Feb. 13, 2015
Illinois is...
...ranked 31st nationally & 2nd in B1G in TO margin (+4.92 pg)
...ranked 32nd nationally & 2nd in Big Ten in steals (10.8 spg)
...ranked 76th nationally & 3rd in B1G in 3-pt defense (29.2%)
...3rd in the Big Ten in 3-pt FG made (7.2) in B1G games
...12-5 when scoring 60+ points
...8-0 when shooting more FTs than its opponent
...9-4 when holding opponents under 40% FG shooting
...8-4 when out-scoring opponents in the paint
...6-2 when Chatrice White has 3+ blocks
...6-3 when White leads or shares team lead in scoring
...in its third season under head coach Matt Bollant
Quick Hits
• Illini Host Annual Play 4Kay Charity Game: Saturday's game against Ohio State is the Illini's annual breast cancer awareness game. Sponsored by Carle Cancer Clinic, the Play 4Kay game honors former NC State head women's basketball coach Kay Yow, who started the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in 2007 amidst a 22-year battle with breast cancer. The Illini will wear special pink jerseys, which they also wore on the road at Northwestern and Indiana in their breast cancer awareness games, and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free pink rally towel. Those who have been affected by cancer are invited to attend at a discounted price of just $2 for cancer warriors, survivors and their family members. Donations are encouraged on behalf of this great cause, as fans may choose to donate locally to Carle Cancer Center or nationally on behalf of the Fighting Illini to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund by logging on to www.play4kay.org/fightingilliniwbb.
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Crawford Back In Lineup: While Illinois knocked off No. 17 Iowa on Jan. 8 despite Ivory Crawford only playing five minutes before suffering a knee injury, the Fighting Illini clearly missed their leading scorer in the next six games, topping the 60-point mark only once. But in Crawford's second game back after returning, Illinois hung 95 on Minnesota (Feb. 5), its highest point total this season. In 18 games with Crawford in the lineup this season, Illinois is averaging 71.1 ppg. In nearly seven games without her, the Illini averaged 59.6 ppg.
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Defense Does It For Illinois: The Orange and Blue lead the Big Ten in turnovers forced (21.2 per game), and rank second in the Big Ten and 31st in the nation in turnover margin (+4.92 pg). The Illini also rank second in the Big Ten and 32nd nationally in steals (10.8 spg) and are third in the Big Ten in three-point field-goal defense (29.2 percent).
• Illinois Turns Defense Into Offense: With that turnover margin of +4.92 per game, the Illini also have out-scored their opponents 496-396 off turnovers for an average edge of 4.0 points per game.
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Foes Can't Find Stroke From Long Range: Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten in three-point field-goal defense (29.2 percent), a marked improvement over last season's 33.7 percent allowed that ranked last in the Big Ten and 278th nationally. The Illini held No. 9 Kentucky without a three-pointer on Nov. 27, breaking UK's streak of 367 games with a trey. They also limited Purdue, Penn State, Nebraska (twice), Michigan State, Maryland, Northwestern (twice) and Minnesota to a combined 40-of-153 (26.1 percent) shooting from beyond the arc. Illinois has limited 14 of its 25 opponents to five or fewer trifectas after 15 of its 30 foes hit six or more triples in 2013-14.
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Teams Face Tough Sledding Versus Illini: Illinois has held 17 of its 25 opponents under 70 points, including in 10 of its 12 wins, with a 77-71 triumph over No. 9 Kentucky and a 91-76 victory at Penn State the only outliers. The Illini also have held five teams under 20 points in a half this season: Robert Morris (15, 1st half), Southern (15, 2nd), Southern Illinois (15, 1st), Valparaiso (19, 1st) and Murray State (11, 1st).
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Illini Post Best Non-Conference Mark in 8 years: Illinois finished non-conference play with a 9-3 record, its best mark prior to the start of the Big Ten schedule in eight years, since the 2006-07 squad went 10-2 to start the season.
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Consistency from the Jump: The Illini utilized the same starting lineup in 13 of their first 14 games this season. The only outlier was against Southern University on Nov. 23, when Amarah Coleman started at the point guard spot in place of Kyley Simmons, who was nursing a shoulder injury. Other than that game, Simmons had started alongside Ivory Crawford, Brittany Carter, Jacqui Grant and Chatrice White in every other game this season. But that changed on Jan. 11, as Ivory Crawford missed six straight games with a knee injury starting that day against Nebraska. Taylor Tuck filled Crawford's spot against No. 19 Nebraska and Amarah Coleman started the next five games before Crawford returned to the lineup against Wisconsin on Feb. 1 and has started every game since.
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Single-Game Treys Record Falls: Illinois shattered the school record for three-pointers in a single game at Valparaiso on Dec. 13, making 15-of-28 (53.6 percent). The outing surpassed the previous mark of 12 treys, which was set in 1997 and tied in 2003 and 2013. UI then hit 12 triples at Penn State, breaking the school record for three-pointers in a Big Ten game. The Illini drained 10 treys against Minnesota, marking the 16th time in Matt Bollant's 88 games as Illinois' head coach - and fourth time this season - that the Illini have made 10-plus treys in a game.
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UI Finds Shooting Touch in Paradise: Illinois started the season by missing its first 24 three-pointers and was just 6-of-65 (9.2 percent) from long range through four games. But the Illini found their touch since going to Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, hitting 80-of-213 (37.6 percent) from downtown in 11 games through the Iowa contest. Illinois cooled during the middle of Big Ten play, going 43-of-140 (30.7 percent) on treys in the seven games after the Iowa contest before hitting 19-of-50 (38 percent) against Minnesota and Northwestern. Illinois has made 35 more three-pointers than its opponents in its last 18 games, an average of +5.8 points per game.
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Orange & Blue Knock Off #17 Iowa: The Illini upset No. 17 Iowa, 73-61, on Jan. 8, marking Illinois' second win over a ranked opponent this season and fourth in Matt Bollant's two-plus seasons. With its upcoming trip to No. 18/17 Rutgerhs, UI will have a chance to beat three AP-ranked foes in a season for the first time since 1999-2000.
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Illini Notch Memorable Win at Penn State: Illinois beat Penn State 91-76 on Jan. 4, marking the Illini's first win in State College since 1998 and snapping an 11-game skid at the Bryce Jordan Center. UI sunk 12 three-pointers in the win, setting the school record for a conference game It also marked the most points the Illini have scored against Penn State since 1999 and only the third time Illinois has topped 90 against the Lady Lions.
• Simmons' Shooting Lights Out: Junior guard Kyley Simmons has caught fire from downtown lately, hitting 15-of-25 (60 percent) three-pointers over three games from Feb. 1-8 to vault up the three-point percentage leaderboards in the Big Ten and nationally. She currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 36th nationally at 41.0 percent on the season. Simmons went 0-for-1 at Nebraska on Jan. 29, only her second game this season without a trey, before draining four against Wisconsin, a career-high six against Minnesota and five at Northwestern.
• Crawford Comes Back Strong: Senior guard Ivory Crawford - who ranks 12th in the Big Ten in scoring (15.5 ppg) - has scored in double figures in the last 15 full games she has played, including six 20-point performances. She suffered a knee injury after only five minutes against Iowa on Jan. 8 and missed the next six games before returning with 12 points and six rebounds against Wisconsin on Feb. 1. Crawford then nearly recorded what would have been the second triple-double in school history, posting 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds against Minnesota on Feb. 5. She is averaging 14.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game since returning from the injury.
• Grant Gets Going: Sophomore forward Jacqui Grant - who was named to the Big Ten Weekly Honor roll on Feb. 9 - is 11th in the conference with 8.5 boards per game in Big Ten play, raising her season average 1.6 rpg to 7.2 in the last 12 games by averaging 8.8 boards in that stretch. She notched consecutive double-doubles - the fourth and fifth of her career - with 13 points and 12 rebounds against Northwestern on Jan. 22, and 17 points and 10 boards at Michigan on Jan. 26. Grant averaged 20.5 points and 8.0 rebounds against Minnesota and Northwestern to earn mention on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll and has grabbed double-digit rebounds in four of the last 10 games, her only double-digit rebounding games this season. She also has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games - including a career-high-tying 29 against Minnesota on Feb. 5 - averaging 13.6 ppg over that stretch.
• White Announces Her Presence with Authority: Chatrice White earned her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Jan. 12 (also on Dec. 8 & Nov. 24). She ranks 18th in the conference in scoring (14.6 ppg) and 17th in rebounding (6.9 rpg). She has scored in double figures in 22 of Illinois' 25 games and has recorded four double-doubles. White also is sixth in the Big Ten in blocks (2.2 bpg) - ranking 29th nationally - and ninth in offensive rebounds (2.8 pg). White tied the UI single-game blocked shots record with seven at No. 8 Maryland (Jan. 18) and currently ranks second among freshmen in Illinois history with 54 blocks. She needs three to match Karisma Penn's record from 2009-10. The overall school record is 78 (Penn, 2010-11).
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Simmons Steps Up: In addition to her three-point accuracy, Kyley Simmons makes treys in bunches, standing fifth in the Big Ten and 63rd nationally with 2.5 three-pointers made per game. She also is fifth in the league in minutes played (36.7 per game) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5). She has played the second-most minutes in Big Ten games (38.8 mpg), and ranks fourth in 3-point percentage (43.8), fifth in treys made (2.7 pg) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4).
• Carter Makes It All Stick: Senior guard Brittany Carter has proved to be a stat-sheet stuffer after transferring from Ball State during the summer. She is averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, and leads the team with 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game this season, ranking 28th nationally and third in the Big Ten in steals. She ranks second in the Big Ten in conference games with 3.1 spg. She has 5+ rebounds in 17 games, 2+ assists in 21 games and 2+ steals in 18 games.
• New Faces Contribute for Illini: Illinois head coach Matt Bollant played nine players in the season-opener against IPFW and six of them were making their debut in Orange and Blue. Senior transfer Brittany Carter, junior transfer Kyley Simmons, redshirt-freshman Kennedy Cattenhead, and true-freshmen Amarah Coleman, Brooke Kissinger and Chatrice White, all saw their first game action for Illinois against the Mastodons. Through 25 games, that sextet has scored 1,039 of Illinois' 1,696 points (61.3 percent) and has grabbed 48.2 percent of its rebounds (439 of 910).
• Crawford Starts Season Among 1,000-Point Club: Senior Ivory Crawford became only the 15th player in school history to score 1,000 points with eligibility remaining when she reached the milestone last season. She continues to climb up the list, currently standing 17th with 1,313 points. Crawford needs 10 points to pass Lynnette Robinson (1,322) for 16th place. She also stands tied for fifth in steals (219), seventh in three-pointers attempted (323), eighth in three-pointers made (98) and 14th in offensive rebounds (221).
• Illini Fall to Hot-Shooting Hoosiers: Illinois struggled defensively and couldn't recover, falling to Indiana 85-58. Chatrice White had a team-high 18 points, Jacqui Grant had 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks, and Ivory Crawford scored 10 for the Illini. Indiana shot a blistering 55.2 percent from the field, including 13-of-23 from three-point range, and the Illini went 0-for-10 to start the first half.
Scouting the Buckeyes
• Ohio State is 17-8 overall and tied with Rutgers for third in the Big Ten standings at 9-4. Seven of the Buckeyes' eight losses were by less than 10 points, and all four of their Big Ten losses have come away from home, including an overtime loss (100-94) at Michigan and a defeat in College Park at the hands of No. 5 Maryland, 87-78, who remains undefeated at the top of the Big Ten standings.
• The Buckeyes offense is propelled by the nation's leading shooter, freshman Kelsey Mitchell, who averages 25.5 points per game and 3.76 three-pointers per game. Junior guard Ameryst Alston ranks third in the Big Ten and 33rd in the nation, averaging 19.8 points per game, and freshman Alexa Hart has the third-best field goal percentage, shooting a blistering 62.2 percent while averaging 11.1 points. Hart is also influential on the defensive end, ranking eighth in the nation in blocks (3.8 bpg).
• With the second-most firepower in the Big Ten, the Buckeyes rank seventh in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 80.0 points per game, due in part by averaging 7.6 three-pointers per game, good for third in the conference and 31st in the nation. On the defensive end, the Buckeyes are eighth nationally and tops in the Big Ten with 6.4 blocked shots per game, driven by 6-foot-3 freshman Alexa Hart, sitting in 26th nationally in defensive rebounds (6.4 rpg).
• The Buckeyes rely heavily on their offensive production, for while they rank second in the conference in scoring offense, they sit in dead last in scoring defense, allowing 71.0 ppg. Additionally, they allow their opponents the most rebounds in the conference, giving away an average of 45.1 boards per game. The Buckeyes play clean ball, sitting just behind the Illini in third with a +3.8 turnover margin and have committed the third-fewest fouls (15.3 fpg).
Series History Against Ohio State
Ohio State has had Illinois' number in the past, owning the all-time series at 46-19. The Buckeyes topped the Illini, 90-64 in Columbus last season after the pair split the season series in 2013, including an Illini win, 79-73, in Columbus on Feb. 6, 2013. Ohio State has won four of the last five games in Champaign, but only six of the last 10. For a complete look at the series history, see page 8.
Last Season Against Ohio State
Illinois started hot but gave up two big runs in the first half, and Ohio State took a 90-64 win at Value City Arena on Jan. 30, 2014. Jacqui Grant led the way with a career-high 23 points and Amber Moore added 20, including six three-pointers, but the Buckeyes made 25-of-29 free throws compared to only 6-of-7 by the Illini.
Illinois was shooting nearly 50 percent before missing 6-of-7 shots to end the game and finished with 24-of-55 for the field (43.6 percent), including 10-of-29 (34.5 percent) from three-point range. But OSU hit nearly 60 percent of its shots, making 30-of-52 (57.7 percent), and out-rebounded the Illini 34-21. Buckeye guard Ameryst Alston went off for 31 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 11-of-12 from the line, and three other OSU players ended with double figures.
