| Illinois Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-1 |
180 |
So. |
6.1 |
2.1 |
3.6 |
14 steals |
| G |
13 |
Mark Smith |
6-4 |
225 |
Fr. |
9.0 |
1.7 |
1.6 |
.857 FT% (30-35) |
| G |
24 |
Mark Alstork |
6-5 |
190 |
Gr. |
7.6 |
4.0 |
2.7 |
.806 FG% (29-36) |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Jr. |
12.3 |
3.8 |
0.5 |
2nd in NCAA in 3FG% (.604) |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
235 |
r-Jr. |
12.3 |
5.8 |
1.3 |
16.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg in last 3 |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
Fr. |
7.8 |
1.7 |
2.6 |
18.0 ppg over last 2 |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-So. |
10.1 |
5.8 |
0.6 |
Missed Longwood game (inj.) |
| F |
4 |
Matic Vesel |
6-10 |
215 |
Fr. |
0.4 |
1.4 |
0.4 |
First career pts. on Wed. |
| G |
10 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
175 |
r-So. |
1.0 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
UI walkon |
| F |
11 |
Greg Eboigbodin |
6-9 |
225 |
Fr. |
0.8 |
1.6 |
0.1 |
Native of Nigeria |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
230 |
r-Jr. |
13.6 |
5.2 |
1.5 |
Missed Longwood game (inj.) |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
190 |
Fr. |
5.3 |
3.4 |
1.0 |
8.0 ppg over last 2 |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
So. |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
UIÂ walkon |
| F |
45 |
Cameron Liss |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
0.5 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
B1G Distinguished Scholar |
| Sitting Out (*2016-17 Stats listed) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-1 |
165 |
r-So. |
0.6* |
0.2* |
0.1* |
Sitting out season (transfer) |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Sr. |
0.4* |
0.0* |
0.0* |
Recovering from torn ACL |
Career Record: 117-31/.791 (5th year)
At Illinois: 8-4 (1st year)
Series Notes vs. UNLV
Record: Illinois leads 2-1
Streak: New Mexico State W-1
Record at Chicago: First meeting
Streak at Chicago: N/A
Last Meeting: ? New Mexico State 95, Illinois 94 // Nov. 28, 1992 at Anchorage, Alaska
Underwood vs. New Mexico State: First meeting
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to action Saturday night in Chicago, facing New Mexico State at the United Center in a game honoring coaching legend Lou Henson, who led both the Fighting Illini and Aggie programs to Final Four appearances. Tickets for the game are available online at ticketmaster.com and in person at the United Center ticket office.
• Saturday's contest against New Mexico State?marks the 52nd game the Illini will play at the United Center, dating back to the 1994-95 season. Illinois owns an all-time record of 37-14 (.725) at the UC.Â
• Illinois leads the NCAA in made free throws (235) and ranks second nationally in free throw attempts (301).
• Illinois ranks fifth in the country with an offensive rebounding rate of 38.9 percent. The Illini grabbed 27 offensive rebounds in Wednesday's win over Longwood, the highest single-game total for the program in 17 years (27 offensive boards vs. Maryland, Nov. 22, 2000).
• The Illini rank eighth nationally in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 25.4 percent of opponent possessions. The Illini most recently forced Longwood into 24 turnovers, the sixth UI opponent this season with 20+ turnovers. Â
• After totaling 32 bench points against Longwood, Illinois' bench has now outscored the opposition in 10 of 12 games on the season. Illini reserves are averaging 34.3 points, with the Illinois bench outscoring the opponent bench by an average of 12.7 points per game.
Illini Player Headlines
• Junior Aaron Jordan ranks second in the NCAA in 3-point shooting (min. 2 made/game) at 60.4 percent (29-48).
• Jordan has averaged 16.0 points (32) and 6.0 rebounds (12) over the last two games.Â
• Junior Michael Finke has averaged 16.0 points (48) and 7.3 rebounds (22) over the last three games while shooting 60.6 percent from the field (20-33).
• Freshman Trent Frazier has averaged 18.0 points (36) and 4.0 steals (8) while shooting 50 percent from the field (13-26) and 45.5 percent from 3-point range (5-11) over the last two games.
• Junior Leron Black averaged 16.3 points (49) over a recent three-game stretch before suffering an injury during the first half vs. UNLV.Â
• Sophomore Kipper Nichols averaged 7.4 rebounds (37) off the bench over his last five games before missing the Longwood game due to injury.
Honoring Coach Henson
Saturday's game at the United Center is a tribute to coaching icon Lou Henson, the all-time winningest coach of both the Illinois and New Mexico State programs.
Henson amassed a 423-224 record in 21 seasons with the Orange and Blue, highlighted by 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, a total of 15 postseason bids, and eleven 20-win seasons. Henson's Illini won the 1984 Big Ten Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. His most successful season came with the Flyin' Illini, who won a then-school record 31 games and advanced to the 1989 NCAA Final Four.
A 1955 graduate of New Mexico State, Henson coached 16 years between two stints at his alma mater, compiling a 289-152 mark. He led New Mexico State to its lone Final Four appearance in 1970, and to a total of seven NCAA Tournaments and eight 20-win seasons overall.
Over his entire 41-year career, Henson won 779 games; ranking 16th on the all-time NCAA wins list. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to record 200-plus wins at two DI schools. He also stands as one of just 14 coaches to lead two different teams to the Final Four.Â
Henson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. His name adorns the courts in both Champaign and Las Cruces.
Rookies Reach 20
Illinois has two freshman guards who have already reached the 20-point marker. Mark Smith scored 21 vs. DePaul in just his third collegiate game on Nov. 17. Trent Frazier joined the club on Wednesday, with 20 points vs. Longwood.
They are the first Illini duo to score 20 as freshmen since the 2009-10 season, when Brandon Paul (three times-22 vs. SIU Edwardsville, 11/13/09, 20 vs. Northern Illinois, 11/17/09 & 20 at Clemson, 12/2/09) and D.J. Richardson (20 at Penn State, 1/27/10) accomplished the feat.
Illinois Team Trends
• Illinois ranks eighth in the NCAA in turnovers forced (20.2 per game). Illinois has forced 17 or more turnovers in 10 of 12 games. Last year the Illini defense forced at least 17 turnovers in only five of 35 games.
• Illinois ranks 17th nationally in turnover margin (+5.2), while scoring 24.3 points per game off turnovers.
• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and eighth in the NCAA in offensive rebounds (14.5 rpg). Illinois has grabbed 14 or more offensive rebounds in eight of 12 games. Last year the Illini tallied at least 14 offensive rebounds in a total of just five games.
• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 39th in the NCAA in steals (8.3 spg). Illinois has collected eight or more steals in seven of 12 games. Last year the Illini tallied at least eight steals in only six games.
• Illinois is averaging 10.8 steals over the last four games (43).
• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten and 42nd in the NCAA in scoring (83.7 ppg). The Illini have had eight outings above 80 points and five 90-plus point performances so far this season.
• Illinois has scored at least 77 points in seven of its eight wins.
• Illinois is second in the NCAA with 301 free throw attempts on the season. Illinois has shot at least 24 free throws in eight of 12 games. Last year the Illini attempted at least 24 free throws in only seven games.
• Illinois has made 22 three-pointers over the last two games after combining for a total of 13 treys the previous three games.
• Five different Illini players have had a 20-point game this season.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten and is 30th nationally in adjusted tempo by kenpom, averaging 74.2 possessions.
• Illinois ranks 65th in kenpom's adjusted defensive efficiency (97.8).
Illini Player Trends
• Junior Leron Black has increased his scoring average by 5.5 points this season, currently leading the Illini at 13.6 ppg (22nd in Big Ten) after averaging 8.1 ppg last year.
• Black has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games, which included a career-long streak of seven straight that ended at UNLV when he left the game late in the first half with an injury.
• Black has made at least 50 percent from the field in nine games and is shooting 54.2 percent on the year (91st in NCAA), compared to 45.3 percent from the field last year.
• Black has made 81.1 percent of his free throws this season (14th in Big Ten) after entering the year as a 70 percent career shooter at the line.
• Black has 16 assists in 11 games after finishing last year with 13 assists in 31 games.
• Junior Michael Finke is tied for second on the team in scoring at 12.3 ppg. He averaged 6.9 points last season.
• Finke is averaging 16.0 points over the last three games (48) after combining for a total of 12 points the previous three games.
• Finke has made five of his last eight 3-point attempts going back to the second half vs. UNLV.
• Finke is tied for second on the team in rebounding at 5.8 rpg (20th in Big Ten) and leads the Illini with 28 offensive rebounds (10th in B1G).
• Finke recorded back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career with 20 vs. Augustana (Nov. 22) followed by a season-high 22 vs. N.C. Central (Nov. 24).
• Finke has scored at least 12 points in eight games.
• Junior Aaron Jordan is tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points. He averaged 2.3 points last year as a sophomore.
• Jordan ranks second in the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 2 made/game) at 60.4 percent (29-48). He entered the year as a 30 percent career shooter from 3-point land.
• Jordan has made 24 of his last 36 attempts from 3-point range (66.7 percent), dating back to the second half vs. Marshall on Nov. 19.
• Jordan ranks fourth nationally in kenpom offensive rating at 146.7.
• Jordan has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games, and nine of 12 games on the season after entering the year with two games in double digits through his first 55 career games.
• Jordan is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 29 made threes on the season. He has made at least three 3-pointers in five of the last eight games.
• Jordan had a streak of 17 straight made free throws snapped in the second half vs. Longwood.Â
• Sophomore Kipper Nichols is the team's fourth-leading scorer with an average of 10.1 points. That is more than double his 4.9 scoring average as a freshman.
• Nichols led the Illini in rebounding in four of his last five games, averaging 7.4 rpg over this stretch (37).
• Freshman Mark Smith is fifth on the Illini in scoring at 9.0 points per game.
• Smith led the Illini against UNLV with a game-high 17 points, his second-best performance of the season. The 17 points also equaled his total from the previous five games combined.Â
• 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.
• Freshman Trent Frazier has scored in double figures in three of his last four games, averaging 12.5 points (50), 3.5 assists (14) and 2.8 steals (11) over this stretch.
• Frazier is shooting 61.5 percent on 2-pointers this season (24-39).
• Freshman Da'Monte Williams has averaged 8.0 points (16) and 4.0 rebounds (8) over the last two games.
• Senior Mark Alstork averaged 15.5 points in two Big Ten games with 14 at Northwestern and a season-high tying 17 vs. Maryland.
• Alstork went 9-17 from the field (52.9 percent) and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line during those two games.
