Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 159-114/.582 (8th year)
At Illinois: 74-58/.561 (4th year)
Big Ten: 28-41 /.406
Series Notes vs. Minnesota
Series Record: Illinois 120-65
Series Streak: Illinois W-1
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 70-18
Series Streak at Champaign: Minnesota W-1
This Year's Meeting: Illinois 76, Minnesota 71 (OT) on Jan. 23, 2016 in Minneapolis
Groce vs. Minnesota: 4-2
Senior Night
Illinois' final home game on Sunday against Minnesota also is Senior Night at State Farm Center. Here is a look at the three seniors who will be honored before the game: Khalid Lewis, Mike Thorne Jr. and Mike LaTulip.
Lewis is in his first season with the Illini after joining the team as a graduate transfer from La Salle. He has played in 26 games while starting 13 times, including each of the last six contests. Lewis is averaging 3.7 points, ranks second on the team in assists, averaging 3.1 apg, and is third on the team with 23 steals. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.7, meanwhile, ranks fifth in the Big Ten. He set a season high with nine points at Rutgers (Feb. 3) and has dished out a season-high eight assists on three occasions, most recently vs. Rutgers (Feb. 16). A native of Trenton, New Jersey, Lewis is enrolled in the UI master's program in education policy, organization and leadership.
Thorne also is in his first season with the Illini after joining the team as a graduate transfer from Charlotte. He has played in just eight games on the year after suffering a knee injury Nov. 28. Thorne has averaged 12.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, scoring in double figures five times while registering two double-doubles. The Fayetteville, North Carolina native set season highs of 25 points and 14 rebounds in his Illini debut vs. North Florida (Nov. 13). Thorne is enrolled in the UI master's program in education policy, organization and leadership.
LaTulip is in his fourth year with the Fighting Illini program. While still participating in daily practice, he has elected to sit out from game competition this season in order to retain his final year of eligibility as a graduate transfer. A preferred walk-on from Arlington Heights, LaTulip played in 44 games over the last three seasons, totaling 56 points and 14 rebounds. He set his career high in scoring with nine points last season vs. Austin Peay (Nov. 21, 2014). LaTulip is majoring in communication.
Select Company
Malcolm Hill leads the Illini in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounding (6.5 rpg) and assists (3.4 apg). He is joined by Michigan's Derek Walton as the only Big Ten players to lead their teams in all three categories this season.
Hill is vying to become just the second Fighting Illini player ever to rank first in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season. The first to accomplish the feat (dating back to the start of assists record keeping in 1974) was Rick Schmidt in 1975. During Schmidt's junior season, he led the Illini with averages of 20.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Illini Trends
• Illinois has started 13 different lineups this season.
• In every win this season, Illinois has scored more point off turnovers than the opponent.
• Illinois' turnover rate of 14.7 percent ranks ninth nationally, and the Illini rank 17th in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game (10.4 avg.).
• Illinois ranks 17th nationally in defensive free throw rate (27.1).
• The Illini defense has allowed less than 70 points in regulation in six of the last nine games, including three of the last four, after giving up 70+ points in each of the first six Big Ten games.
• Only one opponent has shot better than 46 percent from the field against the Illini over the last nine games.
• Junior Malcolm Hill has scored in double figures in all but two games this season.
• Hill currently ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 18.1 points. His average is the highest by an Illini in the last 13 seasons, since Brian Cook led the Big Ten in scoring in 2003 (20.0 ppg).
• Hill scored his 1,000th career point at Minnesota (Jan. 23), becoming the 47th player in Fighting Illini history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He now ranks 37th on the all-time UI list with 1,136 points.
• Hill has 18 career games of 20+ points, with 13 this season, including seven of the last 12 games.
• Over the last 12 games, Hill is averaging 19.1 points (229) and has been the team's leading scorer eight times.
• Hill leads the Big Ten and ranks 21th in the NCAA in made free throws (160). He is second in the conference (behind Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes) and 34th nationally in free throw attempts (197).
• Hill has 10 games this season with at least nine free throw attempts. Over an 11-game stretch prior to Indiana, he went to the line 105 times – averaging 9.5 attempts per game – and scored 7.5 points at the line (83 made).
• Hill has grabbed at least seven rebounds in seven of the last nine games – reaching double figures four times – and is averaging 8.4 rpg over this stretch (76).
• Hill has been the Illini's leading rebounder in six of the last eight games.
• Hill leads the Illini in assists on the season with an average of 3.4 apg (13th in Big Ten), after entering the year with a career average of 1.0 assists.
• Hill is averaging 4.6 assists over the last five games (23), led by a career-high eight assists vs. Northwestern (Feb. 13).
• Junior Kendrick Nunn has scored in double figures in 20 of the 22 games he has played in, averaging 16.0 points (10th in Big Ten).
• Nunn has five games of 20+ points this season, including three times in Big Ten play.
• Nunn has drained 62 three-pointers in his 22 games, surpassing his total of 54 treys in 33 games last year. His current average of 2.82 made threes per game ranks third in the Big Ten.
• Nunn's average of 2.82 three-pointers is challenging for the Illini season school record. The current mark is 3.00 set by Cory Bradford in 2000 (96 made in 32 games).
• Over the last four games, Nunn is shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range (11-26).
• Freshman Jalen Coleman-Lands leads all Big Ten freshmen with 70 made three-pointers this season. On Thursday against Indiana, Coleman-Lands broke the Illinois season record for 3-pointers by a true freshman (69 by D.J. Richardson in 2010). The record by an Illini redshirt freshman is 85 by Cory Bradford in 1999.
• Coleman Lands' 70 three-pointers ranks second among freshmen from the six major conferences, trailing only Kentucky's Jamal Murray (85).
• Coleman-Lands is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10 points. The last Illini to average double figures as a freshman was D.J. Richardson in 2010 (10.5 ppg).
• Coleman-Lands has scored at least nine points in five of the last six games, with two 20+ point performances, and is averaging 14.8 points over this stretch (89).
• Over those six games, Coleman-Lands has knocked down 23 treys (3.8 makes per game) on 44.2 percent shooting from behind the arc (23-52).
• Junior Maverick Morgan ranks fourth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting 57.1 percent on the season.
• Morgan scored in double figures in four straight games prior to Wisconsin, averaging 14.8 points (59) and 5.8 rebounds (23) while shooting 63.6 percent (28-44). During that stretch he set his career high in scoring with 20 points at Rutgers (Feb. 3) and twice tied his season high in rebounding with seven boards vs. Iowa (Feb. 7) and at Northwestern (Feb. 13).
• Freshman D.J. Williams has logged at least 15 minutes in each of the last six games, combining for 32 points and 17 rebounds on 59.1 percent shooting (13-22).
• Senior point guard Khalid Lewis has combined for 28 assists compared to just eight turnovers over the last seven games, a ratio of 3.5.
Hill Named Finalist for Jerry West Award
Illini junior Malcolm Hill is one of 10 finalists for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Joining Hill on the list are Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Caris LeVert (Michigan), Grayson Allen (Duke), Jalen Jones (Texas A&M), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Sheldon McClellan (Miami), Josh Hart (Villanova), AJ English (Iona) and Julian Jacobs (USC). The list will be narrowed to five in March, with the recipient chosen by West and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the Jerry West Award will be presented on April 8 at the ESPN College Basketball Awards Show.
Battling Through Adversity
Seven different Illini players have combined to miss a total of 83 games due to injuries and other circumstances so far this season. The only contest where Illinois has had its full roster available (not counting Tracy Abrams) for the entirety of the game was the 72-58 victory over UAB on Nov. 27.
With the list of available players changing often, Coach John Groce has used 13 different starting lineups.
On six occasions the Illini have had as few as eight scholarship players available, including four times in Big Ten play (Michigan, at Ohio State, at Michigan State, at Rutgers).
The Illini are currently without three projected starters with Abrams, Black and Thorne all sidelined.
Oh So Close
Illinois has been involved in 11 games this season decided by five points or less, owning a record of 5-6. The Illini enjoyed great success in close games during Groce's first three seasons, entering the year with an 18-6 record in games decided by five or less points. Only four teams from the six major conferences have suffered more close losses than the Illini this season.
Taking Care of the Rock
Illinois has been one of the best teams in the country under Coach John Groce in taking care of the basketball. Last year's team set a school record for fewest turnovers, averaging just 9.9 per game. That broke the previous school mark of 10.4 per game set by Groce's 2014 squad.
This season Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten and 17th nationally in fewest turnovers, averaging just 10.4 per game. And Illinois ranks second in the conference with a +2.8 turnover margin (26th in NCAA).
Getting it Done at the Line Again
Illinois leads the Big Ten in free show shooting during league play at 76.7 percent, connecting on 204-of-266. Illinois led the conference in free throw shooting last year as well, making 81 percent in Big Ten games.
The Illini led the entire NCAA in free throw accuracy last season (all games), setting a school record at 79.4 percent to break the previous UI record by five percentage points. This year the Illini are shooting 73.6 percent at the line in all games (fourth in conference).
3-Point Improvement
The Illini have increased their production from behind the arc in recent weeks. Illinois has made an average of 8.7 threes per game over the last 22 games (191), a vast improvement over the average of 6.5 made treys through the first six games (39). The Illini have hit at least nine treys 14 times during this stretch, including 12 of the last 16 contests.
Newcomers Playing Prominent Role
Illinois has seven newcomers who have all factored into the rotation this season in graduate transfers Khalid Lewis and Mike Thorne Jr., junior transfer Alex Austin, redshirt freshman Michael Finke and true freshmen Jalen Coleman-Lands, Aaron Jordan and D.J. Williams. Together they have accounted for nearly 51 percent of the team's minutes played, the second-highest number in the conference. Illinois is one of only two Big Ten teams with more than half of its minutes coming from newcomers (Nebraska). The Illini rank fifth in the league, meanwhile, in minutes played by freshmen at 32.5 percent. Nebraska leads the conference with freshmen accounting for 38.1 percent of its minutes.
Last Time Out: #18 Indiana 74, Illini 47 (Feb. 25)
The Illini jumped out to an early 14-4 lead and held a 28-27 lead at halftime, but a dominant second half by Indiana gave the 18th-ranked Hoosiers a road victory at State Farm Center.
Illinois was outrebounded 37-to-17, leading to a 15-2 Hoosiers advantage in second-chance points. After shooting 48 percent in the opening half, the Illini managed just 30.4 percent following intermission. Indiana, meanwhile, shot 57.7 percent in the second half and knocked down 10-of-17 three-pointers.
Freshman Jalen Coleman-Lands was on fire from 3-point range, knocking down five triples en route to a team-high 21 points. He was the lone Illini in double figures.
