Arkansas, Illinois chase consistency in 8-9 clash

Illinois and Arkansas are in a race to find their "A" game entering a first-round NCAA Tournament matchup in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday afternoon.

Preseason Top 10 Arkansas (20-13) will try to recapture the magic of its 2022 NCAA Tournament run while the Fighting Illini (20-12) are fixed on getting to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2005.

Arkansas beat No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the 2022 tournament, reaching