QUICK HITS
The Coaches
ILLINOIS: Matt Bollant // 60-90 at Illinois (5th year) // 342-145 overall (15th year)
NORTHWESTERN: Joe McKeown // 146-136 at Northwestern (9th year) // 655-310 overall (31st Year)
SERIES NOTES vs. NORTHWESTERN
Series Record: Illinois trails, 34-48
Last Meeting: February 4, 2016 // Northwestern 69, Illinois 59 // Champaign, Ill.
Series Streak: L-3
Series in Champaign: Illinois leads 18-17
Series in Evanston: Illinois trails, 13-19
Bollant vs. Penn State: 2-4
Illinois...
...is headed to Northwestern for the first time since Feb. 2015
...ranks 7th in the nation for its 78.2-percent free throw shooting
...boasts 3 of the 6 best FT shooting performances in the B1G this season
...has held 10 opponents to less than 28-percent 3-point shooting
...assisting on 47-percent of its field goals this season
...has three players averaging more than 12 ppg in B1G play
...freshmen are combining for 55% of Illinois' scoring
• SUNDAY'S GAME: The Illini will play consecutive road games before closing the regular season at home versus Indiana on Feb. 25. First off, Illinois heads up north to face the Northwestern Wildcats on Sunday, Feb. 19. The Illini will then travel to Madison, Wisconsin for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Badgers on Feb. 22. Sunday's game will be streamed on Northwestern's website, and fans can listen in on WDWS-AM 1400.
• COMING UP: The Illini are set to travel to Madison, Wisconsin for a 7 p.m. matchup against the Badgers on Feb. 22. The Orange and Blue close regular season play on Saturday, Feb. 25 with a 12 p.m. game against Indiana.
• LAST TIME OUT: Freshmen Petra Holešínská, Brandi Beasley and Courtney Joens combined to lead Illinois on Tuesday night, contributing a combined 45 points for the Illini. It wasn't enough, however, as the Orange and Blue fell to the Penn State Lady Lions, 80-62. Holešínská knocked down 5-of-6 three-pointers on the night, while Beasley was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line while dishing four assists.
• SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN: With a 6-7 record in Big Ten play, Northwestern is coming off of a loss at Iowa, and riding a four-game losing streak. The Wildcats are 13-2 at home this season, and have three players averaging double-digit scoring numbers. Nia Coffey leads Northwestern as she posts 19.3 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She is second in the Big Ten for her total rebounding numbers, and leads the league for her 8.5 defensive boards per game. Northwestern is shooting 42-percent from the field this season, averaging just over five three-pointers made per game. The Wildcats are forcing 16.2 turnovers per game, and lead the Big Ten in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 37.6-percent shooting.
#ILLINI ON THE RUN
Illinois has seen several different trends pop up over the last few games.
• Freshman Brandi Beasley has recorded multiple assists and multiple steals in 12 games this season. She dished a career-high 10 assists against Nebraska, and recorded a career-best four steals in both games against Iowa.
• Beasley has led the Illini in scoring in seven games this season and in four of the last seven games. She has scored in double-digits in each of the last seven games, which 2includes three-straight 20-point performances.
• Beasley leads the league in minutes played this season. She has played all 40 minutes in four games this year.
• Alex Wittinger is leading the Big Ten with 2.4 blocks per game this season, and recorded all of Illinois' rejections in six games. She has led the team in blocked shots in 17 games and set a school-record with eight against Wright State.
• Wittinger is one of just eight players in the Big Ten to have recorded nine or more double-doubles this season.
• The Illini are shooting 81.5-percent from the line in Big Ten games, as three players have not missed a shot in conference play. Petra Holesinska and Alex Wittinger are also seeing success as they are shooting better than 89-percent from the line in Big Ten play.
• Illinois has been working on a balanced attack this season. Four or more Illini have posted double-digit scoring numbers in eight games this season, and two or more have scored in double-digits in all but two games.
• Illinois made a season-high 12 three-pointers in two games this season. The Illini have knocked down four or more treys in all but six games this year, and have netted seven or more in 11 games. Illinois has shot better than its opponent from distance in 11 games.
• The Illini have held 10 opponents to less than 28- percent shooting from beyond the arc, and allowed just one triple from Mercer and Rutgers to mark season lows.
• The Illini have forced their opponents to double-digit turnovers in 22 games this season. Illinois has forced 15 or more turnovers in 10 of those matchups, including a season-best 23 opponent turnovers twice.
A HELPING HAND
Freshman Brandi Beasley is leading Illinois in assists this season, averaging 4.1 per game. She has recorded 106 dimes this year, becoming one of just four freshmen in Illinois history to tally more than 100 assists in their rookie season. She currently ranks third among all freshmen, but with three more dimes, she will move into second all-time.
Beasley's 106 assists this season match Kyley Simmons' 106 dimes from the 2015-16 year, which are the most for an Illini since Alexis Smith dished 163 during the 2012-13 campaign.
Beasley needs 15 more dimes to move into the top-15 on Illinois' single-season assists list. Tonya Booker currently holds the No. 15 spot as she tallied 128 assists in the 1993-94 season.
P FOR 3
Freshman Petra Holešínská is Illinois' leading three-point shooter this season as she has knocked down 45 treys so far this year. That number is just outside of the top four on Illinois freshman single-season list. With just three more triples this year, Holesinska will move into the No. 4 spot, tying Katie Coleman who knocked down 48 three-pointers in her rookie year (1996-97). Holesinska is shooting 38-percent from distance so far this season, which would put her third among all freshman should she continue this type of production from beyond the arc.
TWENTY-TWENTY
Freshmen Petra Holešínská and Brandi Beasley led the Illini against Purdue, each earning 20-point games. Holesinska led Illinois with a career-high 21 points on the day, and Beasley finished with 20 points for the third consecutive game. Illinois has not had two freshmen score 20 or more points in the same contest since Jan. 31, 1997 in an 83-75 victory over Iowa. Both Tauja Catchings and Katie Coleman finished with 20 points in the matchup.
LEADING THE WAY
Freshman Brandi Beasley had quite the performance against Penn State, leading all scorers with a career-best 28 points. That performance marks the best single-game scoring number for an Illini freshman since Chatrice White scored 30 points against Michigan on Feb. 28, 2015. Beasley didn't just rack up the scoring numbers at Penn State, but she also tallied seven rebounds, five assists and two steals on the day.
Beasley is averaging 19.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists over the last five games, and averages a team-leading 15.3 points per game in league play. She's posted double-digit scoring numbers in each of the last seven games, leading the Illini in scoring in four od those contests.
Beasley went on a scoring streak, posting 20 or more points in three consecutive games from Jan. 29-Feb. 5. She played all 120 minutes in that span, shooting 48-percent from the floor and dishing 12 assists.
NEWCOMERS LEADING THE LEAGUE
The Illini freshmen have been making a splash this season, and continue to do so into league play. Both Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská are among freshmen leaders in the Big Ten for their scoring numbers. Beasley's 13.2 points per game rank second among Big Ten freshmen while Holešínská's 10.3 points per game rank fifth.
Beasley is second among all freshmen in rebounding this season, averaging 5.3 boards, and she sits fourth among freshmen for her 4.1 assists per game. Her 4.7 defensive rebounds and her 35.6 minutes played per game also lead the league's newcomers. She's second among freshmen for her 1.6 steals per game. Beasley sits second among freshmen for her 15.3 points per game in league play as well, Holešínská is third as she averages 12.3 points in Big Ten games.
Holešínská currently sits among the top 10 freshmen in the league in several categories as well. She ranks third for her 3.5 defensive boards and seventh for her3 .9 total rebounds per game. Holešínská's 1.7 treys per game rank fourth among Big Ten freshmen and she is fourth for her 38.1-percent three-point shooting. Ali Andrews ranks ninth for her nine blocked shots this year and fifth rfor her 37.7-percent three-point shooting.
BEASLEY IS KEY
Freshman Brandi Beasley has become a consistent force on the court for the Illini this season. Beasley's six treys at South Dakota set a new Illinois single-game freshman record, as she made 6-of-8 from downtown. She led the Illini with a then-career-best 24 points in the contest.
She has reset her career-high scoring number in five games, and is second on the team for her 13.2 points per game this year. She leads the team in league play, netting 15.3 points per game. Beasley has scored in double-digits in 18 games and tallied two double-doubles.
Beasley has dished three or more assists in 19 games this year, leading the team in dimes in 17 games. She currently has a team-leading 106 assists on the year. Should she continue to average 3.5 or more assists per game this season, Beasley will be among all-time freshman single-season assists leaders. She is currently third all-time among freshmen with 106 assists on the year.
CHART TOPPING
The Illini can be spotted at the top of the list in several categories this season, individually and as a team.
Category National Rank B1G Rank
Blocked Shots (96) 102nd 5th
Blocks per game (3.7) 115th 5th
Fewest Turnovers (363) 89th 4th
Free Throw Percentage (.785) 7th 1st
Turnovers per game (14.0) 51st 5th
Alex Wittinger
Blocked Shots (63) 15th 1st
Blocks per game (2.42) 23rd 1st
Double-doubles (9) 47th 6th
FG Attempts (365) 58th 7th
FG Made (168) 40th 8th
FG Percentage (46.0) 130th 8th
Rebounds (228) 48th 7th
Rebounds per game (8.8) 73rd 7th
Offensive Rebounds (88 / 3.4) 3rd
Defensive Rebounds (140 / 5.4) 8th
Brandi Beasley
Assists (106) 109th 13th
Assists per Game (4.1) 142nd 13th
FG Attempts (365) 58th 7th
Defensive Rebounds (121 / 4.7) 13th
Minutes Played (925:00) 23rd 1st
Minutes per game (35.58) 60th 2nd
CENTURY MARK
Sophomore Alex Wittinger became the eighth player in Illinois history to record 100 career blocks on Thursday, Jan. 26. Wittinger tallied 50 blocks in her freshman season, which rank third among Illinois freshmen and are tied for 12 all-time on Illinois' single-season list. She has 63 rejections so far this year, and sits in 7th for her 113 career blocks. Currently, Wittinger is on pace to move into seventh all-time for her career blocks at the end of the 2016-17 regular season.
HOT HOLEŠÍNSKÁ
Freshman Petra Holešínská had quite the start to Big Ten play. She is currently among team leaders averaging 12.3 points per game in conference games. She's shooting 48-percent from distance as she's made 31-of-64 shots from three-point range in league play, including a career-best tying five triples against Rutgers, Purdue and Penn State. Holesinska is 19-for-20 from the free throw line in Big Ten play, and led Illinois in scoring against Rutgers, Nebraska and Purdue.
Sophomore Alex Wittinger is also hot in league play as she's shooting 42-percent from the field in Illinois' last 12 games, and has recorded 22 steals and 28 blocks in that span.
A MARGIN TO TALK ABOUT
Illinois earned its second conference victory over Rutgers, 78-41, to mark the second-largest margin of victory for an Illini team in Big Ten play. The largest was a 47-point victory over Michigan State (98-51) in 1998. The 37-point margin of victory over Rutgers was the highest for an Illini team since a 55-point victory over Tennessee State (98-43) on Nov. 24, 2015.
Illinois has earned two 20+-point victories over Big Ten opponents this season, marking just the eighth year that an Illinois team has earned two or more Big Ten victories by a margin of 20 or larger. The last time the Illini won two or more Big Ten games by 20 or more points was during the 2006-07 season, when the Orange and Blue topped both Northwestern (77-49) and Michigan (65-44) in back-to-back games.
DOUBLE-DOUBLING UP
Three Illini have recorded at least one double-double this season. Freshmen Brandi Beasley and Petra Holešínská each posted their first career double-doubles, while Alex Wittinger leads the Illini with nine. Illinois has seen at least two players record a double-double in each of head coach Matt Bollant's five seasons, highlighted by five players each recording one or more during the 2014-15 campaign.
Leading Illinois on the double-double front, Wittinger now has 13 career double-doubles, which ranks ninth all-time in Illinois history.
BOLLANT'S 60TH
The Illini handed head coach Matt Bollant his 60th victory at Illinois on Jan. 15 in a 79-59 victory over Nebraska. Freshman Petra Holešínská led the squad with 19 points, while freshman Brandi Beasley carded her second double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 10 assists. Sophomore Alex Wittinger also added 17 points for the Illini in her 10th consecutive double-digit scoring game. The victory marked Illinois' first home win over Nebraska since an 89-53 win on Dec. 13, 1985.
B1G WEEKLY HONORS
Fighting Illini freshman Petra Holešínská was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Jan. 9. The weekly honor is the first for Holešínská in her career and the first for an Illini this season. She led the Illini with a career-high 21 points on 5-for-6 shooting from three-point range in a 78-41 victory over Rutgers. Holešínská has now netted a career-best five three-pointers in two games this season, and has scored in double-figures in three consecutive contests. Holešínská also tallied eight rebounds and a steal in the matchup.
Sophomore Alex Wittinger was named to the Big Ten Women's Basketball Player of the Week Honor Roll on Monday, Dec. 26. Wittinger averaged 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game on the road against both Central Michigan and Ohio, shooting 62.5-percent from the floor. She had scored in double-digits in five consecutive games, and earned her sixth double-double of the season at Central Michigan. Wittinger carded her third 20-point game of the season and sixth of her career on Thursday night at Ohio after a season-high 25-point performance. She tied her career-high with 12 field goals made in the contest.
OPENING B1G WITH A BANG
Illinois got off to a successful start to Big Ten play with a 70-65 victory over Iowa. Prior to this year, Illinois had not won its Big Ten opener since topping Minnesota (64-50) in the 2010-11 season.
The Illini opened Big Ten play recording a season-high 15 steals against the Hawkeyes, and forcing the opponents to a season-high 23 turnovers.
Illinois shot 43-percent from the floor against the Hawkeyes, good for the seventh time this season the Orange and Blue have shot better than 40-percent from the field. The Illini are now 5-2 when shooting 40-percent or higher.
RECORD SETTING
Sophomore Alex Wittinger had quite the night against Wright State. Not only was she among team-leaders with her 15-point, eight-rebound performance, but she swatted a career-high eight blocks on the day. That number is an Illinois all-time single-game record, and Wittinger is one of just 20 players in Division I to record eight or more blocks in a single game. Previously, Illinois' record was set at seven by Jenna Smith in 2010 and matched by two more players, three times.
Wittinger is averaging 2.4 blocks per game this season, and has accumulated 63 blocks, surpassing 50 total from last season. Wittinger currently ranks eighth all-time at Illinois for her 113 career blocks and is tied for fifth all-time for her 63 this year.
FIGHTING FRESHMEN
As expected, Illinois has seen major contributions from its freshmen to open the season. Brandi Beasley, Ali Andrews and Petra Holešínská have all played significant roles in the Illini starting lineup this year. Sarah Overcash and Courtney Joens have also made contributions on the court for the Illini so far.
The Illini freshmen are accounting for almost 35 points per game so far this year, good for almost 56-percent of Illinois' scoring, led by Beasley, who averages 13.2 points per game.
Illinois has seen three freshmen score in double-digits in six games this season, against Wake Forest, USC Upstate, Rutgers, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Prior to this year, the last time an Illinois squad saw that kind of production from its freshmen was Nov. 17, 2013 in a 112-28 victory over Alcorn State. The Illini freshmen contributed 56 of Illinois' 78 points against Rutgers and 50 of UI's 64 points at Ohio State. At least one freshman has scored in double-figures in Illinois' last 23 games.
GOING STREAKING
Sophomore Alex Wittinger opened the season posting five straight double-doubles in the first six games of the year. Wittinger's streak marks the second season in a row that Illinois has had a player record five consecutive double-doubles as Chatrice White also matched that number last season. Prior to White, the last time an Illini had recorded five in a row was during the 2010-11 campaign (Karisma Penn). Jenna Smith recorded seven-straight double-doubles at the end of the 2009-10 season.
ILLINI OFF THE BENCH
Illinois has seen impressive production from it's players off the bench so far this year. Redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead started the trend, coming off the bench to score 10 points in Illinois' season opener against Marshall. So far the Illini have seen double-digit production from at least one player off the pine in 13 games.
Illinois' bench is averaging 14 points per game. Freshman Petra Holešínská was leading that charge, averaging 12 points per game when coming off the pine, but the current leader is Ali Andrews who averages 5.4 points per game off the bench.
The Illini bench has posted 20 or more points in seven games this season and has outscored its opponents bench in 15 games.
HOLEŠÍNSKÁ'S CAREER DAYS
Illini freshman Petra Holešínská had a breakout performance against Memphis, contributing 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 3-for-6 from three-point range. Holešínská recorded more points in the first half against Memphis (13) than she did in her first two games combined (8). She also grabbed a career-best four steals in the contest.
She saw even more success in Illinois' victory over Fort Wayne as the Czech Republic, native, knocked down a career-best five three-pointers on 5-of-7 shooting from distance. She has led the Illini in scoring in six games.
The freshman grabbed her first career double-double against Wright State, leading the squad with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
She again outdid herself against Rutgers, dropping 21 points on 5-for-6 shooting from downtown. Her 17 first-half points surpassed Rutgers' 16 first half-points as a team. Holešínská was named Big Ten Freshman of the week for her performance in the Illini victory.
MOVING ON UP
The Illini have seen consistent improvements on the floor this season as the young team is gaining confidence. The Orange and Blue improved their field goal percentage in four consecutive games, from Dec. 2-17. The Illini have shot better than 40-percent from the field in 11 games this year, and better than 45-percent in five of those contests including a season-high 56.1-percent against Nebraska at the annual Pack the House event.
JOENS FOR THREE
Freshman Courtney Joens has developed a habit of knocking down three-pointers at just the right time this season. She has hit two or more three-pointers in seven games, and is among Illinois leaders with 25 made this year. Joens has scored in double-figures off the bench six times this season, including a career-best 13 points at Ohio. She combined with Ali Andrews for all of Illinois' 24 bench points at #16 Ohio State and led Illinois with 11 first-half points against Penn State.
CATTENHEAD STEPPING UP
Redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead has continued to build on her improvements from last season. After averaging just 1.1 points per game in her freshman year, Cattenhead showed major improvements last season. She averaged almost seven points per game and earned 27 starts for the Orange and Blue. Cattenhead was an important asset for the Illini as she also recorded 28 steals. After recording just seven assists in her freshman year, Cattenhead dished out 57 dimes last year.
Currently, Cattenhead is fourth on the team, posting 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She led the team with a career-high five assists against South Dakota, and led the Illini in scoring against Wake Forest. She improved on her career-high with 19 points against Florida Gulf Coast.
STRONG START FOR THE ILLINI DEFENSE
The Illini have held six opponents to less than 30-percent shooting from the floor this year, including Fort Wayne who shot just 25.6-percent. The last time an Illinois team held six or more opponents to worse than 30-percent shooting was during the 2009-10 campaign when the Orange and Blue held eight opponents to below 30-percent shooting.
Illinois held both Marshall and UAPB to less than 30-percent shooting from the floor in consecutive games to start the season. The Illini have not held consecutive opponents to less than 30-percent shooting since the 2013-14 season when the Orange and Blue held Alcorn State to 15.3-percent shooting (11/17/13) and followed that up by holding SIU to 22.6-percent from the floor (11/21/13).
Ten Illini opponents have shot below 40-percent from the floor this season, including the Iowa Hawkeyes in Illinois' Big Ten opener and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights who shot 25.9-percent from the floor. The Illini continued their defensive success, holding Nebraska to 29.2-percent shooting at the annual Pack the House game.
FREE THROW FEST
The Illini started the season strong from the foul line this season, as six players are shooting 80-percent or better so far. Freshman Petra Holesinska has been the most impressive as she is 38-for-42 (.905) from the line this year.
The Illini were on fire from the free throw line against UAPB, making 18-of-19 shots good for 94.7 percent shooting. The last time the Illini shot better than that from the charity stripe was Jan. 3, 2014 against Wisconsin, going 4-for-4. The Illini made 21-of-22 attempts (95.5-percent) at Wisconsin (2/14/08). The Illini kept up the top shooting, making 8-of-8 from the line against both Nebraska and Ohio State this season as well before netting 13-of-13 shots at Penn State.
The Orange and Blue have shot 85-percent or better in 11 games this season and lead the Big Ten with their 78.5-percent free throw shooting, a number that sits among the top-10 in the nation.
WITTINGER'S HOT START
Illinois' leading scorer, sophomore Alex Wittinger, got off to a strong start to the season. She currently leads the Illini averaging 14.8 points per game, and posted five-straight double-doubles in Illinois' first six games this year. Wittinger has recorded a double-double in three of her seven career 20+ point games and was just one rebound away from a double-double when she dropped 21 points at No. 5 Ohio State last season (2/21/16).
Wittinger has recorded multiple blocks in 15 of Illinois' games this season, and has carded multiple blocks and multiple steals in five of those 15 matchups. She has posted multiple blocks and multiple steals in seven career games.
RICE'S RETURN
Sophomore Cierra Rice returned this season after being sidelined just before Big Ten play last year. Rice was off to a strong start last year as she had recorded two 20-point games in just 10 appearances. Rice averaged 13.6 points per game, dished 24 assists and swiped 11 steals last year. She played a career-high 40 minutes in her 2016-17 debut, contributing five points, four rebounds, an assist and two steals.
She put up double-figures in Illinois' victory over UAPB, knocking down nine of her 11 points in the fourth quarter to lift Illinois to victory. She also grabbed six rebounds and dished an assist in the matchup. Rice's return was short-lived, however, as she suffered a foot injury against Memphis that currently has her sidelined.
WITTINGER'S WAYS
Now in her sophomore season, Alex Wittinger had quite the freshman debut. The Delano, Minnesota, native closed the season among Big Ten leaders for her 3.3 offensive rebounds and her 1.8 blocks per game. Wittinger was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice last season, and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team following the year. Wittinger grabbed 193 rebounds last season, good for fifth all-time among Illinois freshmen, and her 50 rejections rank third on Illinois' all-time freshman records list and 12th all-time. Wittinger averaged 10 points and 6.9 rebounds per game last season, scoring a career-high 27 points and grabbing a personal-best 15 rebounds at Minnesota. She posted four double-doubles on the season, and continues to improve on those numbers this year.
EXHIBITION RECAP
Several Illini saw their first action in the State Farm Center as freshmen Ali Andrews and Brandi Beasley both earned spots among the starting lineup. It was a young group as the freshmen were joined in the lineup by sophomores Alex Wittinger, Jaelyne Kirkpatrick and Cierra Rice. Freshmen Petra Holešínská, Sarah Overcash and Courtney Joens also made their first appearances for the Illini in a 66-60 loss to Drury University. Wittinger was in double-figures before the end of the game as she put up 15 points and 13 rebounds before the final period. She also finished with two blocks and three steals. Beasley totaled 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while Andrews was also in double-figures, racking up 13 points. She added two blocks and three steals to her line. Rice tallied 10 points in her return for the Illini, and Kirkpatrick finished with eight points and four assists.
MCCONNELL'S SENIOR SEASON
Senior Ashley McConnell is Illinois' only senior this season. In her time wearing the Orange and Blue, McConnell has made 91 appearances and earned nine starts. She has dished 45 assists and grabbed 30 steals while scoring 127 points.
NEW LOOK FOR THE ILLINI
Coming off of a 9-21 season in 2015-16, the 2016-17 Illini squad has a new look as it welcomed six new players in Ali Andrews, Brandi Beasley, Petra Holešínská, Courtney Joens, Cydnee Kinslow and Sarah Overcash. Senior Ashley McConnell and redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead look to lead the young squad, also composed of sophomores Jaelyne Kirkpatrick, Cierra Rice and Alex Wittinger.
BTN APPEARANCES
The Big Ten Conference announced game times and television information for the conference portion of the 2016-17 women's basketball season on Monday, Sept. 26, completing Illinois' 2016-17 schedule. All of Illinois' Big Ten contests will be available on the Big Ten Network or BTN Plus. Illinois opened conference play live on BTN Wednesday, Dec. 28, against Iowa at 3 p.m. CT at State Farm Center. The Illini will have two other televised home contests: Saturday, Jan. 7 against Rutgers, and Saturday, Feb. 25 against Indiana. Illinois will appear on BTN Plus for the remainder of the conference schedule.
THE BIG TEN SCHEDULE
Illinois will host a competitive slate of Big Ten opponents this season, including Iowa, (Dec. 28), Rutgers (Jan. 7), Nebraska (Jan. 15) and 2016 Big Ten Tournament Champion, Maryland (Jan. 26). The Orange and Blue will have several road contests during the month of January, including trips to Michigan State (Jan. 1), Iowa (Jan. 11), Minnesota (Jan. 18), Ohio State (Jan. 22) and Penn State (Jan. 29). The squad will return home in the month of February, with back-to-back games against Michigan (Feb. 1) and Purdue (Feb. 5). After a road game at Maryland (Feb. 9), the Illini will host Penn State on Feb. 14. Illinois will conclude regular season travel with games at Northwestern (Feb. 19) and Wisconsin (Feb. 22) before hosting Indiana in the regular season finale on Feb. 25.
BOLLANT SIGNS THREE FOR 2017-18
The Illini signed three highly-ranked recruits to the 2017-18 roster this week. Illinois will welcome the following players to the Illini family next season.
Channise Lewis // 5-8 // G // Miami, Fla. // Miami Country Day School
-Ranked the No. 16 guard in the country and No. 77 overall by ESPN
-Two-time FABC 3A All-State first team honoree
-2016 Miami Herald All-Dade 4A-2A Player of the Year
-Led Miami Country Day to three consecutive Florida Class 3A State Championship titles
-Led her high school to the 2015 Dick's Girls High School Basketball National Championship
-2015-16 USA Today American Family Insurance ALL-USA Florida Girls Basketball Team
-Chose Illinois over Virginia Tech and Purdue, among others
Addaya Moore // 6-0 // G // Granite City, Ill. // Granite City High School
-Led Granite City averaging 19 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game in her junior season
-Earned all-tournament honors at Orchard Farm, Jerseyville and Carrollton
-Chose Illinois over Clemson, Columbia and Marquette, among others
Jnaya Walker // 6-1 // F // Bolingbrook, Ill. // Bolingbrook
-No. 19 ranked forward by ESPN
-2016 IBCA 3A/4A All-State honoree
-Averaged almost 14 points per game and five rebounds for Bolingbrook in her junior year
-Chose Illinois over Nebraska and Wisconsin, among others
