With an average of 5.1 million viewers on CBS, Arkansas' Thanksgiving Day loss to Illinois was the second-most watched regular-season men's college basketball game since 2008. The only game during that time with higher viewership was the 2023 Thanksgiving game between Arizona and Michigan State on FOX.

But, with Kansas (21-12) and Arkansas (20-13) meeting in the first round, only one club will have an opportunity to make it down to San Antonio. And according to ESPN’s analytics, the Jayhawks are fairly heavy favorites to advance to the next round, and take their first step toward a deep run in the Big Dance.