| PROBABLE STARTERS (Based on previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
32 |
Kasparas Jakucionis |
6-6 |
205 |
Fr. |
10.5 |
5.8 |
7.3 |
NCAA's No. 2-ranked freshman in ast/game |
| G |
4 |
Kylan Boswell |
6-2 |
205 |
Jr. |
8.0 |
3.3 |
2.5 |
Season-highs 17p/7r/3a vs. #8 Alabama |
| G |
22 |
Tre White |
6-7 |
210 |
Jr. |
7.8 |
4.3 |
1.0 |
Career-high three 3-pointers vs. SIUE |
| F |
3 |
Ben Humrichous |
6-9 |
225 |
Gr. |
12.5 |
3.5 |
1.3 |
Double-figures scoring in first 4 games |
| C |
13 |
Tomislav Ivisic |
7-1 |
255 |
So. |
16.5 |
9.3 |
1.0 |
Big Ten leader with 2 double-doubles |
| OFF THE BENCH |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
0 |
Carey Booth |
6-10 |
215 |
So. |
2.5 |
1.5 |
0.3 |
6 pts, 5 rebs, 1 blk in ILL debut vs. EIU |
| G |
2 |
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn |
6-1 |
185 |
So. |
8.0 |
2.3 |
0.0 |
Career-high 21 points vs EIU |
| G |
5 |
AJ Redd |
6-3 |
170 |
Jr. |
1.0 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
Former team manager turned walkon |
| F |
7 |
Will Riley |
6-8 |
195 |
Fr. |
17.8 |
6.8 |
2.3 |
No. 6 freshman scorer in the nation |
| F |
15 |
Jake Davis |
6-6 |
205 |
So. |
1.5 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
Hit first 3-pointer as an Illini vs. SIUE |
| F |
21 |
Morez Johnson Jr. |
6-9 |
255 |
Fr. |
3.5 |
5.8 |
0.0 |
No. 2 frosh shot blocker in NCAA (2.3 bpg) |
| G |
24 |
Keaton Kutcher |
6-2 |
195 |
r-Jr. |
1.0 |
0.5 |
0.5 |
Scored first Illinois points vs. SIUE |
| REDSHIRT (Averages from 2023-24 season) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G/F |
20 |
Ty Rodgers |
6-6 |
210 |
Jr. |
6.2 |
5.3 |
2.0 |
Started all 38 games last season |
| F |
31 |
Jason Jakstys |
6-10 |
210 |
Fr. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
Third-Team All-State |
Career Record: 255-116 (.687), 12th year
At Illinois: 146-89 (.621), 8th year
Big Ten: 80-58 (.580)
Series History vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore
All-Time Record: Illinois leads, 1-0
Record in Champaign: Same
Last Meeting: Illinois 85, Maryland-Eastern Shore 43 (12/11/2003)
Underwood vs. UMES: First meeting
Opening Tips
- No. 25 Illinois (3-1) continues a stretch of four games in nine days across three different cities on Saturday afternoon, hosting Maryland-Eastern Shore (3 p.m. CT/B1G+) at State Farm Center.
- The Illini are coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday at the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham, Ala., and follow Saturday's matchup vs. UMES with a Monday home game vs. Little Rock (8 p.m. CT/BTN). Illinois closes November with a Thursday contest vs. No. 20 Arkansas (3 p.m. CT/CBS) in the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
- Illinois entered the Top 25 of the AP poll, at No. 25, for the first time this season on Monday, and remained ranked No. 20 in the coaches poll. Head Coach Brad Underwood now has the Fighting Illini program ranked for a sixth consecutive season.
- Following the 2024 Elite Eight appearance and Big Ten Tournament Championship, Illinois has a dramatically different roster this season. The program returns just one rotation player – last year's ninth-leading scorer Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn – and returns just 2.9% of its minutes, 2.2% of its points, and 2.0% of its rebounds overall.
- KenPom.com ranks the Illini 29th in adjusted efficiency rating (+18.35), with the Orange and Blue coming in at No. 34 in offensive efficiency (114.6) and No. 36 in defense efficiency (96.3).
- Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks among the top 15 teams nationally in: 3-pointers per game (7th in NCAA, 12.0), 3-point attempts per game (9th, 33.8), rebounds per game (7th, 46.5), defensive rebounds per game (8th, 32.5), and rebound margin (15th, +13.3), scoring margin (11th, +29.7).
- According to KenPom, the Illini rank 11th nationally, fifth among Power Conference programs, and first in the Big Ten with a 3-point attempt percentage - 3-point attempts/total field goal attempts - of 55.3%. The Illini boast the highest overall offensive efficiency rating (114.6) among the top-25 programs in 3-point attempt percentage.
- Illinois is the winningest team in the Big Ten over the last five seasons, registering a 69-31 (.690) mark in league play. The Illini won the 2024 Big Ten Tournament championship as the #2 seed, captured the regular season championship in 2022, and led the conference in wins while adding a B1G Tournament crown in 2021..
Illinois - Maryland-Eastern Shore Storylines
- Saturday's contest is the second meeting in the series between Illinois and Maryland-Eastern Shore.
- The 14th-ranked Illini defeated the Hawks, 85-43, at State Farm Center on Dec. 11, 2003, behind 19 points from Roger Powell and 16 points from Luther Head.
- The Illinois men's basketball program is a combined 12-0 all-time against the current eight-team membership of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, with all 12 games contested in Champaign.
- Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is 1-0 in his career vs. current MEAC programs. He led Illinois to an 86-73 home win over North Carolina Central on Nov. 24, 2017 as part of the Global Sports Invitational. The win capped a 6-0 start in Underwood's first season at the helm of the Illini program..
Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)
