| Illinois Probable Starters (from the previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
13 |
Tracy Abrams |
6-2 |
185 |
Gr. |
11.0 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
62.1% 3FG |
| G |
5 |
Jalen Coleman-Lands |
6-3 |
190 |
So. |
7.9 |
2.0 |
1.3 |
17 3FG |
| G |
21 |
Malcolm Hill |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
18.4 |
7.0 |
2.1 |
44.7% 3FG |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
220 |
r-So. |
12.8 |
8.0 |
0.6 |
Hoophall Invite MVP |
| C |
33 |
Mike Thorne Jr. |
6-11 |
280 |
Gr. |
6.0 |
4.2 |
0.2 |
60.5% FG |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
D.J. Williams |
6-7 |
210 |
So. |
3.0 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
3 BLK |
| G |
1 |
Jaylon Tate |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
4.3 |
1.8 |
4..1 |
2.1 A/TO |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-0 |
170 |
Fr. |
3.8 |
0.8 |
1.5 |
70.6% FG |
| C |
22 |
Maverick Morgan |
6-10 |
245 |
Sr. |
7.4 |
2.8 |
0.6 |
58.7% FG |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
190 |
So. |
2.0 |
1.0 |
0.3 |
5-12 3FG |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-5 |
195 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
2 G |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
3 G |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
230 |
r-So. |
8.9 |
5.6 |
0.3 |
2.4 OREB/G |
| G |
44 |
Alex Austin |
6-4 |
190 |
r-Sr. |
0.7 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
3 OREB |
| Sitting Out |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Out fall semester (transfer) |
| G |
10 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
165 |
So. |
- |
- |
- |
Sitting out season (transfer) |
| F |
45 |
Cameron Liss |
6-6 |
220 |
Jr. |
0.6* |
0.0* |
0.2* |
Redshirting season |
Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 168-120/.583 (9th year)
At Illinois: 83-64/.565 (5th year)
Series Notes vs. IUPUI
All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 1-0
Series Streak: Illinois W-1
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 1-0
Series Streak at Champaign: Illinois W-1
Last Meeting: Illinois 87, IUPUI 59 (Dec. 6, 2006 at Champaign)
Groce vs. IUPUI All-Time: 1-1
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to State Farm Center this week for its final two non-conference home games, beginning with Tuesday night's match-up against IUPUI (7 p.m., ESPN3).
• Illinois carries a two-game winning streak after defeating N.C. State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and VCU in the Hoophall Miami Invitational. The victory over VCU was the 1,750th win in program history. The Illini are the NCAA's 14th-winningest team all-time.
• The Illini have grabbed double-digit offensive rebounds in each of the last four games, totaling 54 over this stretch (13.5 avg.). It is the UI's most offensive boards over a four-game stretch since Jan. 4-12, 2014 (64).
• Illinois is 5-0 this season when shooting better than its opponent.
• Since his return, sophomore Leron Black has averaged 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last five games.
• Senior Malcolm Hill eclipsed the 1,400-point marker against VCU and enters the IUPUI game tied for 18th on the Illini all-time scoring list (1,409 pts).
• Senior Tracy Abrams is 11 points away from becoming the 49th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
Notes from the Last Time Out: Illini 64, VCU 46 (Dec. 3)
• Illinois held VCU to the Rams lowest point total (46) in the last 11 seasons, since a 60-40 loss at UNC Wilmington on Dec. 4, 2005.
• The 46 points were the fewest allowed by the Illini since giving up 45 to Kennesaw State on Dec. 27, 2014.
• The Illini also forced 14 VCU turnovers, converting those into 23 points. Illinois' +17 advantage in points off turnovers was its largest margin in a game this season.
• Illinois did not allow VCU to make a field goal in the final 7:37 of the game, when the UI lead was 44-40. The Orange and Blue finished with a 20-6 run the rest of the way, limiting the Rams to just six free throws and 0-for-6 shooting.
• After falling behind 11-3 early and making just one of its first 12 shots, Illinois used a 19-to-3 first half run to take a 22-14 lead 4:46 before halftime. The Illini led the rest of the way.
• Leron Black earned Hoophall Miami Invitational MVP honors after recording a game-high and career-high tying 18 points to go along with eight rebounds in his first start of the season.
• Malcolm Hill scored 16 points to bring his career scoring total to 1,409, tying him with Kendall Gill for 18th on the UI all-time scoring list.
• Jalen Coleman-Lands hit a career-high five 2-point field goals and finished with 12 points in his first start of the year. He was 5-of-6 from inside the arc after entering the game just 2-of-14 on twos for the season.
Illini Team Trends
• Illinois ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 84th in the NCAA in scoring offense, averaging 79 ppg. The Illini have scored at least 79 points in five of its six wins, with Saturday's victory over VCU its first of the season under that marker.
• Illinois has won all six of its games by at least 14 points.
• The Illini are third in the Big Ten and 52nd nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.1 percent. Illinois' 75 made threes ranks 50th in the NCAA.
• Illinois has been strong on the offensive glass so far this season, recording double digits in six of nine games – including each of the last four – and averaging 10.7 o-boards per game. Last season Illinois ranked last in the Big Ten with 7.6 offensive rebounds per contest.
• The Illini have shot better from the field in the second half compared to the first in seven of nine games.
• Illinois has shot at least 50 percent during the second half in all six of its wins.
• Illinois is shooting 50.4 percent in six games at State Farm Center (187-371), compared to just 38 percent in three games away from home (63-166).
• Illinois has done an outstanding job taking care of the basketball under Coach John Groce, with each of the last three seasons ranking as the fewest average turnovers in school history (2015-9.9, 2014-10.4, 2016-10.5). It is a sharp contrast to see Illinois currently averaging 13.9 turnovers through nine games this year, with seven games in double digits. The Illini have improved in this area recently, averaging just 11.0 turnovers over the last three games (33) compared to 20.3 turnovers the previous three games (61).
Illini Player Trends
• Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy candidate Malcolm Hill ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring (18.4 ppg).
• Hill has scored in double figures in seven of eight games against D1 opponents, with four outings of 20+ points.
• Hill has reached double figures in each of the last three games, averaging 18.7 points (56).
• Hill ranks 22nd in the nation by kenpom with an offensive rating of 116.0 (28 percent possessions used).
• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 3 scoring performance in the NCAA so far this season.
• Hill is currently shooting 44.7 percent from 3-point range (11th in Big Ten) 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 has made 21 threes in nine games after making 37 treys in 34 games last season.
• Hill continues to be one of the nation's best at getting to the line. He ranks 20th in the NCAA with 49 made free throws. His 61 attempts, meanwhile, rank 24th nationally.
• Hill now ranks fourth all-time at Illinois with 410 career made free throws. Last season he went 193 of 235 from the line, ranking as the second-highest single-season totals for free throws made and attempted.
• Hill is drawing 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 54th nationally.
• Hill's rebounding numbers also have improved. After leading the Illini on the glass last year, he is now averaging a career-best 7.0 rpg this season.
• Hill has combined for nine assists over the last two games.
• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in five games, ranking third on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg).
• Abrams ranks second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 62.1 percent from 3-point range (18-29) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Abrams is shooting 53.1 percent overall, his first season at better than 41 percent from the field.
• Abrams has made better than 50 percent from the field and 3-point range in six of nine games.
• Abrams also leads the Illini with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, his first season with a ratio greater than 2:1.
• Sophomore Leron Black has scored in double figures in four of his five games, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.8 points).
• Black has reached double figures in each of the last three games, averaging 16.0 points (48).
• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in three of five games and leads the team on the season, averaging 8.0 boards.
• Black is averaging 9.0 rebounds over the last four games (36).
• Black tied his career high in scoring Saturday vs. VCU with 18 points, and recorded his second career double-double vs. Florida State (Nov. 25) with 15 points and 11 boards.
• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands has scored in double figures in each of the last two games, averaging 11.5 points (23).
• After not making a 2-pointer through the first five games, Coleman-Lands has made seven twos in the last four games, led by a career-high five 2-pointers vs. VCU.
• Sophomore Michael Finke scored in double figures in five of the first six games and is the Illini's fourth double-figure scorer (10.0 ppg).
• Senior Mike Thorne Jr. is shooting 77.3 percent from the field over the last six games (17-22).
• Senior Jaylon Tate leads the Illini in assists (4.1 apg), recording four or more dimes in five games.
