Kevin Connors, ESPN anchor, assesses Arkansas ahead of Illinois matchup

Kevin Connors recalled how Arkansas was a top 10 team to begin the season, and then a top 15 team in January. But then the team lost a couple of major pieces in Nick Smith Jr. and Trevon Brazile.

“To me, you kind of are who you are at this point in the season,” Connor said. “Now, this is the great reset, the great equalizer. Maybe you catch lightning in the bottle your first game, and then all of a sudden you figure it out.”

Now that Smith is back in the fold, Connors wondered about the team chemistry.

“I generally speaking, when I fill out my bracket, and I hate to say this, Cole, about Auburn too, when a team’s not playing well down the stretch, that’s a pretty good indicator despite what talent there is on the team,” Connors said.

Arkansas and Illinois will meet at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday on TBS.

.@KevConnorsESPN joined the guys on @MacandCube and discussed what he makes of @RazorbackMBB in the NCAA Tournament ahead of their opening round matchup against Illinois.

Whole interview: https://t.co/nQ89uACg8g pic.twitter.com/Nsd9IV2WoE

— WJOX 94.5 FM (@WJOX945) March 16, 2023

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.