The No. 19 Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1, 0-0 SEC) will be center stage when they take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1, 0-0 Big 10) on Thanksgiving Day at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Arkansas is coming off a blowout 109-35 win over Maryland-Eastern Shore on Monday, while the Illini did some damage of their own with a 92-34 dismantling of Little Rock on the same day.
The game is set to tip off at 3 p.m. CT and will air on CBS following the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions NFL game, which will likely draw eyes from across the country.
HawgBeat sat down with Orange and Blue News Publisher Doug Bucshon and asked him some questions to better understand the Razorbacks’ next opponent…
Illinois has looked good through the first six games this season, but got punched in the mouth by Alabama last week. What went wrong in that game, and is it something that Arkansas can exploit Thursday?
Bucshon: "Alabama is a better team right now and much more experienced. Illinois rolls out 10 newcomers, including four freshmen who play integral roles, so it’s going to take some time for them to fully gel. The Illini are particularly raw on the defensive end, and Alabama’s quickness rattled them. Illinois got sped up on the offensive end.
"The Tide scored 50 points in the paint, and most of those buckets were on straight line drives. Illinois was okay offensively and they had their moments, but every time they had an opportunity to cut into the Bama lead they couldn’t get a key stop, or they made “freshman” mistakes like a rushed shot or bad pass."
Illinois has been a great team offensively so far this year. Who are the main weapons and where are they most effective?
Bucshon: "I would qualify that by saying the offensive numbers – and defensive for that matter – are skewed at this point because of the quality of the opponents. Alabama has been the only quality opponent through the first six games. Kenpom.com ranks Illinois #32 nationally in offensive efficiency.
"The spread-motion attack that Brad Underwood uses is designed to get shots from 3-point range or shots at the rim. Other than Will Riley, they don’t take many mid-range shots. They are most effective when the threes are going down, obviously, but the offense has the best flow when they get good spacing and have a balance between threes and points in the paint.
"It may not be a good measuring stick because of the opponent, but Illinois was strong on the offensive glass on Monday night against Little Rock. Illinois had 23 second chance points on 19 offensive rebounds.
"Though multiple players are capable of putting up double-digit points, three first-year players have been the most consistent scorers. Riley comes off the bench to score 17 points per game (more on Riley below). He can go on game-changing heaters. Big man Tomislav Ivisic has an inside-outside game that makes him hard to guard. Point guard Kasparas Jakucionis has mostly scored on drives and in transition, but he’s now starting to heat up from long range."
Speaking of Riley, he has been on a tear to start the season. What can Arkansas do to slow him down?
Bucshon: "You have to get physical with Riley. If you let him operate in space, he’s a natural scorer at all three levels and a knock-down jump shooter with unlimited range. If you close hard on him, he can put It on the floor going either direction and score on mid-range pull ups. At 6-foot-8, he scores over the top of smaller wings.
"Defenders who have disrupted Riley have put a body on him without fouling and made him try to score through contact. He has a thin build and not a ton of lower body strength, so you can knock him off balance and force him to make tough shots."
The Illini have been a great rebounding team, one of the best in the country so far. What makes them so effective on the boards?
Bucshon: "Size, bulk, and the ability to change directions and track down the basketball. Ivisic and freshman Morez Johnson are the best rebounders, though they have different styles. Ivisic is long at 7-foot-1, he gets good position, and yanks down rebounds against smaller players. Johnson is a bulky space eater who is tenacious tracking down the ball and jumps really well off of two feet.
"Underwood wants his guards to crash the board, so that emphasis has been working well for them. Jakucionis and starting wing Tre White are particularly strong rebounders. White has 19 rebounds in the last two games."
Arkansas and Illinois have a familial connection in the Ivisic brothers. What does Tomislav do well on the floor, and which brother do you think has the better game?
Bucshon: "All I’ve really seen from Zvonimir is his YouTube highlights, so I’m not intimately familiar with his game. Still, judging by that limited viewing and the stats, the brothers appear to have similar games. Both can score in the post or step out and hit jumpers. They are both excellent passers out of the high post.
"Big Z is stronger at this point and a much better shot blocker; He tops the SEC in block rate. I think Tomislav has a little better footwork on post ups and a smoother baby hook. I would give the edge to Z because he’s more advanced on the defensive end."
How do you see this game playing out?
Bucshon: "Fans are going to get a good show. It’s going to be a very competitive game that could go either way. It probably simply comes down to which team makes shots. Illinois has a better offense. Arkansas has a better defense.
"Points off of turnovers favor Arkansas. The Illini have been loose with the ball at times. Illinois has the advantage when it comes to rebounding and second chance points. The Hogs are 12th in the SEC in rebounding margin, and Illinois opponents are only rebounding 22% of their misses."
“I’ll be a homer and pick Illinois by a bucket.
Score Prediction: 80-78, Illinois
