NIT Season Tip-Off Semifinal: Illinois (4-1) vs. #19 West Virginia (3-0)
When	Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016 | 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET)
Where	Brooklyn, N.Y. | Barclays Center (17,732)
NIT Season Tip-Off	Tournament Website | Bracket | Tickets
Television	ESPNU (Rich Hollenberg & Len Elmore)
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Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 166-118/.585 (9th year)    
At Illinois: 81-62/.566 (5th year)

Illinois Series Notes vs. West Virginia
All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 3-1
Series Streak: West Virginia W-1
Last Meeting: West Virginia 90, Illinois 88  (Dec. 10, 1967 at Morgantown, W.Va.)
Groce vs. West Virginia All-Time: First meeting

NIT Season Tip-Off Schedule

Semifinal & Championship rounds played at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Times listed are Central.

Semifinal Round – Thursday, Nov. 24
G1 – Florida State vs. Temple, 11:30 a.m., ESPNU
G2 – Illinois vs. West Virginia, approx. 2 p.m., ESPNU

Championship Round – Friday, Nov. 25
G3 – Loser G1 vs. Loser G2, 11:30 a.m., ESPNU
G4 – Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 2 p.m., ESPN2

Opening Tips

• Following five home games in 11 days, Illinois heads to New York to make its first-ever appearance in the NIT Season Tip-Off event.

• The Illini will play at Barclays Center for the first time, but four members of the squad – Malcolm Hill, Leron Black, Maverick Morgan and Jaylon Tate – played at Madison Square Garden two years ago when the Illini faced No. 7 Villanova in the Jimmy V Classic. Hill scored a game-high 20 points in that loss to the Wildcats. 

• Illinois will face No. 19 West Virginia on Thursday in the NIT Season Tip-Off. The Illini are looking for their first win over a ranked opponent in non-conference play since beating No. 23 Missouri, 65-64 in St. Louis on Dec. 21, 2013 on Tracy Abrams' game-winning free throws with 4.6 seconds left.

• Three of Illinois' next four games are at neutral sites (two in New York, one in Miami), with the lone home game against N.C. State next Tuesday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

• After opening the season with four straight wins, Illinois heads to the Big Apple coming off its first home loss in November under Coach John Groce, an 84-80 overtime setback to Winthrop on Monday. That also ended a streak of 35 straight November wins at State Farm Center for the Illini, a run that began in 2007.

Illini Team Trends

• Illinois has shot better than 50 percent from the field in three of its first five games.

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks 36th in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.505).

• The Illini are in the top 20 nationally in two categories from long distance, ranking 16th in made threes per game (10.6) and 17th in 3-point field goal percentage (.438).

• Illinois ranks 34th in the nation in scoring offense (88.2 ppg).

• Each of Illinois' four wins have been by at least 15 points. The Illini rank 33rd in the NCAA in scoring margin (+19.4 ppg).

Illini Player Trends

• Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy preseason candidate Malcolm Hill ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (20.6 ppg).

• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 2 scoring performance in the NCAA so far this season. 

• Hill has scored more than 20 points in three of four games against D1 opponents and has scored in double  figures in four of five games. 

• Hill ranks 26th in the nation by kenpom with an offensive rating of 120.3 (28 percent possessions used).

• Hill is currently shooting 48.5 percent from 3-point range (16-33) after never topping 39 percent in any of his first three seasons and entering his senior year as a 35 percent career 3-point shooter.

• Hill ranks 18th in the NCAA with 16 made threes. Last year he made 37 treys in 34 games.

• Hill continues to make a living at the line. He ranks 36th in the NCAA with 27 made free throws. His 32 attempts, meanwhile, rank 54th nationally. Last season Hill went 193 of 235 from the line, ranking as the second-highest single-season totals for free throws made and attempted in school history. 

• Hill's rebounding numbers also have improved. After leading the Illini on the glass last season, he is doing so once again with a career-best average of 7.8 rpg, ranking fifth in the Big Ten.

• After missing the last two years, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in four of five games this season, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg).

• Abrams is shooting 73.3 percent from 3-point range (11-15) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter. He is shooting nearly 63 percent from the field overall.

• Abrams also leads the Illini in steals (6) and has a 3:1 assist-to-turnvover ratio (third in Big Ten).

• Sophomore Michael Finke has scored in double figures in four of five games and ranks third on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg).

• Finke has made at least 50 percent of his shot attempts in all but one game.

• Finke is currently averaging 7.4 rebounds, after grabbing 3.7 rpg last season.

• Finke is averaging 3.0 offensive boards, ranking fourth in the Big Ten.

• Senior Maverick Morgan is shooting 66.7 percent from the field (22-33) and averaging double figures for the first time in his career (10.4 ppg).

• Senior Jaylon Tate has dished out at least six assists in three of five games and ranks third in the Big Ten, averaging 5.0 per game.

• Known more for his assists than his scoring, Tate also has combined for 21 points over the last two games.

• Senior Mike Thorne Jr. has been the team's leading rebounder in eight of 13 career appearances with the Illini.

Last Time Out: Winthrop 84, Illinois 80 (OT)

Illinois led nearly the entire game but was unable to close things out, as Winthrop stormed back to become the first visitor to win a November game at State Farm Center in 10 years.

The Illini jumped all over the Eagles at the start, taking a 14-2 lead less that five minutes in. Winthrop responded with a 12-1 run of its own, and from there it became a back-and-forth affair. Each time the Illini seemed on the edge of pulling away, the visitors had an answer. 

Illinois reeled off seven unanswered points on jumpers by Maverick Morgan and Leron Black and Jaylon Tate's first 3-pointer of the season to open up a 70-60 lead with 3:27 remaining. But the Illini turned the ball over three times down the stretch while Winthrop was busy scoring the last 10 points of regulation, and the game went to overtime when Malcolm Hill's jumper at the buzzer went in and out.

Winthrop led for nearly the entire overtime and closed it out at the free throw line. Guard Keon Johnson had one of the best performances by an opponent at State Farm Center, scoring 38 points on 15-of-21 shooting.

The Illini had four players in double figures, led by Michael Finke's season-high 18 points and Tracy Abrams' season-best 17. Hill scored all 14 of his points in the first half, while Black added 10 in his first action of the season. 

Notes from Winthrop

• The loss snapped the Illini's home winning streak at State Farm Center in the month of November at 35 games. Illinois' last home defeat in the opening month of the season was on Nov. 28, 2006 vs. Maryland.

• Illinois allowed better than 43 percent shooting for the first time on the season as Winthrop made 50 percent from the field.

• Illinois trailed for only 29 seconds in regulation.

• Winthrop had 22 turnovers, the most forced by the Illinois defense since Yale had 23 turnovers last season (Dec. 9, 2015).

• Illinois made double-digit three-pointers for the third time in five games, draining 11 treys.

• Senior Tracy Abrams scored a season-high 17 points, his fourth game in double-digits on the year and 49th of his career.  

• Abrams also set season highs in assists (6) and steals (2).

• Sophomore Michael Finke scored a season-high 18 points. Finke recorded his fourth double-digit scoring effort of the season and 14th of his career.

• Senior Malcolm Hill was the Illini's top rebounder for the third time in five games, collecting a game-high nine boards.

• Sophomore Leron Black returned to action for the first time since Dec. 5 of last season. He finished with 10 points and four rebounds.