NIT Quarterfinals: #2 Illinois (20-14) at #4 UCF (23-11)
When	Wednesday, March 22, 2017 | 7 pm ET/6 CT
Where	Orlando, Fla. | CFE Arena
NIT Info	Tournament Central | Bracket
Tickets	Buy Online
Television	ESPN (Doug Sherman & Dan Dakich)
Live Stream	WatchESPN.com
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | TuneIn
Live Stats	Live Stats
Printable Notes	Illinois | UCF | Big Ten
2016-17 Stats	Illinois (HTML) | Illinois (PDF) | UCF | Big Ten
Shop	Online Store | Auctions | Publications
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

INTERIM COACH JAMALL WALKER

• Record as interim coach: 2-0
• Fifth season at Illinois

Series Notes vs. UCF

Series Record: First meeting
Series Streak: First meeting
Record in Orlando: First meeting
Series Streak in Orlando: First meeting
Last Meeting: N/A

Fighting Illini Continue Play in Postseason

• Following back-to-back home victories – 82-57 over Valparaiso and 71-56 over Boise State – the Fighting Illini continue their run in the NIT, traveling to UCF for the quarterfinals on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET/6 CT, ESPN2). 

• Jamall Walker is serving as interim coach during the NIT. Walker has spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the Illini (Walker bio on p. 12).

• Illinois (20-14) has reached 20 wins for the 32nd time in program history and the first time since 2013-14.

• Senior Malcolm Hill enters Wednesday's game with 1,817 career points, having just passed Illini all-time great Dee Brown (No. 4, 1,812 pts, 2003-06) for third place on the Illinois career scoring list. 

Underwood Hired as Head Coach

University of Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman hired Brad Underwood as the 18th Fighting Illini men's head coach on Saturday. He was formally introduced at a press conference on Monday. 

Underwood arrives at Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led OSU to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys had one of the most exciting and prolific offenses in the country, standing eighth in the NCAA in scoring (85.7 points per game) and leading the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency in the current kenpom rankings.

Oklahoma State finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 conference record in a season where the Big 12 was rated as the best conference in the nation. Oklahoma State came on strong during the second half of the season, winning 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, which included a pair of five-game winning streaks.

Underwood arrived in Stillwater following a dominant run at Stephen F. Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons. Underwood compiled an 89-14 record at SFA, tied with Brad Stevens (Butler, 2008-10) for the most wins by a head coach in his first three seasons at an NCAA school.

He led SFA to a 28-6 overall record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance in 2016. The Lumberjacks rolled past No. 3 West Virginia in the first round, 70-56, before narrowly missing a trip to the Sweet 16 with a 76-75 defeat to No. 6 Notre Dame in the second round. The Lumberjacks averaged 80.2 points accompanied by high-pressure defense that forced the highest turnover rate in the country (.259).

Underwood's second SFA team went 29-5 in 2015, also advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks ranked seventh in the nation in field goal percentage (.487) and led the NCAA in assists (18.7 apg).

His debut season in Nacogdoches in 2014 included a 29-game winning streak and culminated in a 32-3 record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance after a victory over No. 5 seed VCU in the opening round. Underwood earned the Joe B. Hall award, given to the nation's top first-year coach.

Underwood is a 1986 graduate of Kansas State. He played for the legendary Jack Hartman, K-State's all-time winningest coach. Former Illinois head coach Lon Kruger also played and coached for Hartman at Kansas State. Underwood began his college career at Hardin-Simmons, where he later entered the coaching ranks as a graduate assistant. Hardin-Simmons was the first college job for Lou Henson, the Fighting Illini's all-time winningest coach, and whose name permanently adorns the court at State Farm Center.

Illini NIT Notes

• Illinois is making its third NIT appearance in the last four seasons, and seventh appearance all-time.

• The Illini own an all-time record of 10-6 in the NIT.

• Illinois is 7-3 at home, 2-2 on the road, and 1-1 at Madison Square Garden in the NIT.

• Illinois went a combined 3-1 against this year's NIT field after beating Iowa in both Champaign and Iowa City, defeating BYU at the United Center, and falling to Indiana in Bloomington.

• Illinois is participating in postseason play for the 15th time in the last 18 seasons, 21st in the last 25, and 32nd in the last 38 dating back to its first NIT appearance in 1980. 

• Illinois has advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT for the third in seven appearances (1980, 2010). The Illini have advanced to the semifinals one time, finishing third in 1980. 

Illini Individual Single-Game Highs in the NIT

Points: 28, Perry Range vs. Long Island (1982)
Field Goals: 13, Perry Range vs. Long Island (1982)
FG Pct (min 6): .857 (6-7) Mark Smith vs. Murray St. (1980)
3-Pt. Field Goals: 4, D.J. Richardson at Stony Brook (2010) & 4, Malcolm Hill vs. Valparaiso (2017)
3-Pt FG Pct (min 3): .571 (4-7) Malcolm Hill vs. Valparaiso (2017)
Free Throws: 11, Kiwane Garris vs. Alabama (1996)
FT Pct (min 8): 1.000 (8-8) Mark Smith vs. UNLV (1980)
Rebounds: 16, Mike Davis vs. Kent State (2010)
Assists: 11, Demetri McCamey at Stony Brook (2010)
Blocked Shots: 4, Mike Tisdale vs. Kent State (2010)
Steals: 5, Perry Range vs. Murray State (1980)

Illini Team Single-Game Highs in the NIT

Points: 126 vs. Long Island (1982)
Field Goals: 53 vs. Long Island (1982)
Field Goal Pct.: .576 (53-92) vs. Long Island (1982)
3-Point Field Goals: 10 at Stony Brook (2010)
3-Pt. Field Goal Pct.: .455 (10-22) at Stony Brook (2010)
Free Throws: 23 vs. Illinois State (1980)
Free Throw Pct.: .840 (21-25) vs. Loyola-Chicago (1980)
Rebounds: 60 vs. Long Island (1982)
Assists: 35 vs. Long Island (1982)
Blocked Shots: 7 vs. Long Island (1982)
Steals: 10 vs. Boise State (2017)

• Illinois' all-time NIT box scores can be found on p. 13-16, and current Illini game-by-game NIT stats are on p. 17-18.

Last Time Out: Illini 71, Boise State 56 (March 20 - NIT Second Round)

Tracy Abrams scored 18 points, Leron Black had a double-double and Illinois pulled away midway through the second half to beat Boise State 71-56 in the second round of the NIT.

The game was tied at 49 with 10 minutes left before Illinois closed on a 22-7 run.

Malcolm Hill scored 13 points and has 1,817 for his career, surpassing Dee Brown (1,812) for third place all-time at Illinois. Abrams was 6 of 11 from the floor and made three 3-pointers. Black had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Chandler Hutchison scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead No. 6 seed Boise State (20-12). Nick Duncan chipped in 12 points. The Broncos shot 0 of 14 from long range in the second half.

Brad Underwood, who became the 18th coach in program history for the Illini earlier in the day, was in attendance. He replaced John Groce after five seasons. Against Boise State, the Illini were coach by Jamall Walker, who is now 2-0 as interim head coach. 

Hill Named Second-Team All-Big Ten; USBWA All-District V

Malcolm Hill has earned second-team All-Big Ten honors by the league coaches and media, as well as All-District V accolades by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Hill has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments in his senior season with the Fighting Illini:

• Only player from the six major conferences to lead team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals this season

• Third on Illini all-time scoring list with 1,817 points

• Fifth in Big Ten in scoring, averaging 16.9 points

• Scored in double figures in 31 of 34 games

• 12 outings of 20-plus points, highlighted by two 30+ performances

• Big Ten Player of the Week after career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 15)

• Illini's leading scorer in eight of the last 11 games, 11 times in the last 15 games, and 21 times on the season

• Improved 3-pointer shooter, making 59 treys this season compared to 37 last year

• Ninth in Big Ten in free throw shooting at 79.1 percent, ranking second in league in makes (155) and fourth in attempts (196)

• 12th in B1G in steals (1.1 spg)

• 13 game MVP awards by Kenpom

• Has played four different positions over the course of the season

• Third player in Illini history – and one of 17 active Div. I players – with 1,800 career points & 600 career rebounds

Hill Joins Historic UI Club

Senior Malcolm Hill scored his 1,800th career point vs. Valparaiso on March 14. He collected his 600th rebound vs. Minnesota on Feb. 4. Hill is just the third Illini player ever in the 1,800-point/600-rebound club:

Deon Thomas (1991-94) 2,129 points 846 rebounds
Brian Cook (2000-03) 1,748 points 815 rebounds
Malcolm Hill (2014-) 1,817 points 641 rebounds

Hill is one of only 13 active Div. I players – and among five from the six major conferences – with career totals of at least 1,800 points and 600 rebounds:

NIT Team & Player Notes

    Overall

    • The Illini have played lock-down defense in the NIT, limiting opponents to 56.5 points per game, 37.2 percent FG shooting (41-110) and 20.9 percent 3FG shooting (9-43). 

    • Redshirt sophomore Leron Black is 12.5 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in the two NIT games, posting double-doubles in both contests. 

    • Freshman Te'Jon Lucas is averaging 6.5 assists per game in the two NIT games (6 vs. Valpo, 7 vs. BSU).

    Boise State Win (Second Round)

    • The win was Illinois' 20th of the season, marking the 32nd 20-win season in program history and the first since 2013-14.

    • Illinois had 10 steals, the program's most in an NIT game. The previous high was nine at Clemson in 2014.

    • The Illini held Boise State without a three-point basket for the entire second half (0-14).  

    • Senior Malcolm Hill moved into third all-time on the Illinois all-time scoring list with 1,817 career points. Hill passed Dee Brown (1,812) for third all-time.

    • Tracy Abrams moved into 33rd on the Illinois all-time scoring list with a game-high 18 points. Abrams passed Nick Anderson (1,167) and Roger Powell, Jr. (1,178) on the scoring list with 1,185 career points.

    • Abrams sits in a tie with James Augustine and Dee Brown for sixth all-time in Illinois history with 137 games played. Hill (136 games played) is tied for ninth all-time. 

    • Abrams is tied with Demetri McCamey in eighth place in Illinois history with 115 career starts.

    • Redshirt-sophomore Leron Black recorded his second consecutive double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Black has three double-doubles this season.

    Valparaiso Win (First Round)

    • Illinois improved to 7-0 all-time against Valparaiso with the 82-57 victory.

    • The 25-point margin of victory was Illinois' largest over a Division I opponent this season. 

    • Interim coach Jamall Walker earned his first career head coaching victory.

    • Senior Malcolm Hill knocked down an Illinois NIT single-game record four three-pointers. The number ties the NIT single-game record originally set by D.J. Richardson in 2010.

    • Hill shot 57 percent (4-7) from three-point range, an Illinois NIT single-game record.

    • Hill became the fourth player in Illinois history to score 1,800 career points with a free throw in the third segment.

    • Redshirt junior Clayton Jones scored his first career points, finishing with four.

Illini Team Trends

• For the season, Illinois ranks 36th nationally in defensive efficiency by kenpom (96.4).

• The Illini have scored at least 70 points in 17 of their 20 wins.

• The Illini are 14-3 this season when shooting at least 45 percent from the field, and are 18-2 when shooting better than their opponent.

• Illinois has held the opponent below 72 points in 13 of the last 15 games.

• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten and 66th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (.738).

• Illinois is 15-3 when outrebounding the opponent.

Illini Player Trends

• All-Big Ten second team and USBWA All-District honoree Malcolm Hill is the only player from the six major conferences to lead his team in TOTAL points, rebounds, assists and steals on the season. 

• Hill ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (16.9 ppg).

• Hill has scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games against Div. I opponents. His streak of 25 straight in double digits came to an end vs. Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament (4 points).

• Hill is the only Illini to start every game this season. He also started every game last year, carrying an active streak of 68 consecutive starts. Overall, Hill has started 112 of the last 113 games dating back to his first career start as a freshman at Penn State on Feb. 9, 2014.

• Hill shot 54.3 percent on 2-pointers during Big Ten play (70-129).

• Hill continues to be one of the nation's best at getting to the line. He ranks 60th in the NCAA with 155 made free throws. His 196 attempts, meanwhile, rank 65th nationally. Hill ranks second in the Big Ten in made free throws and fourth in attempts. 

• Hill is drawing 5.9 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking fourth in the Big Ten. 

• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 32 scoring performance in the NCAA this season.

• Senior Maverick Morgan is second on the team in scoring, also averaging double figures at 10.1 ppg. In conference games only, Morgan's average increased to 11.3 points.

• Morgan ranks ninth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 54.7 percent (141-258). 

• Morgan has scored in double figures 17 times in the last 24 games. During this stretch he twice set a career long with five straight games in double digits, first from Jan. 1-17 and again from Jan. 25-Feb. 7. 

• Morgan then had three straight games scoring in double figures, averaging 14.0 points (42) on 52.8 percent shooting (19-36), before scoring four points in the Big Ten Tournament vs. Michigan.

• Morgan has grabbed 27 offensive rebounds over the last 11 games (2.5 avg).

• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in 10 games, ranking third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg).

• Abrams is averaging 16.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 61.3 percent from the field (19-31) and 54.5 percent from three (6-11) in the last three games. 

• Abrams erupted for his highest scoring performance in the last 21 games, scoring a game-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. He dropped a game-high 18 in the NIT second round win over Boise State.  

• Abrams is shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range this season (50-118) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.

• Abrams has made 15 three-pointers over the last seven games (15-30) after totaling six treys the previous 14 games.

• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands is the Illini's fifth-leading scorer at 8.0 ppg.

• After setting an Illini freshman record with 87 three-pointers last season, Coleman-Lands again leads the Illini with 68 treys this year. His average of 2.0 made threes ranks 11th in the Big Ten.

• Coleman-Lands' career total of 155 three-pointers leads all sophomores from the six major conferences.

• Sophomore Leron Black is fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.2 points. He entered the year as a 4.9 ppg career scorer.

• Black has recorded double-doubles in both NIT games – 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the first-round win over Valparaiso and then 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the round two in over Boise State. They were his second and third double-doubles of the season. 

• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in 12 games and leads the team on the year, averaging 6.3 boards (14th in B1G).

• Freshman Te'Jon Lucas dished out a game-high seven assists in the NIT second round win over Boise State. He's averaging 6.5 assists per game in the NIT after dropping six dimes in the win over Valpo. 

» Complete Illinois-UCF Game Notes (PDF)