GAME 25: Illinois (13-11, 3-8) at Northwestern (18-5, 7-3)
Date	Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2017  |  7 p.m. CST
Location	Evanston, Ill. | Welsh-Ryan Arena
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Head Coach John Groce

Career Record: 175-128/.578 (9th year)
At Illinois: 90-72/.556?(5th year)
Big Ten: 32-51/.386

Series Notes vs. Northwestern

Series Record: Illinois leads 132-40
Series Streak: Northwestern W-1
Record at Evanston: Illinois leads 61-26
Series Streak at Evanston: Northwestern W-1
Last Year's Meeting: ? Northwestern 58, Illinois 56  //  Feb. 13, 2016 at Evanston
Groce vs. Northwestern: 3-3

Opening Tips

• Currently 10th on the Illini career scoring chart with 1,651 points, Senior Malcolm Hill enters Tuesday's game at Northwestern four points away from moving into sole possession of eighth place on the UI's all-time list. Hill is two points behind Mark Smith (No. 9, 1,653 pts, 1978-81) and three points behind Brandon Paul (No. 8, 1,654 pts, 2010-13).

• Senior Maverick Morgan has scored in double figures 12 times in the last 14 games – including four straight – averaging 12.4 points on 58.3 percent shooting.

• Freshman Kipper Nichols is averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 57.9 percent in 20.3 minutes per game over the last three contests. 

• Illinois has grabbed at least 12 offensive rebounds in each of the last four games, averaging 14.3 offensive rpg.

• Illinois heads to Evanston looking for its first road win this season and aiming to snap a nine-game road skid overall.

Last Time Out: Minnesota 68, Illini 59 (Feb. 4)

Illinois was unable to get back on the winning track, falling at home to Minnesota on Saturday.

Illinois started strong and led for the majority of the first half before a late run put the Gophers up by five. The Illini then scored the last five points of the half to enter the locker room tied at 35. Illinois shot 45.5 percent during the opening stanza while holding Minnesota to just 30.6 percent. But the Gophers grabbed 10 offensive rebounds, converting those into 12 second-chance points.

Minnesota opened the second half by outscoring the Orange and Blue 11-3 over the first five minutes to take a 46-38 lead. The Gophers lead later grew to 13 before the Illini began to narrow the gap, scoring 10 of the next 13 points to close within six at 62-56. 

After another defensive stop, an open 3-point attempt by Malcolm Hill that would have cut it to three just missed. Illinois then had a turnover and missed shots on its ensuing two possessions before a Gopher layup made it an 8-point deficit. Minnesota then sealed it by making four of five at the line in the final minute.

Illinois shot just 30 percent after the break to finish at 38.1 percent for the game. The cold shooting left the Illini unable to come out on top despite holding Minnesota to 37.5 percent, the lowest percentage allowed by the UI defense in a loss since 2014. 

Kipper Nichols led the Illini with a career- and game-high 16 points, hitting 6-of-8 shots, including all three attempts from 3-point range. Nichols also had six rebounds in a career-high 23 minutes. Maverick Morgan recorded his third double-double of the season with 12 points and a career-high tying 11 rebounds. 

Hill Joins Historic UI Club

Senior Malcolm Hill scored his 1,600th career point in a win over Iowa on Jan. 25. He then grabbed his 600th rebound on Saturday vs. Minnesota, becoming just the fifth Illini player ever in the 1,600-point/600-rebound club:

Deon Thomas (1991-94) 2,129 points 846 rebounds
Brian Cook (2000-03) 1,748 points 815 rebounds
Eddie Johnson (1978-81) 1,692 points 831 rebounds
Mark Smith (1978-81) 1,653 points 722 rebounds
Malcolm Hill (2014-) 1,651 points 602 rebounds

Hill is only the 12th active Div. I player – and just the fourth from the six major conferences – with career totals of more than 1,600 points and 600 rebounds:

Post Production

Illinois has received consistent play in the post from center Maverick Morgan. Over the last 14 games, the senior has scored in double figures 12 times, averaging 12.4 points on 58.3 percent shooting:

His string of five straight games in double figures from Jan. 1 through Jan. 17 marked a career-best streak. He now carries an active four-game streak in double figures. Morgan is Illinois' second-leading scorer during Big Ten play, averaging 11.8 points on 55.9 percent shooting (sixth in B1G). 

Strong Scheduling

Illinois felt it had constructed a competitive non-conference schedule prior to the season. Numbers from the NCAA show that to be the case. Illinois had the fourth-strongest non-conference schedule among Big Ten teams, rated No. 32 nationally.

The Illini now rank No. 8 overall in Strength of Schedule (SOS), having played eight games against top-50 RPI opponents (1-7) and 17 vs. top-100 foes (6-11). Here is the current SOS ranking of all Big Ten teams:

Rk. B1G Team SOS (RPI) Rk. B1G Team SOS (RPI)
1. Nebraska 1 (82)
2. ILLINOIS 8 (71)
3. Minnesota 9 (24) 

Kip Coming On

Illini freshman Kipper Nichols has been a bright spot off the bench in recent games. After joining the active roster on Dec. 17, Nichols has moved his way up the rotation and over the last three games is averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 58 percent from the field in just over 20 minutes per game:

Improving D

While the results were not what the Illini wanted, the emphasis on improving defensively has paid dividends. The Illini's home losses to No. 10 Wisconsin and Minnesota last week occurred despite the opponents combining to average only 62.5 points on 39 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent 3-point shooting:

In Illinois' previous six conference losses, opponents averaged 78.3 points (470) on 52 percent shooting (166-319), including 39.3 percent from 3-point range (48-122).

One of the Best

Along with climbing the Illinois all-time scoring list, Malcolm Hill also ranks among the nation's leading active career scorers. Hill's current total of 1,651 points ranks 27th in NCAA Div. I, and fourth when looking at players from the six major conferences. Hill's total of 472 made free throws, meanwhile, ranks eighth nationally and also is fourth among major-conference players:

NCAA Div. I Active Career Scorers (6 Major Conferences)
1. Bryce Alford UCLA 1,757
2. Josh Hart Villanova 1,702
3. Michael Young Pittsburgh 1,657
4. Malcolm Hill Illinois 1,651
5. Nigel Hayes Wisconsin 1,647

Friendly Confines

Every team performs better at home than on the road. But the disparity in numbers for the Illini so far this season has been significant. Illinois is averaging 78.6 points while going 10-4 at home, shooting 47.5 percent overall (395-832) and 39.6 percent from 3-point range (116-293). But in compiling a 3-7 record away from State Farm Center, the Illini are managing just 66.3 points on 41.6 percent shooting (238-572), including 29.6 percent from behind the arc (55-186). 

Illini Team Trends

• The Illini have scored at least 75 points in 12 of their 13 wins.

• The Illini are 9-0 this season when shooting at least 46 percent from the field, and are 12-2 when shooting better than their opponent.

• Illinois has shown improvement on the offensive glass, recording double digits in 17 games on the season and averaging 10.7 o-boards per game. Last season Illinois ranked last in the Big Ten with 7.6 offensive rebounds per contest.

• Illinois is averaging 14.3 offensive rebounds over the last four games (57), grabbing 13 vs. Iowa, equaling its season high with 16 in back-to-back outings vs. Penn State and Wisconsin, and tallying 12 vs. Minnesota.

• Illinois has scored more second-chance points than its opponent in 14 games.

• Illinois is also getting it done on the defensive glass. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten and 67th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (.731).

• Illinois is 11-3 when outrebounding the opponent.

• Illinois has shot at least 50 percent during the second half in nine of its 13 wins.

Illini Player Trends

• Preseason Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Senior CLASS Award candidate Malcolm Hill ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.0 ppg).

• Hill has scored in double figures in 22 of 23 games against Div. I opponents, including an active streak of 18 straight.

• Hill has nine outings of 20+ points and two 30-plus point performances on the season.

• Hill ranks 10th on the Illinois career scoring chart (1,651 points). At his current season average, Hill would finish as the Illini's No. 4 all-time leading scorer.

• Hill is shooting 56.8 percent on 2-pointers during Big Ten play (46-81).

• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 12 scoring performance in the NCAA this season.

• Hill has made 39 three-pointers in 23 games after making 37 treys in 34 games last season.

• Hill continues to be one of the nation's best at getting to the line. He ranks 34th in the NCAA with 111 made free throws. His 140 attempts, meanwhile, rank 47th nationally. Hill stands second among Big Ten players in each category.

• Hill ranks third all-time at Illinois with 472 career made free throws. Last season he went 193 of 235 from the line, ranking as the second-highest single-season school totals for free throws made and attempted.

• Hill is drawing 6.2 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 92nd nationally.

• Hill has totaled 27 assists over the last six games (4.5 apg).

• Senior Maverick Morgan is second on the team in scoring, also averaging double figures at 10.3 ppg. In conference games only, Morgan's average increases to 11.8 points.

• Morgan ranks sixth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 57.9 percent. 

• Sophomore Leron Black ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.9 points. He entered the year as a 4.9 ppg career scorer.

• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in nine games and leads the team on the year, averaging 6.4 boards (10th in B1G).

• Black's 10 boards vs. Minnesota on Saturday was his highest rebounding total in the last nine games. 

• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in eight games, ranking fourth on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg).

• Abrams is shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range this season (32-79) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.

• Freshman Te'Jon Lucas has totaled 32 assists over the last nine games (3.6 apg).

• Lucas has grabbed at least two steals in five of the last seven games.

• Sophomore Michael Finke has made 10-of-17 from 3-point range over the last eight games (58.8 percent).

• Finke leads the Illini in offensive rebounding on the season with 40. He has grabbed nine offensive boards over the last four games (2.3 avg).

New Graduate Austin Earns Scholarship

Alex Austin transferred to Illinois as a preferred walk-on following two seasons at Eastern Illinois. Now in his third year with the Illini program, Austin earned a bachelor's degree in communication in December and is now enrolled in a master's program in recreation, sport and tourism. Austin has been rewarded for his hard work by being placed on scholarship for the spring semester.