For Illinois fans, this isn’t a great matchup. It would be great if our strength was paired with Arkansas’ weakness, but that’s not the case at all.

This season, Illinois has featured a crazy three-point shooting program. I thought the 2023-24 season was breathtaking when we made 23.9 three-point attempts per game. This year’s team says, “Hold my beer.”

The Illini have made threes incredibly quickly this season. So far we’ve made 34.3 three-point attempts, which is No. 1 in the country. That’s correct. We get the most three-pointers per game compared to any other program.

If you’re going to make the most three-point attempts, you typically want the three-point percentage to be at least in the top 100 in the country. However, that is not the case. Illinois is shooting 33% from three-point range, which is middle of the pack and ranked 182nd nationally.

Illinois seems to be all about the 3-and-D style of play this season. The bad thing for the Orange and Blue on Thursday is the fact that we’re going up against one of the best three-point defenses in the country.

Arkansas comes into the game allowing its opponents to shoot just 26.8% from three-point range. That’s good enough to rank 28th nationally.

Ultimately I think the three-point duel will decide the game. If Illinois has free rein on some shots and creates space, then I think we can have a big day. If not, Arkansas has a good chance of silencing us.