ILLINOIS (16-6, 7-4)  at  Iowa (14-8, 6-5)
Date | Time	Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023 | 1:30 p.m. CT
Location	Iowa City, Iowa | Carver-Hawkeye Arena
Tickets	Sold Out | Stub Hub
Television	FOX (Jason Benetti & Stephen Bardo)
Live Stream	fox.com/live | FOX Sports App
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 381, SXM App 971
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Iowa
Pregame Press Conference	Coach Underwood (Feb. 3)
Stats	Illinois | Iowa
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 219-99 (.689), 10th year
At Illinois: 110-72 (.604), 6th year
Big Ten: 62-47 (.569)

Series Notes vs. Iowa

All-Time Record: Illinois leads 90-76
Streak: Illinois W-5
Last Meeting: #20 Illinois 74, #24 Iowa 72 (March 6, 2022 at Champaign)
Record at Iowa City: Iowa leads 56-23
Streak at Iowa City: Illinois W-1
Last Meeting at Iowa City: Illinois 87, Iowa 83 (Dec. 6, 2021)
Underwood vs. Iowa: 5-5

Opening Tips

• Winners of three straight games and seven of its last eight, Illinois next plays Saturday afternoon at Iowa, who has won six of its last eight (1:30 p.m. CT, FOX).

• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring defense during conference play (64.5 ppg), while Iowa leads the B1G in scoring during league games (78.4 ppg).

• Illinois has won its last three road games, winning by an average margin of 18.0 points (54). 

• Illinois leads all Big Ten teams with 23 road wins in league play over the last four years. 

• Illinois went 7-2 in the month of January. Over the last four seasons, the Illini are 23-7 in January games.

• Illinois ranks 15th in kenpom adjusted defensive efficiency. The Illini excel nationally in a number of defensive categories, including a 14.8 block rate (10th), 44.8% effective field goal defense (13th), 43.2% two-point defense (9th), and 30.8 three-point attempt rate (20th).

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country in blocked shots, averaging 5.9 bpg. The current Illini single-season blocks record is 5.4 bpg, set in 1979.

• Illinois is averaging 72.9 points (510) while allowing just 58.9 points (412) in its Big Ten wins, holding all seven opponents below the 70-point mark.  

• Illinois has not topped 66 points in any of its Big Ten losses, averaging just 62.5 points while allowing opponents to score 74.5 points in those four games.

Illini Items

• Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last four seasons, registering a 51-20 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, finished one game back of the title in 2020, and are currently tied for second:

1. Illinois – 51
2. Purdue – 47
3. Wisconsin – 44
4. Iowa – 43
5. Michigan – 41

• Illinois also owns the most road wins during league play over the last four years with 23, four ahead of the next closest Big Ten team:

1. Illinois – 23
2. Wisconsin – 19
3. Purdue – 18
4. Michigan – 17
5. Ohio State – 15

• All seven of Illinois' Big Ten wins have been by at least nine points. 

• Illinois has outrebounded 18 of 22 opponents. The Illini rank second in the Big Ten and No. 25 in the NCAA with a 5.9 average rebound margin.

• Illinois reserves are combining to score 21.1 points per game, ranking third in the B1G.

• Illinois is one of seven teams in the country with multiple kenpom top-10 wins this season, defeating No. 5 UCLA on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas and No. 10 Texas on Dec. 6 at Madison Square Garden:

1. Xavier, 3 – #6 UConn, #8 Marquette, at #6 UConn
T2. Arizona, 2 – #2 Tennessee, #5 UCLA
T2. Baylor, 2 – vs. #5 UCLA, #9 Kansas
T2. Illinois, 2 – vs. #5 UCLA, vs. #10 Texas
T2. Kansas State, 2 – at #9 Kansas, #10 Texas
T2. Providence, 2 – #6 UConn, #8 Marquette
T2. Tennessee, 2 – #9 Kansas, #10 Texas

• Illinois has three AP top-15 wins this season (No. 2 Texas, No. 8 UCLA and No. 14 Wisconsin), which leads the Big Ten and is tied for fifth-most nationally:

T1. Alabama, 4 – vs. #12 Michigan State, vs. #1 North Carolina, at #1 Houston, at #15 Arkansas
T1. Arizona, 4 – vs. #10 Creighton, vs. #14 Indiana, #6 Tennessee, #5 UCLA
T1. Iowa State, 4 – vs. #1 North Carolina, #12 Baylor, #7 Texas, #5 Kansas State
T1. Kansas, 4 – vs. #7 Duke, #14 Indiana, #14 Iowa State, #7 Kansas State
T5. Baylor, 3 – vs. #8 UCLA, vs. #14 Gonzaga, #9 Kansas
T5. Illinois, 3 – vs. #8 UCLA, vs. #2 Texas, #14 Wisconsin
T5. Tennessee, 3 – vs. #3 Kansas, vs. #13 Maryland, #10 Texas

• Terrence Shannon Jr. is one of two power conference players (Jalen Pickett, Penn State) – and one of just 15 players nationally – averaging at least 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal on the season.

• Shannon ranks seventh in the Big Ten in scoring (17.2 ppg), first in free throws made (110) and second in attempts (141).

• At his current pace, Shannon is on track to enter the top five in school history for both free throws made and attempted in a season.

• Shannon averaged 20.0 points over a six-game stretch from Jan. 7-24, topping 20 points three times. He ranks seventh in the Big Ten with seven 20-point games this season.

• Shannon's recent six-game double figure scoring streak was the longest of his career.

• Matthew Mayer has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 14 games, averaging 14.9 points (208).

• Mayer's spree included five straight games in double digits from Jan. 4-16, the longest streak of his career. 

• After going scoreless against Indiana on Jan. 19, Mayer is averaging 18.0 points over the last three games (54).

• Mayer scored a career-high 26 points in last Saturday's win at Wisconsin. It was his third 20-point game this season and most points scored against the Badgers in league play. 

• Mayer is averaging 2.2 blocks over the last 10 games (21), highlighted by a career-high six rejections in the Jan. 13 win over Michigan State.  

• Dain Dainja ranks 30th nationally in 2-point field goal percentage at 68.7% (92-134).

• Dainja has made at least 60% from the field in 17 of 22 games.

• Dainja ranks fifth in the Big Ten in blocked shots (1.4 bpg) and is averaging 2.0 blocks over the last 10 games (20).

• Freshman Jayden Epps has scored in double figures in nine of the last 11 games, averaging 10.8 points (119).

• Epps is averaging 13.0 points during his last three games in the starting lineup (39).

• Epps has 15 assists with just seven turnovers in 197 minutes over the last seven games (2.14 a/to ratio).

• Over the last two games, Coleman Hawkins has combined for 26 rebounds, 11 assists and six blocks. 

• Illinois is 11-0 when shooting at least 45% from the field, and 13-1 when scoring at least 70 points.

• Illinois is a balanced offensive team, with seven players averaging at least 6.0 points.

• Illinois' top three leading scorers this season are transfers.

• A transfer has been Illinois' leading scorer in each of the last 16 games, and 19 of 22 games this season.

• 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.

• 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. 296 in experience  and No. 345 in minutes continuity according to kenpom, ahead of only three power conference teams.

• Illinois has replaced 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.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)