Game 15: ILLINOIS (9-5) vs. Grand Canyon (10-4)
Date	Saturday, Dec. 30, 2017 | 3 p.m.
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center (15,544) | Fan Guide
Tickets	Buy Online | 4-Pack | Virtual Seating Map
Television	None
Live Stream	BTN Plus ($) | Sign-up
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | Audio | TuneIn
Live Stats	FIGHTINGILLINI.com
Printable Notes	Illinois | Grand Canyon | Big Ten
2017-18 Stats	Illinois | Grand Canyon | Big Ten
Shop	Online Store | Auctions | Publications
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 118-32/.787 (5th year)
At Illinois: 9-5 (1st year)

Series Notes vs. Grand Canyon

Record: First meeting
Streak: N/A
Record at Champaign: First meeting
Streak at Champaign: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
Underwood vs. Grand Canyon: First meeting

Opening Tips

• Following a one-week break in the schedule, Illinois returns to action Saturday afternoon against Grand Canyon in its final non-conference game. The Illini carry a 13-game winning streak in home non-conference action and are trying to go unbeaten at State Farm Center in non-Big Ten play for the first time since 2014-15. 

• The Grand Canyon match-up marks the UI's lone game at State Farm Center over a 28-day stretch. Illinois will begin the new year with four out of its first five games on the road.

• Trent Frazier is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring a career-high 22 points to help lead Illinois to its fifth-straight win over Missouri last Saturday in the Braggin' Rights series in St. Louis.

• Frazier has excelled over the last four games, averaging 17.8 points and 3.0 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range, making an average of 2.5 treys per game.

• After missing the Longwood game with an injury, Leron Black has averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds over the last two games. 

Oh So Close

Illinois has dropped five games this season, but has been in contention to win every single one of those contests. The Illini led during the second half of all five losses. In three of those games, Illinois had the ball with either the lead or in a tie with less than one minute remaining. And in the other two, the Illini trailed by just one possession down the stretch:

• At Wake Forest – Trailed by three with 1:15 remaining … Led with 17 minutes left
• At Northwestern – Tied with 30 seconds left with ball … Also led in OT 
• Maryland – Led by two with 4.6 seconds left with ball … Also led in OT
• At UNLV – Trailed by two with 3 minutes remaining … Led with eight minutes left
• Vs. New Mexico State – Tied with 33 seconds left with ball … Led with seven minutes left

Newcomers Playing Prominent Role

Illinois is undergoing a year of major transformation in its program. In addition to first-year head coach Brad Underwood implementing new offensive and defensive styles of play, the Illini have a number of new players taking on key roles. After losing two-thirds of its minutes from last year's NIT squad, Illinois has newcomers playing the most minutes of any Big Ten team this season with freshmen Mark Smith, Trent Frazier, Da'Monte Williams, Greg Eboigbodin and Matic Vesel, graduate transfer Mark Alstork and walk-on Drew Cayce accounting for a staggering 45.9 percent of minutes played. Nebraska is the only other team in the conference at the 40 percent threshold. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten, meanwhile, in percentage of points scored by newcomers at 37.4 percent.

Notes from the Braggin' Rights Win over Missouri

• Illinois won its fifth-straight game in the Braggin' Rights series, improving to 25-12 against Missouri in the annual neutral-site series in St. Louis.

• Illinois' bench outscored Missouri's bench, 27-0.

• The Illini defense forced 21 turnovers, tying Missouri's season high (21 vs. Stephen F. Austin). Mizzou had 16 turnovers in the first half alone. 

• The Illini held Mizzou to eight field goals on 33 percent shooting (8-24) for 22 points in the first half, the fewest points allowed by the UI defense in half this season. 

• Illinois led by 20 points at the break (42-22), the biggest halftime lead in Braggin' Rights history.

• Illinois held Missouri to 5-of-27 shooting from 3-point range on the night (18.5 percent). The Tigers entered the game averaging 9.8 threes made per game (38th in NCAA) with a 39.7 three-point shooting percentage (39th in NCAA).

• After Missouri scored on the game's opening possession, Illinois reeled off 10 unanswered points and led the rest of the way, leading for the final 35:25.

• Freshman Trent Frazier led the Illini with a career-high 22 points and game-high three steals. Frazier ended the first half with back-to-back 3-pointers and scored Illinois' last seven points of the game, making an and-1 with 2:07 remaining and closing out the win with four free throws in the final 25 seconds. 

• Leron Black had 20 points – his second-highest scoring total of the season – and a game-high seven boards. Black hit a pair of 3-pointers on the night, including one with 4:43 remaining that pushed the Illini lead back to 10 after Mizzou had cut it to seven.

• Freshman Mark Smith represented the Metro East well in his first Braggin' Rights game. The Edwardsville native finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting and two steals. His biggest basket of the night was a reverse layup with 3:20 left that put the Illini ahead by nine.

• Junior Michael Finke scored in double figures for the second straight Braggin' Rights, adding 10 points.

Illinois Team Headlines

• After totaling 27 bench points last time out vs. Missouri while the Tigers bench went scoreless, Illinois' bench has now outscored the opposition in 12 of 14 games on the season. Illini reserves are averaging 33.8 points, with the Illinois bench outscoring the opponent bench by an average of 14.1 points per game.

• Illinois ranks sixth in the NCAA in made free throws (252) and ninth nationally in free throw attempts (341).

• Illinois ranks sixth in the NCAA in turnovers forced (19.6 per game). Illinois has forced 17 or more turnovers in 10 games. Last year the Illini defense forced at least 17 turnovers in only five of 35 games.

• The Illini rank eighth nationally in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 25.1 percent of opponent possessions.

• Illinois ranks 14th nationally in turnover margin (+5.1), while scoring 23.1 points per game off turnovers.

• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 39th in the NCAA in steals (8.2 spg). Illinois has collected eight or more steals in eight games. Last year the Illini tallied at least eight steals in only six games.

• Illinois is averaging 9.7 steals over the last six games (58).

• Illinois ranks 48th in kenpom's adjusted defensive efficiency (97.0).

• In the Illini's nine wins this season, no opponent has reached 75 points.

• Illinois ranks seventh in the country with an offensive rebounding rate of 37.8 percent. 

• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA in offensive rebounds (14.1 rpg). Illinois has grabbed 14 or more offensive rebounds in eight games. Last year the Illini tallied at least 14 offensive rebounds in a total of just five games.

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and is 37th nationally in adjusted tempo by kenpom, averaging 73.9 possessions.

• Illinois ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 56th in the NCAA in scoring (81.6 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 nine wins.

• Illinois has shot at least 24 free throws in nine games. Last year the Illini attempted at least 24 free throws in only seven games.

• Illinois has made 34 three-pointers over the last four games (8.5 avg.) after combining for a total of 13 treys the previous three games (4.3 avg.).

• The Illini are shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range over the last four contests (34-87).

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

• Five different Illini have recorded a 20-point performance.

• The Illini rotation has nine players averaging at least 17 minutes per game.

Big Scoring Jump for Jordan

Junior guard Aaron Jordan is the Illini's third-leading scorer with an average of 11.3 points. This comes one year after he averaged just 1.0 ppg as a sophomore. His scoring improvement is the biggest of any player in the Big Ten this season:

1. Aaron Jordan, Illinois +10.3
2. Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State +9.0
3. Jordan Murphy, Minnesota +8.3
4. C.J. Jackson, Ohio State +7.8
5. Juwan Morgan, Indiana +7.5

Illini Player Trends

• Freshman Trent Frazier has been the Illini's leading scorer over the last four games, averaging 17.8 points (71) with 3.0 steals (12) while shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range (10-23).

• Frazier has scored in double figures in five of the last six games overall and is now fourth on the team in scoring on the season at 9.2 ppg.

• Junior Leron Black has increased his scoring average by 6.3 points this season, currently leading the Illini at 14.4 ppg (16th in Big Ten) after averaging 8.1 ppg last year.

• Black averaged 16.3 points (49) over a recent three-game stretch before suffering an injury during the first half Dec. 9 at UNLV. After sitting out the Longwood game Dec. 13, Black has now averaged 18.5 points (37) and 7.5 rebounds (15) over the last two games.

• Black has scored in double figures in 11 of his 13 games, which included a career-long streak of seven straight that ended at UNLV.

• Black has made at least 50 percent from the field in 10 games and is shooting 52.9 percent on the year (87th in NCAA), compared to 45.3 percent from the field last year.

• Black has made 82.2 percent of his free throws this season (10th in Big Ten) after entering the year as a 70 percent career shooter at the line.

• Black has 18 assists in 13 games after finishing last year with 13 assists in 31 games.

• Junior Michael Finke is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 ppg. He averaged 6.9 points last season.

• Finke leads the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg (19th in Big Ten) and with 34 offensive rebounds (ninth in B1G).

• Finke has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, averaging 12.6 points (63) and 7.2 rebounds (36), including 3.6 offensive boards (18).

• Junior Aaron Jordan is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points. He averaged 1.0 points last year as a sophomore, with his 10.3-point scoring increase the  most of any Big Ten player.

• Jordan leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 2 made/game) at 60.0 percent (30-50). He entered the year as a 30 percent career shooter from 3-point land.

• Jordan averaged 13.7 points (41) and 5.0 rebounds (15) over a three-game stretch before attempting just one shot vs. Missouri. 

• Jordan has made 25 of his last 38 attempts from 3-point range (65.8 percent), dating back to the second half vs. Marshall on Nov. 19.

• Jordan ranks fifth nationally in kenpom offensive rating at 143.3.

• Jordan has scored in double figures in seven of the last 10 games, and nine of 14 games on the season after entering the year with two games in double digits through his first 55 career games.

• Jordan is tied for 11th in the Big Ten, averaging 2.1 made threes. He has made at least three 3-pointers in five of the last 10 games.

• Jordan had a streak of 17 straight made free throws snapped in the second half Dec. 13 vs. Longwood. 

• Sophomore Kipper Nichols is the team's fifth-leading scorer with an average of 9.1 points. That is nearly double his 4.9 scoring average as a freshman.

• Nichols averaged 7.4 rebounds (37) over a recent five-game stretch before missing the Longwood game on Dec. 13 due to injury.

• Freshman Mark Smith is sixth on the Illini in scoring at 8.8 points per game.

• Smith is averaging 9.3 points over the last four games (37) after averaging 3.4 points the previous five games.

• 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.

• Te'Jon Lucas is shooting 51.6 percent on 2-pointers this season (32-62) while Trent Frazier is shooting 50.9 percent on 2s (29-57).

• Senior Mark Alstork averaged 15.5 points in two Big Ten games with 14 at Northwestern and a season-high tying 17 vs. Maryland. He went 9-17 from the field (52.9 percent) and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line during those two games.