Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 151-103/.594 (8th year)
At Illinois: 66-47/.584 (4th year)
Big Ten: 24-30/.444
Series Notes vs. Yale
All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 2-0
Series Streak: Illinois W-2
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 1-0
Series Streak at Champaign: Illinois W-1
Last Meeting: #19 Illinois 73, Yale 47Â (Nov. 23, 2010 at Champaign)
Groce vs. Yale: First meeting
Opening Tip
After playing its first seven games away from home, Illinois hosts Yale on Wednesday night to conclude a stretch of three-straight games over a one-week span at State Farm Center.
Dynamic Duo
Junior Kendrick Nunn and freshman Michael Finke combined for 51 points in Saturday's win over Western Carolina, with Nunn scoring a career-high 27 and Finke also tallying a career best with 24. It was the highest point total by a pair of Illini since the 2011-12 season when Brandon Paul (43) and Meyers Leonard (14) combined for 57 in a 79-74 victory over No. 5 Ohio State (1/10/12).
Rated Rookie
Forward Michael Finke's career-high 24 points vs. Western Carolina marked the highest point total by an Illini freshman in eight seasons, since Demetri McCamey scored 26 in a 74-67 overtime victory vs. Purdue in the 2008 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals (3/14/08).
Illini Trends
• Illinois has started a different lineup in eight of its first nine games.
• Five different players have been the Illini's leading scorer in a game this season.
• Illinois is getting an average of 31.2 points from its bench, outscoring the opposing bench in all but one game, and by an average of 13.3 points per game. Last season the UI averaged 18.7 points in bench scoring.
• Illinois ranks ninth nationally in bench minutes, with 42.8 percent of the playing time coming from the bench.
• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 31st nationally in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 76.3 percent of missed shots on the defensive end.
• Malcolm Hill has scored in double figures in every game this season and currently ranks ninth in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 16.2 points.
• Hill is shooting 56.3 percent from the field (18-32) and 50 percent from 3-point range (6-12) over the last three games.
• Hill is currently averaging 3.9 assists this season after entering the year with a career average of 1.0 assists.
• Kendrick Nunn has scored in double figures in all four games since making his season debut Nov. 27 and is currently averaging 19.3 points.
• Nunn's scoring average would rank second in the Big Ten, but he is currently not listed among the conference statistical leaders because he has yet to play in 75 percent of Illinois' games.
• Nunn, who led the team in 3-pointers last year, has combined for 12 treys over his four three games.
• Michael Finke is averaging 14 points (42) on 69.6 percent shooting (16-23) over the last three games.
• Jalen Coleman-Lands has made a 3-pointer in seven of nine games this season, and has drained three or more treys in four games.
• Jaylon Tate has averaged 4.5 assists (9) over the last two games.
• Alex Austin is third in the Big Ten with a 6.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Mike Thorne Jr. has an offensive rating of 108.8, ranking fourth in the Big Ten and 46th nationally among players with at least 28 percent of possessions used (KenPom).
• Thorne ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (8.4 rpg) and leads the league in offensive rebounds (3.1 avg.)
• Hill and Thorne have each recorded two double-doubles on the young season.
Last Time Out: Illini 80, Western Carolina (Dec. 5)
Illinois' defense did its job down the stretch, securing a 12-point win over Western Carolina on Saturday at State Farm Center.
A pair of Illini asserted themselves from the start, and carried the team throughout the afternoon. Kendrick Nunn and Michael Finke combined for Illinois' first 11 points of the game, 24 of the first 26, and 33 of the first 37, finishing the half by accounting for a remarkable 84.6 percent of the UI's scoring.
The Illini led by double figures in the first half, but an 11-0 run by the Catamounts tied the game at 50 with 12:30 remaining. The visitors made one more run, forcing another tie at 59-all with eight minutes left. Illinois responded with its strongest defense of the game, holding Western Carolina without a field goal over the next 6-plus minutes. The Illini offense, meanwhile, scored 10 unanswered during the closing stretch to pull away.
Illinois shot a season-high 52.8 percent form the field and dominated the glass, outrebounding the Catamounts by 13 (34-21) for its largest margin of the season. The Illini defense forced a season-high 19 turnovers, and converted those into 23 points.
Nunn led all scorers with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Finke also set a career high with 24 points on 9-of-13 from the field and corralled a game-high six rebounds. The duo finished with 51 points, combining for 63.8 percent of Illinois' point total.
