| Illinois Probable Starters (from the last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
11 |
Ayo Dosunmu |
6-5 |
200 |
Jr. |
21.2 |
6.2 |
5.3 |
Cousy Award Finalist |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-2 |
175 |
Sr. |
10.2 |
2.9 |
2.7 |
14.0 ppg last 7 games |
| G |
44 |
Adam Miller |
6-3 |
180 |
Fr. |
8.5 |
2.6 |
0.8 |
34.2% 3FG (40-117) |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
205 |
r-Jr. |
3.9 |
2.9 |
1.2 |
Illini 7-0 with him in starting lineup |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
285 |
So. |
17.6 |
10.3 |
0.1 |
15 double-doubles (2nd in NCAA) |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
215 |
Fr. |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
First year walkon |
| F |
4 |
Zach Griffith |
6-6 |
220 |
Sr. |
0.7 |
0.7 |
0.0 |
2x Academic All-B1G |
| G |
5 |
Andre Curbelo |
6-1 |
175 |
Fr. |
7.4 |
3.2 |
4.2 |
3rd in assists in B1G play (4.8) |
| G |
10 |
Edgar Padilla Jr. |
6-1 |
165 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
First year walkon |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
210 |
Fr. |
1.0 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
4 pts, 3 reb in debut |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
r-Fr. |
0.5 |
0.3 |
0.0 |
Made season debut Jan. 7 |
| F |
15 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili |
6-9 |
245 |
Jr. |
5.9 |
2.6 |
0.5 |
9.5 ppg last 2 games |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
215 |
Sr. |
5.1 |
5.2 |
1.9 |
57.1% 3FG (24-42) |
| G |
22 |
Austin Hutcherson |
6-6 |
175 |
r-Jr. |
– |
– |
– |
Out for season |
| G |
32 |
Tyler Underwood |
6-2 |
180 |
Gr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
Working on 2nd grad. degree |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
215 |
Fr. |
1.5 |
0.8 |
0.4 |
Career-high 5 pts at NEB (Feb. 12) |
| C |
34 |
Jermaine Hamlin |
6-10 |
235 |
So. |
1.2 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
4 pts vs. MINN (Dec. 15) |
Career Record: 172-81 (.680), 8th year
At Illinois: 63-54 (.538), 4th year
Series Notes vs. Michigan State
Record: Michigan State leads 63-60
Streak: Michigan State W-2
Record at East Lansing: Michigan State leads 39-20
Streak at East Lansing: Michigan State W-3
Last Year's Meetings: #14 MSU 76, ILL 56 (1/2/20 @MSU) & MSU 70, #22 ILL 69 (2/11/20 @ILL)
Underwood vs. Michigan State: 1-4
Opening Tips
• Winners of seven straight, No. 5 Illinois begins a stretch with four games in eight days Tuesday at Michigan State (6 p.m. CT, FS1).
• Illinois' seven-game winning streak is the second-longest active streak among teams from the high-major conferences behind undefeated Baylor (17), and the 11th-best currently in all of Div. I.
• This is the second year in a row that Illinois has won seven consecutive Big Ten games.
• Illinois has won five straight road games during league play (at PSU, at NW, at IND, at NEB, at MINN), its best stretch since a school record 13-game Big Ten road winning streak from Feb. 3, 2004 through Feb. 19, 2005.
• Illinois' 12-3 conference record is its best since 2005 when the No. 1-ranked Illini went 15-1 to win the Big Ten.
• Illinois is fourth in the current NET rankings, and No. 5 overall (No. 2 seed) in the NCAA Tournament Committee's initial ranking of the top 16 teams (released Feb. 13).
• Illinois has seven Quad 1 wins, tied for second-most in the NCAA behind Ohio State (8). The Illini own a combined 11 victories in Quads 1 and 2, meanwhile, tied for third nationally behind Gonzaga and Alabama (12).
• Illinois joins Gonzaga and Baylor as the only teams in the top 10 in both offensive (8th) and defensive (9th) efficiency by kenpom. Illinois is No. 5 overall, the program's second-highest kenpom ranking (2005, 2nd).
• Over the last two Big Ten seasons, Illinois has the best win percentage (.714) and most league wins (25).
• Illinois is ranked No. 5 for the second straight week in the AP Top 25. The Illini are in the Top 5 of a February poll for the first year since 2005, and just the fourth time in the last 65 seasons (1989, 2001, 2005, 2021).
• Leading the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu. Owning numbers of 21.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, Dosunmu is not only solidifying his candidacy for First-Team All-America status, but contending for National Player of the Year as well. He is the only player in the NCAA over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, all while leading Illinois Basketball back among the nation's elite.
• Dosunmu is coming off his second triple double in the last four games, joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson as the only two players in Big Ten history with multiple triple doubles in league play.
• Dosunmu is averaging 21.0 points, 8.3 assists, and 6.8 rebounds with two triple doubles over the last four games. According to StatsPerform, he is the first Div. I player in the last 25 years to reach those four marks in a four-game span.
• Dosunmu is on pace to become just the second Big Ten player since 1993 to average 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, joining Ohio State's Evan Turner, the National Player of the Year in 2009-10.
• Kofi Cockburn ranks second in the NCAA with 15 double-doubles this season. He has posted double-doubles in 12 of 15 Big Ten games, averaging 19.0 points and 10.9 rebounds during league play.
• At 17.6 ppg and 10.3 rpg overall, Cockburn is one of just three players from the high-major conferences currently averaging a double-double. He is on pace to become the first Illini player since Nick Weatherspoon in 1973 (25.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg) to average a double-double for an entire season.
• Cockburn is one of seven players nationally averaging at least 17 points and 10 rebounds, and he is the only player in the NCAA averaging 15+ points and 10+ boards while shooting at least 65%.
• Dosunmu and Cockburn are combining for 38.8 points per game, the sixth-highest duo nationally, and third among the high-major conferences.
• Trent Frazier has seen his scoring increase recently, averaging 14.0 points (98) while making an average of 2.7 treys (19) on 40.2% 3-point shooting over the last seven games.
• Along with the increased scoring, Frazier is contending for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors. He had a career-high 6 steals while holding Minnesota star Marcus Carr to 3-of-11 shooting in Saturday's victory. Frazier leads the league in steals during conference play at 1.7 spg.
• Freshman Andre Curbelo ranks third in the Big Ten in assists during league play at 4.8 apg. He is averaging 4.2 assists on the season, currently ranking fifth on the school's all-time freshman assists chart behind legendary Illini point guards Bruce Douglas, Derek Harper, Dee Brown and Deron Williams.
• Illinois has freshmen playing prominent roles for the fourth year in a row under Coach Underwood. Adam Miller has started every game this season and ranks fourth among all Big Ten freshmen in scoring at 8.5 ppg.
• Da'Monte Williams is second in the NCAA in 3-point shooting (min. 1.5 att/g), connecting on 24-of-42 for 57.1%.
• Since scoring a season-low 63 points in the loss to Maryland, Illinois is averaging 79.3 points over the last eight games (634).
• Illinois has held 11 of its last 12 foes to less than 44% shooting. Since the loss to Ohio State, opponents are shooting a combined 39.9% over the last seven games (172-431), all Illini wins.
• Illinois is 14-1 this season when holding teams to less than 45% shooting.
Triple-Double Dos
Ayo Dosunmu did it again on Saturday in Minneapolis, recording his second triple double in the last four games to lead the Illini in a 31-point rout of the Gophers. Dosunmu registered 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists at Minnesota two weeks after posting his first triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a win over Wisconsin.
Owning two of the four triple doubles in Illini history, Dosunmu is in elite company, joining Michigan State legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson as the only two Big Ten players to record multiple triple doubles during conference play. Johnson did so three times during the 1979 Big Ten season.
Multiple Triple-Doubles in Big Ten Play
3 – Magic Johnson, Michigan State
• 21 pts, 13 reb, 14 ast vs. Wisconsin (1/4/1979)
• 26 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast at Northwestern (1/27/1979)
• 21 pts, 11 reb, 11 ast vs. Illinois (2/24/1979)
2 – Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois
• 21 pts, 12 reb, 12 ast vs. Wisconsin (2/6/2021)
• 19 pts, 10 reb, 10 ast at Minnesota (2/20/2021)
Dosunmu also becomes just the sixth Big Ten player with multiple triple doubles in a season, and the first since Wisconsin's Ethan Happ in 2018-19. Five players have recorded two in a season, with Magic Johnson holding the Big Ten season record with an astounding seven triple doubles in 1978-79.
Multiple Triple-Doubles by Big Ten Players in a Season
7 – Magic Johnson, Michigan State, 1978-79
2 – Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois, 2020-21
2 – Ethan Happ, Wisconsin, 2018-19
2 – Denzel Valentine, Michigan State, 2015-16
2 – Draymond Green, Michigan State, 2010-11
2 – Evan Turner, Ohio State, 2009-10
Building a Winner
Head Coach Brad Underwood came to Champaign to recapture the success the program has achieved historically. The transformation has happened in a relatively short amount of time. In his third season last year, the Illini finished one-game back of the league title, placing fourth and earning a bye to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals for the first time since 2011.
His fourth Illini squad currently sits one-half game out of first place in the league standings behind Michigan.
Illinois owns the highest winning percentage and the most victories over the last two Big Ten seasons, a significant achievement during a span when the conference has reached unprecedented levels of competitiveness top-to-bottom.
Big Ten Win Percentage (2020 & 2021)
1. Illinois .714 (25-10)
2. Michigan .656 (21-11)
3. Wisconsin .649 (24-13)
4. Ohio State .622 (23-14)
5. Iowa .611 (22-14)
Big Ten Wins (2020 & 2021)
1. Illinois 25
2. Wisconsin 24
3. Ohio State 23
T4. Iowa 22
T4. Maryland 22
Dosunmu Named Cousy Award Finalist
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced Monday that Illini star Ayo Dosunmu is one of five finalists for the 2021 Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.
Joining Dosunmu on the list of finalists for the 2021 Bob Cousy Award are Baylor's Jared Butler, Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs, Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham and Villanova's Collin Gillespie.
The winner of the Cousy Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from Mr. Cousy and the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live Friday on hoophallawards.com.
» Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
