ILLINOIS (14-6, 5-4)  at  Wisconsin (12-7, 4-5)
Date | Time	Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023 | 2 p.m. CT
Location	Madison, Wis. | Kohl Center
Tickets	Sold Out | Stub Hub
Television	FOX (Jason Benetti & Stephen Bardo)
Live Stream	fox.com/live | FOX Sports App
Radio	Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App | SiriusXM 382, SXM App 972
Live Stats	Statbroadcast
Printable Notes	Illinois | Wisconsin
Pregame Press Conference	Coach Underwood (Jan. 27)
Stats	Illinois | Wisconsin
Record Book	Illinois
Shop	Online Store | Auctions
Social Media	@IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB | Facebook | YouTube

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 217-99 (.687), 10th year
At Illinois: 108-72 (.600), 6th year
Big Ten: 60-47 (.561)

Series Notes vs. Wisconsin

All-Time Record: Illinois leads 115-89
Streak: Illinois W-5
Last Meeting: Illinois 79, #14 Wisconsin 69 (Jan. 7, 2023 at Champaign)
Record at Madison: Wisconsin leads 58-41
Streak at Madison: Illinois W-2
Last Meeting at Madison: #5 Illinois 74 #23 Wisconsin 69 (Feb. 27, 2021)
Underwood vs. Wisconsin: 5-4

Opening Tips

• Winners of five of its last six games, Illinois next plays at Wisconsin on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m. CT, FOX).

• Illinois has won its last two road game by an average margin of 22.0 points. 

• Illinois leads all Big Ten teams with 22 road wins in league play over the last four years. 

• Illinois has won five in a row over Wisconsin, its longest streak against the Badgers since the '80s when the Illini won 16 straight from Feb. 12, 1981 through Jan. 12, 1989.

• Illinois has won consecutive games at Kohl Center for the first time since Jan. 25, 2005-Jan. 31, 2006. Illinois has not won more than two straight in Madison since a 10-game streak from Jan. 18, 1979 through Jan. 16, 1988.

• Terrence Shannon Jr. is the only power conference player – and one of just nine players nationally – averaging at least 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal on the season.

• Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the country in blocked shots, averaging 6.0 bpg. The current Illini single-season blocks record is 5.4 bpg, set in 1979.

• In its five Big Ten wins, Illinois is averaging 75.4 points while holding opponents to 61.0 points.

• Illinois has not topped 66 points in any of its Big Ten losses, averaging just 62.5 points while allowing opponents to score 74.5 points in those four games.

Coaches vs. Cancer 

A member of the Coaches vs. Cancer (CvC) Coaches Council, Illini head coach Brad Underwood wore custom painted CvC Nike Air Force 1s on the sidelines during Tuesday night's win over Ohio State. Underwood is joining coaches from across the country who are participating in the annual Suits & Sneakers Week (Jan. 23-29).

This is a nationwide event created to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer and promotes the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer. Since the CvC program began in 1993, college and high school coaches have raised more than $140 million in the fight against cancer.

Highlighting his service to Coaches vs. Cancer, Underwood hosts an annual country/western themed fundraiser called "Kickin' Cancer" at Gordyville USA, a horse show arena in Gifford, Illinois, about 30 minutes outside of Champaign. Last spring, Underwood welcomed back former Fighting Illini head coaches Bill Self (one week after winning the NCAA title) and Lon Kruger as celebrity guests for the 2022 edition of Kickin' Cancer. The dinner was a sold-out event with more than 1,200 guests in attendance. It was the most attended social/gala for the entire Coaches vs. Cancer program last year, with the evening raising nearly $300,000.

This year's Kickin' Cancer dinner and auction at Gordyville USA is set for Tuesday, April 11. Tickets are on sale now at coachesvscancerillinois.com.

Illini Items

• Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last four seasons, registering a 49-20 mark in league play. The Illini won the regular season championship in 2022, led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021, and finished one game back of the title in 2020:

1. Illinois – 49
2. Purdue – 45
3. Wisconsin – 43
4. Iowa – 41
T5. Michigan – 40
T5. Michigan State – 40

• Illinois is one of six teams in the country with multiple kenpom top-10 wins this season, defeating No. 4 UCLA on Nov. 18 in Las Vegas and No. 9 Texas on Dec. 6 at Madison Square Garden:

1. Xavier, 3 – #6 UConn, #8 Marquette, at #6 UConn
T2. Arizona, 2 – #2 Tennessee, #4 UCLA
T2. Baylor, 2 – vs. #4 UCLA, #10 Kansas
T2. Illinois, 2 – vs. #4 UCLA, vs. #9 Texas
T2. Kansas State, 2 – at #10 Kansas, #9 Texas
T2. Providence, 2 – #6 UConn, #8 Marquette

• Illinois has three AP top-15 wins this season (No. 2 Texas, No. 8 UCLA and No. 14 Wisconsin), tied for fourth-most nationally:

T1. Alabama, 4 – vs. #12 Michigan State, vs. #1 North Carolina, at #1 Houston, at #15 Arkansas
T1. Arizona, 4 – vs. #10 Creighton, vs. #14 Indiana, #6 Tennessee, #5 UCLA
T1. Iowa State, 4 – vs. #1 North Carolina, #12 Baylor, #7 Texas, #5 Kansas State
T4. Baylor, 3 – vs. #8 UCLA, vs. #14 Gonzaga, #9 Kansas
T4. Illinois, 3 – vs. #8 UCLA, vs. #2 Texas, #14 Wisconsin
T4. Kansas, 3 – vs. #7 Duke, #14 Indiana, #14 Iowa State

• Terrence Shannon Jr. ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring (18.0 ppg), first in free throws made (108) and first in attempts (137).

• At his current pace, Shannon is on track to enter the top five in school history for both free throws made and attempted in a season.

• Shannon is averaging 20.0 points over the last six games (120), topping 20 points three times. He ranks fifth in the Big Ten with seven 20-point games this season.

• Shannon has scored in double figures in six-straight games, the longest streak of his career.

• Matthew Mayer has scored in double figures in 10 of the last 12 games, averaging 13.8 points (166).

• Mayer's scoring spree included five straight games in double digits from Jan. 4-16, the longest streak of his career. 

• Mayer is averaging 2.4 blocks over the last eight games (19), highlighted by a career-high six rejections in  the Jan. 13 win over Michigan State.  

• Dain Dainja is one of two players nationally (Rashaun Agee, Bowling Green) averaging at least 10 points, five rebounds and one block in less than 20 minutes per game.

• Dainja ranks 18th nationally in 2-point field goal percentage at 69.9% (86-123).

• Dainja has made at least 60% from the field in 16 of 20 games.

• Dainja ranks 66th nationally in block rate (7.2) on the season. He has blocked at least three shots in four of the last eight games, averaging 2.1 blocks during that stretch (17).

• Freshman Jayden Epps has scored in double figures in seven of the last nine games, averaging 10.3 points (93).

• Epps has 10 assists with just four turnovers in 135 minutes over the last five games (2.5 a/to ratio).

• Illinois is 11-0 when shooting at least 45% from the field, and 12-1 when scoring at least 70 points.

• Illinois is a balanced offensive team, with seven players averaging at least 6.4 points.

• Illinois' top three leading scorers this season are transfers.

• Illinois has had five players record a 20-point game this season, and eight players reach double figures scoring.

• Five different players have been Illinois' leading scorer in a game, while seven different players have been the UI's top rebounder.

• Illinois has outrebounded 16 of 20 opponents and ranks second in the Big Ten and No. 31 in the NCAA with a 5.8 average rebound margin.

• Illinois reserves are combining to score 22.2 points per game, ranking third in the B1G. The Illini bench has outscored its opponent in 15 of 20 games, and by an average of 7.2 points.

• Illinois is making 8.4 three-pointers per game, ranking third in the Big Ten. Last season the Illini set a school single-season record, averaging 8.9 made threes.

• Illinois has six newcomers among its current 8-man playing rotation. The Illinois rotation features five underclassmen: three true freshmen and two sophomores.

• Illinois is a dramatically different team this season, welcoming three power-five transfers and five freshmen in a top-10 ranked recruiting class to account for eight scholarship newcomers. 

• Illinois' revamped roster ranks No. 298 in experience  and No. 344 in minutes continuity according to kenpom, ahead of only three power conference teams.

• Illinois is replacing all five regular starters, its top five leading scorers, and a total of 10 players from last year's Big Ten champions. The Illini lost 86% of its points, 80% of its rebounds, and 83% of its minutes played from a year ago.

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)