What time does Arkansas vs. Illinois start in First Round of 2023 NCAA Tournament?

The No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks will face off against No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini on Thursday afternoon as the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament gets underway. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. ET from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, and you can catch all the action on TBS or via live-stream on March Madness Live.

2023 March Madness: No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 9 Illinois

Date: Thursday, March 16
Start time: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: TBS
Live stream: March Madness Live

Arkansas finished its regular season with a 20-13 record after getting off to a hot 11-1 start. They capped off their campaign with a 76-73 win over Auburn in the SEC Tournament but fell 67-61 to No. 2 Texas A&M in the next round. The Razorbacks were led by Ricky Council IV, who averaged 15.9 points per game as well as 3.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists throughout the season.

Illinois logged a 20-12 record in the regular season and lost to Penn State with a 79-76 final score in the Big Ten Tournament. The Fighting Illini are led by G Terrence Shannon Jr., who averaged 17.1 points per game and also led the team in steals with an average of 1.3 through the regular season. This is their third consecutive appearance in the tournament after having lost in the second round in the previous two.