| Illinois Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Skyy Clark |
6-3 |
200 |
Fr. |
7.4 |
3.8 |
2.1 |
11 pts, career-high 7 reb vs Penn St. |
| G |
0 |
Terrence Shannon Jr. |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
18.2 |
5.6 |
2.9 |
2nd in B1G in FT (51) & FTA (67) |
| G |
15 |
RJ Melendez |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
7.3 |
3.3 |
0.6 |
55.6% FG (20-36) last 6 games |
| G/F |
24 |
Matthew Mayer |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
9.8 |
4.3 |
1.2 |
18.7 ppg last 3 games (56) |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
225 |
Jr. |
9.1 |
6.1 |
3.8 |
11.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 5.0 apg last 5 games |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Sencire Harris |
6-4 |
160 |
Fr. |
4.3 |
2.1 |
0.6 |
Career-high 8 reb vs Alabama A&M |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
235 |
Jr. |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
Academic All-Big Ten |
| G |
3 |
Jayden Epps |
6-2 |
190 |
Fr. |
9.2 |
2.1 |
1.3 |
11+ points in 6 of last 10 games |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
160 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Former manager now on roster |
| G |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
200 |
So. |
2.0 |
1.8 |
0.5 |
2021-22 stats; sidelined (foot surgery) |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
220 |
Jr. |
1.2 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
Academic All-Big Ten |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
200 |
Fr. |
1.8 |
3.0 |
1.2 |
Career-high 6 points vs Penn St. |
| G |
22 |
Paxton Warden |
6-4 |
180 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Illinois state champion |
| F |
25 |
Zacharie Perrin |
6-10 |
220 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Joined Illini on Dec. 21 |
| F |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
270 |
r-So. |
9.8 |
5.4 |
0.3 |
72.3% FG (47-65) |
Career Record: 211-97Â (.685), 10th year
At Illinois: 102-70 (.593), 6th year
Big Ten: 55-45Â (.550)
Series Notes vs. Bethune-Cookman
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 1-0
Record at Champaign:Â Same
Last Meeting: #20 Illinois 97, Bethune-Cookman 47 (Dec. 28, 1999)
Underwood vs. Bethune-Cookman: First meeting
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to action Thursday night after a week off for Christmas, hosting Bethune-Cookman at a sold out State Farm Center (7:30 p.m. CT, FS1).
• Illinois has won seven straight non-conference home games.
• Illinois is the only team in the country with two kenpom top-10 wins (No. 4 UCLA and No. 6 Texas).
• Illinois is receiving votes in the latest Associated Press poll, while checking in at No. 22 in the current coaches poll. This is the first week the Illini are not ranked in the AP Top 25 since Jan. 3-9, 2022.
• Matthew Mayer has scored at least 14 points in each of the last four games, with two 21-point outings. He is averaging 18.0 ppg over this stretch, shooting 60% from the field (27-45) and 51.9% from three (14-27).
• Mayer enters the Bethune-Cookman game just 18 points away from scoring 1,000 for his career (982).Â
• Terrence Shannon Jr. ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 18.2 ppg.Â
• Shannon is second in the B1G in both free throws made (61) and attempted (79).
• Shannon is coming off his highest point total in the last eight games – and fourth 20-plus point performance this season – scoring 22 vs. Missouri.Â
• Illinois is a balanced offensive team, with seven different players averaging at least seven points.
• Illinois has seven newcomers among its current 9-man playing rotation. The Illinois rotation features six underclassmen: four true freshmen and two sophomores.
• Illinois is a dramatically different team this season, welcoming three power-five transfers and five freshmen in a top-10 ranked recruiting class to account for eight scholarship newcomers.Â
• 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' revamped roster ranks No. 301 in experience and No. 345 in minutes continuity according to kenpom, ahead of only three power-6 teams.
• Illinois is 17th in the country in blocked shots, averaging 5.6 bpg. The Illini tallied 12 rejections in the win over No. 2 Texas on Dec. 6, its most blocks in a game in 11 years.
• Illinois has outrebounded 10 of 12 opponents and is No. 34 in the NCAA with a 7.3 average rebound margin.
• Illinois leads the B1G and is 35th nationally in offensive rebounding, averaging 12.8 rpg.
• Illinois reserves are combining to score 25.3 points per game, ranking third in the Big Ten. The Illini bench has outscored its opponent in 10 of 12 games, and by an average of 9.6 points.
• The Illini defense is forcing 16.2 turnovers per game, ranking second in the B1G and 42nd in the NCAA. Illinois is scoring an average of 17.7 points off opponent turnovers.
• Illinois is making 9.2 three-pointers per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 41st nationally. Last season the Illini set a school single-season record, averaging 8.9 made threes.
• Illinois is 2-2 versus ranked opponents this season, and has won 13 of its last 21 games against Top 25 teams.
• Illinois is 12-5 in its last 17 games versus top-10 teams.
• Illinois has 11 wins over top-10 teams since 2019-20, second-most in the NCAA behind Baylor (12).
• Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last three-plus seasons, registering a 44-18 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.
