| 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. |
12.1 |
2.9 |
4.0 |
2nd-Team All-B1G; B1G All-Defense Team |
| G |
11 |
Alfonso Plummer |
6-1 |
180 |
Gr. |
15.1 |
2.5 |
1.1 |
Third-Team All-Big Ten |
| G |
20 |
Da'Monte Williams |
6-3 |
215 |
Sr. |
4.2 |
5.0 |
2.6 |
Most games played in UI history (156) |
| F |
33 |
Coleman Hawkins |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
5.4 |
4.2 |
1.5 |
7.8 ppg & 5.3 rpg over last 4 games |
| C |
21 |
Kofi Cockburn |
7-0 |
285 |
Jr. |
21.0 |
10.6 |
0.8 |
Unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
Brandin Podziemski |
6-5 |
200 |
Fr. |
1.4 |
0.9 |
0.3 |
5 points at Northwestern (1/29) |
| F |
2 |
Connor Serven |
6-9 |
235 |
So. |
0.0 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
Team's lone walkon in second year |
| G/F |
3 |
Jacob Grandison |
6-6 |
210 |
Gr. |
10.3 |
4.0 |
2.4 |
41% on threes (55-134) |
| F |
4 |
Omar Payne |
6-10 |
240 |
Jr. |
1.8 |
1.7 |
0.2 |
62.5% FG (20-32) |
| G |
5 |
Andre Curbelo |
6-1 |
175 |
So. |
8.3 |
2.8 |
3.2 |
10.0 ppg over last 3 games |
| G |
10 |
Luke Goode |
6-7 |
200 |
Fr. |
1.9 |
1.7 |
0.6 |
Career-high 9 points vs MSU (1/25) |
| C |
12 |
Brandon Lieb |
7-0 |
220 |
So. |
0.8 |
0.7 |
0.1 |
Has played in 10 games |
| F |
13 |
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk |
6-8 |
235 |
r-So. |
1.8 |
2.3 |
0.7 |
Career-high 8 points vs MSU (1/25) |
| 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 |
Career Record: 202-91 (.689), 9th year
At Illinois: 93-64 (.592), 5th year
Big Ten: 55-43 (.561)
Big Ten Tournament: 4-2 (.667)
Series Notes vs. Indiana
Record: Indiana leads 93-91
Streak: Illinois W-4
Last Meeting: #18 Illinois 74, Indiana 57 (2/5/2022 at Bloomington)
Record in Big Ten Tournament: Illinois leads 6-2
Streak in Big Ten Tournament: Illinois W-1
Last Meeting in Big Ten Tournament: Illinois 64, Indiana 54 (3/3/2014 at Indianapolis)
Underwood vs. Indiana: 5-3
Illinois Big Ten Tournament Notes
• Illinois is the defending Big Ten Tournament champion, winning the 2021 title at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium.
• Illinois is a No. 1 seed for the fourth time in BTT history, and the first time in 17 years: 2001, 2004, 2005, 2022.
• Illinois is 6-2 all-time as the No. 1 seed, winning the BTT championship in 2005, finishing runner-up in 2004, and advancing to the semifinal in 2001.
• Illinois has a double-bye to the quarterfinal round for the third year in a row, the only Big Ten team to earn a double-bye in each of the last three seasons.
• Illinois has the third-most all-time BTT wins with 31:
1. Ohio State, 34
2. Michigan State, 32
3. ILLINOIS, 31
• Illinois has won three BTT championships (2003, 2005, 2021), tied for third-most in the league:
1. Michigan State, 6
2. Ohio State, 5
T3. ILLINOIS, Michigan & Wisconsin, 3
• Illinois is tied for the second-most BTT championship game appearances, advancing to the title game seven times:
1. Ohio State, 10
T2. ILLINOIS, Michigan State & Wisconsin, 7
• Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 13 times, the second-most semifinal appearances:
1. Michigan State, 15
2. ILLINOIS, 13
T3. Ohio State & Wisconsin, 12
• Illinois has made the BTT quarterfinals in all but five years, with those 19 appearances the fourth-most of any school.
T1. Michigan State & Wisconsin, 23
3. Ohio State, 20
T4. ILLINOIS & Michigan, 19
• Illinois is 14-10 all-time in BTT games played in Indianapolis, winning the championship last year and making title game appearances in 2004 and 2008.
• Illinois is 21-6 in BTT games when it is the higher seed.
• Illinois owns a 17-6 record when playing its opening game of the BTT.
• Illinois is 13-5 in the BTT quarterfinals, with its .722 win percentage the best of any team in the quarterfinal round.
• Illinois is 6-2 in the BTT vs. Indiana.
• Despite the cancelation of the BTT in 2020, Illinois has plenty of experience with 25 BTT games played on its roster: Trent Frazier and Da'Monte Williams (six games apiece), Kofi Cockburn, Andre Curbelo and Jacob Grandison (two games each), Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (two games), and Coleman Hawkins and Connor Serven (1 each).
• Illinois' active BTT scoring leader is senior Trent Frazier, who has totaled 72 points over six games.
• Junior Kofi Cockburn averaged 20.0 ppg and 9.7 rpg in last year's BTT, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
Big Ten Champs
Illinois is the 2022 Big Ten Champion, going 15-5 in league play to share the regular season title with Wisconsin. Illinois has earned the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament after defeating Wisconsin in the only meeting between the teams, 80-67 on Feb. 2 in Champaign.
This is the 18th Big Ten title in Illinois' 117-year history, and its first since 2005:
1915-1917-1924-1935-1937-1942-1943-1949-1951-1952-1963-1984-1998-2001-2002-2004-2005-2022
This was nearly a back-to-back title run after Illinois led the Big Ten in wins last year while playing the full league schedule. But the Illini were declared runner-up in 2021 after an unbalanced schedule resulted in a .024 win percentage differential (Michigan 14-3, .824 vs. Illinois 16-4, .800).
Illinois' 15 Big Ten wins this year tied the second-most in program history behind last year's 16 conference wins. The Illini also won 15 Big Ten games in 1984 and 2005. Coach Brad Underwood now owns the top two, and three of the top seven, all-time winningest Big Ten seasons in Illini history (16 in 2021, 15 in 2022, 13 in 2020).
The Nation's Most Dominant Player
Fighting Illini junior center Kofi Cockburn is a leading contender for Player of the Year honors:
• Only player in the nation averaging 20+ points and 10+ rebounds
• First high-major conference player since 2018 to average at least 21 points and 10 boards
• Wooden Award National Ballot
• First-Team All-American by Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Field of 68 and College Hoops Today
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Finalist
• Unanimous first-team All-Big Ten
• Third in NCAA with 10 games of 20+ points and 10+ boards
• 11th in NCAA in scoring at 21.0 ppg
• Eighth in NCAA in rebounding at 10.6 rpg
• 11th in NCAA in field goal shooting at 59.7%
• 15th in NCAA in double-doubles (15), despite missing five games
For more information on Cockburn, visit FightingIllini.com/KingKofi
Big Run in the Big Ten
Illinois' performance in conference play during the Underwood era has reached historic level of success. The Illini's 44 Big Ten wins since 2020 is the most in program history over a three-year stretch:
1. 44, Brad Underwood – 2020 (13), 2021 (16), 2022 (13)
T2. 39, Bruce Weber – 2004 (13), 2005 (15), 2006 (11)
T2. 39, Bill Self/Bruce Weber – 2003 (11), 2004 (13), 2005 (15)
T2. 39, Lou Henson – 1987 (13), 1988 (12), 1989 (14)
T2. 39, Harry Combes – 1951 (13), 1952 (12), 1953 (14)
The run also ranks among the winningest 3-year stretches of any Big Ten program in conference play:
1. 48, Indiana – 1974 (12), 1975 (18), 1976 (18)
2. 47, Indiana – 1975 (18), 1976 (18), 1977 (11)
T3. 46, Michigan State – 2018 (16), 2019 (16), 2020 (14)
T3. 46, Indiana – 1991 (15), 1992 (14), 1993 (17)
5. 45, Purdue – 2017 (14), 2018 (15), 2019 (16)
T6. 44, Illinois – 2020 (13), 2021 (16), 2022 (15)
T6. 44, Purdue – 1994 (14), 1995 (15), 1996 (15)
Illinois has put together three straight 13+ win Big Ten seasons for the first time in program history.
Underwood owns three of Illinois' top seven all-time winningest Big Ten seasons:
1. 16, 2021 – Brad Underwood
T2. 15, 2022 – Brad Underwood
T2. 15, 2005 – Bruce Weber
T2. 15, 1984 – Lou Henson
T5. 14, 1989 – Lou Henson
T5. 14, 1953 – Harry Combes
T7. 13, 2020 – Brad Underwood
T7. 13, 2004 – Bruce Weber
T7. 13, 2001 – Bill Self
T7. 13, 1998 – Lon Kruger
T7. 13, 1987 – Lou Henson
T7. 13, 1951 – Harry Combes
T7. 13, 1942 – Doug Mills
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
