Game 5: ILLINOIS (4-0) vs. Augustana (iL) (3-0)
Date	Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017 | 6 p.m.
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center (15,544) | Fan Guide
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Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 113-27/.807 (5th year)
At Illinois: 4-0 (1st year)

Series Notes vs. Augustana (Ill.)

Record: Illinois leads 2-0
Streak: Illinois W-2
Record at Champaign: First meeting
Streak at Champaign: N/A
Last Meeting: Illinois 43, Augustana 27  //  Dec. 11, 1937 at Rock Island, Ill.
Underwood vs. Augustana: First meeting

Opening Tips

• Wednesday's match-up with Augustana marks the third of four games in an eight-day stretch for the Illini.

• Illinois is looking to start 5-0 for the first time since winning its first six games of the 2014-15 season. 

• Augustana advanced to the Div. III national championship game last season and is currently ranked No 2 in the D3Hoops.com Top-25.

• Augustana head coach Grey Giovanine previously served at Lamar, where he coached current Fighting Illini assistant Ron Coleman. 

• The Illini have been balanced on offense, with five players owning a scoring average in double figures.

• The Illini rotation currently has nine players averaging more than 17 minutes per game.

• All five UI starters are averaging at least two assists.

• Illinois' 96 made throws ranks first in the nation among teams with four games played.

• Illinois' 126 free throw attempts, meanwhile, is seventh-most in the NCAA among teams with four games.

• The Illini have grabbed at least 11 offensive rebounds in all four contests, averaging 15.3 per game.

• Illinois is averaging 28.0 points per game off of turnovers. 

Illini Nationally Through Four Games (via Kenpom) …

• The UI defense ranks 29th in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 24.8 percent of opponent possessions

• The Illini have grabbed 39.4 percent of their own misses, ranking 24th in offensive rebound percentage

• 27.3 percent of Illinois' points have been scored at the free throw line, which ranks 19th

• The Illini rank 30th in free throw rate (48.8)

• Illinois stands 63rd in free throw shooting at 76.2 percent

• Illinois ranks 70th in defensive efficiency and 66th in effective field goal percentage defense

Notes from the Marshall Game

• Illinois committed only six turnovers, outscoring Marshall 32-6 in points off turnovers. It was the UI's fewest turnovers in a game since recording three at Purdue last season (Jan. 17, 2017).

• For the second time in four games this season, the Illini had five players score in double figures (17-Black, & Nichols, 13-Finke & Smith, 10-Frazier).

• Illinois shot a season's best 46.7 percent behind the arc, draining a season-high seven treys in 15 attempts.

• The Illini recorded a season-high 19 assists on its 34 baskets.

• Illinois held Marshall to 74 points after The Herd had averaged 92.5 points entering the game.

• Illinois outrebounded Marshall, 45-39, with its 45 rebounds marking a season high.

• Illinois' bench outscored Marshall's, 42-10.

• Sophomore Kipper Nichols recorded his first career double-double, setting career highs in both scoring and rebounding with 17 points and 11 boards.

• Junior Leron Black scored in double figures for the third time on season, tying Nichols for the team-lead with 17 points. Black was one rebound away from his first double-double of the season.

• Freshman Mark Smith tallied double digits for the third straight game, finishing with 13 points. 

• Junior Michael Finke reached double figures for the third time on the season, netting a season-high 13 points while hitting 3-of-4 from 3-point land

• Freshman Trent Frazier had 10 points, the first double-digit scoring game of his career.

Smith Going Streaking

Illini rookie Mark Smith is now a perfect 20-for-20 at the free throw line to start his career. He is the first freshman in the nation over the last six seasons to make at least 20 free throws while shooting 100 percent in his first four games. The last time it happened was in 2011-12 when Trey Freeman (Campbell) went 28-28. 

Smith still has work to do, though, to challenge for a spot in the Illini record books for consecutive made free throws:

1. 39 Kiwane Garris, 2/1-2/22/1995
2t. 32 Brian?Cook, 12/14/2002-1/4/2003
2t. 32 Andy Kaufmann, 1/28-2/16/1991
2t. 32 Rob Judson, 2/3/1979-1/26/1980
5. 30 Efrem Winters, 12/7/1984-1/19/1985

Black's Big Start

Forward Leron Black has had a great start to his junior campaign, opening with 14 points, six rebounds and a career-high four assists in just 15 minutes of action vs. Southern, followed by a career-high 23 points with eight rebounds and three assists vs. UT Martin. After foul trouble against DePaul limited to just 17 minutes (eight points), Black was back in double figures vs. Marshall, tying for the team lead with 17 points.

Black currently leads the Illini and ranks 14th in the Big Ten in scoring at 15.5 points per game. That is nearly double his scoring average of 8.1 ppg last season.

Black's assist numbers have been even more impressive, as he currently is tied for the team leads in that category at 3.0 apg. 

After not tallying more than two assists during the first 71 games of his career, he has opened the season with assist totals of 4-3-3-2. Through four games, Black's 12 assists are just one shy of his total of 13 assists set in 31 games last season. 

Jordan Breaks Out

Junior Aaron Jordan has been a break-out contributor for the Orange and Blue. He has already exceeded his point total from all of last season, recording 43 points through four games after finishing his sophomore campaign with 23 points. Jordan erupted with a career-high 17 in the opener vs. Southern, then was in double figures again with 10 points vs. UT Martin. He had seven points with a career- and game-high nine rebounds vs. DePaul and most recently had nine points and five boards vs. Marshall 

Jordan is averaging 10.8 points and 5.3 rebounds and has played aggressive, owning 17 free-throw attempts through four games compared to six attempts from the stripe last season. 

Smith Can Score

Freshman Mark Smith has jumped straight in to the Illini lineup and provided a scoring punch, ranking second on the team at 14.0 points per game. After opening his career with nine points, he has scored at least 13 in each of the last three games. 

Double-figure scoring streaks have been rare by Illini freshmen in recent years. The last UI rookie to score four straight in double figures was Kendrick Nunn in 2014, while the last Illini freshman to net five straight in double digits was Brian Cook in 2000. 

Underwood Era Underway

First-year head coach Brad Underwood is ushering in a new era of Fighting Illini Basketball. Underwood was hired in March after leading Oklahoma State to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. That followed a dominant run at Stephen F. Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons, compiling an 89-14 record and leading to three straight NCAA Tournament bids. 

Owning the third-most victories in NCAA history by a head coach through his first four years (109), Underwood is now employing his exciting systems of uptempo and positionless spread offense with pressure and deny defense in Champaign. 

» Complete Illinois-Augustana Game Notes