Jr. 6-7 8.8 Dallas
F Ben Humrichous Gr. 6-9 10.3 Tipton, Ind.
C Tomislav Ivisic Fr. 7-1 15.5 Vodice, Croatia
FYI: There’s a real argument to be made Illinois has the better Ivisic twin. Tomislav Ivisic is the Illini’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder and has three double-doubles in six games while averaging 15.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 assists. The only area Zvonimir Ivisic can claim the upper hand is three-point shooting. The Arkansas big man has connected on 56.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, and that’s on 23 attempts in six games.
Off the bench
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
F Will Riley Fr. 6-8 17.2 Kitchener, Ontario
G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn So. 6-1 7.7 Lafayette, Ind.
F Morez Johnson Jr. Fr. 6-9 5.3 Chicago
Starters
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
G Boogie Fland Fr. 6-2 17.2 Bronx, N.Y.
G Johnell Davis Gr. 6-4 9.3 Gary, Ind.
G D.J. Wagner So. 6-4 8.8 Camden, N.J.
F Adou Thiero Jr. 6-8 18.0 Pittsburgh
C Zvonimir Ivisic So. 7-2 12.0 Vodice, Croatia
FYI: Arkansas coach John Calipari has an even tighter rotation than Illinois coach Brad Underwood. With Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo playing sparingly because of an undisclosed lower-body injury suffered in the preseason — he’s appeared in just three games and averaged 6.7 minutes in those outings — the Razorbacks are basically running with an eight-man rotation. That was even true in Monday’s 109-35 victory against Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Off the bench
P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown
F Trevon Brazile Jr. 6-10 4.0 Springfield, Mo.
F Billy Richmond III Fr. 6-5 6.8 Memphis, Tenn.
F Karter Knox Fr. 6-6 5.7 Tampa, Fla.
