| Illinois Probable Starters (from the previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-0 |
170 |
Fr. |
4.1 |
0.9 |
2.4 |
CH 27 mins. vs. Iowa |
| G |
5 |
Jalen Coleman-Lands |
6-3 |
190 |
So. |
8.5 |
2.1 |
1.1 |
Team-high 44 3FG |
| G |
21 |
Malcolm Hill |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
17.4 |
5.9 |
2.5 |
39 p, 13 r at PSU last yr |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
220 |
r-So. |
9.5 |
6.7 |
0.5 |
14 p, 9 r vs. MD |
| C |
22 |
Maverick Morgan |
6-10 |
245 |
Sr. |
10.2 |
4.0 |
0.8 |
13.7 ppg, 62% FG last 6 |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
D.J. Williams |
6-7 |
210 |
So. |
2.5 |
1.0 |
0.5 |
5 BLK |
| G |
1 |
Jaylon Tate |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
2.9 |
1.5 |
3.3 |
2.3 A/TO |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
3.5 |
3.3 |
0.0 |
13 p, 8 r vs. MICH |
| G |
13 |
Tracy Abrams |
6-2 |
185 |
Gr. |
9.1 |
2.8 |
2.4 |
Team-high 21 steals |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
190 |
So. |
1.2 |
1.1 |
0.3 |
6-16 3FG |
| C |
33 |
Mike Thorne Jr. |
6-11 |
280 |
Gr. |
5.6 |
3.7 |
0.3 |
56.1% FG |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-5 |
195 |
Fr. |
0.5 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
4 G |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
6 G |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
230 |
r-So. |
7.4 |
4.4 |
0.3 |
9-13 3FG in last 5 |
| G |
44 |
Alex Austin |
6-4 |
190 |
r-Sr. |
0.6 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
7 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 |
Career Record: 175-125/.583 (9th year)
At Illinois: 90-69/.566?(5th year)
Big Ten: 32-48/.400
Series Notes vs. Penn State
Series Record: Illinois leads 28-14
Series Streak: Penn State W-1
Record at University Park: Illinois leads 11-8
Series Streak at University Park: Penn State W-1
Last Year's Meeting: ? Penn State 86, Illinois 79 (2OT) // March 6, 2016 at University Park
Groce vs. Penn State: 4-1
Opening Tips
• Illinois concludes a stretch with three out of four games away from home, traveling to Penn State on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m., CT, BTN).
• Illinois is looking for its first road win this season (0-4), and aiming to snap an eight-game road skid overall.
• Illinois also is trying to win consecutive games in conference play for the first time since closing out its 2015 home schedule with victories over Northwestern (86-60, Feb. 25, 2015) and Nebraska (69-57, March 4, 2015).
• Senior Malcolm Hill is only 10 rebounds away from becoming just the fifth Illini player in school history – and the ninth active Div. I player – in the career 1,600-point/600-rebound club.
• Senior Maverick Morgan has scored in double figures in nine of the last 11 games, averaging 12.9 points on 60.9 percent shooting over this stretch.
• Sophomore Michael Finke has made 16-of-22 shots over the last five games (72.7 percent), including 9-of-13 on threes (69.2 percent).
Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers
Coach Groce and his staff will wear Nikes on the sidelines during Saturday's game vs. Penn State. They are joining coaches from across the country who are trading in dress shoes for sneakers as part of the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Week. Coaches vs. Cancer is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and National Association of Basketball Coaches. The program empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer by participating in awareness efforts, advocacy programs and fundraising activities.
Notes from the Last Time Out: Illini 76, Iowa 64 (Jan. 25)
• Illinois scored the game's first 10 points and led from start to finish en route to Wednesday's home victory over Iowa. It was the Illini's first time leading the entire way since the Dec. 21 win over Missouri.
• Illinois improved to 12-2 on the season when scoring at least 75 points.
• The Illini started their sixth different lineup with freshman Te'Jon Lucas earning his first start at point guard, joining Coleman-Lands, Hill, Black and Morgan.
• Lucas finished with six points, a game-high six assists and two steals in a career-high 27 minutes.
• The Illini dished out 18 assists on 26 made baskets, equaling their third-highest assist total of the season.
• Michael Finke led the Illini with 17 points, his highest scoring total in conference play. Finke made 7-of-10 shots, including equaling his season best with three 3-pointers in five attempts.
• Illinois drained six 3-pointers in the first half in helping build a 16-point lead and shot 47.4 percent from behind the arc on the night (9-19), the team's third-highest 3-point percentage of the season.
• The Illini defense – led by individual efforts from Malcolm Hill and Kipper Nichols – held Iowa's Peter Jok, the Big Ten's leading scorer, to just 10 points, his second-lowest point total of the season.
• Iowa shot a season-low 21.7 percent from beyond the arc (5-23).
• With his first basket of the night at the 8:43 mark of the first half, Malcolm Hill became the 10th player in Illini history to reach 1,600 career points. Hill finished the game with 11 points, his 15th straight outing in double figures.
• Maverick Morgan scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, leading the Illini on the boards for the first time in a Big Ten game this season.
• Jalen Coleman-Lands tied his career high with four assists.
Hill Nearing Historic Club
Senior Malcolm Hill scored his 1,600th career point during Wednesday's win over Iowa. Hill is 10 rebounds away, meanwhile, from grabbing 600 during his tenure, on pace to become just the fifth Illini player ever in the 1,600-point/600-rebound club:
Deon Thomas (1991-94) – 2,129 points 846 rebounds
Brian Cook (2000-03) – 1,748 points 815 rebounds
Eddie Johnson (1978-81) – 1,692 points 831 rebounds
Mark Smith (1978-81) – 1,653 points 722 rebounds
Malcolm Hill (2014-) – 1,609 points 590 rebounds
Post Production
Illinois has received consistent play in the post from center Maverick Morgan. Over the last 11 games, the senior has scored in double figures nine times, averaging 12.9 points on 60.9 percent shooting along with 5.3 rebounds. Morgan is Illinois' second-leading scorer during Big Ten play, averaging 12.3 points on 58.5 percent shooting (4th in B1G).
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 1,609 points ranks 26th in NCAA Div. I, and fourth when looking at players from the six major conferences. Hill's total of 467 made free throws, meanwhile, ranks seventh nationally and third among major-conference players. In the Big Ten, Hill ranks behind only Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes in each category:
NCAA Div. I Active Career Scorers (Major Conferences)
1. Bryce Alford, UCLA 1,729
2. Josh Hart, Villanova 1,647
3. Nigel Hayes, Wisconsin 1,614
4. Malcolm Hill, Illinois 1,609
5. Michael Young, Pittsburgh 1,600
Friendly Confines
Every team performs better at home than on the road. The disparity in numbers for the Illini so far this season has been significant. Winners of 10 of its 12 games in Champaign, Illinois is averaging 83.2 points at home, shooting 50 percent overall (355-711) and 53 percent from 3-point range (107-250). But in compiling a 3-6 record away from State Farm Center, the Illini are managing just 66.2 points on 42 percent shooting (211-507), including 29 percent from behind the arc (47-164).
Strong Scheduling
Illinois felt it had constructed a competitive non-conference schedule prior to the season. Numbers from the NCAA are showing that to be the case. Illinois had the fourth-strongest non-conference schedule among Big Ten teams, rated No. 30 nationally.
The Illini now rank No. 7 overall in Strength of Schedule (SOS), having already played six games against top-50 RPI opponents (1-5) and 13 vs. top-100 foes (5-8). Here is the current SOS ranking of all Big Ten teams:
Rk. B1G Team SOS (RPI)
1. Nebraska 3 (69)
2. ILLINOIS 7 (45)
3. Michigan State 9 (50)
4. Minnesota 12 (21)
5. Penn State 18 (70)
Illini Team Trends
• Illinois ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense, averaging 75.9 ppg. The Illini have scored at least 75 points in 12 of their 13 wins.
• Illinois is 85th nationally in field goal percentage at 46.5 percent. The Illini are 9-0 this season when shooting at least 46 percent, and are 12-1 when shooting better than their opponent.
• Illinois has shown improvement on the offensive glass, recording double digits in 14 games on the season and averaging 10.1 o-boards per game. Last season Illinois ranked last in the Big Ten with 7.6 offensive rebounds per contest.
• Illinois has scored more second-chance points than its opponent in 13 of 21 games, including four of the last six contests.
• Illinois is also getting it done on the defensive glass. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten and 53rd nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (.740).
• In conference play, Illinois is second in defensive rebound percentage (.728).
• Illinois has shot at least 50 percent during the second half in nine of its 13 wins.
• Illinois is earning its way to the free throw line on offense with a 37.0 free throw rate against D1 opponents (FTA/FGA). That is Illinois' highest free throw rate since the 2001-02 season (44.6).
Illini Player Trends
• Preseason Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Senior CLASS Award candidate Malcolm Hill ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.4 ppg).
• Hill has scored in double figures in 19 of 20 games against Div. I opponents, including an active streak of 15 straight.
• Hill has nine outings of 20+ points and two 30-plus point performances on the season.
• Hill ranks 10th on the Illinois career scoring chart (1,609 points). At his current season average, Hill would finish as the Illini's No. 3 all-time leading scorer.
• Hill is shooting 60.3 percent on 2-pointers during Big Ten play (35-58).
• Hill has seven kenpom game MVP accolades this season, trailing only 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. 12 scoring performance in the NCAA this season.
• Hill has scored in double figures in just the second half of nine games this season.
• Hill has made 34 three-pointers in 21 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 27th in the NCAA with 106 made free throws. His 133 attempts, meanwhile, rank 36th nationally. Hill leads all Big Ten players in each category.
• Hill ranks third all-time at Illinois with 467 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 6.6 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 63rd nationally.
• Senior Maverick Morgan is second on the team in scoring, also averaging double figures at 10.2 ppg. In conference games only, Morgan's average increases to 12.3 points.
• Morgan has scored in double figures in nine of the last 11 games, including a career-best streak of five straight that ended last Saturday at Michigan.
• Morgan ranks fifth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 59.4 percent.
• Sophomore Leron Black ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.5 points. He entered the year as a 4.9 ppg career scorer.
• Black has scored in double figures eight times through 17 games, after totaling seven double-digit scoring performances in 40 career games entering the season.
• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in nine games and leads the team on the year, averaging 6.7 boards (10th in B1G).
• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in eight games, ranking fourth on the team in scoring (8.5 ppg).
• Abrams ranks 15th in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting 41.3 percent from behind the arc (31-75) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Freshman Te'Jon Lucas has totaled 24 assists in 120 minutes over the last six games (4.0 apg).
• Lucas has combined for 24 points over the last three games (8.0 ppg).
• Sophomore Michael Finke has made 21-of-30 shots over the last seven games (7 percent), including 11-of-18 on threes (61.1 percent).
