B1G Tournament Second Round: #9 Illinois (18-13, 8-10) vs. #8 Michigan (20-11, 10-8)
When	Thursday, March 9, 2017 | 11 a.m. CT (Noon ET)
Where	Washington, D.C. | Verizon Center
Big Ten Tournament	Tournament Central | Bracket | Ticket Info
Television	BTN (Kevin Kugler, Jon Crispin & Rick Pizzo)
Live Stream	BTN2Go.com
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | TuneIn | SiriusXM 84
Live Stats	GameTracker
Printable Notes	Illinois | Michigan | Big Ten
2016-17 Stats	Illinois (HTML) | Illinois (PDF) | Michigan | Big Ten
Shop	Online Store | Auctions | Publications
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach John Groce

Career Record: 180-130/.581 (9th year)
At Illinois: 95-74/.562 (5th year)
Big Ten: 37-53/.411
Big Ten Tournament: 4-4/.500

Series Notes vs. Michigan

All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 87-82
Series Record in Big Ten Tournament: Michigan leads 3-2
This Season's Meetings: 
    Illinois 85, Michigan 69  //  Jan. 11 at Champaign
    Michigan 66, Illinois 57  //  Jan. 21 at Ann Arbor
Groce vs. Michigan at Illinois: 2-8
Groce vs. Michigan All-Time: 3-8

Illini Big Ten Tournament Notes

• Illinois is tied for the second-most all-time Big Ten Tournament (BTT) wins with 27. 

• The Illini own the third-best all-time BTT winning percentage at .614 (27-17).

• Illinois has won two BTT championships (2003 and 2005), one of five conference schools to win multiple titles.

• Illinois is tied for the second-most BTT championship game appearances, having advanced to the title game six times.

• Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 12 times, the second-most semifinal appearances of any school.

• Illinois has appeared in the BTT quarterfinals in all but two years, with those 17 appearances tied for third-most of any school.

• Illinois has won their opening BTT game three times in the first four years under Coach John Groce.

• Illinois is a No. 9 seed in the BTT for the third time. The Illini are 1-2 all-time as a nine, falling to No. 8 Iowa in the first round in 2012, and beating No. 8 Indiana in the first round in 2014 before being eliminated by No. 1 Michigan in the quarterfinal.

• Illinois' record in the BTT when seeded lower is 10-11.

• Illinois owns an all-time BTT record of 6-2 on Thursday (called the first round from 1998-2014, now the second round). 

• The Illini's .750 all-time winning percentage in Thursday BTT games is the second-highest in the league. 

• Thursday marks Illinois' sixth BTT match-up with Michigan, with the Wolverines owning a 3-2 edge. The teams most recently met in the BTT in the 2015 second round in Chicago, a 73-55 victory by the No. 9 Wolverines over the No. 8 Illini.

• The teams split the regular season series, with the Illini posting an 85-69 victory in Champaign on Jan. 11 followed by a 66-57 Michigan win in Ann Arbor 10 days later.

• Illinois' active BTT scoring leader is senior Malcolm Hill, who has totaled 65 points over six games the previous three  years (10.8 ppg). 

• Senior Tracy Abrams will make his first BTT appearance in three years. He has scored 61 points over five games from 2012-14 (12.2 ppg).

• Senior Maverick Morgan averaged 13.3 points in last year's BTT, totaling 40 points over three games.

• Sophomores Michael Finke and Jalen Coleman-Lands made eight 3-pointers apiece during last year's BTT, with Finke shooting 50 percent from 3-point range (8-16) and Coleman-Lands connecting on 44.4 percent behind the arc (8-18).

• Other current Illini with BTT experience are seniors Jaylon Tate (6 G) and Alex Austin (3 G) and sophomores Leron Black (1 G), Aaron Jordan (2 G) and D.J. Williams (3 G).

Opening Tips

• Winners of four of its last five games and five of its last seven, Illinois heads to Washington D.C. as the No. 9 seed and will face No. 8 Michigan in Thursday's second round (11 a.m. CT, BTN).

• In the latest NCAA report, Illinois has an RPI of 57, Strength of Schedule of 22, three top 50 wins, 11 top-100 wins, and is tied for the most games played against top-100 opponents nationally with 23.

• Illinois' recent four-game winning streak was its longest in Big Ten play since also claiming four in a row from Jan. 31-Feb. 12, 2015.

• While compiling a 4-1 record over the last five regular season games, Illinois' defense held the opposition to an average of 61.0 points (305) on 39.9 percent shooting from the field (108-271) and 31.1 percent from 3-point range (28-90).

• Illinois is shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point land over the last seven games (63-156), averaging 9.0 made threes per game during this 5-2 stretch. 

• Senior Malcolm Hill enters the Big Ten Tournament 25 points away from reaching 1,800 for his career. 

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:

• One of only two players from six major conferences to lead his team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals on the season

• Third in Big Ten in scoring, averaging 17.2 points

• Scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games, including an active streak of 25 straight

• 11 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 each of the last seven games, 10 times in the last 12 games, and 20 times on the season

• Finishing strong, averaging 19.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals over the last five games

• Improved 3-pointer shooter, making 53 treys this season compared to 37 last year

• Team's top defensive rebounder, averaging 4.4 rpg (13th in B1G)

• 11th in Big Ten in free throw shooting at 79.0 percent, ranking third in league in makes (143) and attempts (181)

• 10th in B1G in steals (1.2 spg)

• Ranks fourth on five-player Big Ten All-Kenpom Team

• Leads all Big Ten players and ranks ninth nationally with 12 game MVP awards by Kenpom

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

• Third player in Illini history – and one of 14 active Div. I players – with 1,700 career points & 600 career rebounds

• Fourth on Illini all-time scoring list with 1,775 points

Lock Down D

The emphasis on improving defensively paid dividends during the second half of conference play. Illinois' defense held seven of its last nine opponents to less than 70 points and under 44 percent shooting. Over that nine-game stretch, the defense combined to allow an average of only 62.7 points on 40.7 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent 3-point shooting.

During Illinois' first nine conference games, opponents averaged 74.8 points (673) on 49.2 percent shooting (246-500), including 37.2 percent from 3-point range (67-180).

Illinois has rocketed up the kenpom rankings in defensive efficiency during over the last month, climbing more than 60 spots to its current national ranking of 44th.

Hill Finishing Strong

Senior Malcolm Hill is excelling in all areas during the stretch run of the season. He is averaging 19.2 points over the last five games, leading the Illini in scoring each time out. He has heated up from 3-point range, making 12-of-31 treys for a 38.7 percent clip. His assists and steals are also up during this stretch to averages of 4.8 and 2.0, respectively. 

Morgan Another Senior Stepping Up

In addition to Malcolm Hill, the Illini have received strong play from senior Maverick Morgan down the stretch. Morgan has scored in double figures three times in the last two weeks, averaging 12.8 points along with 6.8 rebounds over the last four games, including an average of 2.8 offensive boards.

About the Fighting Illini Seniors

The six-player Fighting Illini senior class of Tracy Abrams, Alex Austin, Malcolm Hill, Maverick Morgan, Jaylon Tate and Mike Thorne Jr. has experienced success on and most importantly off the court, with the group on pace to earn a total of 10 degrees from the University of Illinois.

» Malcolm Hill has had a stellar collegiate career, becoming just the third Illini ever to reach milestones of 1,700 career points and 600 career assists, Hill is now in fourth place on the UI's all-time scoring list and could climb to high as third. He leads the team in total points, rebounds, assists and steals for the second straight season and currently ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.2 points per game. Hill will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in media and cinema studies. 

» Tracy Abrams has persevered through consecutive season-ending injuries to return to the court as a sixth-year senior. Abrams is averaging 7.9 points and shooting a career-best 41.1 percent from 3-point range this season. He ranks 38th on the Illini all-time scoring list with 1,135 points. Abrams has already received two degrees from Illinois, a bachelor's in communication and a master's in recreation, sport and tourism. He is scheduled to earn a second master's in education policy, organization and leadership in August.

» Maverick Morgan has improved every year and is playing the best basketball of his career as a senior. He is second on the Illini in scoring, averaging 10.4 points to go along with 4.5 rebounds per game. Morgan ranks ninth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 55.2 percent, and currently stands seventh on the Illini list for career field-goal percentage at 54.7 percent. Morgan will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in advertising.

» Jaylon Tate has been a valuable point guard for the Illini for four straight seasons. He leads the Illini in assists this year, averaging 3.0 per game, and has tallied more than 300 assists in 119 career appearances. He also owns a career 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tate will graduate in May with a bachelor's degree in communication.

» Mike Thorne Jr. is in his second year with the Illini as a graduate transfer. He averaged 12.9 points and 8.5 rebounds last season before being sidelined by a knee injury. The sixth-year center is now averaging 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in the post. Thorne earned a master's degree from Illinois in education policy, organization and leadership and is on pace to receive a second master's in recreation, sport and tourism in May.

» Alex Austin is in his third year with the Illini program. The former walk-on transfer from Eastern Illinois received a scholarship for the 2016 spring semester. Austin appeared in 32 games with six starts last season, averaging nearly 10 minutes per game. He has played in eight games as a senior. Austin earned his bachelor's degree in communication in December and is now enrolled in the master's program in recreation, sport and tourism.

Illini Team Trends

• Illinois ranks 44th nationally in defensive efficiency by kenpom (96.8)

• The Illini have scored at least 70 points in 15 of their 18 wins, which included six of eight Big Ten wins.

• The Illini are 13-2 this season when shooting at least 45 percent from the field, and are 16-2 when shooting better than their opponent.

• Illinois has shot at least 50 percent during the second half in 12 of its 18 wins, most recently connecting on 59.1 percent (13-22) in the second half of the Feb. 26 win at Nebraska.

• Illinois has held the opponent below 72 points in 11 of the last 12 games.

• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten and 65th nationally in defensive rebounding percentage (.734).

• Illinois is 13-3 when outrebounding the opponent.

• Illinois has outscored the opponent in points off turnovers in each of the last six games.

Illini Player Trends

• All-Big Ten second team and USBWA All-District honoree Malcolm Hill is one of only two players from the six major conferences to lead his team in TOTAL points, rebounds, assists and steals on the season (Ethan Happ, Wisconsin). 

• Hill ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring (17.2 ppg).

• Hill has scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games against Div. I opponents, including an active streak of 25 straight.

• Hill has 11 outings of 20+ points and two 30-plus point performances on the season.

• Hill has been the Illini's leading scorer in each of the last seven games, 10 times in the last 12 games, and 20 times on the season.

• Hill is the only Illini to start every game this season. He also started every game last year, carrying an active streak of 65 consecutive starts. Overall, Hill has started 109 of the last 110 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 has drained 53 three-pointers this season after making 37 treys last year.

• Hill continues to be one of the nation's best at getting to the line. He ranks 64th in the NCAA with 143 made free throws. His 181 attempts, meanwhile, rank 76th nationally. Hill ranks third among Big Ten players in each category.

• Hill ranks third all-time at Illinois with 504 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 6.0 fouls per 40 minutes, ranking 99th nationally.

• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 30 scoring performance in the NCAA this season.

• Senior Maverick Morgan is second on the team in scoring, also averaging double figures at 10.4 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 55.2 percent (165-239). 

• Morgan has scored in double figures 16 times in the last 21 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 now carries an active streak of three straight games scoring in double figures, averaging 14.0 points (42) on 52.8 percent shooting (19-36).

• Morgan has grabbed 23 offensive rebounds over the last eight games (2.9 avg).

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

• Black has been the Illini's leading rebounder in 10 games and leads the team on the year, averaging 6.0 boards (16th in B1G).

• Black is averaging 11.0 points (33) and 6.7 rebounds (20) over a three-game stretch prior to Rutgers.

• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands is the Illini's fourth-leading scorer at 8.1 ppg.

• After setting an Illini freshman record with 87 three-pointers last season, Coleman-Lands again leads the Illini with 64 treys this year. His average of 2.1 made threes ranks eighth in the Big Ten.

• Coleman-Lands' career total of 151 three-pointers leads all sophomores from the six major conferences.

• After missing the last two years due to injury, sixth-year senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in eight games, ranking fifth on the team in scoring (7.9 ppg).

• Abrams is shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range this season (44-107) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.

• Abrams has made nine 3-pointers over the last four games after totaling six treys through the first 14 Big Ten games.

• Freshman point guard Te'Jon Lucas has logged more than 30 minutes in five of the last seven games.

• Lucas is averaging 3.6 assists over the last 16 games (57).

• Lucas ranked fifth in the Big Ten with a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio during conference play.

• Lucas has grabbed two steals in four of the last six games and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in steals during conference action (1.5 spg).

• Sophomore Michael Finke ranked eighth in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting during league play, connecting on 44.9 percent from behind the arc (22-49).

• Freshman Kipper Nichols has played double digit minutes in 15 of the last 16 games

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. 41 nationally.

The Illini now rank No. 22 overall and fourth in the B1G in Strength of Schedule (SOS), having played 11 games against top-50 RPI opponents (3-8) and 23 vs. top-100 foes (11-12). 

Rk. B1G Team SOS (RPI)
1. Nebraska 3 (97) 
2. Michigan State 10 (48) 
3. Minnesota 20 (20) 
4. ILLINOIS 22 (57) 
5. Penn State 24 (99) 

Youth Movement

The Fighting Illini freshman and sophomore classes have played a major role during the second half of the season. In fact, over the last 16 games, those classes have combined for at least half the minutes played 14 times, including 10 of the last 11 contests. The only exception in the recent streak was the Northwestern game on Feb. 21, in which Jalen Coleman-Lands suffered an ankle injury after just two minutes.

Hill Joins Historic UI Club

Senior Malcolm Hill scored his 1,700th career point at Iowa on Feb. 18 and collected his 600th rebound vs. Minnesota on Feb. 4. Hill is just the third Illini player ever in the 1,700-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-) – 1,775 points 634 rebounds

Hill is one of only 14 active Div. I players – and among five from the six major conferences – with career totals of at least 1,700 points and 600 rebounds. 

» Complete Illinois Big Ten Tournament Game Notes (PDF)