| Illinois Probable Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
So. |
14.3 |
2.6 |
3.2 |
1.6 spg (3rd in B1G) |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
185 |
Fr. |
12.0 |
4.5 |
3.2 |
Leads B1G frosh in steals |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Sr. |
10.4 |
4.9 |
1.9 |
.480 3FG (24-50) |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
9.3 |
2.5 |
1.1 |
14.0 ppg in last three |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
235 |
Fr. |
9.4 |
4.6 |
1.3 |
2.5 OREB/gm (11th in B1G) |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Alan Griffin |
6-5 |
180 |
Fr. |
4.3 |
1.9 |
0.6 |
41.2% 3FG (7-17) |
| 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 |
8 pts, 4 reb vs UE |
| G |
10 |
Andres Feliz |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr. |
7.7 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
19 pts, 7-11 FG vs. UNLV |
| C |
12 |
Adonis De La Rosa |
7-0 |
260 |
Gr. |
2.8 |
2.4 |
0.1 |
Grad transfer from Kent St. |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
200 |
So. |
4.7 |
3.7 |
1.4 |
83.3% FT (15-18) |
| F |
22 |
Anthony Higgs |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Won 2 HS state titles in MD |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
r-Jr. |
0.5 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
Son of Coach Underwood |
| C |
34 |
Samba Kane |
7-0 |
220 |
Fr. |
2.8 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
8 pts, 4-5 FG vs. UNLV |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
Jr. |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Third-year walkon |
Career Record: 126-52/.708 (6th year)
At Illinois: 17-25/.405 (2nd year)
Series Notes vs. East Tennessee State
Record: First meeting
Streak: N/A
Record at Champaign: First meeting
Streak at Champaign: N/A
Last Season's Meeting: N/A
Underwood vs. ETSU: 0-1
Broadcast Information
Saturday's home game vs. East Tennessee State will be streamed live via BTN Plus. BTN Plus programming consists of non-televised games produced by students at Big Ten universities and is available through either a monthly or annual subscription. Fans can purchase a BTN Plus subscription by visiting BTN2GO.com.
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Saturday afternoon after its longest break of the season, hosting East Tennessee State (1 p.m., BTN Plus).
• This is the second of four straight Saturday games for the Illini to close out 2018.
• The Illini are playing back-to-back home games after opening the 2018-19 season with six of its first nine games away from State Farm Center, which included two stretches of three-straight games away from home.
• Illinois has played the eighth-toughest schedule in the nation to date by kenpom rankings.
• Illinois' five starters are all averaging between 9.3 and 14.3 points per game on the season. Every player in the rotation has shown the ability to lead the scoring attack, and that has been the case in recent weeks as a different Illini has led the team in scoring over each of the last six games.
• Illinois' defense is allowing 73.8 points (369) on 43.4 percent shooting (115-265) over the last five games, compared to 84.8 points (339) on 53.9 percent shooting (118-219) the previous four games. Illinois has held four-straight opponents to less than 80 points and below 50 percent shooting. In the previous five games, all five opponents exceeded 80 points with four of the five shooting better than 50 percent.
Illini Player Trends
• Kipper Nichols is averaging 11.6 points (58) on 57.9 percent shooting (22-38) and 46.7 percent 3-point shooting (7-15) over the last five games, scoring in double figures four times.
• Trent Frazier is averaging 4.7 rebounds over the last three games, highlighted by a career-high five boards in each of the last two games. Frazier averaged 1.8 boards last year.
• Frazier has made 4-of-8 from 3-point range over the last two games after going 0-for-8 from three the previous two games.
• Ayo Dosunmu made 4-of-6 inside the arc against UNLV after going 3-of-21 from 2-point range the previous three games.
• Andres Feliz scored in double figures for the first time in eight games against UNLV, leading the Illini with a career- and game-high 19 points.
• Feliz has turned the ball over just three times over the last five games after totaling 13 turnovers the first five games.
• Aaron Jordan has made a 3-pointer in eight straight games and nine of 10 games on the season.
• Jordan is shooting 46.9 percent from 3-point range as an upperclassman (68-145) after shooting 33.3 percent from behind the arc his first two seasons (28-84).
• Jordan has tallied six steals over the last two games.
» Complete Illinois-ETSU Notes
