| Probable Illinois Starters |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-1 |
180 |
So. |
6.3 |
1.6 |
3.5 |
CH 14 pts at NW |
| G |
13 |
Mark Smith |
6-4 |
225 |
Fr. |
9.4 |
1.8 |
1.5 |
17 pts at UNLV |
| G |
24 |
Mark Alstork |
6-5 |
190 |
Gr. |
7.4 |
3.7 |
2.6 |
17 pts vs. Maryland |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
210 |
Jr. |
11.5 |
3.4 |
0.4 |
Leads NCAA in 3FG% (.625) |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
235 |
r-Jr. |
11.7 |
5.7 |
1.3 |
Team high 23 Off. Rebs |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-1 |
170 |
Fr. |
6.7 |
1.5 |
2.5 |
CH 16 pts at UNLV |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-So. |
10.1 |
5.8 |
0.6 |
45% 3FG (9-20) |
| F |
4 |
Matic Vesel |
6-10 |
215 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
1.3 |
0.0 |
Native of Slovenia |
| G |
10 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
175 |
r-So. |
1.3 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
UI walkon |
| F |
11 |
Greg Eboigbodin |
6-9 |
225 |
Fr. |
0.7 |
1.5 |
0.1 |
Native of Nigeria |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
230 |
r-Jr. |
13.6 |
5.2 |
1.5 |
.811 FT% (30-37) |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
190 |
Fr. |
5.1 |
3.2 |
1.0 |
Tied CH 8 pts at UNLV |
| G |
35 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-4 |
200 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
UI walkon |
| F |
45 |
Cameron Liss |
6-6 |
220 |
r-Jr. |
0.7 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
B1G Distinguished Scholar |
| Sitting Out (*2016-17 Stats listed) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-1 |
165 |
r-So. |
0.6* |
0.2* |
0.1* |
Sitting out season (transfer) |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Sr. |
0.4* |
0.0* |
0.0* |
Recovering from torn ACL |
Career Record: 116-31/.789 (5th year)
At Illinois: 7-4 (1st year)
Series Notes vs. Longwood
Record: Illinois leads 1-0
Streak: Illinois W-1
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 1-0
Streak at Champaign: Illinois W-1
Last Meeting: ? #1 Illinois 105, Longwood 79 // Dec. 27, 2004 at Champaign
Underwood vs. Longwood: First meeting
Opening Tips
• Wednesday's match-up with Longwood marks Illinois' only game at State Farm Center over a 23-day span.
• Illinois has won 12 straight non-conference home games, an active streak that began Nov. 29 of last season.
• The freshman class combined for 43 points Saturday at UNLV, accounting for 52.4 percent of Illinois' scoring on the evening. Mark Smith led the team with 17 points, Trent Frazier set a career high with 16, Da'Monte Williams tied his career high with eight, and Greg Eboigbodin added two (more info. on P. 2).
• After totaling 44 bench points at UNLV, Illinois' bench has now outscored the opposition in nine of 11 games on the season. Illini reserves are averaging 34.5 points, with the Illinois bench outscoring the opponent bench by an average of 12.1 points per game.
• Junior Aaron Jordan leads the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 2 made/game) at 62.5 percent (25-40).
• Junior Michael Finke has averaged 14.5 points (29) and 7.5 rebounds (15) over the last two games.
• Sophomore Kipper Nichols is averaging 7.4 rebounds off the bench over the last five games (37).
Fab Freshmen
The Illini freshman class combined for 43 points Saturday night at UNLV. That is the most combined points in a game by UI freshmen in the last 15 seasons. The last time that total was exceeded was on Dec. 27, 2002, when freshmen Dee Brown, Deron Williams, James Augustine, Aaron Spears and Kyle Wilson combined for 52 points in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Here is a list of the top-five scoring games by an Illini freshmen class, since 1980:
1t. 52 – vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 12/27/02 (Brown-14, Augustine-12, Wilson-11, Spears-8, Williams-7)
1t. 52 – vs. Lehigh, 11/24/02 (Brown-14, Wilson-14, Williams-12, Augustine-7, Spears-5)
3. 44 – vs. Loyola Chicago, 12/31/82 (Winters-20, Douglas-16, Meents-6, Altenberger-2)
4t. 43 – at UNLV, 12/9/17 (Smith-17, Frazier-16, Williams-8, Eboigbodin-2)
4t. 43 – vs. Michigan, 2/17/83 (Winters-19, Altenberger-15, Douglas-4, Woodward-4, Meents-1)
Illini Team Trends
• The Illini defense ranks 19th nationally in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 24.6 percent of opponent possessions.
• Illinois ranks fifth in the NCAA in made free throws (212) and seventh nationally in free throw attempts (279).
• Illinois ranks eighth in the NCAA in turnovers forced (19.8 per game) and 28th nationally in turnover margin (+4.5), while scoring 24.1 points per game off turnovers.
• Illinois' bench has outscored the opposition in nine of 11 games, with Illini reserves averaging 34.5 points. The Illinois bench is outscoring the opponent bench by an average of 12.1 points per game.
• Illinois ranks 49th in the NCAA in scoring (82.9 ppg). The Illini have had seven outings above 80 points and four 90-plus point performances so far this season.
• Illinois has grabbed 14 or more offensive rebounds in seven of 11 games. Last year the Illini tallied at least 14 offensive rebounds in just five of 35 games.
• Illinois has forced 17 or more turnovers in nine of 11 games. Last year the Illini defense forced at least 17 turnovers in a total of just five games.
• Illinois has shot at least 24 free throws in eight of 11 games. Last year the Illini attempted at least 24 free throws in only seven games.
Illini Player Trends
• Junior Leron Black has increased his scoring average by 5.5 points this season, currently leading the Illini at 13.6 ppg (17th in Big Ten) after averaging 8.1 ppg last year.
• Black has scored in double figures in nine of 11 games, which included a career-long streak of seven straight that ended Saturday at UNLV.
• Black has made at least 50 percent from the field in nine games and is shooting 54.2 percent on the year (94th in NCAA), compared to 45.3 percent from the field last year.
• Black has made 81.1 percent of his free throws this season (13th in Big Ten) after entering the year as a 70 percent career shooter at the line.
• Black has 16 assists in 11 games after finishing last year with 13 assists in 31 games.
• Junior Michael Finke is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 ppg. He averaged 6.9 points last season.
• Finke is second on the team in rebounding at 5.7 rpg (18th in Big Ten) and leads the Illini with 23 offensive rebounds (10th in B1G).
• Finke is averaging 14.5 points over the last two games, scoring a game-high 17 points vs. Austin Peay and 12 at UNLV. Finke combined for a total of 12 points over the previous three games.
• Finke recorded back-to-back 20-point games for the first time in his career with 20 vs. Augustana (Nov. 22) followed by a season-high 22 vs. N.C. Central (Nov. 24).
• Finke has scored at least 12 points in seven games.
• Junior Aaron Jordan ranks third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.5 points. He averaged 2.3 points last year as a sophomore.
• Jordan currently leads the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 2 made/game) at 62.5 percent (25-40) after entering the year as a 30 percent career shooter from 3-point land.
• Jordan has made 20 of his last 28 attempts from 3-point range (71.4 percent), dating back to the second half vs. Marshall on Nov. 19.
• Jordan ranks fifth nationally in kenpom offensive rating at 143.4.
• Jordan has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games, and eight of 11 games overall after entering the year with two games in double digits through his first two seasons.
• Jordan is a perfect 15-of-15 at the free throw line over the last five games.
• Sophomore Kipper Nichols is the team's fourth-leading scorer with an average of 10.1 points. That is more than double his 4.9 scoring average as a freshman.
• Nichols has led the Illini in rebounding in four of the last five games, averaging 7.4 rpg over this stretch (37).
• Nichols has already surpassed his free throw totals from last year, currently at 32-40 through 11 games after going 13-21 in 21 games last season.
• Freshman Mark Smith is fifth on the Illini in scoring at 9.4 points per game.
• Smith led the Illini against UNLV with a game-high 17 points, his second-best performance of the season. The 17 points also equaled his total from the previous five games combined.
• Smith scored in double figures in four straight games from Nov. 12 through Nov. 22, becoming the first Illini freshman to do so since Kendrick Nunn in 2014.
• Senior Mark Alstork averaged 15.5 points in two Big Ten games with 14 at Northwestern and a season-high tying 17 vs. Maryland.
• Alstork went 9-17 from the field (52.9 percent) and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line during those two games.
• Freshman Trent Frazier is shooting 62.5 percent on 2-pointers this season (20-32).
• Sophomore Te'Jon Lucas has grabbed at least one steal in 10 of 11 games.
Illini Nationally This Season (via Kenpom)
Kenpom ratings only factor games against Div. I opponents; following data does not include Augustana game Nov. 22.
• The UI defense ranks 19th in turnover rate, forcing turnovers on 24.6 percent of opponent possessions.
• Illinois is 28th in adjusted tempo, averaging 74.6 possessions.
• 23.3 percent of Illinois' points have been scored at the free throw line, which ranks 28th.
• The Illini have grabbed 36 percent of their own misses, ranking 31st in offensive rebound percentage.
• The Illini rank 72nd in free throw rate (39.7).
• Illinois ranks 73rd in defensive efficiency (98.5).
