QUICK HITS
The Coaches
ILLINOIS: Matt Bollant // 60-93 at Illinois (5th year) // 342-148 overall (15th year)
NEBRASKA: Amy Williams // 7-21 at Nebraska (1st year) // 200-130 overall (10th Year)
SERIES NOTES vs. NEBRASKA
Series Record: Illinois trails, 4-10
Last Meeting: January 15, 2017 // Illinois 79, Nebraska 59 // Champaign, Ill.
Series Streak: W-1
Series in Champaign: Illinois trails, 2-3
Series in Lincoln: Illinois trails, 1-6
Bollant vs. Nebraska: 2-5
Illinois...
...is the No. 12 seed in the 2017 Big Ten Tournament
...had two players earn All-Big Ten honors
...has five players shooting better than 38-percent from the field
...ranks 15th in the nation for its 77.7-percent free throw shooting
...boasts the best free throw shooting performance in the Big Ten this season
...has just four players with Big Ten Tournament playing experience
...freshmen are combining for almost 57% of Illinois' scoring
Quick Hits
• WEDNESDAY'S GAME: The Illini head to postseason play as the 2017 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament will be held March 1-5 at Banker's Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. The 12-seeded Illini will take on No. 13 Nebraska at 12:30 p.m. CT Wednesday. All games will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, but the championship game on March 5 will air live on ESPN2.
• COMING UP: The winner of game 1 will advance to take on the No. 5 seed, Purdue at approximately 1:30 p.m. CT Thursday.
• LAST TIME OUT: Fighting Illini women's basketball celebrated senior day on Saturday, honoring guard Ashley McConnell prior to an afternoon contest against the Indiana Hoosiers. Illinois pulled out to an early lead in the game after an energetic start, but the Hoosiers pushed back to ultimately earn a 74-60 victory over the Orange and Blue. Freshman Brandi Beasley led Illinois with 16 points and five rebounds, while freshman Petra Holešínská and redshirt junior Kennedy Cattenhead each added 13 points of their own. The Illini closed the regular season with an 8-21 record overall and a 3-13 mark in Big Ten play.
• SCOUTING NEBRASKA: The Huskers closed regular season play with a 7-21 record and a 3-13 record in league play. Nebraska is coming off of an overtime victory over Michigan State, and has won its last two home contests. Nebraska is 0-10 on the road this season and 0-2 in neutral site contests. The Huskers are led by Jessica Shepard, who averages 18.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. The Huskers average 62.5 points per game, allowing 76.2 from their opponents.
#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 13 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 nine games this season and in six of the last 10 games. She has scored in double-digits in each of the last 10 games, which includes three-straight 20-point performances.
• Alex Wittinger is leading the Big Ten with 2.5 blocks per game this season, and recorded all of Illinois' rejections in eight games. She has rejected three or more shots in four of the last six games.
• Wittinger is one of just eight players in the Big Ten to have recorded 10 or more double-doubles this season.
• Freshman Courtney Joens has netted two or more three- pointers in each of the last four games. Of her 71 points scored in Big Ten play, 35 have come over the last four matchups. She is shooting over 41-percent from distance in that span.
• Five Illini are shooting better than 38-percent from the field this season, led by Wittinger who is shooting 46.3-percent from the floor.
• The Illini shot 78-percent from the line in Big Ten games, as three players did not missed a shot in conference 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 12 games. Illinois has over 30-percent from behind the arc in six of the last seven games.
ILLINI IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Several Illini are making their marks in the school record books this season.
Sophomore Alex Wittinger
-Wittinger's 252 rebounds this season check in at No. 20 on Illinois' single-season list.
-She is tied for 11th on Illinois' single season offensive rebounds list with 95 so far this season.
-Wittinger's 74 blocked shots this season sit in second all-time. She needs just four more rejections to tie Karisma Penn at the top spot (78).
-Her 124 career blocks are currently in the No. 6 spot on Illinois' career list.
-Wittinger set a new school single-game record with eight rejections against Wright State.
FRESHMAN BRANDI BEASLEY
-Beasley has racked up 112 assists this season, the second most for an Illini in their rookie year
-She also ranks third all-time among freshmen for her 389 points this season. She needs just 11 points to move into the No. 2 spot.
-Beasley's 49 steals this season are the sixth-most for an Illini freshman. She will move into the top five with just five more.
-Beasley needs 16 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.
FRESHMAN PETRA HOLEŠÍNSKÁ
-Holesinska has knocked down 50 three-pointers this season, which ranks fourth all-time among Illinois freshmen. She is just three away from moving into the No. 3 spot.
-Her 37.6-percent three-point shooting this season currently ranks third all-time among Illinois freshmen as well.
LAST TIME VS. NEBRASKA
The Illini used a strong second-half surge to secure a 79-59 victory over Nebraska on Jan. 15. Holešínská led the squad with 19 points, while Beasley carded her second double-double of the season with 17 points and a career-high 10 assists. Wittinger also added 17 points for the Illini in her 10th consecutive double-digit scoring game. After a close first half (34-33, Illini) Illinois came out hot after the break, knocking down 10-of-12 third-quarter field goals. Both Wittinger (4-4) and Beasley (3-3) were perfect in the period, heading into the fourth quarter already in double-digit scoring numbers. The Huskers continued to test the Illini defense out of the halftime break, but Illini closed the quarter on a 14-4 run to keep a 57-49 advantage entering the final period. Illinois outscored the Huskers, 22-10 to close out the game.
LAST TIME AT THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
The No. 14-seeded Illini fell to No. 11 Penn State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last season. Then-sophomore Chatrice White and then-senior Kyley Simmons combined for 47 of Illinois' 66 points, and then-freshman Jaelyne Kirkpatrick dished a career-high eight assists, the most for an Illini in a Big Ten Tournament game. Illinois fought to keep the game close throughout, tying the matchup at 53 to head into the final quarter of play. Penn State outscored Illinois 22-15 in the fourth quarter to advance to the second round of play.
ALL-BIG TEN HONOREES
Fighting Illini freshman Brandi Beasley and sophomore Alex Wittinger were honored by the Big Ten Conference on Monday, as the league announced its All-Big Ten Awards. Beasley was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, as chosen by the league's coaches, and also earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors, as chosen by Big Ten media members. Wittinger earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition, marking the second All-Big Ten honor of her career. Senior Ashley McConnell was also recognized by the league as Illinois' Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
MCCONNELL'S SENIOR SEASON
Senior Ashley McConnell is Illinois' only senior this season. In her time wearing the Orange and Blue, McConnell has made 94 appearances and earned 10 starts. She has dished 45 assists and grabbed 30 steals while scoring 127 points.
A HELPING HAND
Freshman Brandi Beasley is leading Illinois in assists this season, averaging 4.0 per game. She has recorded 112 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 second among all freshmen and needs 28 assists to tie Jenny Johnson (1984-85) in the top spot (140).
Beasley's 112 assists this season are the most for an Illini since Alexis Smith dished 163 during the 2012-13 campaign.
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 13.4 points per game rank second among Big Ten freshmen while Holešínská's 10.1 points per game rank fifth.
Beasley is second among all freshmen in rebounding this season, averaging 5.3 boards, and she sits fifth among freshmen for her 3.9 assists per game. Her 4.6 defensive rebounds and her 35.9 minutes played per game also lead the league's newcomers. She's second among freshmen for her 1.7 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 11.7 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 her 4.0 total rebounds per game. Holešínská's 1.7 treys per game rank fifth among Big Ten freshmen and she is fifth for her 37.6-percent three-point shooting and leads the league for her 45.6-percent three-point shooting in league play. Ali Andrews ranks fourth for her 37.7-percent three-point shooting and her 42.1-percent three-point shooting in league play ranks third.
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 averages a team-leading 15.3 points per game in league play. She's posted double-digit scoring numbers in each of the last 10 games, leading the Illini in scoring in six of 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.
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 has scored in double-digits in 21 games, tallying two double-doubles.
Beasley has dished three or more assists in 20 games this year, leading the team in dimes in 18 games.
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 72 rejections so far this year, and sits in 7th for her 122 career blocks. Her 74 rejections this year rank second all-time.
HOT HOLEŠÍNSKÁ
Freshman Petra Holešínská had quite the start to Big Ten play. Currently, she is among team leaders averaging 11.7 points per game in conference games. She's shooting 46-percent from distance as she's made 36-of-79 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.
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 more. 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.
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 (108) 104th 5th
Blocks per game (3.7) 112th 5th
Fewest Turnovers (403) 69th 3rd
Free Throw Percentage (.771) 15th 1st
Turnovers per game (13.9) 53rd 4th
Alex Wittinger
Blocked Shots (74) 17th 1st
Blocks per game (2.55) 21st 1st
FG Attempts (395) 97th 12th
FG Made (183) 61st 10th
FG Percentage (46.3) 127th 7th
Rebounds (252) 56th 6th
Rebounds per game (8.7) 71st 6th
Offensive Rebounds (95 / 3.3) 2nd
Defensive Rebounds (157 / 5.4) 8th
Brandi Beasley
Assists (112) 134th 14th
Assists per Game (3.9) 161st 15th
FG Attempts (411) 68th 9th
Minutes Played (1041:00) 33rd 2nd
Minutes per game (35.90) 58th 2nd
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.
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 10 double-doubles this year and 14 in her career. With one more double-double she will tie for 10th on Illinois' single season double-doubles list. She needs just six more career double-doubles to move into 12th all-time.
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.
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. The current leader off the bench is freshman Ali Andrews who averages 5.3 points per game when coming off the bench.
The Illini bench has posted 20 or more points in seven games this season and has outscored its opponents bench in 16 games.
B1G WEEKLY HONORS
Fighting Illini freshman Petra Holešínská was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Jan. 9. The weekly honor was the first for Holešínská in her career and 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. 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 shot better than 40-percent from the field.
Illinois won its first three home conference matchups, topping Iowa, Rutgers and Nebraska, marking the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Orange and Blue have won their first three Big Ten home games.
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 22 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.
FIGHTING FRESHMEN
As expected, Illinois has seen major contributions from its freshmen this season. The Illini freshmen are accounting for more than 35 points per game so far this year, good for almost 57-percent of Illinois' scoring, led by Beasley, who averages 13.4 points per game. The freshman class averages 38 points per game in league play as well, which equates to 62-percent of Illinois' scoring.
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 24 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 eight 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.
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 nine games, and is among Illinois leaders with 32 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 3.7 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. Cattenhead was also an important contributor at Northwestern, adding four assists and four steals.
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).
Twelve 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 77.0-percent free throw shooting, a number that sits among the top 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 18 of Illinois' games this season, and has carded multiple blocks and multiple steals in six of those 18 matchups. She has posted multiple blocks and multiple steals in eight 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.
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
