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No. 19 Arkansas (5-1) vs. Illinois (5-1) in Kansas City
Date: Thursday, November 28
Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
On Thanksgiving, enduring Giants-Cowboys in a riveting matchup between Tommy DeVito and Cooper Rush is for football-hungry masochists.
Instead, pour another glass, plop on the couch post-gluttony, stave off tryptophan’s sleep-inducing effects and watch a far more entertaining game taking place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Arkansas vs. Illinois has all the goods.
The pick — Illinois -2 vs. Arkansas (-110, BetMGM)
The Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase features two stellar offenses, a pair of animated head coaches and twin brothers Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas) and Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois) going toe-to-toe for the first time on American soil. Toss in the backstory of Illinois assistant Orlando Antigua, who chose to return to Champaign after a multiyear stint as John Calipari’s top assistant in Kentucky, and the drama only increases.
The showdown in K.C. is bound to be a barnburner, unlike that sorrowful NFL snoozer on FOX.
For the Razorbacks, team-wide balance is the name of their game. Through the season’s first couple weeks, they rank top-30 nationally in effective field-goal percentage offense and effective field-goal percentage defense. They pressure and trap with considerable success, convert at the free-throw line and are one of the college game’s best on the defensive glass.
As for the Illini, speed, defense and 3-pointers make them tick. Over 52% of their shots have come from beyond the arc. Excellent at controlling the glass — the Big Ten reps are the fifth-tallest team in the county — they blast the boards consistently. And with freshman Kasparas Jakucionis’ playmaking ability, Illinois — when in sync — is a downright dangerous team.
What’s most impressive about the Illini’s start is how stingy they’ve executed on D. Although guarding efforts waned at times against Alabama’s well-spaced army of sharpshooters in a 100-87 loss in Birmingham, they’ve largely locked down. Illinois enters the holiday clash as the nation’s No. 2 team in effective field-goal percentage defense, allowing a lowly 38.8% inside the arc and 25.7% outside of it.
Both teams are on the younger side and have shown visible vulnerabilities in some areas. However, Brad Underwood has a major depth advantage. If his Illini squad quells the carelessness and knocks down a fair amount of perimeter shots, the Orange and Blue should earn their first resume win of the season.
In a likely briskly paced game — both schools rank inside the top 55 in adjusted tempo — Illinois gives this somewhat objective fanalyst much to be thankful for.
Keep Casa de Evans awake and enthusiastic, Illinois.
Season record: 4-5, -0.99 units