No. 10 Illini Visit Michigan State Saturday on CBS

#10 ILLINOIS (17-5, 8-3) at Michigan State (14-9, 6-6)
Date | Time	Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 | 1 p.m. CT
Location	East Lansing, Mich. | Breslin Center
Tickets	Sold Out | Buy on SeatGeek
TV	CBS (Andrew Catalon & Steve Lappas)
Live Stream	CBSSports.com/watch/college-basketball
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 84, SXM App 84
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Michigan State
Pre-Game Media Availability	Coach Underwood (Feb. 9)
2023-24 Stats	Illinois | Michigan State
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 240-111 (.684), 11th year
At Illinois: 131-84 (.609), 7th year
Big Ten: 74-55 (.574)

Series History

All-Time Record / Streak: Series tied 64-64 / Illinois W-4
Last Meeting: Illinois 71, Michigan State 68 (1/11/2024 at Champaign)
Record at East Lansing/ Streak: Michigan State leads 40-21  /  Illinois W-1
Last Meeting at East Lansing: Illinois 79, Michigan State 74 (2/19/2022)
Underwood vs. Michigan State: 5-5

Opening Tips

• No. 10 Illinois opens a stretch with three out of four on the road, beginning Saturday at Michigan State (1 p.m. CT, CBS).
• The Illini enter play this weekend in sole possession of second in the Big Ten standings at 8-3 in league play, one game in the loss column behind No. 2 Purdue (10-2), while Michigan State is tied for sixth at 6-6. 
• Saturday's meeting with Michigan State is the 129th in the series that dates back to the 1950-51 season. The series is tied, 64-64, with Illinois having won four straight (streak began on Jan. 25, 2022).
• The four-game winning streak is Illinois' longest against the Spartans since taking five in a row from Feb. 18, 2003 through March 4, 2006.
• This is a return matchup with MSU after Illinois won the first meeting, 71-68, on Jan. 11 at State Farm Center. 
• The Illini are 21-40 vs. Michigan State in East Lansing and are making their first trip to the Breslin Center since a 79-74 victory on Feb. 19, 2022. 
• Illinois is in search of its first two-game win streak in East Lansing since a 53-46 win on March 1, 2014, followed by a 59-54 victory on Feb. 7, 2015. 
• Illinois is No. 10 in the latest AP poll, marking the team's 11th consecutive week inside the Top 25.
• Illinois is ranked in the top 10 in the opening poll of February for the first time since Feb. 6, 2006 (No. 10).
• Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play since the start of 2019-20. The Illini are 63-28 (.692) in league games over the last four-and-a-half seasons heading into Saturday's game at Michigan State.
• Following Illinois' road win at Ohio State on Jan. 30, the Illini also have a Big Ten-leading 26 road wins (26-19, .578) in conference play since the start of 2019-20, which includes a 3-2 road mark this season. 

Illini Team Notables

• Illinois is scoring an average of 82.5 points per game, the team's highest since 1993-94 (84.0 ppg).
• The Illini have connected on at least six 3-pointers in each of their last 17 games, a mark that ranks third nationally among Power Conference programs behind BYU (22) and Northwestern (21). 
• The Illini have made 15+ free-throws in each of the team's last 15 games, a streak that ranks first nationally among all NCAA Division I programs. 
• Illinois is seventh in the country in offensive efficiency (121.0), its second-highest ranking of the Kenpom era and best since 2005, when the Illini's NCAA runner-up team had the nation's No. 3 offense (122.3).
• Illinois has topped 85 points in five of its last six games.
• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 19th nationally with a scoring margin of +12.9 ppg.
• During the Illini's seven-game home win streak from Nov. 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. 
• Illinois is among the top 20 nationally in three defensive categories via KenPom, ranking 14th in 2-point field goal percentage defense (.445), and 17th in the in effective field goal percentage defense (.456). 
• KenPom rates the Illini among the top 35 programs nationally in adjusted efficiency on both offense (7th, 121.0) and defense (31st, 97.4). Illinois is one of 14 programs to rank inside the top 35 in both metrics.
• Illinois is 12-0 when holding the opposition to less than one point per possession.  
• The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank in the top 20 in the NCAA in total rebounds per game (43.2; fourth in NCAA), defensive rebounds per game (29.7, fifth in NCAA), and offensive rebounds per game (13.5; 19th in the NCAA). The Illini also rank second in the Big Ten in rebounding margin (+9.8), which ranks ninth nationally.
• The Illini average 43.2 rebounds per game is the team's best single-season mark since 1972-73 (44.4 rpg).  
• The Illini have outrebounded their opponents in 17 of 22 games this season, and own a 15-2 record when winning the battle on the glass. 
• Illinois is 11-1 when its records an offensive rebound rate of at least 35%.
• Illinois enters play this weekend leading the Big Ten in second-chance scoring, converting their offensive rebounds into 15.4 ppg, two points per game higher than the next closest Big Ten program (Purdue, 13.4). 
• Illinois has pulled down 50+ rebounds in eight games this season, its most since 1979-80. Included in that was a stretch four straight – vs. Valpo, Southern, Western Illinois, and at Rutgers – that was Illinois' longest streak of consecutive games with 50+ rebounds since the 1963-64 season. 
• 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

• Domask has scored in double figures in 15 of the last 16 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 and team-leading 23 in a road win at Ohio State. 
• Domask is averaging 18.5 ppg over the last 16 games (296). He has climbed to 11th in the Big Ten at 15.7 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 12th in the conference with a .450 (121-269) field goal percentage. 
• Domask ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten in free throw shooting at 88.2% (82-93), on pace for the Illinois program's single-season record of .874 (76-87) set by Alfonso Plummer in 2022. 
• Domask is averaging 5.0 assists over the last 12 games (60), compared to 1.6 apg the first 10 games (16), and ranks 12th in the Big Ten 3.5 assists per game, and 13th with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.52.  
• 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.
• Domask enters Saturday's game at Michigan State 40 points away from reaching 2,000 for his Division I career. He is also 35 rebounds away from 700 career boards, and just two steals away from 100.

Coleman Hawkins

• Hawkins has scored in double figures in 12 of the last 14 games and is averaging 14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks and 2.1 steals. 
• 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).
• In back-to-back two road games at Michigan (1/18) and at Northwestern (1/24), Hawkins recorded two double-doubles of 21 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Wolverines and 22 points and 13 boards vs. the Wildcats, while shooting 54% (14-26) overall, 50% (5-10) from 3-point range, and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, while adding eight steals, five assists, three blocks.  
• Hawkins recorded at least one steal in 14 straight games from Dec. 2 at Rutgers to Jan. 27 vs. Indiana, a career-long streak, before finishing without a swipe at Ohio State (1/30) for the first time since the season's first three games. He ranks seventh in the Big Ten at 1.79 steals per game overall. In Big Ten Play, Hawkins ranks third in the league at  2.2 swipes per contest. 
• Hawkins also posted a career-long streak of eight consecutive games with a block between Dec. 17 vs. Colgate and Jan. 18 at Michigan. He ranks 12th in the Big Ten at 1.2 blocks per game overall, and 10th in Big Ten play at 1.4 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 (1.2 bpg, 12th) and steals per game (1.8 spg, seventh). 
• Over the last 14 games, Hawkins, one of the most versatile front court players in the nation, has led the Fighting Illini in 3-pointers made (32) and attempted (74), connecting at a team-best 43.2% from long distance during that span. Hawkins opened the season 2-for-14 (.143) from distance in his first five contests. 
• Hawkins ranks first in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting among players listed 6-foot-10 or taller with 34 triples on the season, more than the next two players - Minnesota F Dawson Garcia (15) and Wisconsin C Steven Crowl (14) - combined.
• Hawkins is averaging 7.8 rebounds per game over his last eight contests, and has climbed to No. 15 in the Big Ten with an overall rebounding average of 6.4 rebounds per game, and 14th in defensive rebounding at 4.6 per game.

Terrence Shannon Jr.

• Shannon has reached double-figures scoring in each of his last 26 games as an Illini, doing so in all 16 of his appearances this season, plus the final 10 contests of the 2022-23 campaign. 
• Since returning to the Illini lineup on Jan. 21 vs. Rutgers, Shannon has averaged 16.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest over his last five games.  
• Shannon recorded 16 points and four assist in the Illini's victory over Rutgers (1/21), followed by 12 points each in a road loss at Northwestern (1/24) and a home win over Indiana (1/27) in which he also tallied six rebounds and helped close out the victory over the Hoosiers with by knocking down six straight free-throws in the final 63 seconds.
• Shannon has returned to form over the course of the Illini's last two wins. First, at Ohio State (1/30), Shannon tied Marcus Domask for the team lead with 23 points (including 6-for-6 from the free-throw line), along with three rebounds and team highs in assists (3) and blocks (2). Then, in the Illini's overtime victory over Nebraska (2/4), he posted 18 points while knocking down three 3-pointers for the second straight contest, and came up with a crucial steal with seven seconds left the overtime period to helped seal the Illini win.

Quincy Guerrier

• Guerrier leads one of the nation's most tenacious rebounding teams, ranking seventh in the Big Ten in overall rebounding (7.55 rpg) and sixth in the league in defensive rebounding (5.68 rpg). 
• Guerrier leads the Illini and ranks fourth in the Big Ten with eight double-doubles through 22 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 11 of his last 14 games, averaging 13.8 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 22-of-52 (.423) on threes over the last 14 games, compared to 2-of-20 (.100) over his first eight.  Guerrier ranks second on the team, behind Coleman Hawkins, in both 3-point makes and 3-point percentage during that stretch. 
• Guerrier enters play Saturday at Michigan State with 922 career rebounds, ranking 15th on the NCAA's list of active career leaders.

Ty Rodgers

• Rodgers has provided the Illini with another excellent rebounder from his point guard position, ranking third on the team, behind Quincy Guerrier and Coleman Hawkins, at 5.7 rebounds per game. 
• Rodgers has recorded 24 rebounds in his last two games after notching 10 boards as part of a double-double effort at Ohio State, and notching a game-high total of 14 vs. Nebraska. It matches his best two-game total of the season after he pulled down nine rebounds vs. Missouri, and then notched a career-high 15 vs. FDU. 
• Rodgers has been particularly effective on the offensive glass where he has pulled down a team-leading 48 offensive rebounds, or a team-high 38.4% of his 125 total rebounds. 
• Rodgers' 2.2 offensive rebounds per game ranks 10th in the Big Ten this season.

Luke Goode

• Goode started seven games, from Dec. 29 vs. FDU to Jan. 21  vs. Rutgers, 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 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 15th in the Big Ten at 1.86 3-pointers per game and has knocked down a team-leading 41  total triples on the season. He is second on the team shooting 38.3% from 3-point range, behind Coleman Hawkins' 38.6% from distance.

Justin Harmon

• Harmon ranks seventh on the Illini roster in scoring at 6.8 points per game, and has tallied 104 of his 149 total points over the team's last 11 games (9.5 ppg) after averaging just 4.1 points per game over the team's first 11 contests of the season. 
• Harmon shot 5-for-16 (.313) from 3-point range through his first 11 games, but has hit at a clip of more than 38 percent (15-for-39) over his last 11 contests. 
• 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).

Every Day Guys Exclusive:

Read the latest feature stories on the Fighting Illini men's basketball team.  

• Jan. 10: 'I Just Wanted to be Different': Hawkins' Legacy Grows in Fourth Year With Program
• Dec. 7: Harmon Takes Long Road to Illinois in Final Year of Eligibility
• Nov. 30: 'I Owed That Sacrifice to Everybody': Goode Finds, Establishes Role in Third Season at Illinois
• Oct. 26: 'Now or Never': Hawkins, Shannon Gear Up for 'Last Dance' at Illinois
• Oct. 19: Every Day Guys: How Three Words Became Engrained in Illinois' Team Culture, Identity

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)