| Illinois Probable Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
So. |
17.6 |
1.6 |
3.4 |
2.2 SPG |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
185 |
Fr. |
14.5 |
4.3 |
3.7 |
50.0% 3FG |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Sr. |
10.2 |
5.2 |
2.2 |
45.7% 3FG |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
235 |
Fr. |
7.3 |
4.5 |
1.8 |
2.7 OREB/G |
| C |
12 |
Adonis De La Rosa |
7-0 |
260 |
Gr. |
3.4 |
3.4 |
0.2 |
First start vs. MVSU |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Alan Griffin |
6-5 |
180 |
Fr. |
6.4 |
1.4 |
0.8 |
CH 11 pts vs. ISU |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
8.2 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
52.6% FG |
| G |
3 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
175 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.7 |
0.3 |
Walkon in third year |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Walkon is former manager |
| G |
5 |
Tevian Jones |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
3.2 |
1.7 |
0.3 |
4 ORB |
| G |
10 |
Andres Feliz |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr. |
7.5 |
2.3 |
2.3 |
6 STL |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
200 |
So. |
5.3 |
3.5 |
1.3 |
61.1% FG |
| F |
22 |
Anthony Higgs |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Won 2 HS state titles in MD |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
r-Jr. |
0.8 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
Son of Coach Underwood |
| C |
34 |
Samba Kane |
7-0 |
220 |
Fr. |
6.0 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
6 pts in Illini debut vs. MVSU |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
Jr. |
0.7 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Third-year walkon |
Career Record: 125-49/.718 (6th year)
At Illinois: 16-22 (2nd year)
Series Notes vs. Notre Dame
Record: Illinois leads 27-14
Streak: Notre Dame W-2
Record at South Bend: Notre Dame leads 5-3
Streak at South Bend: Illinois W-3
Last Meeting: Notre Dame 84, Illinois 79 // Dec. 2, 2015 at Champaign
Underwood vs. Notre Dame at Illinois: First meeting
Underwood vs. Notre Dame All-Time: 0-1
Opening Tips
• Two of the top 20 all-time winningest teams in college basketball history meet on Tuesday, with Illinois (1,780 wins, 16th) traveling to Notre Dame (1,871 victories, 8th) for the 2018 ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
• The programs located just 200 miles apart are playing for only the third time since 1973, but the 42nd time overall. The most recent match-up came in the 2015 ACC/Big Ten Challenge, an 84-79 Irish win at State Farm Center. The last time the two teams met in South Bend was on Dec. 13, 1955, a 103-93 Illini victory.
• Illini Coach Brad Underwood's Stephen F. Austin squad played a memorable game against Notre Dame during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The 14th-seeded Lumberjacks led late before the No. 6-seed Irish won 76-75 on a tip-in with 1.5 seconds left, advancing to the Sweet 16.
• Tuesday will mark Illinois' fifth game in nine days in a third different location. It also begins another stretch of three-straight games away from home. The Illini play six of nine away from State Farm Center to start the season.
• Illinois is looking for its first non-conference road victory since winning at Boston U, 66-62, in the first round of the 2014 NIT (March 19, 2014). The Illini are aiming for their first road win in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, meanwhile, since defeating former ACC member Maryland in College Park on Nov. 30, 2011 (71-62).
Three Spree
The Illini have been filling it up from 3-point range to start the season. Illinois has made double-digit threes in five of its first six games, averaging 11.2 treys per game to rank second in the Big Ten and 15th in the NCAA. The Illini are coming off a school-record tying 16 threes in Sunday's win over Mississippi Valley State.
Illinois is shooting 40.9 percent from behind the arc, ranking third in the B1G and 31st nationally.
Illinois' total of 67 three-pointers is its most through six games since opening the 2012-13 season with 69 made threes.
Sharing the Ball
Illinois' spread offense features multiple ballhandlers on the court with an emphasis on passing. The early results this season are a dramatic increase in assists. Underwood's three teams at Stephen F. Austin all ranked in the top 11 nationally in assist rate. Last year, the Illini were 200th in that category. But so far this season, the UI ranks 60th nationally with a 58.3 assist rate.
Illinois is currently averaging 17.5 assists, ranking second in the Big Ten and 30th in the NCAA. It is the program's highest assist average since the 2008-09 season. Last year the UI averaged 13.8 apg.
Pressure D
The Illini defense ranks 10th in the nation in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 25.3 percent of opponent possessions on the season. Opponents are averaging 18.9 turnovers against the Illini, giving the Illini a +5.0 advantage in turnover margin on the season.
Illinois is averaging 20.0 points off opponent turnovers, outscoring foes by 7.2 points per game in that category.
Frazier Wired to Score
Sophomore Trent Frazier is picking up right where he left off last season. The highest-scoring freshman for the Illini in nearly 20 years at 12.5 ppg, Frazier now leads the team and ranks eighth in the Big Ten in scoring at 17.6 ppg, increasing his average by over five points.
Frazier has scored in double figures in all five of his appearances. He averaged 20.7 points at the Maui Invitational, and posted the tournament's top scoring performance with 29 points against No. 3 Gonzaga. Frazier most recently had 16 points on just seven shot attempts Sunday vs. Mississippi Valley State.
He is shooting 45 percent from 3-point range (18-40), while ranking second in the Big Ten with an average of 3.6 made threes per game.
Frazier affects the game by more than just scoring, however. He ranks second in the Big Ten in steals (2.2 spg) and is averaging 3.4 assists.
Ayo Arrives
Coach Underwood made a big splash on the recruiting trail in his first year on the job with the signing of five-star Chicago guard Ayo Dosunmu. The highest-ranked Illini recruit since Dee Brown in 2002, Dosunmu arrived in Champaign after winning back-to-back state titles at Morgan Park High School followed by a gold medal with Team USA at the FIBA U19 Americas Championship. He is making an immediate freshman impact that reminds many of Brown, one of the most beloved players in school history.
Dosunmu is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.5 points while shooting nearly 51 percent overall and 50 percent from 3-point land. In just six games he already has three scoring performances of at least 18 points, led by a career-high 25 vs. Georgetown.
He leads the Illini and ranks 12th in the Big Ten in assists at 3.7 apg, highlighted by a career-high nine dimes without a turnover on Sunday vs. Mississippi Valley State. Over the last four games, he has totaled 17 assists compared to just three turnovers in 112 minutes of play.
The 6-5 Dosunmu has also made an impact on the glass, leading the Illini with 24 defensive rebounds while ranking third on the team overall in rebounding at 4.4 rpg.
Seasoned Senior
The lone four-year player in the program, senior Aaron Jordan is a steadying presence for this young Illini team. He has started all six games and is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.2 points.
After a breakout year shooting the basketball last season, Jordan is at it again, currently hitting 45.7 percent behind the arc (16-35) while making 2.7 treys per game.
He also leads the team in rebounding at 5.2 rpg after entering the season with a career average of 1.8 rpg.
Jordan was the team's most consistent performer at the Maui Invitational, averaging 11.7 points on 45 percent 3-point shooting (9-20) on the island.
» Complete Illinois-Notre Dame Notes
