University of Illinois
Morehead State
Season Opener On Deck for No. 23 Illinois
November 6, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Preview
| #23 Illinois vs. Morehead State | |
|---|---|
| Date | Time | Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023 | 6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Champaign, Ill. | State Farm Center |
| Tickets | Single Game | Season |
| Promotions | Military Appreciation Game | Free general admission ticket for veterans through Vet Tix |
| Digital Game Program | Read Here |
| Live Stream | B1G+ | B1G+ App | WATCH |
| Radio | Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Listen | Varsity Network App |
| Live Stats | StatBroadcast |
| Game Notes | Illinois | Morehead State |
| 2022-23 Stats | Illinois | Morehead State |
| Record Books | Illinois | Big Ten WBB | NCAA WBB |
| Availability/Interviews | Morehead State Availability (11/6) | Exhibition Post-Game (10/30) | YouTube Playlist |
| Shop | Online Store | Auctions |
| Social Media | @IlliniWBB  | @IlliniWBB  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| Illinois Starters in Exhibition (2022-23 Stats) | ||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Season Note |
| G | 3 | Makira Cook | 5-6 | Sr. | 18.3 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 15 20+ pt. games; 34.2% 3FG |
| G | 1 | Genesis Bryant | 5-6 | Sr. | 15.2 | 3.2 | 3.6 | Triple double vs. FAU, 2x Co-B1G PotW |
| G | 24 | Adalia McKenzie | 5-10 | Jr. | 13.6 | 6.1 | 2.2 | 46 steals, 72 ORebs, 25 games with 10+ pts. |
| F | 23 | Brynn Shoup-Hill | 6-3 | Jr. | 6.1 | 5.6 | 1.1 | 54 OReb, 21 blocks, 15 steals |
| F | 44 | Kendall Bostic | 6-2 | Sr. | 10.2 | 9.8 | 1.0 | 62.9% FG, 51 blocks, 96 OReb, 18 10+ reb games |
Head Coach Shauna Green
Career Record: 178-85 (.677), 10th season
Division I Record: 149-60 (.713), Eighth season
At Illinois: 22-10, Second season
Big Ten: 11-7
Live Stream
Fans unable to attend Tuesday night's game can watch Illinois vs. Morehead State online by purchasing a subscription to B1G+, a streaming service of non-televised events produced by the Big Ten Network in partnership with the Big Ten Conference schools.
Fans who sign up for the Illinois School Pass can choose either the monthly rate of $9.95 or the annual rate of $79.95. The B1G+ Illinois school pass includes access to live streaming of non-televised Illini games, next day on-demand archives, and access to Big Ten Network's library of Illinois' previous season classics and originals.
The 15 remaining women's basketball games are slated to be streamed via B1G+:
» Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. vs. Morehead State
» Nov. 15 at 11 a.m. vs. Saint Peter's
» Nov. 26 at 1 p.m. vs. Canisius
» Nov. 29 at 6 p.m. vs. Central Connecticut State
» Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. vs. Northern Kentucky
» Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. vs. Michigan
» Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. vs. Wisconsin
» Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. at Northwestern
» Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. vs. Rutgers
» Jan. 20 at 12 p.m. at Maryland
» Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. vs. Minnesota
» Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. at Michigan
» Feb. 8 at 6 p.m. vs. Northwestern
» Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. at Penn State
» March 3 at 2 p.m. vs. Nebraska
EXHIBITION EXPOSITION
No. 23 Illinois began the second year of the Shauna Green era in Champaign with a resounding 121-60 victory over Truman State in the team's lone exhibition game of the 2023-24 campaign. Green used the preseason game to give playing time to all 14 players, while 12 different scorers registered at least one point in the blowout victory, including eight Illini in double figures.
The Illini converted 14 of their 26 3-point attempts, and they knocked down eight 3-pointers within the first 10 minutes of play. The Orange and Blue outrebounded the Bulldogs, 53-16, while scoring 26 second-chance points on 25 offensive rebounds. Illinois notched 11 steals and scored 31 points off turnovers, and the hosts registered 20 assists while shooting 55.8% from the field and 53.8% on 3-point attempts.
Illinois is 2-0 in exhibitions since Green's arrival.
ILLINI RANKED NO. 23 IN AP PRESEASON POLL
For the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign, Illinois women's basketball is ranked in the Associated Press Preseason Poll, coming in at No. 23 to begin head coach Shauna Green's second season at the helm.
The 2023-24 season marks the fourth time in program history that Illinois has appeared in the AP Preseason Poll. Prior to this year, the Illini had appeared ahead of the 1997-98 (No. 7), 1998-99 (No. 25), and 1999-2000 (No. 12) campaigns – all under Hall of Fame head coach Theresa Grentz.
COOK LANDS ON LIEBERMAN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
For the first time in Illinois women's basketball program history, a Fighting Illini player was named to the Nancy Lieberman Top-20 Preseason Watch List as Makira Cook was announced as an honoree on Oct. 16. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) have given the award annually since 2000 to the top point guard in the country.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the floor leadership, play-making, and ball-handling skills of Class of 1996 Hall-of-Famer Nancy Lieberman.
NCAA COACHING LIMIT INCREASE
With the NCAA's coaching limit increase going into effect on July 1, Emily Durr and Jenna Giacone have been elevated to assistant coaches on Shauna Green's Illinois women's basketball staff. Durr adds on-court coaching duties in addition to her director of recruiting operations responsibilities, while Giacone adds on-court coaching duties on top of her director of scouting and player development role in year two on Green's Illini staff.
Both Durr and Giacone followed Green from her previous stop at Dayton. Durr served one season as an administrative associate with the Flyers, while Giacone played six seasons under Green at UD.
FIRST SEASONS AT A NEW SCHOOL
Shauna Green quickly took Illinois women's basketball out to a refreshing start and has sustained that success better than anyone. Green was one of 38 head coaches in their first season at a new school last season. The Illinois squad was one of just 10 programs under a new coach last season to have secured 20 or more wins and one of seven to make the NCAA Tournament.
| TEAM | RECORD | COACH | PREVIOUS JOB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida State | 23-10 | Brooke Wyckoff | Florida St. (Assc. HC) |
| Illinois | 22-10 | Shauna Green | Dayton |
| Mississippi State | 22-11 | Sam Purcell | Louisville (Assc. HC) |
| Georgia | 22-12 | Katie Abrahamson-Henderson | UCF |
| Oklahoma State | 21-12 | Jacie Hoyt | Kansas City |
| Towson | 21-12 | Laura Harper | Coppin State |
| Harvard | 20-12 | Carrie Moore | Michigan (Ast. Coach) |
| Missouri State | 20-12 | Beth Cunningham | Duke (Ast. Coach) |
| Chattanooga | 20-13 | Shawn Poppie | Virginia Tech (Assc. HC) |
| Syracuse | 20-13 | Felisha Legette-Jack | Buffalo |
Cook Named to Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List
Preseason accolades continue to roll in for Illinois women's basketball senior Makira Cook, as the point guard has been named to the 50-player 2023-24 Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Watch List. Cook is the third Fighting Illini player in program history to land on the Naismith preseason list. She joins Tauja Catchings and Susan Blauser, who were both selected to the list ahead of the 1999-2000 season.
