MBB NCAA Tourney Preview: Arkansas vs Illinois

Who: #8 seed Arkansas Razorbacks (20-13) vs #9 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (20-12)
What: Arkansas is playing in its third straight NCAA Tournament and earned its 36th overall NCAA bid.
When: Thursday – Mar. 16 – 3:30 pm (CT)
Where: Des Moines, Iowa – Wells Fargo Arena (16,110)

 How (to follow):
– Television: TBS (Brian Anderson, Jim Jackson, Allie LaForce)
– Stream/Online: NCAA GAME CENTER
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Gameday Info and How to Listen Online/Mobile: Razorback Gameday App
Sirius/XM National Broadcast: 136 (Sirius) / 206 (XM) || SXM App: Channel 967
– Live Stats: NCAA GAME CENTER       

– Arkansas Game Notes: CLICK HERE
– Illinois Game Notes: CLICK HERE 
– SEC Notes/Stats
CLICK HERE

DES MOINES, Iowa – Arkansas, the #8 seed in the West Region, will face #9 seed Illinois in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Thursday (Mar. 16). Tipoff is set for 3:30 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on TBS.

  • Arkansas earns its 36th NCAA bid and third straight. It is the first time since 2006, ’07 and ’08 that the Hogs have played in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Arkansas advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 in each of the last two years. In 2021, Arkansas lost in the Elite 8 to eventual national champion Baylor. In 2022, Arkansas upset #1 overall seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 before falling to Duke in the Elite 8.
  • The Razorbacks own a 48-34 all-time record in NCAA action.
  • This is the third time in program history Arkansas has received a No. 8 seed. Arkansas won its NCAA opener as an 8-seed in 2017 (vs Seton Hall). In 2006 as the 8-seed, Arkansas lost its opener to Bucknell.
  • Arkansas is 18-8 in NCAA Tournament first round games (including a loss in a “2nd round game” in 2015 when the “first four” were considered the 1st round).
  • Arkansas and Illinois have met on five previous occasions and the Illini have won all five. The first meeting (Dec. 14, 1949) was played in Champaign and the other four were played in “home” neutral sites (Little Rock for Arkansas and Chicago for Illinois) in a four-game “home-and-home” from 2001-2004.
  • Arkansas has never played in Des Moines. Arkansas has only played in the state of Iowa on two previous occasions, both coming in Ames versus Iowa State. First, Arkansas lost the Cyclones, 86-77, on 12/14/70 and lost at ISU, 95-77, in the 2015 SEC-Big 12 Challenge.

 

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on Twitter.