| Illinois Probable Starters (from the last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
200 |
Jr. |
21.0 |
6.2 |
5.3 |
Naismith & Wooden Semifinalist |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-2 |
175 |
Sr. |
10.5 |
2.9 |
2.6 |
12.8 ppg last 13 games |
| G |
44 |
Adam Miller |
6-3 |
180 |
Fr. |
8.3 |
2.8 |
0.7 |
12 pts & 5 reb Friday vs Rutgers |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
205 |
r-Jr. |
4.7 |
3.5 |
1.4 |
Illini 11-1 with him as starter |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
285 |
So. |
17.3 |
9.7 |
0.1 |
16 double-doubles (2nd in NCAA) |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
215 |
Fr. |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
First year walkon |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
220 |
Sr. |
0.7 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
3-time Academic All-Big Ten |
| G |
5 |
Andre Curbelo |
6-1 |
175 |
Fr. |
8.8 |
3.8 |
4.0 |
14.0 ppg & 6.4 rpg last five games |
| G |
10 |
Edgar Padilla Jr. |
6-1 |
165 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
First year walkon |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
210 |
Fr. |
1.0 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
4 pts, 3 reb in college debut |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
r-Fr. |
0.3 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
Made season debut Jan. 7 |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
245 |
Jr. |
5.2 |
2.6 |
0.4 |
56.5% FG (61-108) |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
215 |
Sr. |
5.6 |
5.4 |
1.8 |
54.2% 3FG (32-59) |
| G |
22 |
Austin Hutcherson |
6-6 |
175 |
r-Jr. |
– |
– |
– |
Out for season |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
Gr. |
0.8 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Working on 2nd grad. degree |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
215 |
Fr. |
1.5 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
5 points at Nebraska (2/12) |
| C |
34 |
Jermaine Hamlin |
6-10 |
235 |
So. |
1.0 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
4 points vs. Minnesota (12/15) |
Career Record: 177-82 (.683), 8th year
At Illinois: 68-55 (.553), 4th year
Big Ten: 40-38 (.513)
Big Ten Tournament: 2-2
Series Notes vs. Iowa
Record: Illinois leads 87-76
Streak: Illinois W-2
Record in Big Ten Tournament: Iowa leads 3-1
Underwood vs. Iowa: 2-5
This Year's Meeting: #19 ILL 80, #7 IOWA 75 (1/29 @ILL)
Illini Big Ten Tournament (BTT) Notes
• Following a 90-68 victory over Rutgers in the quarterfinals, No. 2 seed Illinois faces No. 3 seed Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m. CT, CBS).
• The BTT semifinals feature four of the top-7 ranked teams in kenpom: Illinois (3) vs. Iowa (4), and Michigan (2) vs. Ohio State (7).
• Illinois is making its first appearance in the BTT semifinals since 2010. After advancing to at least the semifinal round in 12 of the first 13 tournaments, the Illini return to the weekend for the first time in 11 years.
• Illinois is 6-6 all-time in the BTT semifinals. The Illini's last semifinal win came in 2008.
• Illinois' No. 2 seed is its highest since 2009, when the Illini also were seeded second in the BTT.
• Illinois is a No. 2 seed in the BTT for the fourth time. Illinois is 6-2 as the No. 2 seed, winning the championship in 2003 and advancing to the semifinals in 1998, 2009 and 2021.
• Illinois is 19-6 in BTT games when it is the higher seed.
• Illinois is 12-10 all-time in BTT games played in Indianapolis, with championship game appearances in 2004 and 2008.
• Illinois has won two BTT championships (2003 and 2005), one of six conference schools to win multiple titles.
• Illinois is aiming to advance to the BTT championship game for the first time since 2008, and win its first BTT title since 2005.
• Illinois is tied for the third-most all-time BTT wins with 29.
1. Ohio State, 33
2. Michigan State, 32
T3. ILLINOIS & Michigan, 29
• Illinois owns the fourth-most BTT championship game appearances, advancing to the title game six times.
1. Ohio State, 9
T2. Michigan State & Wisconsin, 7
4. ILLINOIS, 6
• Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 13 times, the second-most semifinal appearances.
1. Michigan State, 15
2. ILLINOIS, 13
T3. Ohio State & Wisconsin, 12
Illini Items
• Illinois is one of the hottest teams in the country, winners of five straight and 12 of its last 13.
• Illinois is fourth in the current NET rankings, challenging for a No. 1 seed.
• Illinois leads the NCAA with 11 Quad 1 wins. The Illini own a combined 16 victories in Quads 1 and 2, which also leads the nation.
• Illinois is one of only three teams ranked in the top 10 in both offensive (7th) and defensive (7th) efficiency by kenpom, joined by Michigan and Houston.
• Illinois is No. 3 in kenpom adjust efficiency margin (31.36), the second-highest rating in program history behind the 2005 NCAA runner-up squad (2nd).
• Illinois faces No. 5 Iowa looking for its fifth-consecutive win over a top-10 team this year. The school record for top-10 wins in a single season is five, set by the 1989 Flyin' Illini.
• Saturday's game will mark Illinois' third top-5 match-up of the year. The Illini are 11-9 all-time in top-5 match-ups, including 1-1 this season:
Dec. 3: #2 Baylor 82, #5 Illinois 69 – Indianapolis (Jimmy V Classic)
March 2: #4 Illinois 76, #2 Michigan 53 – Ann Arbor
• Illinois has won 21 games, the 34th 20-win season in school history. Following last year's 21-win regular season, Illinois has back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since 2013 (23) and 2014 (20).
• Illinois went 16-4 in conference play, the winningest Big Ten season in school history. The previous UI record of 15 league victories was set in 1984 (15-3, co-champions) and equaled in 2005 (15-1, champions).
• Illinois won its last three regular season games, all on the road over an 8-day span against teams ranked in the top 11 in kenpom: at Wisconsin (11), at Michigan (2) and at Ohio State (7).
• The victories at No. 2 Michigan and at No. 7 Ohio State were Illinois' first against top-10 teams in back-to-back games since the 2005 NCAA Tournament, when the No. 1-ranked Illini defeated No. 9 Arizona in the Elite Eight and No. 4 Louisville in the Final Four.
• Illinois won nine road games, most among high-major conference teams and tied for fourth-most in the NCAA.
• Illinois is No. 3 this week, its highest ranking since claiming the No. 1 spot in the final AP poll of 2005. The Illini are in the Top 5 of a March poll for just the fourth time in the last 65 seasons (1989, 2001, 2005, 2021).
• The Illini have recorded a total of seven top-10 wins the last three years under Coach Underwood, including an active streak of four straight this season:
at #10 Duke (12/8)
#7 Iowa (1/29)
at #2 Michigan (3/2)
at #7 Ohio State (3/6)
• Leading the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu. Owning numbers of 21.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, Dosunmu is not only on his way to First-Team All-America status, but contending for National Player of the Year as well. He is the only player in the NCAA over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, all while leading Illinois Basketball back among the nation's elite.
• Dosunmu is on pace to become just the second Big Ten player since 1993 to average 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, joining Ohio State's Evan Turner, the National Player of the Year in 2009-10.
• Dosunmu is a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy and Wooden Award, finalist for the Cousy Award, and a unanimous first-team All-American by Sporting News and Sports Illustrated.
• Dosunmu recorded two triple doubles last month (vs. Wisconsin and at Minnesota) to join Michigan State's Magic Johnson as the only two players in Big Ten history with multiple triple doubles in league play.
• A unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection, Dosunmu is the league's second-leading scorer while also leading the conference in assists.
• Dosunmu has scored in double figures in 39 straight games, the third-longest active streak in the NCAA.
• Kofi Cockburn ranks second in the NCAA with 16 double-doubles this season. He notched his first double-double since Feb. 16 in Friday night's win over Rutgers, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
• Cockburn's season-rebounding average has recently dipped under 10. At 17.3 ppg and 9.7 rpg, Cockburn is vying to become the first Illini player since Nick Weatherspoon in 1973 (25.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg) to average a double-double for an entire season.
• Dosunmu and Cockburn are combining for 38.3 points per game, the seventh-highest scoring duo nationally, and third among the high-major conferences.
• Big Ten All-Defensive Team selection Trent Frazier has also seen his scoring increase recently. He is averaging 12.8 points (166) and shooting 37% from 3-point range (27-73) while making an average of 2.1 treys over the last 13 games. He has scored in double figures seven times during that stretch, with three outings of 20+ points.
Last Time Out: 90-68 Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal Win over Rutgers | Box Score
• Illinois defeated Rutgers, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament (BTT) semifinals for the first time since 2010.
• Illinois' 13th BTT semifinal appearances are the second-most of any team, behind Michigan State (15).
• Illinois has now won 12 of its last 13 games, including five straight.
• Illinois' 90 points is the third-highest scoring total allowed by Rutgers in a regulation game during Coach Steve Pikiell's 5-year tenure.
• Illinois' +25 rebound margin (44-19) is the biggest rebound differential allowed by Rutgers under Pikiell.
• Illinois scored 90 points in a BTT game for the fourth time in school history, the most of any team.
• Ayo Dosunmu had game highs of 23 points, six assists and three steals, to go along with five rebounds. It was his 13th game of 20+ points this season, and 28th of his career, ranking eighth on the Illini career list over the last 50 years.
• Kofi Cockburn had 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, recording his 16th double-double. His 16 double-doubles ranks second in the NCAA this season, are the most by an Illini since Ken Norman in 1987, and equal the fifth-most in Illinois single-season history.
• Cockburn set an Illini BTT record with seven offensive rebounds.
» Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
