Des Moines, (IA.) — Arkansas kicks the NCAA Tournament off with an interesting match-up with the University of Illinois. The fighting Illini and the Hogs have had an eerily similar season with lots of preseason hype and relatively disappointing outcomes. Both teams even had much of the same struggles, including free throws and 3-point shooting.
Will all the similarities, one thing stuck out during the game, mainly on defense: Arkansas’s athleticism. The Hogs missed their first 6 shots in just over 2 minutes of play. However, their defense held Illinois to just 2 points in the same amount of time.