| Illinois Probable Starters (Based on Previous Game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
8.0 |
3.8 |
1.3 |
Season highs of 10 pts & 7 reb vs Valpo |
| G |
0 |
Terrence Shannon Jr. |
6-6 |
225 |
5th |
18.5 |
4.0 |
3.0 |
21.5 ppg last 2 G (21 vs Marq, 22 vs Valpo) |
| G/F |
3 |
Marcus Domask |
6-6 |
215 |
Gr. |
9.5 |
4.0 |
1.8 |
Season highs of 18 pts & 6 reb vs Marq |
| G/F |
13 |
Quincy Guerrier |
6-8 |
230 |
Gr. |
4.8 |
6.5 |
0.5 |
13-pt, 10-reb double-double vs Oakland |
| F/C |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
255 |
r-Jr. |
8.5 |
5.0 |
0.0 |
Season high 16 pts (8-10 FG) vs Valpo |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
Fr. |
5.0 |
1.8 |
1.0 |
Game-high 18 pts in college debut vs EIU |
| G |
4 |
Justin Harmon |
6-4 |
200 |
Gr. |
2.8 |
4.0 |
1.0 |
Team-high 9 reb with 7 pts vs Valpo |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
So. |
1.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Scored first-career point vs. EIU |
| G/F |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
205 |
Jr. |
8.8 |
4.8 |
0.3 |
Back-to-back career-high 13 pts vs Marq & Valpo |
| G |
11 |
Niccolo Moretti |
6-1 |
170 |
r-Fr. |
4.0 |
2.0 |
2.5 |
Career-high 6 points vs Valpo |
| G |
22 |
Keaton Kutcher |
6-2 |
200 |
Jr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Transfer from South Dakota |
| G |
25 |
Max Williams |
6-2 |
200 |
Sr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Transfer from DePaul |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
230 |
Sr. |
4.7 |
6.3 |
3.3 |
Karl Malone Award Watch List |
| F |
35 |
Amani Hansberry |
6-8 |
240 |
Fr. |
3.0 |
4.7 |
0.7 |
7 pts & team-high 8 reb in college debut vs. EIU |
| Redshirt |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Sencire Harris |
6-4 |
170 |
So. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Plans to redshirt 2023-24 season |
Career Record: 226-107 (.679), 11th year
At Illinois: 117-80 (.594), 7th year
Big Ten: 66-52 (.559)
Series History
All-Time Record vs. Southern: Illinois leads 1-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: Illinois 102, Southern 55Â (11/10/2017Â in Champaign)
Underwood vs. Southern: 1-0
Opening Tips
-
No. 23 Illinois hosts Game 5 of a six-game, season-opening homestand on Sunday night when Southern visits State Farm Center (7 p.m. CT, BTN).
-
This is Illinois' lone 1-day prep of the regular season, and its third game in a span of six days. Â
-
Illinois is coming off a dominant second half performance in Friday night's 87-64 win over Valparaiso.
-
The Illini trailed by seven at halftime, but outscored Valpo by 30 points after intermssion (49-19).
-
Illinois is third nationally in 2-point defense (.365) and fifth in effective field goal percentage defense (.380).
-
Illinois ranks 15th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense (.345).
-
Illinois is sixth nationally in defensive rebounding, grabbing 35.0 defensive boards per game.
-
The Illini have outrebounded their opponents in each of their first four games this season.
-
Terrence Shannon Jr. is averaging 21.5 points over the last two games. He had 21 points vs. No. 4 Marquette on Tuesday followed by a season-high 22 points in Friday night's win over Valparaiso.
-
Shannon has scored in double figures in each of his last 14 games, a streak that began Jan. 31, 2023.
-
Luke Goode is averaging 13.0 points over the last two games, setting his career scoring high with 13 points apiece vs. Marquette and Valpo.
-
Goode is shooting 47.8% from 3-point range on the year, and has made 8-of-16 from three the last two games.
-
Head Coach Brad Underwood has Illinois ranked by the AP in four straight preseason polls for the first time since the preseason poll began in 1961-62.Â
-
Illinois' 15-man roster features an experienced blend of returning talent and impact transfers, combined with a top-25 freshman class. Eight players, including three starters, are back from the 2022-23 team, with five new players joining the Illini as Division I transfers, and two incoming freshmen.Â
-
Entering the season, Illinois' eight returning players had combined to play 347 games at the NCAA Division I level with 159 combined starts by the group. Likewise, the team's five transfer players opened the year with 304 career games with 198 starts under their belts.Â
-
Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last four seasons, registering a 55-25 mark in league play. The Illini finished fifth in 2023, 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.
'Now or Never': Shannon, Hawkins Gear up for Last Dance at Illinois
Now or never. Now or never. Now or never.
Those three words would not leave Coleman Hawkins' mind. Locked in on pursuing his dreams and taking his game to the next level, Hawkins submitted his name into the 2023 NBA Draft with the intention of hearing his name called on draft night and becoming a professional basketball player...continue reading
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
