Arkansas is set to face one of the top teams in the Big Ten on Thanksgiving Day. Illinois Athletics Director Josh Whitman told reporters on Thursday that the Fighting Illini will face Arkansas in Kansas City on Thanksgiving.
The matchup will take place at the T-Mobile Center and will be a tough early test for both teams. Several reporters shared the news on Twitter, including Scott Richey.
The two teams most recently met in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, with the Razorbacks earning a 73-63 win, on their way to the Sweet 16.
Arkansas is coming off of a disappointing 16-17 season. The Razorbacks hired John Calipari this offseason to try to get the program back on track.
Illinois finished 29-9 this past season, reaching the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini ended up being blown out by eventual national champion UConn.
Eric Musselman says it was ‘super hard’ to leave Arkansas
Not all transitions from one job to another are easy ones. That was the case for Eric Musselman this offseason in deciding to leave Arkansas to take the head coaching role at USC.
Musselman discussed his choice to leave Fayetteville for Los Angeles during a recent interview on ‘College Hoops Today’ with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. He said it was a very difficult decision to leave the Razorbacks considering where it ranks among the best in all of college basketball.
“Yeah, super hard,” said Musselman. “You know, I understood, my family understood, and our staff understood that the University of Arkansas basketball job is one of the very, very best in the country – historically and at the current time.”
“We left a great job,” said Musselman.
There’s a professional aspect of that process that we all know about. What we don’t see, though, is the personal side of it. Musselman explained that a bit in regards to his family and the toll that that has taken as well.
“My wife and daughter are still in Fayetteville. Heading this way later on this week to permanently move here,” Musselman said. “The family situation? They have great friends in northwest Arkansas. So it’s not only leaving a job but you’re also leaving friends that you’ve met. It’s hard.”
However, after five seasons with the ‘Hogs, Musselman hopes he added another successful chapter in program history. His 111 wins there and three consecutive trips to at least the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament will join their record books and hopefully be remembered well as the school continues on under new leadership.
“You look back at the winning with Nolan Richardson and Eddie Sutton. There have been historical wins and historical seasons,” said Musselman. “We felt like, in the five years that we were there, some great things happened from a winning standpoint, from NCAA Tournament and March Madness runs. Then from guys getting drafted.”
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