Game 7: ILLINOIS (6-0) at Wake Forest (2-4)
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 | 9 p.m. ET/8 CT
Location	Winston-Salem, N.C. | LJVM Coliseum | Seating
Tickets	Buy Online
Television	ESPNU (John Brickley & Tim Welsh)
Live Stream	WatchESPN.com
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | Audio | TuneIn
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Printable Notes	Illinois | Wake Forest | Big Ten
2017-18 Stats	Illinois | Wake Forest | Big Ten
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Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 115-27/.810 (5th year)
At Illinois: 6-0 (1st year)

Series Notes vs. Wake Forest

Record: Tied, 1-1
Streak: Illinois W-1
Record at Winston-Salem: First meeting
Streak at Winston-Salem: N/A
Last Meeting: #5 Illinois 91, #1 Wake Forest 73  //  Dec. 1, 2004 at Champaign
Underwood vs. Wake Forest: First meeting

Opening Tips

• Following its six-game home stand to open the season, the Fighting Illini now play back-to-back road games beginning with Tuesday night's Big Ten/ACC Challenge contest at Wake Forest.

• Wake Forest is the second in a stretch of four straight games for the Illini against 2017 NCAA Tournament participants.

• This is Illinois' first match-up with Wake Forest since Dec. 1, 2004 when the Illini rolled past the No. 1-ranked Demon Deacons in Champaign, taking over the top spot in the polls for the remainder of the season en route to a 2005 national championship game appearance.

• Illinois is looking to start 7-0 for the first time since also winning its first seven games of the 2013-14 season. 

• Illinois is aiming for its first non-conference road win since defeating Boston U in the opening round of the 2014 NIT (March 19, 2014).

• Illinois ranks second in the NCAA in turnover margin (+8.7) and fifth nationally in turnovers forced (21.0 per game), while scoring 28.7 points per game off turnovers.

• Illinois' 136 made throws ranks third in the NCAA among teams with six games played. The UI's 181 free throw attempts, meanwhile, is fourth-most in the nation among teams with six games.

• Junior Aaron Jordan currently leads the NCAA in 3-point shooting at 65.2 percent (15-23).

Big Ten/ACC Challenge Notes

• Illinois is 8-10 all-time in the Challenge. The Illini's eight victories are tied for the fourth-most wins by any Big Ten team in the event, just one win behind Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin. (ranking excludes Maryland, whose 10 Challenge wins came as a member of the ACC).

• Illinois is 3-4 on the road in the Challenge, looking for its first road Challenge win since a 71-62 victory at Maryland on Nov. 29, 2011.

• Illinois and Wake Forest are meeting for the second time in the Challenge, and first time ever in Winston-Salem.

• The ACC leads all-time in the Challenge, 11-5-2 over the Big Ten. The ACC won last year's Challenge after the Big Ten had previously held the Commissioners Cup for seven consecutive seasons. The Big Ten won three straight from 2009-11, the leagues split the event in 2012 and 2013, and the Big Ten was victorious in 2014 and 2015. The event began with 10 straight victories by the ACC from 1999-2008. 

Illinois By the Numbers in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge

Record: 8-10
Current streak: W-1
At home: 5-3
On the road: 3-4
At neutral sites: 0-3
When ranked: 5-5
When unranked: 3-5
When playing a ranked opponent: 3-6
When playing an unranked opponent: 5-4
When both teams are ranked: 2-5
When neither team is ranked: 2-4
Longest winning streak: 4 (2009-12)
Longest losing streak: 3, three times (1999-2001, 2006-08 & 2013-15)
Largest winning margin: 27 points (2002)
Largest losing margin: 13 points (2001)
Closest margin: 1 point (2000)

Underwood Off to Great Start 

First-year head coach Brad Underwood has the Illini off to a 6-0 start this season. He is just the fourth Illini coach ever – and third since World War II – to begin his UI tenure with at least six consecutive victories. The best start by a rookie UI coach is 12 straight wins, set by Fletcher Lane in 1907-08 (11 wins vs. YMCA/club teams) and equaled by John Groce in 2012. Harry Combes, meanwhile, won his first seven games in 1947-48.

Uptempo Illini

The Fighting Illini are currently averaging 89.0 points per game, ranking third in the Big Ten and 23rd in the NCAA in scoring. One goal for an Underwood-led team is to always push the pace. Illinois is currently averaging more than 77 possessions through six games, leading the Big Ten and ranking in the top 20 nationally.

Tracking the Undefeated

Illinois is one of 29 remaining undefeated teams heading into this week, including one of three Big Ten teams and one of 21 teams from the six major conferences. Here is the list of unbeatens through Nov. 26:

America East (1): Albany (6-0)

American (1): Cincinnati (6-0)

ACC (7): Duke (8-0), Notre Dame (6-0), Virginia (6-0), Florida St. (5-0), Miami (5-0), Syracuse (5-0), Louisville (4-0)

Big 12 (4): TCU (6-0), Texas Tech (6-0), Baylor (5-0), Kansas (5-0)

Big East (2): Villanova (6-0), Georgetown (4-0)

Big Ten (3): Minnesota (7-0), Illinois (6-0), Rutgers (6-0)

Conference USA (1): Louisiana Tech (5-0)

Missouri Valley (2): Loyola-Chicago (7-0), Valparaiso (7-0)

Mountain West (2): Nevada (6-0), UNLV (6-0)

Pac-12 (3): Arizona State (6-0), Colorado (6-0), Washington State (6-0)

SEC (2): Texas A&M (6-0), Mississippi State (5-0)

West Coast (1): San Diego (5-0)

Illini Nationally This Season (via Kenpom)

Note: Kenpom ratings only count games against Div. I opponents, so following data does not include Augustana game on Nov. 22

• The UI defense ranks 17th in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 25.3 percent of opponent possessions.

• The Illini have grabbed 37 percent of their own misses, ranking 25th in offensive rebound percentage.

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

• The Illini rank 28th in free throw rate (46.9).

• Illinois is taking care of the ball on offense with a turnover rate of just 16.2, which ranks 46th.

• Illinois ranks 78th in defensive efficiency (99.4), 77th in effective field goal percentage defense (46.9) and 49th in 2-point defense (44.0).

Illini Team Trends

• Illinois is shooting 42.6 percent from 3-point range over the last three games (29-68) after opening the season at 23.1 percent behind the arc through the first three games (15-65).

• Illinois has totaled a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last three games (58 assists, 28 turnovers) after combining for a 1.04 ratio through the first three games (48 assists, 46 turnovers).

• Illinois has scored at least 75 points in all six games this season, with five outings of more than 80 points and three 90-plus point performances. 

• Illinois has grabbed 14 or more offensive rebounds in four of six games so far this season. Last year the Illini tallied at least 14 offensive rebounds in just five of 35 games.

• Illinois has forced 17 or more turnovers in all six games this season. Last year the Illini tallied at least 17 offensive rebounds in a total of five games.

• Illinois has shot at least 24 free throws in all six games on the season. Last year the Illini attempted at least 24 free throws in only seven games.

• Illinois has recorded 17 or more assists in five of six games this season. Last year the Illini tallied at least 17 assists in just eight games.

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

• The Illini have already had six different players serve as leading scorer in a game this season.

• The Illini rotation currently has nine players averaging at least 16 minutes per game.

Illini Player Trends

• Junior Leron Black has increased his scoring average by 6.7 points this season, currently leading the Illini at 14.8 ppg (14th in Big Ten) after averaging 8.1 ppg last year.

• Black has recorded at least 12 points in five of six games.

• Black has made at least 50 percent from the field in all six games and is shooting 58.1 percent on the year (12th in B1G).

• Black has made 84.2 percent of his free throws this season (16-19) after entering the year as a 70 percent career shooter at the line.

• Black has 15 assists in six games after finishing last year with 13 assists in 31 games.

• Junior Michael Finke is second on the team in scoring at 14.7 ppg. He averaged 6.9 points last season.

• Finke averaged 21.0 points in last week's two wins (20 vs. Augustana, 22 vs. N.C. Central), recording back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career. 

• Finke has made 11-21 from 3-point range over the last three games (52.4 percent), after opening the season 1-8 from the arc over the first three games.

• Finke has scored at least 12 points in five of six games while also shooting at least 50 percent from the field in all but one game.

• Freshman Mark Smith is third on the Illini in scoring at 12.0 points per game. 

• Smith is the No. 2 freshman scorer in the Big Ten behind Rutgers' Geo Baker (12.5 ppg).

• Smith has scored at least 13 points in four of six games on the season.

• Smith scored in double figures in four straight games from Nov. 12 through Nov. 22, becoming the first Illini freshman to do so since Kendrick Nunn in 2014.

• Smith is shooting 53.8 percent on 2-pointers (21-39).

• Junior Aaron Jordan is averaging 11.8 points this season, scoring in double figures in four of six games. He averaged 2.3 points last year as a sophomore.

• Jordan ranks 10th nationally in kenpom offensive rating at 151.2.

• Jordan has also increased his rebounding to 4.3 rpg so far this season compared to 1.0 rpg last year.

• Jordan currently leads the NCAA in 3-point shooting at 65.2 percent (15-23) after entering the year as a 30 percent career shooter from 3-point land.

• Jordan had made 8-of-9 from 3-point range over the last two games. His only miss was blocked.

• Sophomore Kipper Nichols has scored in double figures in four of six games this season, averaging 11.2 points. That is more than double his 4.9 scoring average as a freshman.

• Nichols ranks 18th nationally in kenpom offensive rating at 128.8 (at least 24 percent possessions used).

• Nichols has already surpassed his free throw totals from last year, currently at 24-31 through six games after going 13-21 in 21 games last season.

• Sophomore Te'Jon Lucas has totaled 17 assists with only three turnovers in a combined 71 minutes over the last three games, owning an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.67 during this stretch. 

• Lucas has grabbed at least one steal in every game this season.

• Senior Mark Alstork has dished out at least three assists in five of six games and is averaging 4.0 assists over the last four games (16).

• Freshman Trent Frazier is shooting 68.8 percent on 2-pointers this season (11-16).

» Complete Illinois-Wake Forest Game Notes