Marching in: Arkansas gets Illinois in 8-9 matchup

FAYETTEVILLE — When Arkansas coach Eric Musselman met with the media on Sunday evening instantly after the Razorbacks’ first-round opponent for the NCAA Match was introduced, he already had been learning up on Illinois for a number of hours.

“I bought the depth chart, I bought the highlighted field rating, convention field rating,” Musselman stated of the papers he held in his arms. “So yeah, a few of us have been assembly for a very long time this morning.”

The assembly time wasn’t wasted.

Arkansas (20-13) is the No. 8 seed within the West Area and can play No. 9 seed Illinois (20-12) at 3:30 p.m. Central on Thursday at Wells Fargo Area in Des Moines, Iowa. The sport will likely be televised on TBS.

Musselman stated he and his employees met Sunday morning with the idea Illinois was one among two potential first-round opponents for Arkansas.

The opposite?

“It’s not price saying,” Musselman stated with a smile.

Musselman stated that contemplating Arkansas misplaced freshman guard Nick Smith for 19 video games due to a proper knee concern and he’s now within the beginning lineup, a No. 7 seed was the best-case situation for the Razorbacks. A No. 9 seed, he added, was considered because the worst-case situation.

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“I believe the 8 seed may be very honest,” Musselman stated. “That’s what we performed our means into, so now you’ve bought to go attempt to win an 8-9 recreation.”

The Arkansas-Illinois winner doubtless will play No. 1 West seed Kansas (27-7) in a second-round recreation on Saturday. The Jayhawks, who play No. 16 seed Howard on Thursday, are 15-0 in earlier video games as a No. 1 seed.

“Everyone that you’d doubtlessly play within the NCAA Match is a extremely good workforce,” Musselman stated. “That’s why they’re on this event.”

Jay Wright, who led Villanova to nationwide championships in 2016 and 2018 and a fourth Last 4 look final season earlier than retiring, now works for CBS as an analyst.

“I like Arkansas right here in opposition to Illinois,” Wright stated on the choice present when the matchup was introduced. “If Arkansas can get previous Illinois — which goes to be an awesome recreation — they match up with Kansas rather well.

“Their size and velocity, Nick Smith taking part in now like he’s, they may give Kansas an issue proper there in a second-round recreation.”

Illinois went 11-9 within the Large Ten to tie for fifth, then misplaced to Penn State 79-76 within the Illini’s Large Ten Convention opener.

The Illini are within the NCAA Match for the third consecutive 12 months below Coach Brad Underwood.

“Actually Illinois is absolutely well-coached,” Musselman stated.

Musselman stated he doesn’t know Underwood personally, however has watched his groups through the years and that they play with toughness.

“The Large Ten is a really, very bodily league,” Musselman stated. “Lots of shut video games, clearly, within the Large Ten, so that they’ve been examined all through the course of the season.”

The Razorbacks held an NCAA Match choice present watch social gathering at Stroll-On’s Sports activities Bistreaux in Fayetteville.

When Arkansas’ identify got here up on the big display TV the gamers, coaches and employees had been watching, they erupted in cheers.

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“It was thrilling simply being in there with my teammates, seeing what we’ve been working for from the summer season till now,” Razorbacks freshman guard Anthony Black stated. “Rising up, I believe everyone actually watches the event, whether or not you play or not.

“Simply to get our identify known as and to be part of it’s particular. It’s an excellent alternative for us to win some video games.”

Arkansas is taking part in within the NCAA Match for the thirty sixth time and for a 3rd consecutive season for the primary time since 2006-2008.

The Razorbacks are 48-34 in NCAA Match video games and received the championship in 1994.

That is the sixth consecutive season during which the NCAA Match has been held — it was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic — {that a} Musselman-coached workforce has made the sector.

Nevada was an NCAA Match from 2017-19 in Musselman’s final three seasons teaching the Wolf Pack earlier than he was employed at Arkansas.

“Until you’ve coached or performed within the NCAA, I don’t assume you actually know the way exhausting it’s to make this event,” Musselman stated. “You possibly can look when the brackets are completed in any respect the nice applications and all of the groups with a whole lot of expertise that aren’t on this event.

“It ought to by no means get outdated for any coach. It ought to by no means get outdated for any member of the family of a training household. It actually shouldn’t get outdated for any participant.”

Junior guard Davonte “Devo” Davis has been on all three of Musselman’s NCAA Match groups with Arkansas.

“It’s enjoyable, for certain,” Davis stated of taking part in within the NCAA Match once more. “Simply realizing it’s my third time, and seeing [Arkansas’ name] pop up for the third time is thrilling and I do know the blokes are excited as a result of a whole lot of them haven’t been on this place. I’m excited for them as effectively.”

Musselman stated he and his employees would proceed scouting Illinois on Sunday evening after getting an early begin that morning.

“Break down with our teaching employees on their model and what they do offensively, defensively,” Musselman stated. “What they do with particular groups, on sideline out of bounds, baseline out of bounds.

“Then we’ll attempt to begin formulating the sport plan.”