| Illinois Probable Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
So. |
14.4 |
2.5 |
2.7 |
.512 3FG last 6 gms (21-41) |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
185 |
Fr. |
14.1 |
4.1 |
3.2 |
2-time reigning B1G FOW |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
200 |
So. |
3.8 |
3.4 |
1.1 |
22 steals on season |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Sr. |
8.3 |
4.6 |
1.5 |
46 made threes |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
235 |
Fr. |
12.1 |
5.0 |
0.9 |
18.5 ppg, .633 FG% last 4 |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Alan Griffin |
6-5 |
180 |
Fr. |
2.9 |
1.6 |
0.3 |
Son of NBA vet Adrian |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
6.4 |
3.0 |
1.3 |
18 pts vs. NEB 2/2/19 |
| G |
3 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
175 |
r-Jr. |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
Walkon in third year |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.8 |
0.3 |
Walkon former manager |
| G |
5 |
Tevian Jones |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
3.6 |
1.6 |
0.3 |
18 pts. vs. MD 1/26/19 |
| G |
10 |
Andres Feliz |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr. |
7.3 |
2.5 |
2.0 |
9.4 ppg in last seven |
| C |
12 |
Adonis De La Rosa |
7-0 |
260 |
Gr. |
2.8 |
1.9 |
0.3 |
21-29 FT (.724) |
| F |
22 |
Anthony Higgs |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Won 2 HS state titles in MD |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
r-Jr. |
0.2 |
0.5 |
0.3 |
Son of Coach Underwood |
| C |
34 |
Samba Kane |
7-0 |
220 |
Fr. |
1.9 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
9 blocks in 78 mins. |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
Jr. |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.1 |
Walkon in third year |
Career Record: 133-61/.686 (6th year)
At Illinois: 24-34/.414 (2nd year)
Series Notes vs. Penn State
Record: Illinois leads 28-17
Streak: Penn State W-4
Record in Champaign: Illinois leads 14-7
Streak in Champaign: Penn State W-2
Last Year's Meeting: PSU 74, ILL 52 (2/11/18 @ILL)
Underwood vs. Penn State: 0-1
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to State Farm Center for the first time in two weeks, facing Penn State on Saturday (11 a.m. CT, BTN) to begin a stretch with three of its next four games at home to close out the regular season.
• Illinois will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Flyin' Illini on Saturday at State Farm Center.
• The Illini have won four of their last five games, are 5-2 in the last seven, and 6-4 over the last 10.
• Ayo Dosunmu is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second straight week.
• For the first time in school history, Illinois has a pair of freshmen serving as its top-two leading scorers during conference play in Ayo Dosunmu (15.0 ppg) and Giorgi Bezhanishvili (13.9 ppg).
• Illinois is the only Big Ten team with three players averaging at least 13 points during league play (Ayo Dosunmu-15.0 ppg, Giorgi Bezhanishvili-13.9 ppg, Trent Frazier-13.5 ppg).
• Illinois has won three straight Big Ten home games, its longest streak in four years, since claiming four in a row at State Farm Center during the 2015 conference campaign (Jan. 21-Feb. 12, 2015).
• Illinois is averaging nearly 80 points (79.9 ppg) on 46.4 percent shooting (359-773) at home this season.
• Illinois has improved 51 spots in Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings in 2019 (from 113th on Jan. 1 to current ranking of 62nd), the biggest jump of any team from the six major conferences.
• Illinois' Kenpom rank of 62nd is its highest in four years, since entering the 2015 Big Ten Tournament (53).
• Illinois checks in at 28th in T-Rank since Jan. 11 (6-4 record), standing seventh among Big Ten teams.
• Illinois has played the No. 3-ranked schedule in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy's ratings (behind Kansas & Penn State), while the Illini's average opponent NET rank is No. 4 nationally.
• There is only one team below .500 with a higher kenpom rating than the 62nd-ranked Illini (Penn State, 48th).
• The Big Ten is rated the best conference in the nation this season by Kenpom, with all 14 teams currently in the top 82, including 11 in the top 50. It is the first season since 2013 that the conference is ranked No. 1, and the first time since 2011 (when it was an 11-team league) that every Big Ten team is ranked in the top 100.
• Illinois' transition game has produced an average of 16.7 points over the last seven games (117).
• Illinois is 8-3 when allowing less than one point per possession (losses are Florida Atlantic, at Northwestern, at Wisconsin).
• Illinois games average 71.6 possessions, ranked 36th nationally (kenpom). Illinois and Iowa (70th) are the only Big Ten teams in the top 150 in tempo.
• Illinois has either led (10 times), been tied (twice), or trailed by two with the ball (once) during the second half in 13 of its 16 losses (exceptions are at Nebraska, Michigan, and at Iowa).
Return of the Flyin' Illini
The 1988-89 Flyin' Illini captivated the hearts of Illinois fans during a magical season. Many players, coaches, managers, and support staff are returning to campus this weekend to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Lou Henson's beloved team that set a then-school record with 31 victories and advanced to the 1989 Final Four in Seattle.
Former players expected to be in attendance at Saturday's game include Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle, Kendall Gill, Lowell Hamilton, Stephen Bardo (also serving as color analyst for BTN telecast), Marcus Liberty, Larry Smith, Ervin Small and P.J. Bowman. Coach Henson and assistants Jimmy Collins, Dick Nagy and Mark Coomes will also be on hand.
They will all be recognized during a halftime ceremony, and after the game fans will have an on-court autograph opportunity with select members of the Flyin' Illini.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Flying Illini, a series of five former player bobbleheads were featured at select Big Ten home games earlier this season: Kendall Gill (Jan. 10), Marcus Liberty (Jan. 16), Lowell Hamilton (Jan. 23), Kenny Battle (Feb. 2) and Nick Anderson (Feb. 5). The bobbleheads are available for purchase various ways:
» Full set of five players for $39 | Get Bobbleheads
(must pick up with voucher at State Farm Center at a remaining basketball game)
» Player bobbleheads for $15 each | Get Bobbleheads
(must pick up with voucher at State Farm Center at a remaining basketball game)
» Player bobbleheads at GamedaySpirit.com for $22.99 each + shipping | Get Bobbleheads
» Set of five players and Coach Lou Henson at GamedaySpirit.com for $120 + shipping | Get Set
» At Gameday Spirit locations for $22.99 each (Neil & Kirby and Sixth & Green in Champaign)
• Illinois saw its four-game winning streak snapped, falling for the first time since Jan. 30.
• Wisconsin's 64 points matched the lowest winning score by an Illini opponent in the Underwood era (Nebraska, 64, Jan. 15, 2018).
• Despite scoring a season-low 58 points, Illinois put itself in position to win on the road, leading for the entire first half and a total of 21:20, while never trailing by more than two possessions.
• The game was tied entering the final media timeout of the night, and the Illini had three possessions to either tie or take the lead in the closing minutes.
• Illinois equaled its season high in free throw percentage, connecting on 90.9 percent at the line (10-11).
• Aaron Jordan had 12 points, his highest scoring total in Big Ten play this season and most points since netting 20 vs. Florida Atlantic on Dec. 29.
• Ayo Dosunmu led the Illini with 13 points, becoming the UI's top scorer for the 10th time in the last 14 games.
• Giorgi Bezhanisvhili reached double figures for the fourth-straight game, scoring 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
• Andres Feliz tied his season high for the second straight game with six rebounds.
• Illinois held Ethan Happ to just six points, his lowest scoring total in nearly two full seasons, since Feb. 23, 2017 (4 points at Ohio State).
• It marked the second time that Happ was held to single digits against the Illini defense, following his 9-point outing in Champaign on Jan. 23. His two games against Illinois are his only single-digit scoring performances this season.
» Complete Illinois-Penn State Notes (PDF)
