| Illinois Probable Starters (from the last game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Trent Frazier |
6-2 |
175 |
Sr. |
12.4 |
3.0 |
4.0 |
5.1 apg over last 12 games |
| G |
11 |
Alfonso Plummer |
6-1 |
180 |
Gr. |
14.7 |
2.4 |
1.1 |
1st in B1G in 3FG (2.8 avg) |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
215 |
Sr. |
3.9 |
5.3 |
2.9 |
3.0 assist/turnover ratio |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
210 |
Gr. |
10.5 |
4.0 |
2.4 |
24 points w/ 6 threes vs Michigan St. |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
285 |
Jr. |
21.7 |
11.2 |
0.9 |
2nd in NCAA with nine 20/10 games |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Brandin Podziemski |
6-5 |
200 |
Fr. |
1.6 |
1.1 |
0.4 |
5 points vs Northwestern |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
235 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
Team's lone walkon in second year |
| F |
4 |
Omar Payne |
6-10 |
240 |
Jr. |
2.0 |
1.8 |
0.2 |
63.3% FG (19-30) |
| G |
5 |
Andre Curbelo |
6-1 |
175 |
So. |
7.9 |
2.8 |
3.1 |
15 points at Purdue |
| G |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
200 |
Fr. |
2.1 |
1.7 |
0.6 |
Career-high 9 points vs MSU |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
220 |
So. |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.1 |
Career-high 4 points vs St. Francis Pa. |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
r-So. |
1.8 |
2.3 |
0.7 |
Career-high 8 points vs MSU |
| G |
15 |
RJ Melendez |
6-7 |
205 |
Fr. |
3.8 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
10.7 ppg over 3-game stretch Feb 8-16 |
| G |
22 |
Austin Hutcherson |
6-6 |
190 |
Gr. |
2.8 |
2.0 |
0.5 |
Out for remainder of season |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
5.1 |
4.0 |
1.5 |
3rd on team in steals (20) & blocks (14) |
Career Record: 199-90 (.689), 9th year
At Illinois: 90-63 (.588), 5th year
Big Ten: 52-42Â (.553)
Series Notes vs. Ohio State
All-Time Record: Illinois leads 108-80
Streak: Illinois W-2
Last Meeting: #3 Illinois 91, #9 Ohio State 88, OT (3/14/2021 at Indianapolis)
Record at Champaign: Illinois leads 62-28
Streak at Champaign: Ohio State W-1
Last Meeting at Champaign: #21 Ohio State 87, #14Â Illinois 81Â (1/16/2021)
Underwood vs. Ohio State:Â 3-4
Opening Tips
• No. 15 Illinois plays three of its last four regular season games at home, beginning Thursday night at State Farm Center in an Orange Out vs. No. 22 Ohio State (8 p.m. CT, FS1).
• Illinois is seeking its 20th victory, which would mark three straight 20-win seasons for the first time since 2009 through 2011, and the 35th 20-win season in school history.
• Coach Underwood is one victory away from 200 career wins.Â
• Illinois is 3-3 versus ranked opponents this season, winning three of its last four after dropping its first two.
• Illinois has won 10 of its last 14 games against top 25 teams.
• Illinois has won 11 of its last 12 Big Ten home games.
• Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team over the last three seasons, with a 44-15 (.746) record vs. league foes.
• Illinois is 26-5 in its last 31 games versus Big Ten opponents.
• Illinois has 41 wins in Big Ten play over the last three years, the winningest 3-year stretch in school history.
• Illinois has won at least 12 Big Ten games in three straight years for just the third time in school history, joining 1951-53 and 1987-89. Illinois is aiming for its first-ever run of 13+ B1G wins in three straight seasons:
2020: 13 B1G wins … 2021: 16 B1G wins … 2022: 12 B1G wins
1987: 13 B1G wins … 1988: 12 B1G wins … 1989: 14 B1G wins
1951: 13 B1G wins … 1952: 12 B1G wins … 1953: 14 B1G wins
• Illinois is first in defensive efficiency (98.9) in Big Ten play by kenpom, with its defense ranking first in effective field goal percentage (.460) and second 2-point percentage (.453).
• Leading the way for Illinois is National Player of the Year candidate Kofi Cockburn, the only player in the country averaging at least 21 points and 11 rebounds this season.
• Cockburn is the first Big Ten player since at least 1992-93 to average 21+ points and 11+ rebounds.
• Cockburn is the only player listed in the top 10 nationally in both points and rebounds, ranking eighth in scoring at 21.7 ppg and sixth in rebounding at 11.2 rpg.
• Cockburn has 42 career double-doubles, the Illinois all-time record and most in the NCAA over the last three years.
The Nation's Most Dominant Player
As the season winds down and awards talk ramps up, Illini junior center Kofi Cockburn is a leading contender for Big Ten and National Player of the Year:
• Only player in the nation averaging at least 21 points and 10 rebounds
• Eighth in NCAA in scoring at 21.7 ppg
• Sixth in NCAA in rebounding at 11.2 rpg
• Only player ranked in the top 10 nationally in both points and rebounds
• Second in NCAA with nine games of 20+ points and 10+ boards
• Ninth nationally in kenpom offensive rating (116.3)
• 10th in NCAA in field goal shooting at 60.8%
• 11th in NCAA in double-doubles (14), despite missing five games
For more information on Cockburn's award candidacy, visit FightingIllini.com/KingKofi
Among the Greats
Kofi Cockburn is putting up rare numbers that rank among some of the most dominant big men in recent college basketball history. Cockburn is the first player from a high-major conference in the last four years to average at least 21 points and 11 rebounds, and just the sixth player to do so since 1992-93:
Michael Beasley, Kansas State, 2006-07 – 26.2 ppg 12.4 rpg
Kevin Durant, Texas, 2006-07 – 25.8 ppg 11.1 rpg
Blake Griffin, Oklahoma, 2008-09 – 22.7 ppg 14.4 rpg
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame, 2008-09 – 23.3 ppg 11.8 rpg
Marvin Bagley, Duke, 2017-18 – 21.0 ppg 11.1 rpg
Kofi Cockburn, Illinois, 2021-22 – 21.7 ppg 11.2 rpg
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
