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Next Up - vs. Iowa - Big Ten Tournament Round 2

Men's Basketball

No. 24 Illini Begin Big Ten Tournament Title Defense Thursday

PREVIEW

#24 ILLINOIS (20-11, 12-8 B1G) vs. Iowa (17-15, 7-13 B1G) // Big Ten Tournament Second Round
Tournament Central BigTen.org
Round 2 7 Illinois vs. 15 Iowa
Date | Time Thursday, March 13, 2025 | 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET)
Location Indianapolis, ind. | Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Buy Tickets TicketMaster.com
TV BTN (Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel, & Andy Katz)
Live Stream foxsports.com/live/btn | Fox Sports App 
Radio Busey Bank Illini Sports Network | Varsity Network App
National Radio Compass Media Networks (Gregg Daniels & Danny Green) | SiriusXM 84, SXM App 84
Live Stats Statbroadcast.com
Printable Notes Illinois
Pregame Press Conferences Coach Underwood (March 12) 
2024-25 Stats Illinois | Iowa | Big Ten
Record Book Illinois
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Social Media @IlliniMBB | #Illini | @IlliniMBB 129943 | Facebook | YouTube
PROBABLE STARTERS (Based on previous game)
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Note
G 32 Kasparas Jakucionis 6-6 205 Fr. 15.2 5.6 4.8 B1G All-Frosh Team, 2nd Team All-B1G (AP)/3rd Team (C/M)
G 4 Kylan Boswell 6-2 205 Jr. 11.4 5.0 3.3 14.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 4.0 apg over last 4 games
F 7 Will Riley 6-8 195 Fr. 12.2 3.9 2.3 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year
G 22 Tre White 6-7 210 Jr. 10.4 5.5 0.8 17.3 ppg & 6.8 rpg over last 4 games
C 13 Tomislav Ivisic 7-1 255 So. 12.6 7.6 2.2 Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (media)
OFF THE BENCH
Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Note
F 0 Carey Booth 6-10 215 So. 1.2 1.0 0.0 Six of nine field goals are 3-pointers
G 2 Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn 6-1 185 So. 6.7 1.8 0.5 17 points & 5 assists at #11 Wisconsin
F 3 Ben Humrichous 6-9 225 Gr. 8.3 3.8 1.0 Team-leading 1.94 3-pointers per game
G 5 AJ Redd 6-3 170 Jr. 0.2 0.6 0.2 Former team manager turned walkon
F 15 Jake Davis 6-6 205 So. 3.2 1.5 0.2 8 points (3-3 FGs, 2 3-pointers) at #15 Michigan
F 21 Morez Johnson Jr. 6-9 255 Fr. 7.2 6.6 0.2 2.7 offensive rebounds/game (4th in B1G)
G 24 Keaton Kutcher 6-2 195 r-Jr. 0.4 0.3 0.1 First Illini 3-pointer vs. Chicago State
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

Head Coach Brad Underwood

Career Record: 272-126 (.683), 12th year
At Illinois: 163-99 (.622), 8th year
Big Ten: 92-66 (.582)
Big Ten Tournament: 7-4 (.636)

Series History vs. Iowa - BTT Second Round

No. 15 Seed Iowa
Series Record: Illinois leads 93-77
Series Streak: Illinois W-3
Record in the Big Ten Tournament: Iowa leads 3-2
BTT Streak: Illinois W-1 
Last Meeting in the Big Ten Tournament: #3 Illinois 82, #5 Iowa 71 (March 13, 2021 at Indianapolis // BTT Semifinal)
Underwood vs. Iowa Overall / In BTT: 8-6 / 1-2
This Year's Meeting: Illinois 81, Iowa 61 (Feb. 25 at Champaign)

Big Ten Tournament Notes

  • llinois enters the 2025 Big Ten Tournament as the No. 7 seed after posting a 12-8 league record. Under head coach Brad Underwood, Illinois is the only program with a winning B1G record in each of the last six seasons.

  • Illinois is the defending Big Ten Tournament Champion after winning the 2024 title behind the record setting performance of Most Outstanding Player Terrence Shannon Jr. Shannon posted a BTT record scoring average of 34.0 ppg across three wins, including the BTT single-game record with 40 points in a semifinal win over Nebraska. Shannon is now in his rookie NBA season with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

  • Illinois is the No. 7 seed in the BTT for the second time. The Illini are 0-1 all-time as the No. 7 seed, falling to 10th-seeded Penn State, 79-76, in Round 2 of the 2023 Tournament. 

  • The Illini have earned at least a first round bye in the BTT in each of the last six seasons. The team also opened in Round 2 in 2023, and earned double-byes to begin play in the quarterfinals in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2024. 

  • Illinois has the third-most all-time BTT wins with 34:
    1. Ohio State, 38
    2. Michigan State, 35
    3. ILLINOIS, 34

  • Illinois has won four BTT championships (2003, 2005, 2021, 2024), third-most in the league:
    1. Michigan State, 6
    2. Ohio State, 5
    3. ILLINOIS, 4

  • Illinois is tied for the second-most BTT championship game appearances, advancing to the title game eight times:
    1. Ohio State, 10
    T2. ILLINOIS & Wisconsin, 8
    4. Michigan State, 7

  • Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 14 times, the second-most semifinal appearances:
    1. Michigan State, 16
    2. ILLINOIS, 14
    T3. Ohio State & Wisconsin, 13

  • Illinois is 24-8 in BTT games when it is the higher (better) seed, and has won three straight games as the higher seed entering the 2025 tournament following the team's championship run last season. 

  • Illinois owns an 18-8 all-time record when playing its opening game of the BTT. The Illini are 5-4 when opening on Thursday: 5-1 in the first round (prior to 2015) and 0-3 in the second round (since 2015). 

  • Illinois is 6-5, overall, in Thursday games at the BTT: 5-1 in Round 1 (1998 to 2014) and 1-4 in Round 2 (since 2015). 

  • Illinois will face 15th-seeded Iowa in Round 2. The Hawkeyes defeated 10th-seeded Ohio State, 77-70, in Round 1 on Wednesday night.

  • Illinois is 2-3 in the BTT vs. Iowa. The Illini won their last BTT tournament matchup vs. the Hawkeyes (2021 Semifinal). 

  • Illinois has never faced a 15 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The 2025 tourney marks the first year that the field has included 15 teams. 

  • Head coach Brad Underwood is 7-4 (.636) in the BTT for his career, tied with Tom Izzo for the best win percentage in the conference tournament among active B1G head coaches. 

  • With Ty Rodgers redshirting this season, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is the only active Illini to have recorded statistics in a BTT game. Gibbs-Lawhorn totaled 2 points and 2 rebounds in 15 total minutes across three BTT games as a freshman during Illinois' run to the title.   

  • During his time at Arizona, Kylan Boswell helped the Wildcats to the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament Championship as the league's No. 2 seed.

Opening Tips

  • 24th-ranked Illinois heads to Indianapolis as the 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. The Illini begin defense of their 2024 BTT title on Thursday (5:30 p.m. CT, BTN) in Round 2 against 15 Iowa.

  • Head coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to a sixth consecutive 20-win season. Illinois is one of only four teams nationally to record 20-win regular seasons every year since 2019-20, joined by Gonzaga, Houston, and San Diego State. 

  • Illinois opens the Big Ten Tournament with a NET ranking of 15, boasting 25 combined Quad 1 (17) and Quad 2 (8) games on the season, a mark that is tied for first nationally. Illinois' eight Quad 1 wins are tied for 10th in the NCAA entering the postseason.

  • Underwood guided the Illini to a 12-8 Big Ten record, the team's sixth consecutive year with a winning record in league play. Illinois is the only program to finish .500 or better in B1G play in each of the last six seasons. 

  • Underwood owns the two winningest B1G seasons in school history, three of the top five, four of the top eight, and five of the top 15. Underwood's five seasons with at least 12 B1G wins stand just one behind Lou Henson, who did so six times during his legendary 21-year career at Illinois. 

  • Illinois' run of six straight seasons with at least 11 Big Ten wins is the program's longest streak since doing so for seven years in a row from 2000 through 2006.

  • Illinois is the Big Ten's winningest team in conference play since the start of 2019-20, posting 81 league victories over the last six seasons, tied with Purdue. During that stretch, the Illini own the most road wins in league play with 34. Including the conference tournament, Illinois owns the most total wins over Big Ten opponents with 87, also tied with Purdue. 

  • Illinois' 81 wins in Big Ten play rank as the most in school history over a six-year stretch.

  • Illinois boasts the Big Ten's highest scoring offense, averaging 83.7 points per game (11th in NCAA). The Fighting Illini are 19-1 this season when scoring 80+ points, including 12-0 in Big Ten play.

  • Illinois is one of the nation's top rebounding teams, ranking second in the NCAA in total rebounds per game (42.4) and defensive rebounds per game (29.5), and eighth in rebound margin (+8.5 rpg). The Illini are 19-5 on the season when outrebounding their opponent.   

  • Illinois has 11 wins by 20+ points this season. Six have come against B1G opponents, the program's most in the modern era, and the most since 1942-43 (7). 

Illini NCAA Tournament Resume

  • Illinois is No. 15 in the latest NCAA NET rankings, one of nine Big Ten teams in the top 40. 

  • Illinois has eight Quad 1 wins, tied for 10th nationally and third in the B1G.

  • Illinois has played 17 Quad 1 games, tied for fifth in the NCAA and most in the B1G. 

  • Illinois has played a combined 25 Quad 1/2 games, tied for the most with Alabama, Auburn, Purdue and Texas A&M.  

  • Illinois has won a combined 14 Quad 1/2 games, tied for 10th in the NCAA.

  • Illinois has only played a combined six Quad 3/4 games, tied for the fewest in the NCAA.

  • Every Illinois loss has been Quad 1 (9) or Quad 2 (2).

  • Illinois navigated the majority of Big Ten play with numerous different lineups due to illness and injuries. After starting the same five from the season opener through Jan. 5 (11-3 record), Illinois started seven different lineups from Jan. 8 through the end of the regular season (9-8 record). 

  • Illinois' eighth starting lineup closed the regular season with its current three-game winning streak.

  • Four different starters have combined to miss 11 total games, while five players have combined for an additional seven games with limited minutes due to illness/injury. 

Fighting Illini Under Brad Underwood

  • 2024 NCAA Elite Eight; Illinois' first appearance since 2005

  • One of only four schools nationally with six straight 20-win regular seasons

  • Most wins in Big Ten play the last six years (81)

  • Only team with winning Big Ten record in each of last six seasons

  • Three Big Ten Championships in last five years

  • Four straight NCAA Tournament appearances (fifth precluded by COVID-19 cancelation in 2020)

  • NCAA Tournament wins in three of the last four years

  • Four Top-25 finishes the previous five years, including two in the Top 10

  • Top-two B1G finishes three of the last five years

  • Four All-Americans

  • Seven first-team All-Big Ten selections

  • 2024 B1G Tournament Champions

  • 2022 B1G Champions

  • 2021 B1G Tournament Champions

  • Led B1G in wins in 2021

  • 2021 NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed (fourth in school history) 

Illini Team Notables

  • Illinois enters the postseason at No. 24 in the latest AP Top 25, and 25th in the most recent coaches poll. 

  • Brad Underwood has led the Illini program to Top-25 rankings in seven consecutive seasons. Illinois has been ranked for a total of 10 weeks this season, which included a run of seven straight, and reached as high as 13th. 

  • The Illini closed the regular season on a three-game winning streak with victories over Iowa (81-61), at #15 Michigan (93-73), and vs. #18 Purdue (88-80) by an average of 16.0 points per game (262-214). 

  • Illinois leads the Big Ten in five team statistical categories, with the following NCAA rankings: total rebounds per game (2nd in NCAA; 42.4), defensive rebounds per game (2nd; 29.5), 3-point attempts per game (4th; 30.3), scoring offense (11th; 83.7), and offensive rebounds per game (35th; 12.9). 

  • Illinois is 19-1 on the season when scoring at least 80 points. The Illini's 20 games with 80+ points are tied for the Big Ten lead (Iowa), and tied for 11th nationally. Among teams with at least 16 80-point games, Illinois' .950 win percentage ranks third in the nation behind Duke at 19-0 (1.000) and Akron at 20-1 (.952).

  • The Illini secured their 13th home win of the season in the team's regular-season finale vs. #18 Purdue. It marks the team's sixth straight season with at least 10 home wins at State Farm Center under Brad Underwood. 

  • Since 2019-20, the Illini are 82-17 (.828) at State Farm Center, tied with Purdue and Iowa for the most wins by a Big Ten team over the last six seasons. Nationally, the Illini's 82 home wins rank tied for 14th, overall, and tied for seventh among teams that have played each of the last six seasons in a power conference. 

  • Illinois is 7-7 away from State Farm Center this season, with a 5-5 mark in true road contests, and a 2-2 mark in neutral site games. 

  • Illinois is 34-26 (.567) in Big Ten road games since the start of the 2019-20 season, the best mark in the league over the last six seasons. The Illini have finished .500 or better on the road in league play in five of the last six seasons.  

  • Under Brad Underwood, Illinois has finished in the top 40 in KenPom adjusted efficiency for both offense and defense in four of the last six seasons. The Illini offense is currently No. 15 (121.8), while the team is 30th on defense (97.3). 

  • Illinois is No. 21 nationally in KenPom's effective field goal percentage defense (.466), including a No. 15 ranking (first in the Big Ten) in 2-point defense (.459). 

  • According to KenPom, the Illini rank No. 28 nationally, and fifth among Power Conference programs, with a 3-point attempt rate (3-point attempts/total field goal attempts) of 47.3%. Among major conference teams, Illinois ranks first nationally with five games of 15+ made 3-pointers. 

  • Illinois is averaging a Big Ten-leading 83.7 points per game, just ahead of the pace of last year's team that averaged 83.4 points per contest en route to a Big Ten Tournament Championship and Elite Eight run. The Illini are on pace for the program's top team scoring average in 31 seasons, since 1993-94 (84.0 ppg).  

  • Illinois has won 11 games by 20+ points, with six coming against Big Ten Opponents, and four of those games coming on the road. The Illini defeated Eastern Illinois, 112-67 (+45); Oakland, 90-58 (+32); UMES, 87-40 (+47); and Little Rock, 92-34 (+58) all within the first month of the season. Illinois then defeated Chicago State, 117-64 (+53); recorded an historic 109-77 (+32) victory at No. 9 Oregon; earned a 91-52 (+39) home win over Penn State; rolled to a 94-69 (+25) victory at Indiana; posted 95-74 (+21) win at Minnesota; notched an 81-61 (+20) victory over Iowa, and rolled to a 93-73 (+20) road win at #15 Michigan. 

  • Illinois is second nationally in rebounding at 42.4 boards per game, on pace for the program's best average in 52 seasons (44.4 rpg in 1972-73). The Orange and Blue have outrebounded their opponent in 24 of 31 games this season, going 19-5 in those contests. 

  • Illinois is 5-6 against Top-25 ranked teams this season with wins over No. 19 Arkansas, No. 20 Wisconsin, at No. 9 Oregon, at No. 15 Michigan, and vs. #18 Purdue. The Illini's five ranked wins are tied for seventh nationally. 

  • Illinois has registered 81 wins in league play since the start of the 2019-20 season, tied with Purdue for the most in the conference over the last six seasons. When including the conference tournament, the Illini's 87 wins over Big Ten teams during that time span are also tied with the Boilermakers for the league's best mark. 

  • 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, and the team's three total championships over the last six seasons are tied with Purdue for the most in the B1G. 

  • 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.

  • Entering the Big Ten Tournament, newcomers to the Illini roster have accounted for 92% of the team's scoring (2,387 of 2,595 total points), with UI freshmen accounting for 38.8% of those points (1,006).

  • Illinois' top three scorers and top three rebounders are all in their first year of collegiate basketball. Freshman G Kasparas Jakucionis ranks first in scoring (15.2 ppg) and third in rebounding (5.6 rpg). Sophomore C Tomislav Ivisic averages 12.6 points (second on team) and a team-leading 7.6 rebounds. Freshman F Will Riley is the Illini's No. 3 scorer at 12.2 points per game. And Freshman F Morez Johnson Jr. ranks second on the team at 6.6 rebounds per game with a team-leading 70 offensive boards (2.7 per game), despite missing the final five games of the regular season with a wrist injury. 

  • Eight different Illini players have recorded a 20-point game this season, tied for the top mark in the NCAA, and the most by any Big Ten program since at least 2004-05. 

  • Three Illini scored 20+ points vs. Penn State - Ben Humrichous (21), Morez Johnson Jr. (20) and Tre White (20). It marked just the third time in the last 35 seasons that Illinois had a game featuring a trio of 20-point scorers.  

  • Illinois' 32-point road win over #9 Oregon was the largest margin of victory ever by a road team over an AP Top-10 opponent, and the largest road win in Illinois program history against any top-25 opponent. 

  • In their 109-77 win at #9 Oregon, Illinois became the first Big Ten team since Feb. 9, 1989, to record 100+ points in a Top-10 road win (No. 10 Michigan defeated No. 8 Iowa, 108-107).

  • Illinois also posted a dominant 94-69 win at Indiana on Jan. 14. The 25-point margin of victory was the second-largest for a Hoosiers' opponent in Assembly Hall history, while Illinois' 94 points marked the most ever scored by a visiting team in a regulation game at Assembly Hall. 

  • With the Illinois' 93-73 road win at #15 Michigan (March 2) and the team's 109-77 win at #9 Oregon (Jan. 2), Illinois became just the fourth program since 1950 with multiple 20+-point ranked road wins, joining 1997 Kentucky, 2004 Pitt, and 2007 North Carolina.

Illini Player Notables

Kasparas Jakucionis

  • Kasparas Jakucionis is a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the AP, third-team All-Big Ten pick by the league coaches and media, and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He is the fifth Illini of the Brad Underwood era to earn a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team (joins Trent Frazier, Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn, Andre Curbelo).

  • During the season, Jakucionis was also named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Midseason Watch List, a Top-10 candidate for the Jerry West Award, a unanimous selection to the five-player Midseason Freshman All-America Team by The Athletic, a Midseason All-America third team selection by The Sporting News, a John R. Wooden Award Late Midseason Watch List (top 20) selection, and a Naismith Trophy Men's College Player of the Year Midseason Team selection. He also earned two Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.

  • Jakucionis has 10 20-point games this season, setting the Illini all-time record for 20-point games by a freshman previously held by Cory Bradford, who had eight 20-point games as a redshirt freshman in 1998-99. 

  • Jakucionis scored 20+ points in six straight games from Nov. 25-Dec. 22, shattering the Illini freshman record for consecutive 20-point games (previous record was two).  

  • Jakucionis became the fourth Big Ten freshman since 1996-97 with at least six-straight 20-point games, and the first to do so since Indiana's Eric Gordon had seven in a row in 2007.

  • Jakucionis has posted four game of 20+ points, 6+ rebounds and 5+ assists, tied for ninth nationally, and tied for first among freshmen with Duke's Cooper Flagg and Howard's Blake Harper. Jakucionis trails eight upperclassmen in Colorado State fifth-year senior Nique Clifford (8), Northwestern senior Brooks Barnhizer (6), Princeton junior Xavian Lee (6), UAB senior Yaxel Lendeborg (6), Creighton fifth-year senior Steven Ashworth (5), UAPB junior Doctor Bradley (5), Purdue junior Braden Smith (5), and Weber State senior Blaise Threatt (5)

  • At 15.2 points per game, Jakucionis is on pace to become the third Illini freshman in program history to average more than 15.0 points per game, and is just shy of the program record for scoring average by a freshman. Kiwane Garris (15.9 in 1993-94), Cory Bradford (15.4 in 1998-99), and Deon Thomas (15.1 in 1990-91) rank 1-3 on that list. 

  • All-time among Illinois freshmen, Jakucionis ranks second in free-throws made (119), fourth in double-doubles (4), fifth in total points (440), fifth in total assists (140), ninth in rebounds (161), and ninth in field goals made (136). He is also on pace to finish first in free-throw percentage (.833), fourth in assists per game (4.8), and eighth in rebounds per game (5.6).

Tomislav Ivisic

  • Tomislav Ivisic earned honorable mention All-Big Ten by the media. 

  • Ivisic is the No. 7 rebounder in the Big Ten at 7.6 rebounds per game and ranks sixth in the league at 5.9 defensive rebounds per contest. 

  • Ivisic has led the Illini rebounding effort in 12 of the 28 games in which he has played, the most on the team. 

  • Ivisic, classified as sophomore in his first season of collegiate competition, has recorded nine double-doubles through 28 games, ranking fifth in the Big Ten, tied for 49th in the NCAA overall, and fourth among power conference underclassmen. 

  • Ivisic, at 7-1, is one of the nation's top 3-point shooting big men, and has connected on 42 3-pointers this season, third on the team behind Ben Humrichous (60) and Kasparas Jakucionis (49). 

  • Nationally, Ivisic ranks as one of just six 7-footers with 30+ 3-pointers made this season, trailing only Stanford senior Maxime Raynaud (57), and his brother Zvonimir Ivisic (47) of Arkansas. Ivisic's 42 triples rank third in that group, ahead of Pitt junior Guillermo Diaz Graham (36), Michigan junior Danny Wolf (32), and Oregon senior Nathan Bittle (32).  

  • Ivisic has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 23 games this season, tied with Raynaud for the most games with a triple among 7-footers. 

Kylan Boswell

  • Kylan Boswell has recorded seven games with 10+ points and 5+ assists, with four against Big Ten opponents, including his 15-point, five-assist effort in the Illini's regular-season finale victory over #18 Purdue on March 7. 

  • Boswell has recorded 11 games in double-figures scoring with at least five rebounds, and has dished out at least four assists in seven of those contests. In the team's win at #15 Michigan (March 2), he scored 17 with nine rebounds and four assists. 

  • Boswell has scored in double-figures in four straight games to close the regular season. Over that stretch he is averaging 14.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. 

  • Boswell ranks second on the team with 106 free-throws made on the season, and is 14th in the Big Ten with a free-throw percentage .803 (106-132). 

  • Boswell ranks 15th in the Big Ten with a team-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.61.

  • Boswell recorded the seventh triple-double in Illinois history and fifth of the Underwood era against Chicago State (Dec. 29), tallying 18 points, career-high 10 rebounds, and career-high 10 assists. =

  • Boswell scored in double-figures in 12 of 14 games for the Illini between the Dec. 10 vs. Wisconsin (19 points) and Feb. 2 vs. Ohio State (14), including a career-high 22 points in the Illini win at Indiana on Jan. 14. During that 14-game stretch, Boswell averaged 13.9 points (195), 6.3 rebounds (88), and 4.2 assists (59).

Will Riley

  • Will Riley is the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year, selected by the conference coaches. He is the second Illini to be voted Sixth Man of the Year (Andre Curbelo, 2021). 

  • Riley earned three B1G Freshman of the Week awards this season.

  • Riley enters the Big Ten Tournament having scored in double-figures in 10 of his last 11 games, including the last three games of the season in the Illini starting lineup. He is averaging 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game during that span.  

  • Riley opened his Illini career by breaking the program's scoring record for a freshman debut with 31 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists in the team's season-opening win vs. Eastern Illinois. 

  • Riley has led the Fighting Illini in scoring eight times, seven in a reserve role to provide a vital scoring threat off the bench. He scored in double-figures in seven straight games between Jan. 30 at Nebraska and Feb. 18 at #11 Wisconsin, averaging 17.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game during that run. 

  • Riley posted an historic outing in the team's win at Minnesota (Feb. 8), becoming the only freshman in the nation since at least 1996-97 to record a game with 27+ points, 9+ rebounds, and 7+ assists without a turnover.

  • Riley has made five starts on the season, the first two in place of an injured Kasparas Jakucionis on Jan. 8 vs. Penn State and Jan. 11 vs. USC, and has earned a starting nod in each of the Illini's last three victories of the regular season over Iowa on Feb. 25, March 2 at #15 Michigan, and March 7 vs. #18 Purdue. 

  • Entering the Big Ten Tournament, Riley ranks seventh All-time among Illinois freshmen in free-throws made (75), and is just six points and two field goals away from cracking the top 10. He is one of just seven Illini freshman to ever produce a 30-point game, and his four 20-point scoring efforts rank tied for ninth with Dee Brown (2002-03). He is on pace to finish ninth in free-throw percentage (.735). 

Morez Johnson Jr.

  • Morez Johnson Jr. missed the final five games of the regular-season with a broken wrist, but is expected to make his return at the Big Ten Tournament. 

  • Over his last 16 games, prior to the injury vs. Michigan State on Feb. 15, Johnson averaged 8.9 points (142) and 6.8 rebounds (109), and made eight straight starts.  

  • During that 16-game run, beginning with the Braggin' Rights win vs. Mizzou (Dec. 22), Johnson recorded a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double in the win over Penn State (Jan. 8), a 15-point, nine-rebound effort in his second-career start vs. Northwestern on Jan. 26, and 14-point, a 15-rebound double-double in the team's come-from-behind win over Ohio State on Feb. 2, and a 17-point, five-rebound game vs. #11 Michigan State (Feb. 15). 

  • Johnson, at 6.6 rebounds per game, is just short of Deon Thomas (6.8 rpg in 1990-91) for the third-best freshman mark in Illini history. Kofi Cockburn set the record holds the record at 8.8 rpg as a freshman in 2019-20, and Efrem Winters posted an average of 6.9 rpg in 1982-83. 

  • Among Illinois freshmen all-time, Johnson is also fourth in blocked shots (29), seventh in total rebounds (171) and tied for fifth in double-doubles (3). He is also on pace to set the Illinois freshman record for field-goal percentage (.667), and finished third in blocked shots per game (1.1).

Tre White

  • After opening the year averaging 7.1 points and 5.0 rebounds in eight games, Tre White found a rhythm on the court for the Illini. Beginning with a 23-point, 8 rebound effort vs. #20 Wisconsin on Dec. 10, White averaged 12.1 points (157) and 6.2 rebounds (80) the team's next 13 games, scoring in double figures seven times.  

  • Against #3 Duke at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 22, White led the Illini with 16 points and added five rebounds. It marked his first game of the season as the Illini's top scorer. He then scored 14 in the team's win vs. Iowa Feb. 25, posted a 19-point,  11-rebound double-double (both team highs) in the Illini's 93-73 win at #15 Michigan (March 2), and recorded 20 points with a team-high nine rebounds in the regular-season finale win vs. #18 Purdue (March 7). 

  • Over his last four games entering the Big Ten Tournament - vs. #3 Duke, vs. Iowa, at #15 Michigan, and vs. #18 Purdue - White is averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds, while shooting 75.0% (27-36) from the field, 60% (9-15) from 3-point range, and 75% (12-16) from the free-throw line.

Ben Humrichous

  • Ben Humrichous leads the fighting Illini with 60 3-pointers on the season and knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 27 of 31 regular-season games. 

  • Humrichous leads the team, averaging 1.94 triples per contest, 11th in the Big Ten (among players who have appeared in 75% of their team's games). 

  • Humrichous' 60 3-pointers as an Illini have surpassed his total of 53 hit during the 2023-24 season for Evansville. 

  • Since 1986-87 (3-point era), Humrichous is the 20th Big Ten player with listed 6-9 or taller to hit at least 50 3-pointers in a season. He is the third Illini to do so in as many seasons joining Matthew Mayer (67 in 2022-23) and Coleman Hawkins (59 in 2023-24). 

  • Humrichous' 60 3-pointers rank first in the nation among power conference players listed 6-9 or taller.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

  • Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn has continued to make a big impact for the Illini in his sophomore season. Over 14 games between Dec. 22 vs. Missouri and Feb. 5 vs. Rutgers, Gibbs-Lawhorn averaged 9.3 points (130) while shooting 50.5% (48-95) from the field.

  • Gibbs-Lawhorn made the first start two starts of his collegiate career vs. Ohio State (Feb. 2) and at Rutgers (Feb. 5). Against Ohio State, he was key to the Illini's 87-79 come-from-behind victory, posting 10 points highlighted by a momentum-shifting steal and run-out dunk that capped a 12-2 run to pull the Illini to within one possession after OSU's lead had reached 11 points. 

  • Gibbs-Lawhorn has posted nine double-digit scoring games this season, eight of which have come since Dec. 29: 16 vs. Chicago State (Dec. 29), 11 at Oregon (Jan.2), 11 vs. USC (Jan. 11), 12 at Indiana (Jan. 14), 15 vs. Maryland (Jan. 23), 15 at Nebraska (Jan. 30), 10 vs. Ohio State (Feb. 2), and 17 at #11 Wisconsin (Feb. 18).

Jake Davis

  • Jake Davis leads the Illini shooting 35.5% (22-62) from 3-point range.

  • Davis has made an impact for the Illini off the bench since just before the New Year. After totaling just eight points and seven rebounds in his first his nine games as an Illini, Davis has averaged 4.3 points (86) and 1.8 rebounds (36) over his last 20 games since Dec. 29 vs. Chicago State. 

  • Davis was vital to the Illini's win at then-No. 9 Oregon on Jan. 2, posting a season-high 12 points and with three rebounds in the road win in Eugene. 

Complete Illinois Game Notes (PDF)

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Players Mentioned

Coleman Hawkins

#33 Coleman Hawkins

F
6' 10"
Senior
Terrence Shannon Jr.

#0 Terrence Shannon Jr.

G
6' 6"
Fifth Year
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

#2 Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

G
6' 1"
Sophomore
Keaton Kutcher

#24 Keaton Kutcher

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
test
AJ Redd

#5 AJ Redd

G
6' 3"
Junior
Ty Rodgers

#20 Ty Rodgers

G/F
6' 6"
Junior
Jason Jakstys

#31 Jason Jakstys

F
6' 10"
Freshman
Morez Johnson Jr.

#21 Morez Johnson Jr.

F
6' 9"
Freshman
Jake Davis

#15 Jake Davis

F
6' 6"
Sophomore
Ben Humrichous

#3 Ben Humrichous

F
6' 9"
Graduate Student
Tomislav Ivisic

#13 Tomislav Ivisic

C
7' 1"
Sophomore
Kasparas Jakucionis

#32 Kasparas Jakucionis

G
6' 6"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Coleman Hawkins

#33 Coleman Hawkins

6' 10"
Senior
F
Terrence Shannon Jr.

#0 Terrence Shannon Jr.

6' 6"
Fifth Year
G
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

#2 Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn

6' 1"
Sophomore
G
Keaton Kutcher

#24 Keaton Kutcher

6' 2"
Redshirt Junior
test
G
AJ Redd

#5 AJ Redd

6' 3"
Junior
G
Ty Rodgers

#20 Ty Rodgers

6' 6"
Junior
G/F
Jason Jakstys

#31 Jason Jakstys

6' 10"
Freshman
F
Morez Johnson Jr.

#21 Morez Johnson Jr.

6' 9"
Freshman
F
Jake Davis

#15 Jake Davis

6' 6"
Sophomore
F
Ben Humrichous

#3 Ben Humrichous

6' 9"
Graduate Student
F
Tomislav Ivisic

#13 Tomislav Ivisic

7' 1"
Sophomore
C
Kasparas Jakucionis

#32 Kasparas Jakucionis

6' 6"
Freshman
G