NCAA Basketball: Key early-season tourney games for 2021-22 season

NCAA Basketball: Key early-season tournament games for 2021-22 season

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 20: Jahvon Quinerly #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts in the first round game against the Iona Gaels in the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse on March 20, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

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Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn NCAA Basketball Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports /

Arkansas versus Illinois

Two fan bases have to manifest a couple of victories, but an Arkansas versus Illinois match-up in November is worth it. First, Illinois needs to take care of Cincinnati and Arkansas needs to defeat Kansas State for the two teams to meet up in the finals in order for Kofi Cockburn to battle defensive-minded center Jaylin Williams in the paint for thirty or so minutes.

If Michigan and Ohio State were not so good this season, Illinois would be an even greater Big-Ten contender. The most exciting aspect of the Fighting Illini this season will not be watching Cockburn average 20 points and challenge to be Big-Ten Player of the Year, but because of the transfer of Adam Miller to LSU, while Aso Dusunmu entered the NBA Draft, sophomore Andre Curbelo is their new point guard. The Fighting Illini are not particularly deep, but they do have Alfonso Plummer coming off the bench after averaging 13.6 points with Utah last season.

What is there not to like about the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2021-22? After getting three victories in the National Tournament as a No. 3 seed and eventually falling to Baylor in the South Regional Final, the Razorbacks lost three of their top four scorers when Moses Moody (16.8 ppg) declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman season while Justin Smith (13.8 ppg) and Jalen Tate (12.8 ppg) graduated.

Head coach Eric Musselman then went to the transfer portal and came back – if not with upgrades – at least came out even with Chris Lykes (15.5 ppg. 5.5 apg) who will become their starting point guard and allow Davonte Davis to play off the ball while third-leading scorer JD Notae continues to come off the bench. Small forward Stanley Umude withdrew his name from the NBA Draft after averaging over twenty-one points with South Dakota.

When you add Au’Diese Toney – who averaged over 14 points with Pittsburgh – into the starting lineup, while giving the No. 88 freshman Chance Moore time to develop, this match-up between No.17 and No.11 in the preseason AP Poll will be between even higher-ranked teams come November.

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