Associated Press

Eastern Illinois Panthers (2-5) at Butler Bulldogs (6-1)

Indianapolis; Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Butler plays Eastern Illinois after Jahmyl Telfort scored 24 points in Butler’s 87-77 win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are 4-1 on their home court. Butler is 1-1 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Panthers are 0-5 in road games. Eastern Illinois gives up 78.3 points to opponents while being outscored by 11.0 points per game.

Butler’s average of 9.1 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.8 fewer made shots on average than the 9.9 per game Eastern Illinois gives up. Eastern Illinois has shot at a 42.1% rate from the field this season, 5.4 percentage points greater than the 36.7% shooting opponents of Butler have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Telfort is shooting 47.4% and averaging 17.6 points for the Bulldogs.

Nakyel Shelton is scoring 18.4 points per game and averaging 4.3 rebounds for the Panthers.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Illinois had faced just one other top opponent before taking on No. 19 Arkansas on Thursday in a neutral-site matchup in Kansas City, Missouri, and it hadn’t gone especially well. A 100-87 loss to then-No. 8 Alabama had exposed some defensive issues and raised questions about whether the young Illini were ready to handle the size, speed and skill that the cream of the college basketball crop would throw at them.

Now we have our answer.

The Illini (6-1) hit the ground running against Arkansas (5-2) and didn’t break stride until crusing to a 90-77 win over the Razorbacks. The perimeter shooting finally came around for Illinois, but it was a fine all-around effort against a team that figures to push Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky and Bama in the SEC all season. Below, we grade out Illinois’ individual performances from the Arkansas matchup, which – again – represent each player’s single-game output.

Ivisic didn’t just meet the pressure of the moment against a quality ranked opponent and a much-hyped matchup with twin brother Zvonimir – he wrangled it and rode it like he owned it. With 21 points on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range, 10 rebounds, three blocks and two steals, Ivisic put on one of the best all-around individual performances seen from a player in an Illini uniform in quite some time.

While sharing responsibilities running the Illini offense (six assists) and finding room to spark his own (18 points), Boswell also put on another defensive clinic, doing most of the heavy lifting in holding Razorbacks freshman guard Boogie Fland to eight points on 2-for-12 shooting. Even if Boswell’s 3-point stroke never comes around, he’ll be in the running for Illinois’ unofficial team MVP.

Jakucionis continues to show that he’s anything but the typical freshman point guard, striking a harmonious balance between creating offense for his teammates and himself (23 points and four assists) against a quality opponent in Arkansas. His handle can get too loose (six turnovers), but the occasional freshman mistakes are the cost of doing business when offensive brilliance is the payoff.

Humrichous has been Illinois’ metronome this season, spotting up and knocking down shots beyond the arc at an excellent clip (3-for-4 against the Hogs) and stretching opposing defenses to further open the throttle on the Illini offense. His other numbers tend to ebb and flow, but when he holds down his position on defense, he almost always comes up as a plus.

Despite playing less than half the game, Johnson – as usual – made his presence felt, mostly in a very good way. He finished with six points (2-for-2 from the field), four rebounds and two steals. Johnson rarely takes anything off the table, but his free-throw shooting (2-for-4 vs. Arkansas) and proclivity for fouls (three in 15 minutes) are something he’ll want to clean up over time.

Thirteen minutes isn’t a lot of time to get much of anything done, but Gibbs-Lawhorn hit 2 of 3 shots (including a three) and snagged a rebound in his short floor time against Arkansas – solid enough production for his run in this one.

White was one of the few Illini who weren’t feeling it Thursday, missing his only shot (a 3-point attempt), grabbing two rebounds and otherwise handing in a clean stat sheet in just 11 minutes. With Illinois’ depth, White’s playing time will probably often hinge on who – including him – has the hot hand in the rotation on any given day.

For the first time all season, Riley played like an overwhelmed freshman. He had just five points (on 2-for-9 shooting) and zero rebounds against Arkansas, which clearly made a point of keeping Riley from getting comfortable. As we know by now, he’ll have many much better days ahead.

Instant Analysis: Illinois Basketball Outguns No. 19 Arkansas 90-77

3 Key Numbers from Illinois Basketball’s Win Over Arkansas

Arkansas Coach John Calipari Reacts to Illinois Basketball’s Win

An Illinois police detective was shot and killed by a violent career criminal on Friday — marking the first on-duty death the quiet village of Oak Park has recorded in 86 years.

Oak Park Police Detective Allan Reddins, 40, responded to a call with other officers of an armed man leaving a bank that ended in a deadly confrontation when the suspect drew his gun and opened fire.

Reddins, who joined the department in 2019, died after he was shot on the left side of his body, according to the Oak Park Police Department.

The suspect, identified as Jerell Thomas, 37, was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree murder and other related charges connected to the line-of-duty slaying, police said.

Reddins was the first Oak Park officer killed in the line of duty since 1938. 

“Our police department, we’re hurting right now,” Police Chief Shatonya Johnson said at a news conference Friday.

“I’m hurting. His family is hurting. Please keep us in your prayers.”

Reddins and other officers initially responded to the 1000 block of Lake Street around 9 a.m. and spotted the gunman leaving a Chase Bank, police said.

Officers approached Thomas and ordered him to show them his hands before he fired off shots, striking Reddins.x

The alleged perp was also shot in the leg when officers returned fire, police said. 

Reddins was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood where he was pronounced dead at 10:10 a.m. 

The accused cop killer was taken to the same hospital, where he’s receiving treatment and remains in custody, police said. He is currently in stable condition.

Police referred to Thomas as a “habitual criminal” with a long history of arrests that include aggravated battery to a police officer, domestic battery, battery and resisting a police officer. 

Dozens of police and fire firefighters throughout the Chicago area held a police procession along Interstate 290 Saturday afternoon as Reddins’ body was transported from the hospital to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The public safety personnel stood at attention and saluted the ambulance as the fallen cop’s body was carried inside, according to moving photos posted by the police department.  

“Thank you for the outpouring of condolences for Detective Allan Reddins and support for the Oak Park Police Department during this difficult time,” the department posted on Facebook.

“Plans for a public memorial are being discussed and will be shared when details become available.”

Thomas is also charged with attempted murder of a peace officer, possession of a stolen firearm and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon.

A court date has yet to be determined due to his hospitalization.