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Razorbacks Fail Math Exam in Thanksgiving Loss to Illinois

Razorbacks struggle in too many key areas to overcome 3-point barrage by Illini

Curtis Wilkerson

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts on the sidelines in a 90-77 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini in Kansas City.
Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari reacts on the sidelines in a 90-77 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini in Kansas City. / Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Sometimes a 40-minute basketball game comes down to simple math, and Arkansas was on the wrong end of the equation in Thursday's 90-77 loss to Illinois at the T-Mobile Center.

The Illini entered play with a high-octane perimeter attack that was making 11.3 on 34.3 three-point attempts per game.

The path to victory for the Razorbacks was to either limit Illinois from deep, make enough of their own to keep pace or make up the difference elsewhere.

Arkansas did none of the above in what became an offensive clinic by the Illini, which got whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted with season-highs in points (90) and made threes (15) against what was a team ranked top 10 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency at tipoff.

For every move John Calipari made — whether it be going under, switching, twirling or scrambing — Illinois and Brad Underwood had the answer in what was an emphatic checkmate by the final horn.

"We worked on taking away three, we didn’t do a very good job, did we? We left corners. We don’t ever leave corners. Left corners, and they made them.

"They had great motion. They were creating switches. We didn’t rotate fast enough, but there’s a lot to learn from this. "

Ball-screen defense was the culprit in at least half of Illinois' 15-of-31 outburst from beyond the arc, led by Zvonimir Ivisic's twin brother, Tomislav, who scored 21 points on a career-high six made triples.

Nine of Illinois' threes came from the frontcourt as stretch-forward Ben Humrichous pitched in a 3-of-4 effort himself.

"We were supposed to be rotating to him, and there were two or three times that we do something, he’s there and you’re guarding this guy and you got to rotate up and he’s got to rotate over and we really didn’t," Calipari said.

As the defense faltered, Arkansas was not able to make up the difference on the other end of the floor, either.

Seven different Illini connected on three-pointers while Arkansas made fewer than that as a team. In fact, Tomislav Ivisic out-made the Razorbacks from long-distance by himself.

After knocking down 15 threes themselves earlier in the week against Maryland Eastern Shore, the Razorbacks missed seven straight three-pointers in the first half and finished the game just 5 of 17 from deep.

Zvonimir Ivisic went his typical 3 for 6 from three, but Trevon Brazile and Johnell Davis were the only other Razorbacks to convert from beyond the arc.

It is hard, nearly impossible, for a team to win a basketball game when the opponent finishes the night +10 in the made-threes column.

"We didn’t create enough threes because we didn’t find people, because we’re trying to do it ourselves," Calipari said. "And there were opportunities. But when I watch the tape tonight, I’ll have a better idea."

There were also some opportunities for Arkansas to make up for the 30-point disparity from beyond the arc with a heavy diet of rim attacks and free throw attempts.

Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) and Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic (13) get tangled up
Arkansas Razorbacks forward Adou Thiero (3) and Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) get tangled up going after a rebound during the first half at T-Mobile Center. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

However, the Razorbacks converted just 16 of 27 freebies with Adou Thiero's nine misses on 21 attempts looming large in the loss despite his game-high 26 points.

"Adou did great, he just missed a bunch of free throws, which put you in a bad place, especially when it was a nine-point game," Calipari said.

Arkansas will look to get back on track when it travels to Miami for its first true road test of the season on Tuesday in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Tip is set for 6 or 6:30 on ESPN or ESPN2.

HOGS FEED:

• Hogs' blitzed by Illini; Experience Thanksgiving blues for second straight year

• Arkansas better equipped for misery Hogs will face Saturday

• Arkansas-Illinois history perfect triangle of Hall of Fame coaches coaches, literal goat

• Green not only name Drinkwitz mispronounced during jab at Arkansas

• Arkansas-Illinois rekindles life-long rivalry between Croatian twins

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Curtis Wilkerson
CURTIS WILKERSON

Curtis is in his fifth year on the beat covering Arkansas basketball, football, baseball and recruiting. Prior to his time in Fayetteville, he spent eight years coaching basketball at the small-college level in Illinois and spent two years contributing as a scout and recruiting analyst with Prep Hoops. He holds a bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and a master's in Administration.

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