| Illinois Probable Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
So. |
13.8 |
2.4 |
2.5 |
41 min, 0 TO Rd. 1 vs. NU |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
185 |
Fr. |
13.9 |
4.1 |
3.2 |
B1G All-Freshman Team |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
200 |
So. |
3.4 |
3.5 |
1.3 |
2.6 A/TO ratio last 8 G |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Sr. |
8.1 |
4.7 |
1.5 |
47.1% 3FG last 9 G |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
235 |
Fr. |
12.6 |
5.2 |
0.8 |
26 pts Rd. 1 vs. NW |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Alan Griffin |
6-5 |
180 |
Fr. |
2.8 |
1.6 |
0.4 |
8+ MIN in 7 of last 8 G |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
5.8 |
2.8 |
1.1 |
54% 2FG |
| G |
3 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
175 |
r-Jr. |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
Walkon in third year |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.8 |
0.3 |
Walkon is former manager |
| G |
5 |
Tevian Jones |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
3.2 |
1.3 |
0.2 |
28 PTS over 2 G Jan. 28-30 |
| G |
10 |
Andres Feliz |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr. |
8.5 |
2.8 |
2.2 |
Double-double Rd. 1 vs. NU |
| C |
12 |
Adonis De La Rosa |
7-0 |
260 |
Gr. |
2.4 |
1.8 |
0.3 |
12 REB his last 6 G |
| F |
22 |
Anthony Higgs |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Redshirt |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
r-Jr. |
0.2 |
0.5 |
0.2 |
Son of Coach Underwood |
| C |
34 |
Samba Kane |
7-0 |
220 |
Fr. |
1.6 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
61.9% FG |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
Jr. |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
Third-year walkon |
Career Record: 135-65 (.675), 6th year
At Illinois: 26-38 (.406), 2nd year
Big Ten / Big Ten Tournament: 11-27 (.289) / 1-1 (.500)
Series Notes vs. Iowa
Record: Illinois leads 85-74
Streak: Iowa W-3
Record in Big Ten Tournament: Iowa leads 2-1
This Season's Meeting: #23 IOWA 95, ILL 71 // Jan. 20 at Iowa CIty
Underwood vs. Iowa 0-3
Notes from Wednesday's Big Ten Tournament Win over Northwestern
• Following the 74-69 overtime win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament (BTT) first round, Illinois advances to the second round on Thursday night vs. sixth-seeded Iowa (8:30 p.m. CDT, BTN).
• Illinois will make its 10th Thursday appearance in the BTT, carrying a 6-3 all-time record in Thursday BTT games into the match-up with the Hawkeyes.
• Illinois improved to 3-0 all-time vs. Northwestern in the BTT.
• Illinois improved to 16-6 all-time in its opening game of the BTT, 18-6 in BTT games as the higher seed, and 17-7 in BTT games played at the United Center.
• Illinois also improved to 9-4 all-time in the BTT as a double-digit seed, and 4-1 as the No. 11 seed.
• Illinois won its second straight OT game (Rutgers, Feb. 9), and improved to 3-1 all-time in BTT overtime games.
• Northwestern shot just 34.7 percent from the field, the third-lowest field goal percentage allowed by the Illini defense. Illinois improved to 7-0 on the season when holding teams to less than 40 percent shooting.
• Illinois recorded a defensive efficiency rating of 92.5 (kenpom), its third-best mark against a conference opponent. The Illini are now 9-3 this season when holding teams to less than one point per possession.
• The Illini were a perfect 4-4 from the field in overtime, while holding NU to 2-11 shooting. The Illini defense held NU without a made field goal in its last six attempts in the overtime period.
• Illinois committed a season-low 16 fouls. The Wildcats attempted 15 free throws, the second-fewest by an Illini opponent this season.
• Illinois had just 10 turnovers, equaling its third-fewest in a game this season.
• The Illini held a +16 advantage in points in the paint (42-26), its largest margin since +18 at Northwestern on Jan. 6 (42-24).
• Freshman Giorgi Bezhanishvili scored 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting, setting the Illinois record for field goals made in a Big Ten Tournament game before fouling out with 17 seconds left in regulation. Kevin Turner (vs. Wisconsin, March 6, 1998) and Mike Davis (vs. Michigan March 13, 2009) held the previous record of 11.
• Bezhanishvili's 26 points also tied the most for an Illini freshman in the Big Ten Tournament (Demetri McCamey vs. Purdue, March 14, 2008).
• It marked Bezhanishvili's fifth 20-point game of the season, and fifth time leading the UI in scoring.
• Bezhanishvili scored Illinois' first 14 points over the first 11:06 of the first half.
• Sophomore Trent Frazier scored 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting, his fifth 20-point game of the season (10th of his career), and his highest point total since scoring a season-high 30 at Minnesota on Jan. 30.
• It marked the first time the Illini had two 20+ point scorers in the same game since the Jan. 16 home win over Minnesota: Ayo Dosunmu (23) and Giorgi Bezhanishvili (20).
• Junior Andres Feliz recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, topping his previous career high by four boards. Feliz also tied a career high with six assists while committing just one turnover.
• Feliz recorded the first traditional double-double of points and rebounds by an Illini guard since Mark Alstork had 17 points and 10 rebounds in last season's opener vs. Southern (Nov. 10, 2017).
Illini Big Ten Tournament Notes
• Illinois has the third-most all-time Big Ten Tournament (BTT) wins with 28.
• Illinois also owns the third-best all-time BTT winning percentage at 59.6 (28-19).
• Illinois has won two BTT championships (2003 and 2005), one of six conference schools to win multiple titles.
• Illinois is tied for the third-most BTT championship game appearances, advancing to the title game six times.
• Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 12 times, the second-most semifinal appearances of any school.
• Illinois has appeared in the BTT quarterfinals in all but four years, with those 17 appearances tied for fourth-most of any school.
• Illinois is 17-7 all-time in BTT games played at the United Center. The Illini have won two BTT titles, made the title game four times, and advanced to the semifinals seven times in the nine previous BTT held at the UC. Illinois has played 54 games all-time at the United Center, meanwhile, owning a record of 38-16.
• Illinois is a No. 11 seed in the BTT for the second time and owns a 4-1 all-time record in the BTT as the No. 11.
• In 1999, the Illini made a run to the BTT championship game as a No. 11 seed in Chicago, defeating No. 6 Minnesota, No. 3 Indiana and No. 2 Ohio State over three consecutive days. The '99 Illini remain the only No. 11 seed ever to advance to the BTT title game.
• Illinois faces No. 6 Iowa in the BTT second round. Illinois is 10-13 all-time in the BTT when seeded lower.
• Thursday marks Illinois' fourth all-time BTT match-up with Iowa, and second year in a row. The Hawkeyes defeated the Illini in last season's first-round game at Madison Square Garden, 96-87. In 2016, the 12th-seeded Illini upset the fifth-seeded Hawkeyes, 68-66, in the second round in Indianapolis. The teams first met in the BTT in 2012, with Iowa defeating Illinois in the first round.
• Illinois and Iowa met just once during the regular season, with the 23rd-ranked Hawkeyes defeating the Illini 95-71 in Iowa City on Jan. 20 (box score and recap on p. 5).
» Complete Illinois-Iowa Big Ten Tournament Second Round Notes (PDF)
