Game 3: ILLINOIS (2-0) at #21/17 Arizona (1-0)
Date	Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 | 8 p.m. CT
Location	Tucson, Ariz. | McKale Center
Tickets	Buy Online
Television	Pac-12 Network (Ted Robinson & Don MacLean)
Watch Online	Pac-12 Online | Fubo.tv Free Trial | More Options
Radio	Fighting Illini Sports Network | Audio | TuneIn | Sirius/XM 84
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Printable Notes	Illinois | Arizona | Big Ten
2019-20 Stats	Illinois | Arizona | Big Ten
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Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 137-66 (.675), 7th year
At Illinois: 28-39 (.418), 3rd year

Series Notes vs. Arizona

Record: Arizona leads 8-6
Record at Tucson: Arizona leads 3-0
Last Meeting: #22 Arizona 78, Illinois 72 (OT) | 12/8/07 at Chicago
Underwood vs. Arizona: First meeting

Opening Tips

• Illinois is in the state of Arizona for a two-game road trip to wrap up the opening week of the season. The Illini arrived in Phoenix on Wednesday and defeated Grand Canyon, 83-71, on Friday night. Illinois then traveled to Tucson on Saturday and will face No. 21 Arizona on Sunday night before returning to Champaign.

• Illinois is looking for its first non-conference road win over a ranked team in seven years, since defeating No. 10 Gonzaga in Spokane, 85-74, on Dec. 8, 2012.  

• Illinois is one of only two teams from the six major conferences to play two road games in the first week, and one of only three teams to play two of its first three games on the road.

• Illinois returns 85% of its scoring from last season, the third-highest percentage among teams from the six major conferences.

• Illinois has owned the glass through two games, averaging 52.5 boards and owning a rebound margin of +28.0. The Illini rank third nationally in offensive rebound rate (51.9%) and 12th in defensive rebound rate (84.4%).

• Kofi Cockburn has posted back-to-back double-doubles, opening with 10 points and 11 rebounds vs. Nicholls, then erupting for game highs of 23 points and 14 boards at Grand Canyon. Cockburn is the first Illini freshman since 1982 to record double-doubles in his first two career games (Efrem Winters).

• Senior Andres Feliz has scored 20+ in consecutive games to start the season, totaling 23 points in the opener vs. Nicholls and 21 at Grand Canyon. 

TV Information

The Illinois-Arizona game will be televised by the Pac-12 Network. With Arizona serving as host school for this year's game, their partners have exclusive broadcasts rights to the game. Illini fans should consult their local listings to see if their provider carries the Pac-12 Network. A full list of providers, as well as a searchable database by zip code, is available online at pac-12.com/getpac-12networks. Another option for Illini fans who do not get the Pac-12 Network is a streaming through fubo.tv, which offers a 7-day free trial.

Arizona Series

Illinois and Arizona have met 14 times, with the Wildcats owning an 8-6 edge in the all-time series. While this is the first match-up in 12 years, the programs faced each other often during the previous decade, playing a total of seven times during the 2000s, including three times during the 2000-01 season alone. 

The most memorable games in the series were NCAA Elite Eight contests where each team felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Arizona outlasted Illinois, 87-81, in the 2001 Midwest Regional Final in San Antonio en route to the Final Four. Just four years later, the winningest Illini squad in school history roared back from a 15-point deficit with four minutes remaining to claim a 90-89 overtime victory in the 2005 Chicago Regional Final at Rosemont's Allstate Arena, securing a trip to the Final Four.

This is a 2-year home-and-home contract between the Illini and Wildcats. Arizona will travel to Champaign next season to face the Illini at State Farm Center on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Tough Start

Illinois has scheduled aggressively during Underwood's tenure, and this week is the latest example of that philosophy as the Illini play back-to-back road games at Grand Canyon and at No. 21 Arizona. 

Florida State (at Pitt, at Florida) is the only other team from among the six major conferences to play two road games during the first week of the season, while FSU and Georgia Tech (at N.C. State, at Georgia) join the Illini as the only teams from the six majors playing two of its first three games on the road. The ACC starting the season with conference games has the Seminoles and Yellow Jackets joining Illinois with two early road tests. 

Game 2 Notes: Illini Earn Road Win at Grand Canyon

• The Illini snapped a seven-game skid in road non-conference games. 

• Illinois dominated the boards for the second-straight game, owning a +26 advantage (52-26) against Grand Canyon after opening with +30 margin vs. Nicholls.

• Illinois' 52 rebounds tied for its second-most in a game in the last 12 seasons (since 2008-09), behind only 53 in the season opener against Nicholls.

• Illinois pounded the ball inside, scoring 44 points in the paint and drawing a number of fouls that led to 21 points at the free throw line in 30 attempts. 

• The Illini trailed for just 1:05 against GCU after trailing for just 54 seconds vs. Nicholls. Illinois' largest deficit so far on the young season has been two points. 

• Andres Feliz scored 21 points, his second straight game topping 20. Feliz has now scored 44 points in the first two games, his most in a two-game stretch for the Illini. 

• It marked the fourth time in his career Feliz has scored double figures in back-to-back games, after he had a double-double with 23 points and career-high 11 rebounds to lead the Illini to victory over Nicholls in Tuesday's opener.

• Kofi Cockburn had game highs of 23 points and 14 rebounds, his second straight double-double to open the season (10 points, 11 rebounds vs. Nicholls).

• Cockburn was 8-of-12 from the field and made 7 of his 13 free throw attempts. 

• 6 of Cockburn's 14 rebounds came on the offensive end, equaling the total of offensive boards by Grand Canyon as a team. 

• Alan Griffin tied his career high with 11 points, and made a career-high three 3-pointers.

Returning Scoring Among Nation's Best

Illinois returns its four leading scorers and eight of its top nine scorers from a year ago. In fact, the Illini return 2,045 of the 2,398 points scored during the 2018-19 campaign, an impressive 85.3%. That percentage tops the Big Ten and ranks third nationally among teams from the six major conferences:

Rk. School Scoring Conference
1. Colorado 95% Pac-12
2. Notre Dame 86% ACC
3. Illinois 85% Big Ten
4. Maryland 81% Big Ten
5. Oklahoma State 78% Big 12

Dosunmu on Wooden Award & Naismith Trophy Watch Lists

Preseason accolades have continued to pile in for sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu. The Chicago native this week was announced on watch lists for the prestigious Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy, which will be awarded at the end of the season to the national player of the year.

Dosunmu had a stellar rookie season with the Fighting Illini, including these highlights:
• Big Ten All-Freshman Team & honorable mention All-Big Ten (coaches & media)
• First true freshman in school history to lead the Illini in scoring for the season (13.8 ppg)
• Recorded the fourth-best scoring average by a freshman in Illini history
• Two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Feb. 11 & Feb. 18)
• 23 games scoring in double figures with seven performances of 20 or more points
• Led team in assists (3.3 apg), second in steals (1.3 spg) and third in rebounds (4.0 rpg)

Here is a list of the honors for Dosunmu entering the 2019-20 season:
• Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List
• Naismith Trophy Watch List
• Cousy Award Watch List for the nation's top point guard
• Lute Olson Award Watch List
• Third-team All-America by Sporting News, Athlon Sports and Dick Vitale
• Fourth-team All-America by Blue Ribbon Year Book
• First-team All-Big Ten by Blue Ribbon and Athlon
• Preseason All-Big Ten by the conference's media panel

» Complete Illinois-Arizona Notes (PDF)