Illinois Probable Starters (from previous game) |
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| G | 1 | Jaylon Tate | 6-3 | 170 | Jr. | 3.6 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 2.1 career asst/to ratio |
| G | 23 | Aaron Jordan | 6-5 | 190 | Fr. | - | - | - | 18.6 ppg in HS |
| G | 0 | D.J. Williams | 6-7 | 200 | Fr. | - | - | - | HS teammate of Nunn, Tate |
| G | 21 | Malcolm Hill | 6-6 | 220 | Jr. | 14.4 | 4.8 | 1.3 | HM All-Big Ten in 2015 |
| C | 33 | Mike Thorne Jr. | 6-11 | 270 | Gr. | 10.1* | 7.3* | 0.8* | *2014-15 Charlotte stats |
Off the Bench |
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| G | 3 | Khalid Lewis | 6-3 | 185 | Gr. | 6.0* | 2.0* | 2.2* | *2014-15 La Salle stats |
| G | 5 | Jalen Coleman-Lands | 6-3 | 180 | Fr. | - | - | - | 20 pts in Exh. game |
| F | 12 | Leron Black | 6-7 | 220 | So. | 5.0 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 10 starts as Freshman |
| C | 22 | Maverick Morgan | 6-10 | 245 | Jr. | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 8 pts in Exh. game |
| G | 25 | Kendrick Nunn | 6-3 | 190 | Jr. | 11.1 | 3.5 | 1.9 | Out with thumb injury |
|
| F | 43 | Michael Finke | 6-10 | 220 | r-Fr. | - | - | - | Redshirted 2014-15 |
| G | 44 | Alex Austin | 6-4 | 185 | r-Jr. | 7.0* | 2.4* | 1.0 | *2013-14 EIU stats |
| F | 45 | Cameron Liss | 6-6 | 215 | So. | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | Walkon played 12 gms |
Sitting Out 2015-16 |
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| G | 10 | Mike LaTulip | 6-1 | 170 | Sr. | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | Redshirting |
| G | 13 | Tracy Abrams | 6-2 | 185 | Fr. | 10.7* | 3.5* | 3.2* | *2013-14 Illinois Stats |
Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 147-98/.600 (8th year)
At Illinois: 62-42/.596 (4th year)
Big Ten: 24-30/.444
Series Notes vs. North Florida
Series Record: First meeting
Groce vs. North Florida: First meeting
Playing in the Capital
Illinois has relocated its first four regular season home games to the Springfield Prairie Capital Convention Center (PCCC) while the current phase of State Farm Center renovations continue on campus. The Fighting Illini got their first glimpse of the PCCC last Sunday, defeating sister school UIS in an exhibition game.
Illinois will cover its four games at the state capital in two trips, staying in Springfield from Nov. 12-15 and Nov. 20-23.
Illini in Season Openers
Illinois opens its 111th season of men's basketball on Friday night. The Fighting Illini have posted an all-time record of 97-13 (.882) in season openers and have won their last 16 season openers, an active streak that began during the 1999-2000 season.
Broadcast Information
Friday's game vs. North Florida will be streamed live via BTN Plus. BTN Plus programming consists of non-televised games produced by students at Big Ten universities and is available through either a monthly or annual subscription. Fans can purchase a BTN Plus subscription by visiting BTN2GO.com.
November Reign
Illinois is a perfect 21-0 in the month of November under coach John Groce, and has gone undefeated in college basketball's opening month for four straight seasons. The Illini have won 32 straight games in November, the nation's longest active streak.
Tested Early and Often
Illinois is the only program in the nation that opens the season with three straight games against teams that participated in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. North Florida (Atlantic Sun) and North Dakota State (Summit) earned automatic bids while Providence (Big East) was an at-large selection.
Illini Captains
Following a vote of the players and coaches, senior Tracy Abrams and juniors Malcolm Hill, Kendrick Nunn and Jaylon Tate will serve as Fighting Illini team captains for the 2015-16 season.
Last Time Out: Exhibition Play
Illinois was victorious in its exhibition tune-up in preparation for the regular season, defeating Division II opponent UIS on Sunday by the score of 104-69
Five Illini scored in double figures, highlighted by four first-year players. Freshman Jalen Coleman-Lands scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-9 from 3-point land. Lands also had a game-high three steals. Fellow freshman Aaron Jordan registered 16 points on 5-of-8 from the field while grabbing seven rebounds.
Graduate transfer Mike Thorne Jr. owned the paint, racking up 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting and collecting a team-high nine rebounds with a game-high four blocked shots. The UI's other graduate transfer, Khalid Lewis, also excelled with 13 points on 5-of-6 accuracy – including 3-of-3 from 3-point range – and four assists.
The Illini broke the game open late in the first half. Leading by just one point, the Orange and Blue scored on seven straight possessions, resulting in a 17-0 run over less than three minutes to open up a 44-26 advantage with 2:51 remaining in the half. The lead remained in double figures the rest of the way as the Illini cruised to the final 35-point margin.
The Illini shot 55.6 percent from the field on the afternoon (35-63) and knocked down 11 three-pointers in 25 attempts, good for 44 percent accuracy. The team recorded a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio with 18 assists compared to only nine turnovers, and outrebounded UIS, 45-34.
Setting the Stage for 2015-16
Illinois welcomes back nearly 53 percent of its points, 49 percent of its rebounds and 52 percent of its minutes from the 2014-15 campaign. The Illini must replace leading scorer and rebounder Rayvonte Rice on the wing and defensive stalwart Nnanna Egwu in the post. But there are plenty of opportunities to emerge for a team that returns two of its top three scorers, four players with starting experience and seven letterwinners while welcoming a top-20 ranked recruiting class and total of seven new players to the mix in 2015-16.
Abrams Out for Second Straight Year with Torn Achilles
Point guard Tracy Abrams spent 10 months recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee that forced him to miss the 2014-15 season. Shortly after returning to full contact and 5-on-5 participation, Abrams suffered a second consecutive season-ending injury, tearing his left Achilles tendon during a July practice. So Illinois will once again be without its most experienced player on the roster, as Abrams had been a mainstay in the starting lineup since midway through his freshman campaign. He ranked second on the team in scoring in 2013-14, averaging 10.7 points, and led the Illini in assists (3.2 apg). Abrams plans to apply for a medical hardship waiver for a sixth season of eligibility in 2016-17.
Graduate Transfers Add Experience
For the third time in four seasons under Groce, the Illini will benefit from the addition of graduate transfers. Mike Thorne Jr. is eligible immediately after graduating from Charlotte in May. The 6-11, 270-pound center will bolster the UI frontcourt with his back-to-the-basket game. Thorne averaged 10.1 points on 53.4 percent shooting last season for the 49ers while ranking fifth in C-USA in rebounding with an average of 7.3 boards.
Following the injury to Abrams, the Illini staff hit the recruiting trail in August to strengthen the point guard position. They found that player in Khalid Lewis, who is eligible immediately after graduating from La Salle in May. Lewis was unable to travel with the Illini to Europe due to the late signing, but arrived in time for the start of fall semester classes. He averaged 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals last season at La Salle, ranking second on the Explorers in both assists and steals.
Hill and Nunn Ready to Take Next Step
With key scorers missing from the lineup last season, then-sophomores Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn became go-to players in the Illini offensive attack. Illinois will look for even more production from this duo as the team's leading returning scorers enter their junior campaign.
Hill was an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick last season after averaging 14.4 points and 4.8 rebounds. He scored in double figures in 29 of 33 games, including 16 times in conference play. Arguably the most improved player in the league last season, Hill had a number of highlight performances including a career-high 28 points in the victory over No. 11 Maryland, 27 points and the game-winning layup vs. Penn State, 22 points at Alabama in the NIT and 20 points vs. No. 7 Villanova at Madison Square Garden.
Nunn ranked third on the Illini in scoring, averaging 11.1 points, and led the team with 54 three-pointers. He netted double figures 18 times and was the UI's leading scorer six times during conference play. Nunn topped 20 points on four occasions, led by a career-high 25 points in a victory at Northwestern followed by 24 points behind a career-best six 3-pointers vs. Indiana. Nunn is currently sidelined after having surgery to repair a ligament in his left thumb.
Also Returning for the Orange and Blue
Rounding out the returning letterwinners for the Illini are Jaylon Tate, Maverick Morgan, Leron Black, Mike LaTulip and Cameron Liss. Tate shared point guard duties last season and led the Illini in assists, ranking 13th in the league with an average of 3.0 apg. He had 11 games with four or more assists, including a five-game stretch during Big Ten play where he averaged 6.2 apg. Tate has also been nearly automatic at the free throw line, knocking down 84.3 percent on the season and leading the league during conference play with 92.3 percent accuracy.
Morgan has played back-up minutes at center over the first two seasons and could take on an expanded role following the graduation of Nnanna Egwu. Morgan averaged 2.5 points in 31 games last season and gives the Illini a good screener and physical presence in the post.
Black showed flashes during his freshman season while adjusting to the college game. He broke into the starting lineup midway through conference play and ended up averaging 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds on the year. Black became the first Illini player since 1986 to record a double-double in his first career start, tallying 15 points and career-high 13 rebounds in the win over Purdue. He was the team's top performer during the European trip in August but missed preseason practice after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee.
LaTulip is in his final season with the Illini. A preferred walk-on who earned a scholarship for the 2015 spring semester, LaTulip is one of the team's most respected players because of his work ethic and competitiveness. He has elected to redshirt this season in order to retain a final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer.
Liss, meanwhile, returns for his second season as a walk-on, providing depth in practice for the UI frontcourt.
Back in Action
Michael Finke and Alex Austin will both challenge for minutes in the Illini rotation after sitting out last season. Finke elected to redshirt, focusing on gaining weight and adding strength while becoming acclimated to the college game. He previously averaged 19.6 points and 9.3 rebounds as a senior at Centennial High School in Champaign. Finke is a stretch post player who can knock down threes and has good passing skills.
Austin is now eligible after sitting out as a transfer. The junior averaged 8.2 points during his two-year career at Eastern Illinois and has earned a reputation in practice as one of Illinois' top perimeter defenders.
New Additions
Joining the program this year are freshmen Jalen Coleman-Lands, Aaron Jordan and D.J. Williams.
Coleman-Lands is a top-50 recruit who averaged 23 points, four rebounds and three assists as a senior at La Lumiere Prep, earning a spot in the 2015 Jordan Brand Classic. A prolific scorer and tough defender, Coleman-Lands missed three months over the summer with a lower leg stress fracture. Following a thorough rehab process, he has returned to the lineup.
Jordan averaged 18.6 points and 4.1 rebounds as a senior at Plainfield East High School, finishing fifth in voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball. The first-team All-State selection is a tremendous shooter who finished his career as East's all-time leading scorer with 1,483 points and record holder with 162 career 3-pointers.
Williams is a top-100 recruit from Chicago who is the latest Simeon High School star to attend Illinois. He averaged 14 points, four rebounds and five assists as a senior. Williams is a versatile athlete who has the ability to play multiple positions. He saw action both on the wing and at point during the team's preseason European trip.
