| Illinois Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
6.6 |
4.9 |
2.4 |
Tied career high of 15 points at Michigan |
| G/F |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
205 |
Jr. |
7.4 |
4.1 |
0.6 |
Career-high 16 points (4 3FG) at #1 PUR |
| G/F |
3 |
Marcus Domask |
6-6 |
215 |
Gr. |
14.7 |
4.6 |
3.3 |
18.0 ppg in last 12 games since Dec. 2 at Rutgers |
| G/F |
13 |
Quincy Guerrier |
6-8 |
230 |
Gr. |
11.6 |
7.9 |
0.2 |
3rd in Big Ten with 7 double-doubles |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
230 |
Sr. |
11.3 |
6.1 |
2.8 |
11 steals in last 2 games, most by an Illini since 1986 |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Terrence Shannon Jr. |
6-6 |
225 |
5th |
21.3 |
4.3 |
2.7 |
22 straight games In double-figures scoring |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
Fr. |
3.4 |
1.3 |
0.6 |
9 pts & tied career-high w/ 4 rebs vs. FDU |
| G |
4 |
Justin Harmon |
6-4 |
200 |
Gr. |
7.1 |
3.1 |
1.1 |
11.9 ppg (13 3FGs) over last seven games |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
So. |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
First-career FG vs. Missouri |
| G |
11 |
Niccolo Moretti |
6-1 |
170 |
r-Fr. |
2.8 |
1.8 |
1.8 |
2 points in return from injury at Mich. (1/18) |
| G |
25 |
Max Williams |
6-2 |
200 |
Sr. |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
First-career rebound vs. Rutgers (1/12) |
| F |
35 |
Amani Hansberry |
6-8 |
240 |
Fr. |
2.6 |
2.9 |
0.5 |
8 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl vs. Southern |
| F/C |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
255 |
r-Jr. |
6.3 |
3.7 |
0.4 |
Team-high 19 points (9-10 FG) vs. FDU |
| Out |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Sencire Harris |
6-4 |
170 |
So. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Plans to redshirt 2023-24 season |
| G |
22 |
Keaton Kutcher |
6-2 |
200 |
Jr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Transfer from South Dakota |
Career Record: 237-110 (.683), 11th year
At Illinois: 128-83 (.607), 7th year
Big Ten: 71-54 (.568)
Series History
All-Time Record / Streak: Illinois leads 144-43 / Illinois W-2
Last Meeting: #9 Illinois 96, Northwestern 66 (1/2/2024 at Champaign)
Record at Evanston / Streak: Illinois leads 65-29 / Northwestern W-1
Last Meeting in Evanston: Northwestern 73, Illinois 60 (1/4/2023)
Underwood vs. Northwestern: 10-3
Opening Tips
- Illinois travels to Evanston for a Wednesday rematch with Northwestern (8 p.m. CT, BTN) at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
- The Fighting Illini defeated Northwestern, 96-66, in their first meeting of the season Jan. 2 at State Farm Center, and are coming off of back-to-back Big Ten wins last week at Michigan (88-73) and vs. Rutgers (86-63).
- Wednesday's matchup with Northwestern is the 188th in the series that dates back to the 1907-08 season. Illinois leads 144-43. The Illini are 65-29 vs. the Wildcats in Evanston and have won 10 of the last 11 meetings overall, with the lone loss coming in the Illini's last visit to Welsh-Ryan Arena, 73-60.
- Illinois is No. 10 in the latest AP poll, marking the team's ninth consecutive week inside the Top 25.
- Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play since the start of 2019-20. Entering Wednesday's game at Northwestern, the Illini are 60-27 (.690) in league games over the last four-plus seasons.
- Following Illinois' win at Michigan last Thursday, the Illini are also a Big Ten leading 25-18 (.581) on the road in conference play since the start of 2019-20, including a 2-1 mark this season.
- Wednesday's contest at Northwestern continues a steady cadence of Big Ten play in which the Illini face five of six conference foes on two-day preparations through the end of January. Following the team's Jan. 11 win at Michigan, the Illini are scheduled to play every third day through the team's Jan. 30 matchup at Ohio State.
- Offensively, the Fighting Illini's scoring average 82.3 ppg ranks as the team's highest since 1993-94 (84.0 ppg).
- Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with a scoring margin of +14.8 ppg.
- During the Illini's seven-game home win streak from Oct. 17 through Jan. 11, the Orange and Blue outscored opponents by an average of 23.7 points per contest.
- Illinois has 21 wins over Top 25 teams since 2019-20, sixth-most nationally. Three of the team's four losses this season have been by single-digit margins against top-25 foes.
- Defensively, Illinois ranks 16th nationally in scoring margin (+14.8) and 17th in field goal percentage defense (.394), marks that rank second in the Big Ten. The Orange and Blue are also 78th in the NCAA in blocks per game (4.3), and 83rd nationally in scoring defense (67.5 ppg).
- Illinois is among the top 10 nationally in two defensive categories via KenPom, ranking fifth in the nation in effective field goal percentage defense (.438) and sixth in 2-point field goal percentage defense (.429).
- KenPom also rates the Illini among the top 30 programs nationally in adjusted efficiency on both offense (8th, 121.4) and defense (27th, 97.2). Illinois is one of 11 programs to rank inside the top 30 in both metrics.
- The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank in the top 10 in the NCAA in both total rebounds per game (43.11; fifth in NCAA) and defensive rebounds per game (30.11, sixth in NCAA). The Illini also rank second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+9.4) and offensive rebounds per game (13.0), 14th and 35th in the nation, respectively.
- Illinois leads the Big Ten in second-chance scoring, converting their 13.0 offensive rebounds per game into 15.8 points per contest, nearly two points higher than the next closest Big Ten program (Purdue, 13.9).
- The Illini average 43.1 rebounds per game is the team's best single-season mark since 1972-73 (44.4 rpg).
- The Illini have outrebounded their opponents in 13 of 18 games this season, and own a 12-1 record when winning the battle on the glass.
- Illinois has pulled down 50+ rebounds in seven games this season, including a stretch four straight – vs. Valpo, Southern, Western Illinois, and at Rutgers – that was the longest streak of consecutive games with 50+ rebounds since the 1963-64 season.
- Illinois' seven games of 50+ rebounds ranks as the most for the program since at least the 1979-80 season.The Illini closed a non-conference schedule featuring six opponents that competed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, including two that advanced to the second round (Missouri and FDU), two Sweet 16 par
- ticipants (Marquette and Tennessee), and 2023 Final Four Cinderella story, FAU. The Orange and Blue went 4-2 in those six contests.
- Illinois' Braggin' Rights win on Dec. 22 capped a run with four of five games away from State Farm Center. The month began with a 76-58 win at Rutgers in the Big Ten opener, followed by a 98-89 victory over No. 11 Florida Atlantic in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, before a hard-fought 86-79 loss at No. 17 Tennessee.
- Illinois averaged 99.0 ppg (297) over a three-game stretch from Dec. 22-Jan. 2 in wins vs. Missouri (97-73), vs. FDU (104-71), and vs. Northwestern (96-66). It marked the first time Illinois had topped 90 points in three consecutive games in 30 seasons, since December 10-18, 1993.
Illini Player Notables
- Marcus Domask has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games, with two 30+ point performances – a career-high 33 vs. Florida Atlantic at Madison Square Garden and 32 vs. Northwestern – plus game highs of 26 points at No. 1 Purdue and vs. Maryland.
- Domask is averaging 18.0 ppg over the last 12 games (216). He has climbed to 13th in the Big Ten at 14.7 points per game overall this season after averaging just 8.2 points over his first six games.
- In conference games only, Domask ranks fourth in the Big Ten at 20.1 points per game.
- Domask is one of the Big Ten's most efficient scorers, ranking 13th in the conference with a .436 field goal percentage (92-211).
- Domask ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten in free throw shooting at 87.8% (65-74), on pace to break the Illinois program's single-season record (minimum 75 attempts) of .874 (76-87) set by Alfonso Plummer in 2022.
- Domask is averaging 5.4 assists over the last seven games (43), compared to 1.6 apg the first 10 games (16), and ranks 12th in the Big Ten 3.28 assists per game, and 15th with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37.
- Domask was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the Big Ten (Jan. 8) and Associated Press (Jan. 9), and was also honored as one of five USBWA Oscar Robertson National Players of the Week (Jan. 9), after averaging 29.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 59.4% from the field, 66.7% from 3-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line in matchups vs. Northwestern and at No. 1 Purdue.
- Quincy Guerrier leads one of the nation's most tenacious rebounding teams, ranking seventh in the Big Ten at 7.9 rebounds per game, sixth in defensive rebounding (5.9 per game), and 15th in offensive rebounding (1.9).
- Guerrier leads the Illini and ranks third in the Big Ten with seven double-doubles through 18 games this season with the Illini. He totaled two double-doubles in 71 career games at Oregon, both coming during the 2021-22 season.
- Guerrier has scored at least 10 points in nine of his last 10 games, averaging 15.9 points per game over that stretch after opening the season with a 6.3 points per game average through his first eight contests at Illinois.
- Guerrier is 17-of-42 (.405) on threes over the last 10 games, compared to 2-of-20 (.100) over his first eight.
- Coleman Hawkins has scored in double figures in nine of the last 10 games and is averaging 14.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.4 steals with 24 threes (2.4 per game) during that run.
- In Illinois' 88-73 road win at Michigan (1/18), Hawkins became first Big Ten player since 2007 (Purdue's Carl Landry) to record a stat line of at least 21 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, six steals and one block.
- Hawkins followed up his six-steal performance at Michigan (1/18) with five more swipes vs. Rutgers (1/21), becoming the first Illini player since Trent Frazier in 2018-19 to record two games with 5+ steals in a single season. His combined 11 steals are the most by an Illini over a two-game stretch in 38 years, since Bruce Douglas combined for 12 steals with seven at Michigan (1/18/86) and five at Michigan State (1/12/86).
- Hawkins has recorded at least one steal in each of his last 12 games, a career-long streak.
- Hawkins also posted a career-long streak of eight consecutive games with a block between Dec. 17 vs. Colgate and Jan. 18 at Michigan, and ranks 12th in the Big Ten at 1.2 blocks per game.
- Hawkins is the only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 15 in the conference in both blocks per game (1.20 bpg, 12th) and steals per game (1.87 spg, sixth).
- Hawkins has made 24-of-60 (.400) 3-pointers over the last 10 games, after going 2-of-14 (.143) from distance in his first five contests.
- Hawkins is averaging 8.3 rebounds per game over his last four contests, and has climbed to No. 16 in the Big Ten with a season rebounding average of 6.1 rebounds per game.
- Luke Goode has started each of the Illini's last seven games, averaging 30.4 minutes per game. Goode set his career high in minutes with 36 each in each game against Michigan State (1/11) at Maryland (1/14).
- Goode also scored career-best 16 points at #1 Purdue and tied his career high with four 3-pointers against the Boilers, then two games later vs. Maryland he tallied 13 points including a trio of 3-pointers.
- Goode ranks 13th in the Big Ten at 1.93 triples per game and is shooting 40.3% (35-87) from distance.
- Justin Harmon has reached double-figures scoring in five of his last seven games and is averaging 11.9 points per game over that stretch. Harmon averaged just 4.1 points per game over his first 11 contests of the season.
- Harmon posted a season-high 20 points, hitting 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, along with 2-of-2 at the foul line in 30 minutes of action in the Illini's win against Northwestern on Jan. 2.
- Harmon led the Illini in scoring for the first time this season, with 18 points in the 86-63 home win vs. Rutgers (1/21).
- Harmon's 7.1 ppg for the season enter's Wednesday's matchup ranked 6th on the team, overall. It is the second-highest average of any B1G player that hasn't started a game this season entering Wednesday's at Northwestern.
- Terrence Shannon Jr. recorded 16 points and four assist in the Illini's victory over Rutgers (1/21), extending his streak of double-digit scoring games to 22.
Every Day Guys Exclusive:
Read the latest feature stories on the Fighting Illini men's basketball team.
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
