| Illinois Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
3 |
Jayden Epps |
6-2 |
190 |
Fr. |
10.1 |
2.0 |
1.7 |
12 pts, career-high 3 stl at Indiana |
| G |
15 |
RJ Melendez |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
5.6 |
3.0 |
0.7 |
81.3% FT |
| G/F |
24 |
Matthew Mayer |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
12.2 |
5.2 |
1.2 |
24 pts, 8 reb, 5 blk at Indiana |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
225 |
Jr. |
9.7 |
6.5 |
3.1 |
57.1% FG over last 3 games |
| F |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
270 |
r-So. |
10.3 |
5.9 |
0.5 |
13.0 ppg over last 4 games |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Terrence Shannon Jr. |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
17.0 |
5.0 |
3.0 |
20 pts at Penn St, 8th 20-pt game |
| G |
1 |
Sencire Harris |
6-4 |
160 |
Fr. |
3.6 |
2.0 |
0.9 |
+21 in 19 min vs #24 Rutgers |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
235 |
Jr. |
0.2 |
0.8 |
0.0 |
Academic All-Big Ten |
| 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. |
3.3 |
1.0 |
0.7 |
7 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast at Indiana |
| G |
11 |
Niccolo Moretti |
6-1 |
160 |
Fr. |
– |
– |
– |
Joined team Jan. 26; will redshirt |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
220 |
Jr. |
1.2 |
1.3 |
0.2 |
3 reb in 7 min at Indiana |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
200 |
Fr. |
2.8 |
3.9 |
1.0 |
Career-high 11 pts, 8 reb at Penn St |
| G |
22 |
Paxton Warden |
6-4 |
180 |
Fr. |
0.2 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
First career FG at Minnesota |
| G |
55 |
Skyy Clark |
6-3 |
200 |
Fr. |
7.0 |
3.7 |
2.1 |
Announced leave from team Jan. 6 |
Career Record: 220-102Â (.683), 10th year
At Illinois: 111-75 (.597), 6th year
Big Ten: 63-50Â (.559)
Series Notes vs. Minnesota
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 128-68
Streak: Illinois W-5
Last Meeting: Illinois 78, Minnesota 60 (Jan. 16, 2023 at Minneapolis)
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 74-19
Streak at Champaign: Illinois W-3
Last Meeting at Champaign: #13 Illinois 92, Minnesota 65 (Dec. 15, 2020)
Underwood vs. Minnesota:Â 6-2
Opening Tips
• Illinois returns to Champaign for a two-game homestand, beginning Monday night vs. Minnesota (8 p.m. CT, BTN).
• Illinois is 12-2 at home this season and carries a three-game winning streak at State Farm Center.
• The Minnesota game was originally slated for Feb. 7, but it was postponed due to health and safety protocols within the Gopher program. The rescheduling has the Illini in a stretch of four games in nine days from Feb. 18-26.
• Illinois has won five straight over Minnesota, its longest streak against the Gophers since a school-record 20 consecutive wins from March 4, 1999 through March 15, 2008.
• Illinois has dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season, and first since Jan. 17-21 of last year.
• Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in league play over the last four years, with 52 total wins.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the NCAA behind Utah Valley in blocked shots, averaging 5.9 bpg.Â
• The Illini's current total of 154 blocks is just nine away from breaking the school single-season record of 162, set in 1978-79.Â
• Illinois has tallied at least six blocks in 15 games, including nine on Saturday at No. 14 Indiana.
• Illinois has allowed an average of just 59.0 points (472) in its Big Ten wins, holding all eight opponents below the 70-point mark. The Illini have given up an average of 77.6 points (543) in its Big Ten losses, however, with all seven opponents topping 70 points.
• All eight of Illinois' Big Ten wins have been by at least nine points. Â
Last Time Out: No. 14 Indiana 71, Illinois 68Â Â Box Score
• Illinois led for more than 26 minutes of game time, taking the lead at the 9:10 mark in the first half, and not trailing again until the final 30 seconds of the contest.
• The game also featured 10 ties, a season-most for an Illinois game.Â
• The loss snaps the Illini's two-game winning streak in Bloomington. Indiana last beat Illinois on its home court Jan. 13, 2019.
• Illinois built a lead in the first half by connecting on 50% (6-12) of its 3-point attempts.
• The Illini struggled from beyond the arc in the second half, however, going 0-for-8 from distance.
• Illinois' largest lead of the game was nine points, 48-39, at the 12:41 mark of the second half.
• Illinois had its three-game winning streak against ranked opponents snapped, moving to 4-3 on the year against top-25 foes.
• Illinois tied a season high with 19 fast break points, posting a 19-11 edge in the category.
• Matthew Mayer led the team in points (24), rebounds (8), and blocks (5), while notching one steal.
• Mayer posted 16 first-half points including four 3-pointers, the most triples in a single half in his career.
• It marks the ninth time this season that Mayer has led the Illini in scoring, and the fourth time he has pulled down a team-high rebounding total.
• Mayer has scored 20+ points five times this season.
• Jayden Epps scored 12 points and tied for the team lead with two assists.
• Epps has reached double-figures 18 times, including 12 of the Illini's last 15 contests.
• Epps also recorded a career high in minutes (34:34) and tied his high with three steals.Â
• Dain Dainja tallied his 10th double-digit game of the season, finishing with 11 points. Â
• Luke Goode, in just his third game action since returning from a foot injury, tallied seven points, two rebounds and two assist in a season-high 23 minutes off the bench.
• Goode tied his career high for field goals (3), assists (2), steals (1), and blocks (1).Â
• Leading scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. missed his first game of the season (concussion protocol).
