| Illinois Probable Starters (from last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
185 |
So. |
15.6 |
4.2 |
3.5 |
18 pts, 11 ast at Purdue |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-2 |
175 |
Jr. |
9.9 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
18.5 ppg, 9-14 3FG in last 2 |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
210 |
Jr. |
2.5 |
3.7 |
1.4 |
Started last 11 games |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
235 |
So. |
8.6 |
4.9 |
2.1 |
12 pts, 8 reb vs. Mich 12/11 |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
290 |
Fr. |
15.0 |
9.7 |
0.6 |
6x B1G Frosh of Week |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Alan Griffin |
6-5 |
195 |
So. |
8.4 |
4.2 |
0.3 |
Will return Feb. 2 |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Sr. |
3.8 |
1.9 |
0.7 |
17 pts at Mich 1/6/18 |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
210 |
Jr. |
0.8 |
0.5 |
0.1 |
Academic All-B1G |
| G |
5 |
Tevian Jones |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
0.4 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
18 pts last yr vs. Maryland |
| G |
10 |
Andres Feliz |
6-2 |
195 |
Sr. |
10.3 |
4.5 |
3.1 |
13 p, 6-9 FG vs. Mich 12/11 |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
Fr. |
1.2 |
1.1 |
0.7 |
6.4 min. per game |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
Gr. |
0.8 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
2-5 from three |
| C |
34 |
Jermaine Hamlin |
6-10 |
235 |
Fr. |
1.3 |
1.1 |
0.1 |
6-8 FG |
| F |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
210 |
Sr. |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
2-time Academic All-B1G |
| Sitting Out 2019-20 Season (NCAA Transfers) |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
200 |
Jr. |
13.9* |
5.0* |
2.9* |
'18-19 stats from Holy Cross |
| G |
22 |
Austin Hutcherson |
6-6 |
175 |
Jr. |
20.0* |
5.6* |
3.2* |
'18-19 stats from Wesleyan |
Career Record: 149-71 (.677), 7th year
At Illinois: 40-44 (.476), 3rd year
Big Ten: 17-29 (.37)
Series Notes vs. Michigan
Record: Illinois leads 88-85
Streak: Illinois W-1
Record at Ann Arbor: Michigan leads 52-29
Streak at Ann Arbor: Michigan W-5
Last Meeting: Illinois 71 #5 Michigan 62 // Dec. 11 at Champaign
Underwood vs. Michigan At Illinois/All-Time: 1-2 / 1-3
Opening Tips
• Carrying the Big Ten's longest active winning streak at five games – No. 21 Illinois is on the road for a second straight contest this week, facing Michigan Saturday in Ann Arbor (11 a.m. CT, FS1).
• Illinois owns its longest conference winning streak in seven years, since also winning five in a row from Feb. 7-21, 2013. Illinois has not won more than five straight in Big Ten play since setting a school record with 25 consecutive conference wins spanning the 2004 and 2005 seasons (Jan. 31, 2004-March 3, 2005).
• During its current five-game win streak, Illinois' defense is allowing an average of 58.2 points (291) on 37.5% shooting (108-288) and 31.7% 3-point shooting (26-82).
• Illinois is off to its best start after eight league games since the 2006 conference campaign (also 6-2).
• Illinois is four games above .500 in Big Ten play, meanwhile, for the first time since March 1, 2010 (10-6).
• The Illini are looking to snap a five-game skid in Ann Arbor spanning nearly 10 years. Illinois' last victory at Crisler Center was a 51-44 victory on Feb. 23, 2010.
• Illinois has won its last two road games, ending lengthy streaks in those cities. On Jan. 8 the Fighting Illini earned a win at Wisconsin for the first time in 10 seasons, and on Tuesday the Orange and Blue notched a victory at Purdue for the first time in 11 seasons.
• Illinois is second in the Big Ten in scoring defense during league play, allowing 61.0 ppg – ranking just one-tenth of a point behind Maryland's defense (60.9 ppg). The Illini are second in field goal percentage defense (.385) and third in 3-point percentage defense (.288) in conference games.
• Illinois is aiming to win three straight Big Ten road games for the first time since Feb. 7-26, 2017.
• Illinois has already surpassed last year's win total (12) by two games. The Illini are currently tied with West Virginia for the largest turnaround this season (+9.0) among schools from the six major conferences.
• Illinois is one victory away from matching last season's total in conference play (7-13).
• Illinois is ranked 21st in the latest Associated Press poll, after debuting at No. 24 last week. The Illini are ranked in the Top 25 in consecutive weeks for the first time since the 2012-13 season (eight straight weeks).
• This is Illinois' highest ranking in the AP poll since standing at No. 12 the week of Jan. 7-13, 2013.
• Illinois is No. 23 in kenpom (adjusted efficiency margin), its highest ranking since Dec. 8, 2014 (22).
• This is Illinois' highest kenpom ranking during conference play, meanwhile, since finishing the 2011 regular season at No. 17.
• Illinois' defense has allowed an average of just 60.9 points on 39.3% shooting and 30.8% from 3-point range over the last 11 games, helping the Illini to an 8-3 record during that stretch.
• Illinois is averaging just 9.6 turnovers over the last seven games (67), tallying single digits in five of those contests while going 6-1.
• Six of Illinois' next seven games are Quad 1 contests.
• Ten of Illinois' remaining 12 regular season games are either Quad 1 (8) or Quad 2 (2).
• Illinois ranks second in the NCAA in rebound margin (+10.0) behind only Houston.
• Illinois has outrebounded its opponent in 14 of 19 games, and 10 times by double digits.
• Illinois ranks fourth nationally in offensive rebound percentage (38.1%) and is scoring 12.4 second-chance points per game.
• Illinois is second in the Big Ten and 45th in the NCAA in field goal shooting at 46.6%.
• The Illini are 13-1 this season, and 33-3 in the Underwood era, when shooting better than the opponent.
• Illinois has made 50 more free throws than its opponents have attempted on the season, and are currently outscoring foes by an average of 6.6 points per game at the foul line.
• Illinois is No. 10 in the nation in defensive free throw rate at 21.9% (FTA/FGA), a complete contrast from last season when the Illini defense ranked 338th out of 353 teams in that same category (42.4%).
• Illinois has just one loss at State Farm Center this year and is 11-1 at home for the first time since the 2014-15 season.
• Illinois recorded 1.29 points per possession in Tuesday's victory at Purdue, its highest offensive efficiency of the Underwood era.
• Illinois scored 1.22 points per possession in last Saturday's win over Northwestern, its best mark against a high major opponent this season.
• Illinois' 28.6% shooting in last Saturday's victory over Rutgers was its worst in a win since at least the 1979-80 season, and was the lowest shooting percentage in a win by any Big Ten team in at least 10 years.
• Illinois' win at Wisconsin on Jan. 8 snapped a 15-game skid against the Badgers and was the UI's first victory at Kohl Center in 10 years.
• In its Jan. 5 victory over Purdue, Illinois allowed just 37 points – marking PU's lowest output since 1949 – on 25% shooting, the lowest field goal percentage in Boilermaker history.
• Illinois' 71-62 victory over No. 5 Michigan on Jan. 11 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.
Player Items
• Kofi Cockburn ranks 34th in the NCAA in rebounding – and No. 3 among freshmen – averaging 9.5 rpg.
• Cockburn is 21st nationally in offensive rebound percentage (15.3).
• Cockburn is 21st nationally in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (6.8).
• Cockburn has scored in double figures in 16 of 19 games, with five 20-point outings.
• Cockburn is shooting 75.3% at the foul line in the last 14 games (58-77) – including 15-of-17 over the last three – after opening the year at 50% through the first five games (17-34).
• Cockburn has totaled 19 blocked shots in the last 10 games (1.9 bpg) after recording 10 blocks through his first nine games (1.1 bpg).
• Sophomore Ayo Dosunmu leads the team and is sixth in the Big Ten in scoring at 15.6 ppg. He has reached double digits in 15 of 19 games with four 20-point performances.
• Dosunmu has scored at least 14 points in nine of the last 10 games.
• Dosunmu is averaging 17.3 points (69) and 6.3 assists (25) over the last four games.
• Dosunmu has totaled 19 points during the final two minutes alone in those games at Wisconsin (5), vs. Rutgers (8), vs. Northwestern (4) and at Purdue (2).
• Dosunmu is averaging 5.5 rebounds over the last 11 games (60), after collecting 1.7 rpg the previous seven games (12).
• Junior Trent Frazier is averaging 18.5 points (37) and shooting 64.3% from 3-point range (9-14) while averaging 4.5 threes over the last two games.
• Frazier and senior Andres Feliz have combined for 33 assists and only six turnovers in the last seven games.
• Sophomore Giorgi Bezhanishvili is averaging 11.5 points (23) and shooting 64.3% from the field (9-14) over the last two games.
• Bezhanishvili is 10-of-29 from 3-point range so far this season after going 5-for-30 as a freshman.
• Sophomore Alan Griffin ranks eighth in the nation in offensive rating by kenpom (131.1), and second nationally among players who use at least 20% of possessions.
Last Time Out: Illini Rout Purdue in West Lafayette
• Illinois' 79 points equaled its highest output against a high-major opponent this season, while its 1.29 points per possession marked its highest offensive efficiency of the Underwood era.
• Illinois ended a seven-game losing streak at Purdue, winning at Mackey Arena for the first time since a 71-67 overtime victory in the opener of the 2009 Big Ten campaign (Dec. 30, 2008).
• Illinois snapped Purdue's 15-game Big Ten home winning streak, and the No. 21 Illini also ended the Boilers' six-game home winning streak against ranked teams.
• Illinois' 17 point victory at Mackey is the seventh-largest by an opponent since the arena opened in 1967.
• This marks the first home-and-home sweep of Purdue since the 2008-09 season.
• Illinois has now won at Purdue and at Wisconsin in the same year for the first time since its 2004-05 Big Ten championship and national runner-up season.
• Illinois shot 55.1% (27-47) against the Boilers, its best accuracy in a road game since making 66.7% in an 87-77 win at Iowa on Dec. 29, 2010.
• Illinois shot 75% in the second half (15-20), the fifth-best shooting percentage in a half against Purdue in the last 50 years. Illinois opened the half by making 11 of its first 12 shots.
• Illinois outrebounded Purdue, 37-19. The Boilers finished the game with single-digit defensive rebounds (9), including just two in the second half.
• Kofi Cockburn had game highs of 22 points and 15 rebounds to tally his eighth double-double of the season, extending his Illinois freshman record. His eight double-doubles are third in the nation among freshmen, behind Memphis' Precious Achiuwa (10) and Washington's Isaiah Stewart (9).
• Cockburn tallied his fifth 20-point game of the season, and first in Big Ten play.
• Ayo Dosunmu registered his first career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 11 assists.
• Illinois had two players record double-doubles in regulation in a Big Ten game for the first time since a 71-62 win over Michigan State win on Jan. 18, 2011, when Demetri McCamey (15 points, 11 assists) and Mike Davis (11 points, 11 rebounds) both had double-doubles.
• Dosunmu's 11 assists are the most by an Illini in nine years, since McCamey's 11 dimes vs. Michigan State on Jan. 18, 2011.
• Trent Frazier had a season-high 21 points and tied a season high with five 3-pointers. It marked Frazier's first 20-point game of the season, and 11th of his carer.
• Frazier played 199:47 minutes straight without a turnover from Dec. 21 until Jan. 21. He did not commit a turnover in six consecutive games before a turnover in the first half at Purdue.
» Complete Illinois-Michigan Game Notes (PDF)
