ILLINOIS (10-5, 1-3)  at  Nebraska (9-7, 2-3)
Date | Time	Saturday, Jan. 10, 2023 | 8 p.m. CT
Location	Lincoln, Neb. | Pinnacle Bank Arena
Tickets	Huskers.com
Television	BTN (Kevin Kugler & Shon Morris)
Live Stream	foxsports.com/live/btn | FOX Sports App
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 372, SXM App 372
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Nebraska
Pregame Press Conference	Coach Underwood (Jan. 9)
Stats	Illinois | Nebraska
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 213-98 (.685), 10th year
At Illinois: 104-71 (.594), 6th year
Big Ten: 56-46 (.554)

Series Notes vs. Nebraska

All-Time Record: Illinois leads 19-8
Streak: Illinois W-5
Last Meeting: #25 Illinois 81, Nebraska 71 (Jan, 11, 2022 at Lincoln)
Record at Lincoln: Illinois leads 6-5
Streak at Lincoln: Illinois W-2
Underwood vs. Nebraska: 6-2

Opening Tips

• Illinois travels to Lincoln, Nebraska in search of its first road win and seeking consecutive victories for the first time since Nov. 25-29, facing the Cornhuskers on Tuesday night (8 p.m., BTN).

• Illinois continues its stretch of six games in 15 days from Jan. 4-19, with two-day preps for all six games.

• Victorious in its last two trips to Pinnacle Bank Arena, Illinois aims for its first-ever 3-game win streak in Lincoln.

• Nebraska is ahead of Illinois in the Big Ten standings entering a match-up for the first time since Feb. 2, 2019.  

• Illinois is the only team in the country with two kenpom top-10 wins (No. 4 UCLA and No. 8 Texas).

• Illinois leads the nation with three AP top-15 wins (No. 2 Texas, No. 8 UCLA and No. 14 Wisconsin), joined by Alabama and Arizona. 

• Matthew Mayer has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games. He is averaging 15.1 ppg over this stretch (106), shooting 51.4% from the field (36-70) and 45.2% from three (19-42).

• Terrence Shannon Jr. is one of only three power conference players averaging at least 17 points, five rebounds and three assists (Jalen Pickett-Penn State and Trayce Jackson-Davis-Indiana).

• Shannon ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring (17.6 ppg), and is second in free throws made (76) and attempted (99).

• Shannon ranks fifth in the Big Ten with five 20-point games. He scored 24 in Saturday's win over No. 14 Wisconsin, his second-most points against a power conference foe this season.

• After scoring a season-low four points vs. Penn State on Dec. 10, Shannon is averaging 17.2 points over the last five games (86).

• Coleman Hawkins is one of two players nationally averaging at least 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal (Jalen Slawson-Furman).

• After opening the season making 5-of-8 from three, Hawkins shot just 22.2% beyond the arc over the next 13 games before erupting for a career-highs six treys in nine attempts in Saturday's win over No. 14 Wisconsin.

• Freshman Jayden Epps has 48 points over the last four games (12.0 ppg) after totaling 21 points the previous four games (5.3 ppg). Epps is coming off a 15-point performance against the Badgers.

• Dain Dainja is averaging 11.0 points (44) and 6.8 rebounds (27) over the last four games, led by a career-high 22 points vs. Bethune Cookman on Dec. 29..

• Dainja ranks 18th nationally in 2-point field goal percentage at 71.4% (65-91).

• Dainja has made at least 60% from the field in 12 of 15 games.

• Illinois is a balanced offensive team, with four players scoring in double figures and seven averaging at least 6.6 points.

• Illinois has had five players record a 20-point game this season, and eight players reach double figures scoring.

• Five different players have been Illinois' leading scorer in a game, while seven different players have been the UI's top rebounder in a game.

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks seventh in the country in blocked shots, averaging 5.9 bpg. 

• Illinois has outrebounded 13 of 15 opponents and is No. 27 in the NCAA with a 6.5 average rebound margin.

• Illinois reserves are combining to score 24 points per game, ranking second in the Big Ten. The Illini bench has outscored its opponent in 12 of 15 games, and by an average of 8.5 points.

• Illinois is making 9.1 three-pointers per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 36th nationally. Last season the Illini set a school single-season record, averaging 8.9 made threes.

• Illinois made a season-best 52.6% from three in the win over Wisconsin, knocking down 10-of-19. The Illini shot 28.2% behind the arc in its first three Big Ten games (20-71). 

• The Illini defense is forcing 15.5 turnovers per game, ranking third in the B1G. Illinois is scoring an average of 16.8 points off opponent turnovers.

• Illinois has six newcomers among its current 8-man playing rotation. The Illinois rotation features five underclassmen: three 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. 

• Illinois' revamped roster ranks No. 300 in experience  and No. 346 in minutes continuity according to kenpom, ahead of only three power conference teams.

• 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-plus seasons, registering a 45-19 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.

Last Time Out: Illini 79, #14 Wisconsin 69 Box Score

• The home victory over No. 14 Wisconsin helped the Illini improve to 3-2 vs. top-15 opponents this season, also owning neutral-site wins over No. 8 UCLA and No. 2 Texas

• Illinois has won 14 of its last 22 games against ranked teams.

• Illinois has won five in a row against Wisconsin, its longest streak over the Badgers since the '80s, when the Illini won 16 straight from Feb. 12, 1981 through Jan. 12, 1989.

• Illinois had an offensive efficiency rating of 115.3, its best against a high-major opponent this season.

• Illinois shot a season-high 52.6% (10-19) from 3-point range.

• Illinois made double-digit treys for the sixth time this season.

• Illinois posted a 37-34 rebounding edge. The Illini have now outrebounded 13 of 15 opponents this season.

• Terrence Shannon Jr. tallied a game-high 24 points for his team-leading 12th double-digit scoring game of the season.

• It was Shannon's most points in the last 11 games, and his fifth 20+ point game this season.

• Ranked No. 2 in the B1G in both free throws made and attempted, Shannon added to that total by going 9-of-12 at the foul line against the Badgers.

• Shannon also pulled down a team-most eight rebounds, his fifth game as the Illini's top rebounder.

• Coleman Hawkins scored 20 points (7-11 FG), including a career-high six 3-pointers on nine attempts.

• Hawkins now has 14-career double-digit scoring games and has reached 10+ points seven times this season.

• Hawkins' 20 points were shy of only his career-high 23 set in the season opener vs. Eastern Illinois (Nov. 7) when he knocked down a then-career-best five treys.

• Freshman Jayden Epps scored 15  points off of the bench, his 10th double-digit scoring game of the season and fourth straight.

• Matthew Mayer scored 10 points, all in the second half.

• Mayer has now reached double-figures scoring on seven occasions, including six of the Illini's last seven contests dating back to a season-high 21 points in Illinois' win vs. No. 2 Texas on Dec. 6.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)