3 Key Numbers from Illinois Basketball's Win Over Arkansas

Digging into the stat sheet to highlight the numbers that propelled the Illini to victory over the No. 19 Razorbacks

Nov 28, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; 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. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

In a Thanksgiving Day matchup highlighted by a showdown of twin brothers, Illinois knocked off No. 19 Arkansas 90-77 to come away with its first resume-building win of the year and earn Tomislav Ivisic the ultimate family bragging rights.

The Illini moved to 6-1 behind a fantastic three-point shooting night and a first-half lockdown defensive performance, in which they held the Razorbacks to 34 points.

A closer look at the numbers helps explain how Illinois controlled this one from the opening tip to the final buzzer – and how the Illini can maintain their momentum heading into Big Ten play, starting Dec. 6 at Northwestern.

13

In their first-ever head-to-head matchup, the Ivisic twins both had their moments, but Tomislav ultimately got the better of his brother, Zvonimir, both in the individual battle as well as the team meeting. No number better demonstrates that than Tomislav’s plus-13 plus-minus, compared to Zvonimir’s minus-13. That being said, Zvonimir still put together a strong performance, scoring 13 points on 55.6 percent shooting, while adding six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. On the Illini side, Tomislav dazzled with 20 points (on 6-for-9 three-point shooting) and 10 rebounds, while controlling the defensive paint (two steals and three blocks) to help lead his squad to a convincing win.

15

Aside from the Ivisic-versus-Ivisic showdown, the main storyline from Thursday's game centered around the Illini’s scorching shooting from beyond the arc. Of the nine Illini who logged minutes, seven recorded at least one three-point field goal en route to 15 triples on a season-high 48.4 percent from deep. After struggling over the past three games from long range (30-for-101, 29.7 percent), Illinois finally found its rhythm. In coach Brad Underwood's five-out, pass-happy offense, that outside threat holds the key to big scoring, consistent flow and even unlocking interior opportunities for the Illini as the season rolls on.

Big Man 3⃣ @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/2angOypJvI

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) November 28, 2024

21

Arkansas leading scorer Adou Thiero, an uber-athletic and crafty offensive creator, got to the rim at will against Illinois, initiating contact and drawing whistles on seemingly every drive to spend the better part of his day at the free-throw line (21 attempts). Not only did Thiero get numerous opportunities for easy points, but he forced multiple defenders into foul trouble (five Illini with three or more fouls). Fortunately for Illinois, Thiero struggled to convert his charity-stripe trips into points, as he hit just 12 of 21. While the Illini won’t be stuck defending a Thiero in every game, they will need to identify a long defensive stopper (Tre White? Carey Booth?) to prevent more offensive outburst from bigger opposing wings in the days ahead.

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