| 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. |
10.9 |
2.9 |
2.6 |
Team high 18 steals |
| G |
5 |
Jalen Coleman-Lands |
6-3 |
190 |
So. |
8.9 |
2.2 |
0.9 |
21 pts at IU |
| G |
21 |
Malcolm Hill |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
18.8 |
6.2 |
2.3 |
2nd in B1G in scoring |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
220 |
r-So. |
9.9 |
6.9 |
0.6 |
CH 15 rebs. vs. OSU |
| C |
33 |
Mike Thorne Jr. |
6-11 |
280 |
Gr. |
5.9 |
4.2 |
0.3 |
56.9% FG |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
D.J. Williams |
6-7 |
210 |
So. |
2.6 |
1.2 |
0.5 |
5 BLK |
| G |
1 |
Jaylon Tate |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
3.3 |
1.6 |
3.8 |
2.2 A/TO |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
2.0 |
2.3 |
0.0 |
4 pts, 4 rebs at IU |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-0 |
170 |
Fr. |
3.3 |
0.8 |
1.7 |
65.2% FG |
| C |
22 |
Maverick Morgan |
6-10 |
245 |
Sr. |
9.4 |
4.1 |
0.5 |
13.0 ppg in last 6 |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
190 |
So. |
1.6 |
0.8 |
0.2 |
6-14 3FG |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-5 |
195 |
Fr. |
0.7 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
3 G |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
4 G |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
230 |
r-So. |
7.1 |
4.9 |
0.4 |
1.9 OREB/G |
| G |
44 |
Alex Austin |
6-4 |
190 |
r-Sr. |
0.4 |
1.2 |
0.0 |
5 G |
| Sitting Out |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| 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: 173-122/.586 (9th year)
At Illinois: 88-66/.571 (5th year)
Big Ten: 30-45/.400
Series Notes vs. Michigan
Series Record: Illinois leads 86-81
Series Streak: Michigan W-2
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 55-27
Series Streak at Champaign: Michigan W-1
Last Year's Meeting: Michigan 78, Illinois 68 (Dec. 30, 2015 at Champaign)
Groce vs. Michigan at Illinois: 1-7
Groce vs. Michigan All-Time: 2-7
Opening Tips
• Winners of seven of its last nine games overall and 8-1 on its home court this season, Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Wednesday night against Michigan (8 p.m. CT, BTN).
• After two weeks of league play, senior Malcolm Hill is the only Big Ten player to score at least 20 points in every conference game.
• The Big Ten's No. 2 scorer on the season (18.8 ppg), Malcolm Hill has registered 20 or more points in each of the last four games, averaging 20.8 points (83) on 50 percent shooting (23-46).
• Senior Maverick Morgan has scored in double figures in five of the last six games, averaging 13.0 points (78) and 6.5 rebounds (39) while shooting 61.2 percent (30-49).
• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands has scored at least 12 points in three of the last five games, averaging 11.4 points (57) while shooting 43.3 percent from 3-point range (13-30) and making an average of 2.6 treys.
One of the Best
Along with climbing the Illinois all-time scoring list, Malcolm Hill also ranks among the nation's leading active career scorers. Hill's current total of 1,544 points ranks 24th in NCAA Div. I, and fourth when looking at players from the six major conferences. Hill's total of 453 made free throws, meanwhile, ranks sixth nationally and third among major-conference players. In the Big Ten, Hill ranks behind only Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes in each category.
Last Time Out: #25 Indiana 96, Illinois 80 (Jan. 7)
A slow start proved to be the difference as the Illini could not recover from a rough opening six minutes, falling to the 25th-ranked Hoosiers on Saturday in Bloomington.
Entering the day having lost three straight, Indiana roared out of the gate on its home court, scoring the game's first 15 points. The Illini, meanwhile, could not get a shot to fall, missing its first eight attempts. Illinois played much of the first half without Malcolm Hill, who collected three fouls in less than four minutes.
After struggling in the first half, the Illini offense performed much better after intermission. With Hill driving to the basket and drawing fouls, the outside shooting of Jalen Coleman-Lands, and interior play of Maverick Morgan, the Illini scored 51 second-half points on 56.7 percent shooting (17-30).
A 13-4 run brought the Orange and Blue within nine points (81-72) with 5:30 left. But the Illini could not slow down the Hoosiers offense to draw any closer down the stretch.
Hill finished with 21 points on just 12 shots, going 11-for-13 from the free throw line. Coleman-Lands equaled Hill with 21 points, nailing 5-of-8 three-pointers. And Morgan added 18 points in just 22 minutes, hitting 6-of-9 shots.
Illini Team Trends
• Illinois ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 82nd in the NCAA in scoring offense, averaging 78.3 ppg. The Illini have scored at least 75 points in 10 of their 11 wins.
• The Illini rank third in the Big Ten and 81st nationally in 3-point field goal percentage at 37.6 percent. Illinois has made better than 40 percent behind in six games.
• Illinois has been strong on the offensive glass, recording double digits in 11 games on the season – including nine of the last 11 – and averaging 10.6 o-boards per game. Last season Illinois ranked last in the Big Ten with 7.6 offensive rebounds per contest.
• Illinois is also getting it done on the defensive glass. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten and 46th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (.742).
• Illinois has shot at least 50 percent during the second half in eight of its 11 wins.
• Illinois is shooting 50.4 percent in nine games at State Farm Center (274-544), compared to 41.3 percent in seven games away from home (162-392).
• Illinois is earning its way to the free throw line on offense, ranking 63rd in the nation with a 40.2 free throw rate against D1 opponents (FTA/FGA). That is Illinois' highest free throw rate since the 2001-02 season (44.6).
• In conference games only, Illinois' free throw rate of 43.4 ranks second in the Big Ten.
• 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). So it is uncharacteristic to see Illinois currently averaging 13.6 turnovers through 16 games this year. But after seven straight games with double-digit turnovers, the Illini have tallied just nine in back-to-back games.
Illini Player Trends
• Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Senior CLASS Award candidate Malcolm Hill ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring (18.8 ppg).
• Hill's current average is the highest by an Illini in the last 14 years, since Brian Cook led the Big Ten in scoring in 2003 (20.0 ppg).
• Hill has scored in double figures in 14 of 15 games against Div. I opponents, with nine outings of 20+ points and two 30-plus point performances.
• Hill has reached double figures in each of the last 10 games, including four straight games scoring 20+ points. He has tied his career-long streak of consecutive 20+ point games, first set last season from Dec. 9-23, 2015.
• Hill ranks 10th on the Illinois career scoring chart (1,544 points). At his current season average, Hill would finish as the Illini's No. 3 all-time leading scorer.
• Hill has seven kenpom game MVP accolades so far this season, tied for the sixth-most by any player nationally and equaling Iowa's Peter Jok for most by a Big Ten player.
• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 8 scoring performance in the NCAA so far this season.
• Hill has scored in double figures in just the second half of nine games this season.
• Hill is currently shooting 39.7 percent from 3-point range after entering his senior year as a 35 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Hill has made 31 threes in 16 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 14th in the NCAA with 92 made free throws. His 116 attempts, meanwhile, rank 16th nationally. Hill leads all Big Ten players in each category.
• Hill ranks third all-time at Illinois with 453 career made free throws. Last season he went 193 of 235 from the line, ranking as the second-highest single-season school totals for free throws made and attempted.
• Hill is drawing 7.2 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 35th nationally.
• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in eight games, ranking second on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg).
• Abrams ranks fifth in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 46.9 percent from behind the arc (30-64) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Abrams has drained at least three treys in six games on the season.
• Abrams is shooting 47.7 percent overall, his first season at better than 41 percent from the field.
• Abrams has made at least 50 percent from the field in nine games.
• Sophomore Leron Black has scored in double figures in six games, ranking third on the team in scoring (9.9 points). He entered the year as a 4.9 ppg career scorer.
• Black has scored in double figures six times through 12 games, after totaling seven double-digit scoring performances in 40 career games entering the season.
• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in six games and leads the team on the year, averaging 6.9 boards.
• Senior Maverick Morgan is averaging 9.4 points and ranks eighth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 59 percent.
• Senior Jaylon Tate has tallied 23 assists with only seven turnovers in a total of 112 minutes over the last six games.
