#16 ILLINOIS (6-1, 0-0) at #22 Maryland (7-0, 0-0)
Date | Time	Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 | 8 p.m. CT (9 p.m. ET)
Location	College Park, Md. | Xfinity Center
Tickets	umterps.com
Television	BTN
Live Stream	foxsports.com/live/btn | FOX Sports App
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 108/195, SXM App 957
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Maryland
Pregame Press Conference	Coach Underwood (Dec. 1)
Stats	Illinois | Maryland
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 209-94 (.690), 10th year
At Illinois: 100-67 (.599), 6th year
Big Ten: 55-43 (.561)

Series Notes vs. Maryland

All-Time Record: Maryland leads 13-7
Streak: Maryland W-1
Last Meeting: Maryland 81, #17 Illinois 65 (Jan. 21, 2022 at College Park)
Record at College Park: Maryland leads 6-1
Streak at College Park: Maryland W-4
Underwood vs. Maryland at Illinois / All-Time: 2-5 / 2-6

Opening Tips

• A founding member of the Big Ten Conference, No. 16 Illinois begins its 118th season of league play on Friday night, at 22nd-ranked Maryland (8 p.m. CT, BTN).

• Illinois' next two games are away from home against undefeated teams. Following Friday's Big Ten opener at 7-0 Maryland, the Illini return to campus before heading back to the East Coast to face 5-0 Texas on Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden.

• Illinois is 1-1 versus ranked opponents this season, and has won 12 of its last 19 games against Top 25 teams.

• Illinois has lost four straight at Maryland, looking for its first win in College Park since the 2011 Big Ten/ACC Challenge when the Terrapins were members of the ACC.

• Illinois has won 10 of its last 13 Big Ten road games, and 15 of its last 19.

• Illinois is 69-48 all-time in Big Ten openers, but just 24-30 when opening league play on the road.

• Illinois won its Big Ten opener each of the last two seasons. The Illini are aiming to start 1-0 in conference play in three straight years for the first time since doing so four straight seasons from 2008-09 through 2011-12.

• Illinois has not recorded a victory when starting Big Ten play on the road since winning at Iowa on Dec. 29, 2010.

• Illinois is opening Big Ten play on the road for the fifth time in the last seven seasons, with three of those road trips to Maryland.

• Xfinity Center is the only Big Ten venue Illinois has not won at during coach Brad Underwood's tenure (0-2).

• Terrence Shannon Jr. leads the Fighting Illini, boasting averages of 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists. Shannon ranks 30th in the NCAA in scoring, and third among Big Ten players.

• Shannon is one of only seven players in the country averaging at least 19 points, six rebounds and three assists on the season.

• Illinois reserves are combining to score 30.6 ppg. The Illini bench has outscored its opponent in all seven games, and by an average of 13.5 points per game.

• Illinois is making 10.6 threes per game, ranking 17th nationally and second in the Big Ten. Seven different players on the roster have made at least six 3-pointers.

• The Illini defense is forcing 18.9 turnovers per game, leading the B1G and ranking 19th in the NCAA. Illinois is scoring an average of 20.6 points off opponent turnovers.

• Dain Dainja is one of the nation's most productive players off the bench, averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in an average of just 18.2 minutes. He ranks seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 75%.

• Dainja is one of only two players averaging at least 11 points and six rebounds in less than 20 minutes per game. 

• Illinois has seven newcomers among its current 9-man playing rotation, including four true freshmen.

• Illinois remains at No. 16 in this week's AP poll. The Illini debuted at No. 23 in the preseason rankings, moved to No. 19 in week two, and up to No. 16 last week. 

• Brad Underwood has Illinois in the Top 25 for a fourth straight season after leading the program to a final AP ranking of No. 21 in 2020, No. 2 in 2021, and No. 19 in 2022. 

• Illinois is a dramatically different team this season, welcoming three power-five transfers and a top-10 recruiting class to account for eight newcomers. 

• Illinois is replacing all five regular starters, its top five leading scorers, and a total of 10 players from last year's Big Ten champions. The Illini lost 86% of its points, 80% of its rebounds, and 83% of its minutes played from a year ago.

• Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three seasons, registering a 44-16 mark in league play. The Illini won the regular season championship in 2022, led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021, and finished one game back of the title in 2020.

Underwood Hits Century Mark at Illinois

Illinois' blowout win over Syracuse on Tuesday marked the 100th victory at Illinois for head coach Brad Underwood. He becomes just the sixth coach in program history in the 100-win club, joining the following:

Lou Henson – 423 wins (21 seasons, 1976-1996)
Harry Combes – 316 wins (20 seasons, 1948-1967)
Bruce Weber – 210 wins (9 seasons, 2004-2012)
Doug Mills – 151 wins (11 seasons, 1937-1947)
J. Craig Ruby – 148 wins (14 seasons, 1923-36)
Brad Underwood – 100 wins (6th season, 2018-)

Notes from Tuesday's 73-44 Home Win over Syracuse

• Coleman Hawkins recorded a triple-double, totaling 15 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists. It is the fifth triple-double in program history, as Hawkins becomes the fourth player with such a performance:

Coleman Hawkins – 15 p, 10 r, 10 a, vs. Syracuse, 11/29/2022
Ayo Dosunmu – 19 p, 10 r, 10 a, at Minnesota, 2/20/2021
Ayo Dosunmu – 21 p, 12 r, 12 a, vs. Wisconsin, 2/6/2021
Sergio McClain – 10 p, 11 r, 11 a, vs. Michigan, 1/13/2001
Mark Smith – 18 p, 13 r, 10 a, vs. Minnesota, 2/1/1979

• Three of the five triple-doubles in program history have come during the Underwood era.

• Brad Underwood won his 100th game at Illinois.

• Illinois' 29-point margin of victory marked its largest ever in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game.

• The Illini improved to 11-13 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Illinois' 11 Challenge wins are fourth-most among Big Ten teams.

• Illinois has now won three-straight challenge games, its longest streak since winning four in a row from 2009-12. 

• It is also the second-longest Challenge winning streak among B1G teams.

• Illinois' defense held Syracuse to just 15 field goals and 27.8% shooting on the night.

• It was the fewest field goals by a high-major opponent since Purdue had 15 baskets at State Farm Center on 1/5/20.

• It was the lowest field goal percentage by a high-major opponent since Minnesota shot 27.5% at State Farm Center on 12/15/20.

• Syracuse had more turnovers (11) than field goals (7) in the second half.

• The Illinois defense forced 17 Syracuse turnovers, scoring 18 points off of those turnovers.

• The Illini defense forced more turnovers (11) in the second half than field goals allowed (7).

• Illinois committed a season-low seven turnovers.

• Illinois' 39 three-point field goals attempted set a State Farm Center record.

• Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 17 points – making 5 three-pointers – and added seven rebounds.

• Shannon has scored at least 17 points in four games this season. He also grabbed at least seven rebounds four times.

• Shannon has made at least four 3-pointers in three games this season.

• RJ Melendez scored 15 points, bringing hit total to 32 over the last two games (16.0 ppg).

• Freshman Jayden Epps scored 11 points off of the bench. He now has double-digit scoring efforts in three-straight games and in five of his last six overall.

• Matthew Mayer grabbed eight rebounds, his second-straight game with at least eight boards.

Penn State Game Nearing Sellout

Fewer than 200 tickets remain for Illinois' next home game, against 6-2 Penn State on Saturday, Dec. 10. After selling out the ACC/Big Ten Challenge vs. Syracuse, Illinois will be looking to log its second sold out game of the season. Last season, Illinois sold out eight games, including seven of the 10 home conference contests.

Fans can purchase tickets online at FightingIllini.com or by calling 1-800-ILLINI-1.

STUDENT TICKETS: Single-game student tickets will be available to purchase beginning Saturday, Dec. 3, if tickets remain. Single game tickets are $25. Despite selling out of student season tickets earlier in the year, Illinois students have the opportunity to purchase tickets for a single game, if that game is not previously sold out. Tickets become available one week before the game or following the previous home game, whichever is sooner.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)