| Illinois Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
3 |
Jayden Epps |
6-2 |
190 |
Fr. |
10.3 |
2.0 |
1.6 |
17 pts, 4 threes vs Minnesota |
| G |
15 |
RJ Melendez |
6-7 |
205 |
So. |
5.7 |
3.3 |
0.7 |
10 pts, 11 reb vs Minnesota |
| G/F |
24 |
Matthew Mayer |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
12.6 |
5.3 |
1.2 |
23.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg over last 2 games |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
225 |
Jr. |
9.9 |
6.5 |
3.1 |
13 ppg, 55% FG over last 4 games |
| F |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
270 |
r-So. |
10.3 |
5.9 |
0.6 |
12.8 ppg over last 5 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. |
3.5 |
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. |
2.5 |
1.0 |
0.8 |
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. |
2.7 |
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: 221-102 (.684), 10th year
At Illinois: 112-75 (.599), 6th year
Big Ten: 64-50 (.561)
Series Notes vs. Northwestern
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 142-43
Streak: Northwestern W-1
Last Meeting: Northwestern 73, Illinois 60 (Jan. 4, 2023 at Evanston)
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 72-14
Streak at Champaign: Illinois W-6
Last Meeting at Champaign: #13 Illinois 73, Northwestern 66 (Feb. 13, 2022)
Underwood vs. Northwestern: 8-3
Opening Tips
• Illinois plays its penultimate game at State Farm Center on Thursday night, facing No. 21 Northwestern.
• Illinois is 4-3 against ranked opponents this season and has won 15 of its last 24 games vs. Top 25 teams.
• Illinois is 13-2 at home this season and carries a four-game winning streak at State Farm Center.
• Illinois has won nine of its last 13 games, compiling four- and three-game win streaks during this stretch.
• The postponement and rescheduling of the Minnesota game has the Illini continuing a stretch of four games in nine days from Feb. 18-26.
• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the NCAA in blocked shots, averaging 5.8 bpg.
• The Illini's current total of 156 blocks is just seven away from breaking the school single-season record of 162, set in 1978-79.
• Illinois has allowed an average of just 60.1 points (541) in its Big Ten wins, holding all nine 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 nine of Illinois' Big Ten wins have been by at least nine points.
• Senior Matthew Mayer has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games – with four 20-point outings – and is averaging 18.3 points (128), 6.7 rebounds (47) and 3.0 three-pointers (21) during this stretch.
Last Time Out: Illinois 78, Minnesota 69 Box Score
• Illinois won its sixth straight over the Gophers, their longest such streak since winning 20-straight from March 4, 1999 to March 15, 2008.
• Illinois improved to 13-2 at State Farm Center this season, winning at least 13 home games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2010-12.
• The Illini made 10 three-pointers in a game for the first time since Jan. 7 at Wisconsin.
• Illinois had five players score in double-figure figures.
• Matthew Mayer scored a team-high 22 points, going 7-for-14 from the floor, and added seven rebounds.
• It was Mayer's sixth 20-point game this season, and fourth in the last seven games.
• It marks the first time in Mayer's career with back-to-back 20-point games.
• Mayer grabbed at least seven rebounds for the fourth straight game.
• Jayden Epps scored 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor, including 4-for-3 from behind the arc.
• It marked Epps' most points in Big Ten play.
• Epps scored the team's first eight points of the second half, bookending a pair of 3-pointers with a layup.
• Epps' four 3-pointers marked the second most of his career (five vs. Monmouth).
• RJ Melendez recorded his first-career double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing a career-high 11 boards.
• It was Melendez' first game scoring in double-figures since Jan. 19 vs. Indiana.
• Coleman Hawkins scored 16 points on 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-8 from three, while adding seven rebounds and three assists.
• Dain Dainja scored 12 points, reaching double digits for the fourth time in the last five games.
