| Illinois Probable Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
So. |
6.4 |
5.3 |
2.1 |
9.0 ppg & 9.3 rpg in B1G Tournament |
| G |
0 |
Terrence Shannon Jr. |
6-6 |
225 |
5th |
23.3 |
4.0 |
2.3 |
31.6 ppg in five postseason games |
| G/F |
3 |
Marcus Domask |
6-6 |
215 |
Gr. |
16.1 |
5.0 |
4.0 |
Triple-double vs Morehead State (12 p, 11 r, 10 a) |
| G/F |
13 |
Quincy Guerrier |
6-8 |
230 |
Gr. |
9.8 |
6.2 |
0.3 |
10 pts (5-7 FG) & 6 reb vs. Duquesne (3/23) |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
230 |
Sr. |
12.3 |
6.1 |
2.8 |
1st ILL player w/ 900 pts-500 reb-200 ast-100 stl-100 blk |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
Fr. |
2.5 |
0.9 |
0.4 |
6 pts on 2-of-2 from three vs. Morehead St. |
| G |
4 |
Justin Harmon |
6-4 |
200 |
Gr. |
5.8 |
2.8 |
1.1 |
90.9% FT (40-44) |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
So. |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
First-career FG vs. Missouri |
| G/F |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
205 |
Jr. |
5.8 |
3.5 |
0.6 |
9 pts on 3-of-4 from three vs Morehead State |
| G |
11 |
Niccolo Moretti |
6-1 |
170 |
r-Fr. |
1.6 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
Career-high 9 points (2-2 3FGs) vs. Iowa (2/24) |
| G |
25 |
Max Williams |
6-2 |
200 |
Sr. |
0.3 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
1 pt & 1 reb vs. Duquesne (3/23) |
| F |
35 |
Amani Hansberry |
6-8 |
240 |
Fr. |
2.1 |
2.2 |
0.3 |
2 pts & 2 reb vs. Duquesne (3/23) |
| F/C |
42 |
Dain Dainja |
6-9 |
255 |
r-Jr. |
6.3 |
3.6 |
0.2 |
School-record 19 straight made FGs |
| 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. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Plans to redshirt 2023-24 season |
Career Record: 251-114 (.688), 11th year
At Illinois: 142-87 (.620), 7th year
Big Ten: 80-58 (.580)
NCAA Tournament Career: 6-7 (eighth appearance)
NCAA Tournament at Illinois: 4-3 (fourth appearance)
NCAA Tournament History
Appearances / Streak: 34th / 4
Record: 44-34 (.564)
Final Four Appearances: 5 / 2005
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Opponent - No. 2 Seed Iowa State
Series Record / Streak: Illinois leads 11-3 / Iowa State W-2
Last Meeting: Iowa State 84, Illinois 68 (11/20/2018 at Maui, Hawaii)
Record in the NCAA Tournament: First meeting
Underwood vs. Iowa State at Illinois / All-Time: 0-1 / 0-4
Fighting Illini Under Head Coach Brad Underwood
- Big Ten's winningest team in league play over last five seasons (.690)
- 69 B1G wins from 2019-20 through 2023-24 are most in school history over five-year stretch
- Four straight NCAA Tournament appearances (fifth precluded by COVID-19 cancelation in 2020)
- NCAA Tournament wins three of the last four years
- Program's first Sweet 16 since advancing to 2005 national title game
- One of only five schools with five straight 20-win regular seasons
- Three Big Ten Championships in last four years
- Five straight top-five B1G finishes, including top-two finishes three of the last four years
- Three consensus All-Americans
- Seven first-team All-Big Ten selections
- 2024 B1G Tournament Champions
- 2022 B1G Champions
- Led B1G in wins in 2021
- 2021 B1G Tournament Champions
- 2021 NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed (fourth in school history)
Fighting Illini NCAA Tournament Notes
- Following victories over Morehead State (85-69) in Round 1 and Duquesne (89-63) in Round 2 last week in Omaha, Neb., Illinois advances to the NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinal at TD Garden in Boston. The third-seeded Fighting Illini will face second-seeded Iowa State on Thursday (9:09 p.m. CT, TBS/TruTV).
- Illinois is making its 34th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its fourth straight.• Illinois is playing in the Sweet 16 for first time since its 2005 NCAA Championship game appearance.
- Overall, this marks Illinois' 12th all-time appearance in the Sweet 16, and the ninth time that the Fighting Illini have reached this stage since the tournament field expanded to 32 teams in 1975.
- Illinois ranks fifth among Big Ten teams and 19th among all schools for most NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Illinois is one of only three Big Ten teams – and one of just 14 teams nationally – to earn a bid in each of the last four NCAA Tournaments.
- Illinois' active streak of four straight NCAA Tournament appearances is its longest since participating eight years in a row from 2000 through 2007.
- Illinois has compiled a 44-34 (.564) record all-time in NCAA Tournament games.
- Illinois' 44 NCAA Tournament wins ranks tied for 22nd among all schools.
- Illinois' 44 NCAA Tournament wins are third-most among teams yet to win a national championship, trailing Gonzaga and Purdue (46 each).
- Among the teams who have advanced to the Sweet 16, Illinois' 44 NCAA Tournament wins rank tied for seventh.
- 1. North Carolina - 133
- 2. Duke - 121
- 3. UConn - 67
- 4. Arizona - 60
- T5. Gonzaga - 46
- T5. Purdue - 46
- T7. Illinois - 44
- T7. Marquette - 44
- 9. Houston - 40
- 10. N.C. State - 39
- T11. Alabama - 27
- T11. Tennessee - 27
- 13. Iowa State - 23
- 14. Creighton - 20
- T15. Clemson - 13
- T15. San Diego State - 13
- Illinois has made five appearances in the NCAA Final Four, finishing as the national runner-up in 2005, placing third in 1949, 1951 and 1952, and tying for third in 1989.
- Illinois' five Final Four appearances are second-most among teams yet to win a national title, trailing only Houston (6), and tied with Oklahoma.
- Head Coach Brad Underwood has brought Fighting Illini Basketball back to being a national contender. His rebuild of the program brought success in year three of his tenure, leading the Illini to a top-25 finish and what would have been an NCAA Tournament appearance before the 2020 postseason was canceled due to COVID-19. He directed Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament title and #1 seed in 2021, as Illinois played in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013. Underwood guided the Illini to a Big Ten Championship and #4 seed in 2022, advancing to the Round of 32 for the second straight season. In 2023, Underwood guided the Illini back to the NCAA tournament for a third straight season. He extended that streak to four straight after leading the Illini to the 2024 Big Ten Tournament Championship. Underwood has now led Illinois to the Sweet 16 for the first time since the team's run to the 2005 Final Four.
- With this year's appearance, Underwood is the third coach in school history to lead Illinois to at least four straight NCAA Tournaments, joining Lou Henson (eight straight from 1983-90) and Bruce Weber (four in a row from 2004-07).
- Underwood is making his eighth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament with his third program in 11 seasons as a Div. I head coach. He previously led Stephen F. Austin to three consecutive automatic bids from 2014-2016, advancing to the Round of 32 in 2014 and 2016. He then took Oklahoma State to the Tournament in his lone season in Stillwater in 2017. Underwood owns a 6-7 career record in the NCAA Tournament, including a 4-3 mark at Illinois.
- Illinois is a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in school history. Following wins over Morehead State and Duquesne in Rounds 1 and 2, the Illini hold an all-time record of 5-3 as a #3 seed:
- 1985 First Round (Atlanta, Ga.) – #3 Illinois 76, #14 Northeastern 57
- 1985 Second Round (Atlanta, Ga.) – #3 Illinois 74, #6 Georgia 58
- 1985 Regional Semifinal (Providence, R.I.) – #2 Georgia Tech 61, #3 Illinois 53
- 1987 First Round (Birmingham, Ala.) – #14 Austin Peay 68, #3 Illinois 67
- 1988 First Round (Cincinnati, Ohio) – #3 Illinois 81, #14 Texas-San Antonio 72
- 1988 Second Round (Cincinnati, Ohio) – #6 Villanova 66, #3 Illinois 63
- 2024 First Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 85, #14 Morehead State 69
- 2024 Second Round (Omaha, Neb.) – #3 Illinois 89, #11 Duquesne 63
- Illinois is 33-16 as a higher (better) seed in the NCAA Tournament, and 2-11 as the lower seed.
- Illinois is 7-4 all-time in the NCAA Round of 16 since the field was expanded to 16 teams in 1951:
- 1951 First Round (New York, N.Y.) – Illinois 79, Columbia 71
- 1952 Regional Semifinals (Chicago, Ill.) – Illinois 80, Dayton 61
- 1963 Regional Semifinals (East Lansing, Mich.) – Illinois 70, Bowling Green 67
- 1981 Regional Semifinals (Salt Lake City, Utah) – #8 Kansas State 57, #4 Illinois 52
- 1984 Regional Semifinals (Lexington, Ky.) – #2 Illinois 72, #3 Maryland 70
- 1985 Regional Semifinals (Providence, R.I.) – #2 Georgia Tech 61, #3 Illinois 53
- 1989 Regional Semifinals (Minneapolis, Minn.) – #1 Illinois 83, #4 Louisville 69
- 2001 Regional Semifinals (San Antonio, Texas) – #1 Illinois 80, #4 Kansas 64
- 2002 Regional Semifinals (Madison, Wis.) – #1 Kansas 73, #4 Illinois 81
- 2004 Regional Semifinals (Atlanta, Ga.) – #1 Duke 72, #5 Illinois 62
- 2005 Regional Semifinals (Rosemont, Ill.) – #1 Illinois 77, #12 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 63
- Illinois is 5-4 all-time in Round of 8 games in the NCAA Tournament:
- 1942 Regional Semifinal (New Orleans, La.) – Kentucky 46, Illinois 44
- 1949 Regional Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Illinois 71, Yale 67
- 1951 Regional Semifinal (New York, N.Y.) – Illinois 84, NC State 70
- 1952 Sweet 16 (Chicago, Ill.) – Illinois 74, Duquesne 68
- 1963 Sweet 16 (East Lansing, Mich.) – Loyola Chicago 79, Illinois 64
- 1984 Elite 8 (Lexington, Ky.) – #1 Kentucky 54, #2 Illinois 51
- 1989 Elite 8 (Minneapolis, Minn.) – #1 Illinois 89, #2 Syracuse 86
- 2001 Elite 8 (San Antonio, Texas) – #2 Arizona 87, #1 Illinois 81
- 2005 Elite 8 (Rosemont, Ill.) – #1 Illinois 90, #3 Arizona 89 (OT)
- Illinois is a combined 1-8 against top-2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, with its lone win coming in 1989 as the top seed over #2 seed Syracuse in the Midwest Regional final.
- Illinois is 1-3 all-time against the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament:
- 1985 Regional Semifinal (Providence, R.I.) – #2 Georgia Tech 61, #3 Illinois 53
- 1989 Regional Final (Minneapolis, Minn.) – #1 Illinois 89, #2 Syracuse 77
- 2001 Regional Final (San Antonio, Texas) – #2 Arizona 87, #1 Illinois 81
- Illinois is 11-3 all-time against Sweet 16 opponent Iowa State:
- #2 Iowa State (11-3 Overall / 5-0 Home / 4-1 Away / 2-2 Neutral)
- 12-21-1923 16-12 W Champaign, Ill.
- 12-21-1925 33-14 W Ames, Iowa
- 12-21-1957 60-68 L Ames, Iowa
- 12-15-1958 68-46 W Champaign, Ill.
- 12-16-1961 82-73 W Champaign, Ill.
- 12-15-1962 76-73 W Ames, Iowa
- 12-14-1968 75-48 W Champaign, Ill.
- 12-12-1970 78-63 W Ames, Iowa
- 12-12-1972 74-60 W Champaign, Ill.
- 12-9-1974 77-71 W Ames, Iowa
- 1-3-1983 74-57 W Rosemont, Ill.
- 12-30-1985 64-62 W Rosemont, Ill.
- 11-28-2015 73-85 L Niceville, Fla.
- 11-20-2018 68-84 L Maui, Hawaii
- Illinois' all-time series results against potential opponents for Saturday's Elite Eight round:
- #1 Connecticut (1-2 Overall / 1-1 Home / 0-1 Away / 0-0 Neutral)
- 12-21-1938 49-23 W Champaign
- 1-4-1992 66-70 L Champaign
- 12-27-1994 56-71 L Hartford, Conn.
- #5 San Diego State (1-0 Overall / 0-0 Home / 0-0 Away / 1-0 Neutral)
- 3-15-2002 93-64 W Chicago, United Center (NCAA Midwest Region First Round)
- The 2024 NCAA Tournament began with 11 former Illinois coaches in the field.
- Two have advanced to the Sweet 16:
- Former assistant coaches Stephen Gentry (Gonzaga assistant coach)
- Former graduate assistant Brian Dutcher (San Diego State head coach)
- Nine were eliminated in Round 1 or Round 2:
- Former head coach Bill Self (Kansas head coach)
- Former head coach John Groce (Akron head coach)
- Former assistant coaches Orlando Antigua (Kentucky associate coach), Chin Coleman (Kentucky assistant coach), Dustin Ford (Akron associate coach), Chris Lowery (Northwestern associate coach), Norm Roberts (Kansas assistant coach) and Jamall Walker (Grand Canyon assistant coach)
- Former assistant to the head coach Darren Hertz (Dayton assistant coach)
- Third-year Illinois assistant coach Chester Frazier also played in the NCAA Tournament as Illini.
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