ILLINOIS (8-4, 1-1 B1G) vs. North Carolina A&T (3-10, 0-0 MEAC)
Date	Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 | 1 p.m. CT
Location	Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center (15,544) | Fan Guide
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Printable Notes	Illinois | North Carolina A&T | Big Ten
2019-20 Stats	Illinois | North Carolina A&T | Big Ten
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Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 143-70 (.671), 7th year
At Illinois: 34-43 (.442), 3rd year

Series Notes vs. North Carolina A&T

Record: First meeting
Record at Champaign: First meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Underwood vs. North Carolina A&T: First meeting

Opening Tips

• Illinois returns to action after a one-week break, closing out non-conference play against North Carolina A&T on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center (1 p.m. CT, ESPNU). 

• The Illini are in the middle of a 21-day stretch (Dec. 15-Jan. 4) with the North Carolina A&T contest serving as the team's lone home game.

• Start time for Illinois' home game against Rutgers on Jan. 11 has been set for 11 a.m. (BTN).

• Illinois' defense has allowed an average of just 59.8 points (239) on 39% shooting (92-236), including 27.2% from 3-point range (22-81), over the last four games.

• Illinois is forcing 19.0 turnovers over the last two games (38), and turning those into 21.0 points per game (42). 

• Ayo Dosunmu is averaging 16.3 points over the last three games (49).

• Alan Griffin is averaging 11.5 points off the bench over the last two games (23). 

• Illinois leads the NCAA in rebound margin (+12.7) and ranks third in offensive rebound percentage (40.1%). 

• Illinois is No. 2 in the nation in defensive free throw rate at 18.4% (FTA/FGA), a complete contrast from last season when the Illini defense ranked 338th out of 353 teams in that same category (42.4%).

Last Time Out

Illinois' offense went cold and the Orange and Blue were beaten on the boards, falling to Missouri in the annual Braggin' Rights game in St. Louis.

The Illini started off strong in the low-possession game, leading 19-13 with eight minutes left in the first half. Close to another defensive stand, Mizzou's Xavier Pinson threw in a 28-footer with the shot clock expiring igniting a Tigers run that turned the tide.

Missouri scored 19 of the game's next 24 points to take control as part of a greater 26-9 run when the Illini were held to just two baskets.

The Illini pulled to within 39-33 on a Trent Frazier 3-pointer, but Mizzou had another answer, scoring eight unanswered to open up a 14-point lead with 11 minutes remaining.

Illinois chipped away at the deficit but could get no closer than five down the stretch. 

The Illini set season lows for points, field goals and shooting percentage on the afternoon. While offensive boards were nearly even, the Tigers capitalized on their extra opportunities with a 16-to-6 advantage in second-chance points, fueled by five put-back buckets in the second half alone.

Ayo Dosunmu led the Illini in scoring for the fourth time on the season, netting a game-high 21 points. Kofi Cockburn added 13 points and Alan Griffin played strong off the bench once again, finishing with eight points and game-high six rebounds in 18 minutes. 

Tightening Up the D

After giving 81 points and 59.3% shooting on its home court in the loss to Miami, the Illini defense has responded over the last four games. That stretch included strong competition, featuring back-to-back matchups against top-5 Big Ten teams. The Illini have allowed an average of only 59.8 points on 39% shooting, including 27.2% from 3-point range.

Team Notables

• Illinois' 71-62 victory over No. 5 Michigan last week marked its first win over a top-5 team since toppling No. 1 Indiana on Feb. 7, 2013. The Illini have now recorded three victories over opponents ranked in the top 15 dating back to last January.

• Illinois has outrebounded its opponent in nine of 12 games, and seven times by a double digits.

• Illinois ranks 42nd in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 79.3 points. 

• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten and ranks 25th in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 48.4%. That is fueled by 55.5% on 2-pointers, which is 21st nationally. 

• The Illini have one of the nation's highest scoring offenses despite ranking 320th nationally in 3-point attempts (197).

• The Illini are 8-1 this season, and 28-3 in the Underwood era, when shooting better than the opponent.

• Illinois rank second in the nation in defensive free throw rate (18.4) and 37th in offensive free throw rate (39.6). These are dramatic early-season improvements compared to last year, when the Illini ranked 338th in defensive free throw rate (42.4) and 272nd in free throw rate (29.5).

• Illinois has made 83 more free throws than its opponents have attempted on the season, consistently winning the battle at the free throw line. The only game where Illinois did not make more free throws than the other team attempted was at Arizona.

• The Illini are currently outscoring foes by an average of 10.1 points per game at the free throw line. 

Player Headlines

• Kofi Cockburn ranks 33rd in the NCAA in rebounding – and No. 2 among freshmen – averaging 9.8 rpg. And he is 16th nationally in offensive rebounds with 3.8 offensive boards per game. 

• Cockburn is No. 9 in the nation in offensive rebound rate (17.6%) and ranks 77th in defensive rebound percentage (24.2%).

• Cockburn has scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games, with three 20-point outings. 

• Cockburn is eighth nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.5).

• Cockburn is shooting 67.5% at the foul line on the year, but he's 35-43 on FT over the last seven games (81.4%).

• Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu leads the Illini and ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring at 15.3 ppg. He has reached double digits in nine of 12 games with four 20-point performances.

• Dosunmu is averaging 16.3 points, meanwhile, in eight home games (130).

• Dosunmu is shooting 56% on twos (61-109).

• Dosunmu has grabbed 20 rebounds over the last four games (5.0 rpg) after totaling 12 boards the previous seven games (1.7 rpg).

• Senior Andres Feliz has netted double figures in eight of 12 games and is third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points.

• Junior Trent Frazier is closing in on 1,000 career points, just 45 points away from becoming the 50th 1,000-point scorer in school history. 

• Sophomore Giorgi Bezhanishvili is 6-12 from 3-point range through 12 games (50%) after going 5-30 from behind the arc as a freshman (16.7%).

» Complete Illinois-North Carolina A&T Notes (PDF)