UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL Game #1 // Illinois (20-15, 8-10 in 2016-17) vs. Southern (15-18, 10-8 in 2016-17) Nov. 10, 2017 // 7 p.m. CT // Champaign, Ill. // State Farm Center (15,544) Internet Stream: BTN Plus (Student U) Orri Benatar (Play-By-Play), Ryan Wilson (Analyst), Shaan Keswani (Reports) Radio: Fighting Illini Sports Network Brian Barnhart (Play-By-Play), Deon Thomas (Analyst) ILLINOIS SCHEDULE & RESULTS Date Opponent time/result TV/Streak November (0-0) 10 SOUTHERN [1] 7 p.m. BTN Plus 12 TENNESSEE-MARTIN [1] 5 p.m. ESPNU 17 DEPAUL [2] 7:30 p.m. BTN 19 MARSHALL [1] 4 p.m. BTN Plus 22 AUGUSTANA (ILL.) 6 p.m. BTN Plus 24 NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL [1] 6:30 p.m. BTN Plus 28 at Wake Forest [3] 8 p.m. ESPNU December (0-0) 1 at Northwestern [4] 8 p.m. BTN 3 MARYLAND 7 p.m. BTN 6 AUSTIN PEAY 7 p.m. BTN 9 at UNLV [5] 11 p.m. ESPN2 13 LONGWOOD 7 p.m. BTN 16 vs. New Mexico State [6] 7 p.m. BTN 23 vs. Missouri [7] 7 p.m. ESPN2 30 GRAND CANYON 3 p.m. BTN Plus January (0-0) 3 at Minnesota 8 p.m. BTN 6 at Michigan 11 a.m. BTN 11 IOWA 7 p.m. FS1 15 at Nebraska 8 p.m. BTN 19 at Wisconsin 8 p.m. FS1 22 MICHIGAN STATE 8 p.m. FS1 24 INDIANA 8 p.m. BTN 30 RUTGERS 6 p.m. BTN February (0-0) 4 at Ohio State 11 a.m. FS1 8 WISCONSIN 8 p.m. BTN 11 PENN STATE 6 p.m. BTN 14 at Indiana 7:30 p.m. BTN 18 NEBRASKA 2:30 p.m. BTN 20 at Michigan State 6 p.m. ESPN/2 22 PURDUE 6 p.m. FS1 25 at Rutgers 2 p.m. BTN F28-M4 at Big Ten Tournament [8] All Times Listed are Central BOLD CAPS - State Farm Center; Champaign, Ill. [1] Global Sports Invitational [2] Gavitt Tipoff Games [3] Big Ten/ACC Challenge [4] Allstate Arena; Rosemont, Ill. [5] MGM Grand Garden Arena [6] Dynegy Shootout United Center; Chicago [7] Bud Light Braggin Rights Scottrade Center; St. Louis [8] Madison Square Garden; New York ILLINOIS ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION Address: 1700 S. Fourth St., Champaign, IL 61820 Office: 217-333-1391 Basketball SID: Derrick Burson Email: burson@illinois.edu Office: 217-333-0933 // Cell: 217-766-7315 Twitter: @IlliniMBB Website: FightingIllini.com PROBABLE STARTERS (FROM THE EXHIBITION GAME AVERAGES LISTED ARE FROM THE 2016-17 SEASON) Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Other G 3 Te Jon Lucas 6-1 180 So. 4.8 1.9 3.1 1.0 SPG G 20 Da Monte Williams 6-3 190 Fr. G 24 Mark Alstork * 6-5 190 Gr. 19.0 4.7 3.5 84.6% FT F 12 Leron Black 6-7 230 r-jr. 8.1 6.3 0.4 45.3% FG F 43 Michael Finke 6-10 235 r-jr. 6.9 4.2 0.7 41.1% 3FG * Alstork s stats at Wright State OFF THE BENCH Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG Other G 1 Trent Frazier 6-1 170 Fr. F 2 Kipper Nichols 6-6 225 r-so. 4.9 2.9 0.1 45.3% FG F 4 Matic Vesel 6-10 215 Fr. G 10 Drew Cayce 6-1 175 r-so. F 11 Greg Eboigbodin 6-9 225 Fr. G 13 Mark Smith 6-4 225 Fr. G 23 Aaron Jordan 6-5 210 Jr. 1.0 1.1 0.2 8 STL G 35 Samson Oladimeji 6-4 200 So. 0.3 0.4 0.0 7 G F 45 Cameron Liss 6-6 220 r-jr. OUT Pos. No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG APG G 32 Tyler Underwood # 6-1 165 r-so. 0.6 0.2 0.1 G 41 Clayton Jones @ 6-0 170 r-sr. 0.4 0.0 0.0 # Sitting out per NCAA transfer rules @ Recovering from torn ACL HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD Career Record: At Illinois: SERIES NOTES VS. SOUTHERN Record: Streak: Record at Champaign: Streak at Champaign: Last Meeting: Underwood vs. Southern: 109-27/.801 (5th year) 0-0 (1st year) First meeting N/A N/A N/A N/A First meeting Illini in Season Openers Illinois opens its 113th season of men s basketball on Friday night, hosting Southern. The Fighting Illini have posted an all-time record of 98-14 (.875) in season openers. The Illini are 32-2 all-time (.868) when starting the season at State Farm Center, which includes an active streak of 20 straight wins when opening the year at SFC. Underwood Era Begins First-year head coach Brad Underwood is ushering in a new era of Fighting Illini Basketball. Underwood was hired in March after leading Oklahoma State to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. That followed a dominant run at Stephen F. Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons, compiling an 89-14 record and leading to three straight NCAA Tournament bids. Owning the third-most victories in NCAA history by a head coach through his first four years (109), Underwood is now employing his exciting systems of uptempo and positionless spread offense with pressure and deny defense in Champaign.
ILLINOIS NUMERICAL ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown Notable 1 Trent Frazier G 6-1 170 Fr. Wellington, Fla. Florida Association of Basketball Coaches 2017 Class 9A Player of the Year 2 Kipper Nichols F 6-6 225 r-so. Cleveland, Ohio Averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds as a freshman in Big Ten play 3 Te Jon Lucas G 6-1 180 So. Milwaukee, Wis. Led Illini in assists as a freshman, averaging 3.1 apg 4 Matic Vesel F 6-10 215 Fr. Ljubljana, Slovenia Member of Slovenian National U20 Team 10 Drew Cayce G 6-1 175 r-so. Libertyville, Ill. Walkon sat out last year after transferring from Creighton. 11 Greg Eboigbodin F 6-9 225 Fr. Benin City, Nigeria Second-team Class A all-state by Detroit News 12 Leron Black F 6-7 230 r-jr. Memphis, Tenn. Illini s leading returning scorer (8.1 ppg) and rebounder (6.3 rpg) 13 Mark Smith G 6-4 225 Fr. Edwardsville, Ill. 2017 Illinois Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year 20 Da Monte Williams G 6-3 190 Fr. Peoria, Ill. Son of former Illini point guard Frank Williams 23 Aaron Jordan G 6-5 210 Jr. Plainfield, Ill. Played in 24 games last season as a sophomore 24 Mark Alstork G 6-5 190 Gr. Dayton, Ohio Grad transfer averaged 19.0 ppg last year at Wright State 32 Tyler Underwood G 6-2 180 r-so. Champaign, Ill. Walk-on sitting out this season as a transfer 35 Samson Oladimeji G 6-4 200 So. Rolling Meadows, Ill. Walk-on appeared in seven games last season 41 Clayton Jones G 6-0 190 r-sr. Champaign, Ill. Walk-on will miss season recovering from torn ACL 43 Michael Finke F 6-10 235 r-jr. Champaign, Ill. Averaged 6.9 points and led Illini in 3-point shooting at 41.1 percent 45 Cameron Liss F 6-6 220 r-jr. Northbrook, Ill. Walk-on redshirted last season Head Coach: Brad Underwood (1st year at Illinois, 5th year overall) Assistant Coaches: Orlando Antigua (1st year), Ron Coleman (1st year), Jamall Walker (6th year) Assistant to the Head Coach: Geoff Alexander (1st year) Director of Operations: Joey Biggs (1st year) Pronunciation Video Coordinator: Patrick Schulte (1st year) LERON Black Graduate Manager: Grant Bale (1st year) Drew CAYCE Strength and Conditioning Coach: Adam Fletcher (3rd year) Greg EBOIGBODIN Athletic Trainer: Paul Schmidt (6th year) Michael FINKE le-ron KAY-see ee-boyg-bo-deen FEEN-kee Pronunciation TE JON Lucas TEE-zhahn Samson OLADIMEJI ho-lah-di-may-jee MATIC VESEL mah-teets vuh-seal DA MONTE Williams da-mon-tay RETURNING FOR THE ILLINI IN Category 16-17 Returning Lost Return Pct. Minutes 7,025 2,374 4,651 33.8% Points 2,508 752 1,756 30.0% Field Goals 898 279 619 31.1% 3-Pt. FGs 270 79 191 29.3% Free Throws 442 115 327 26.0% Rebounds 1,135 479 656 42.2% Assists 472 136 336 28.8% Blocks 83 17 66 20.5% Steals 197 71 126 36.0% RETURNING ILLINI LEADERS Category Player Statistic 16-17 Rank Minutes Te Jon Lucas 842 5th Points Leron Black 252 5th Points/Game Leron Black 8.1 4th Field Goals Leron Black 101 4th FG Pct. Michael Finke.483 3rd 3-Pt. FGs Michael Finke 37 4th 3-Pt. FG Pct. Michael Finke.411 1st Free Throws Te Jon Lucas 42 3rd FT Pct. Leron Black.722 3rd Off. Reb. Leron Black 55 2nd Def. Reb. Leron Black 141 2nd Tot. Reb. Leron Black 196 1st Reb./Game Leron Black 6.3 1st Assists Te Jon Lucas 95 2nd Blocks Kipper Nichols 7 4th Steals Te Jon Lucas 32 3rd Broadcast Information Friday s season opener vs. Southern will be streamed live via BTN Plus. BTN Plus programming consists of non-televised games produced by students at Big Ten universities and is available through either a monthly or annual subscription. Fans can purchase a BTN Plus subscription by visiting BTN2GO.com. Illini Sign Five-Star Point Guard The Fighting Illini inked five-star point guard Ayo Dosunmu (EYE-oh dough-sue-moo) of Chicago Morgan Park High School to a national letter of intent during the fall signing period. Dosunmu had a dominating junior season for the Mustangs, averaging 22 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals. The first-team all-state selection led Morgan Park to the IHSA state championship in class 3A, despite an injury in the semifinals that kept him out of the title game. He also helped Morgan Park to the Public League Red South title. Dosunmu shined during the summer as well, excelling at the NBPA Top 100 camp and Nike Basketball Academy and on the AAU circuit with the Mac Irvin Fire. Illinois Head Coaches in their First Game Brad Underwood officially begins his career as the 18th Illini men s basketball coach in school history on Friday when the Illini take on Southern. The previous 17 UI head coaches combined for a 15-2 record in their first game at Illinois, with each of the last 10 winning their first game. The last loss by a coach in his UI debut was Frank Winters against Millikin in 1920. Here is a look at each coach in his debut: Coach Date Score Opponent Note Elwood Brown 1/12/1906 71-4 Champaign HS First-ever game by UI Varsity F. L. Pickney 12/15/1906 38-19 at Peoria YMCA Illinois only win of the season Fletcher Lane 12/19/1907 33-28 at Decatur YMCA First of 11 games vs. YMCA squads H.V. Juul 12/22/1908 93-19 at Shelbyville Bus. Coll. Most points scored by Illinois until 1947 T.E. Thompson 12/31/1910 19-28 at Evanston YMCA Only non-conference game of the season Ralph Jones 12/20/1912 18-13 Illinois Wesleyan Illini finish season with 10-6 record Frank Winters 12/18/1920 24-29 Millikin Gill s 20 points lead Millikin to win Craig Ruby 12/16/1922 29-14 Washington Univ. Wallie Roettger leads UI with 8 points Doug Mills 12/8/1936 51-34 Carroll Lou Boudreau scores game-high 18 Harry Combes 12/5/1947 67-27 Coe College Dike Eddleman/Jack Burmaster 12 pts. each Harv Schmidt 12/2/1967 75-57 at Butler Dave Scholz busts out for 37 points Gene Bartow 12/3/1974 69-58 Valparaiso Rick Schmidt scores 25 Lou Henson 11/28/1975 60-58 at Nebraska Rich Adams hits game-winner at 8 seconds Lon Kruger 11/22/1996 68-63 at UIC Flames led by former Illini asst. Jimmy Collins Bill Self 11/17/2000 86-57 Maine Illini went on to advance to Elite Eight Bruce Weber 11/22/2004 94-66 Western Illinois UI went on to win outright Big Ten title John Groce 11/9/2012 75-55 Colgate Brandon Paul had 20 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast 2 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
ILLINI RECORD UNDER BRAD UNDERWOOD Plays at home 0-0 Plays on the road 0-0 Plays at neutral site 0-0 Plays at United Center 0-0 Big Ten record 0-0 Big Ten at home 0-0 Big Ten on the road 0-0 When Ranked (AP) 0-0 Plays a ranked (AP) opponent 0-0 Plays a Top-10 (AP) opponent 0-0 Wins the game before 0-0 Loses the game before 0-0 Leading at the half 0-0 Tied at the half 0-0 Trailing at the half 0-0 Shoots 45% or better 0-0 Shoots less than 45% 0-0 Opp. shoots less than 45% 0-0 Opp. shoots 45% or better 0-0 Shoots same or better than opp. 0-0 Shoots worse than opp. 0-0 Shoots same or more FT than opp. 0-0 Shoots fewer FT than opp. 0-0 Makes same or more FT than opp. 0-0 Makes fewer FT than opp. 0-0 Tied or leads in rebounding 0-0 Trails in rebounding 0-0 Scores same or more bench points 0-0 Scores fewer bench points 0-0 Has equal or fewer turns. than opp. 0-0 Has more turns. than opp. 0-0 Scores 70 or more points 0-0 Has 15+ assists 0-0 Has a 20+ point scorer 0-0 Wears white uniforms 0-0 Wears orange uniforms 0-0 Wears blue uniforms 0-0 Wears gray uniforms 0-0 Wears throwback uniforms 0-0 Regular-season tournaments 0-0 NCAA Tournament 0-0 Big Ten Tournament 0-0 In November 0-0 In December 0-0 In January 0-0 In February 0-0 In March 0-0 Plays during the day 0-0 Plays at night (5 pm or after start) 0-0 Overtime 0-0 Margin is 5 points or less 0-0 Margin is 6-10 points 0-0 Margin is 11-20 points 0-0 Margin is more than 20 0-0 Scores 59 points or less 0-0 Scores 60-69 points 0-0 Scores 70-79 points 0-0 Scores 80-89 points 0-0 Scores 90-99 points 0-0 Scores 100+ points 0-0 On ESPN 0-0 On ESPN2 0-0 On BTN 0-0 On FS1 0-0 On ESPNU 0-0 On BTN Plus 0-0 We feel we are getting the best point guard in the country in Ayo Dosunmu, coach Brad Underwood said. He possesses a number of traits that have elevated him to elite status. He is a proven winner, a great competitor, comes from a tremendous family, is a high-character young man, and has outstanding work ethic. Along with being a perfect fit for our system and style, Ayo embraces the power of Fighting Illini basketball and joining a program with such great history and tradition, Underwood added. It is extremely important to him to wear the I and represent our state. Following the commitment of 2017 Illinois Mr. Basketball recipient Mark Smith just six weeks after taking over in Champaign, Underwood has made another statement on the recruiting trail by landing the top 25-ranked Dosunmu, a McDonald s All-America Game candidate and the highest-rated guard to join the Fighting Illini program since Dee Brown signed in November 2001. Setting the Stage in The Illini return just two starters and five scholarship players from last season s senior-laden team that compiled a 20-15 record and advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals. In fact, Illinois returns just 30 percent of its points, 42 percent of its rebounds and 34 percent of its minutes from the 2016-17 season. The Orange and Blue will need to replace its graduated top-three scorers in Malcolm Hill (17.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), Maverick Morgan (9.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Tracy Abrams (8.6 ppg), along with Jalen Coleman-Lands (8.0 ppg). Black and Finke Lead Frontcourt A pair of fourth-year juniors in forwards Leron Black and Michael Finke are the Illini s top returners. Ticket Information Tickets are available for every Fighting Illini men s basketball home game. Season and single-game tickets can be purchased online at FIGHTINGILLINI.com or by phone at 1-866-ILLINI- 1. Tickets for the Dynegy Shootout vs. New Mexico State (Dec. 16, United Center, Chicago) and Bud Light Braggin Rights vs. Missouri (Dec. 23, Scottrade Center, St. Louis) neutral-site contests can also be purchased online at FIGHTINGILLINI.com. TOP 25 NATIONAL RANKINGS ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL (PRESEASON) Rk. School Record Points Previous 1. Duke (33) 0-0 1,572 2. Michigan State (13) 0-0 1,520 3. Arizona (18) 0-0 1,506 4. Kansas (1) 0-0 1,439 5. Kentucky 0-0 1,340 6. Villanova 0-0 1,284 7. Wichita State 0-0 1,270 8. Florida 0-0 1,100 9. North Carolina 0-0 1,047 10 USC 0-0 995 11. West Virginia 0-0 840 12. Cincinnati 0-0 837 13. Miami 0-0 836 14. Notre Dame 0-0 814 15. Minnesota 0-0 642 16. Louisville 0-0 570 17. Xavier 0-0 544 18. Gonzaga 0-0 500 19. Northwestern 0-0 473 20. Purdue 0-0 362 21. UCLA 0-0 340 22. Saint Mary s 0-0 333 23. Seton Hall 0-0 274 24. Baylor 0-0 163 25. Texas A&M 0-0 130 USA TODAY COACHES POLL (PRESEASON) Rk. School Record Points Previous 1. Duke (20) 0-0 774 2. Michigan State (9) 0-0 747 3. Kansas 0-0 723 4. Kentucky 0-0 678 5. Arizona (2) 0-0 654 6. Villanova 0-0 623 7. Florida (1) 0-0 549 8. Wichita State 0-0 543 9. North Carolina 0-0 515 10. West Virginia 0-0 458 11 USC 0-0 396 12. Miami 0-0 383 13. Cincinnati 0-0 349 14. Notre Dame 0-0 305 15. Minnesota 0-0 303 16. Louisville 0-0 295 17. Xavier 0-0 284 18. UCLA 0-0 275 19. Gonzaga 0-0 242 20. Northwestern 0-0 208 21. Purdue 0-0 167 22. Saint Mary s 0-0 152 23. Seton Hall 0-0 139 24. Baylor 0-0 107 25. Alabama 0-0 82 ILLINI WEEK-BY-WEEK RANKINGS AP Coaches Preseason - - Jan. 15 Nov. 13 Jan. 22 Nov. 20 Jan. 29 Nov. 27 Feb. 5 Dec. 4 Feb. 12 Dec. 11 Feb. 19 Dec. 18 Feb. 26 Dec. 25 March 5 Jan. 1 March 12 Jan. 8 Final AP Coaches 3 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
ILLINOIS CAREER TOTALS 2016-17 Career Double-Digit Scoring Games Michael Finke 11 21 Leron Black 13 20 Te Jon Lucas 5 5 Kipper Nichols 2 2 Aaron Jordan 1 2 20+ Point Games Leron Black 1 1 Michael Finke 0 1 10+ Rebound Games Leron Black 5 6 Michael Finke 1 2 Double-Doubles Leron Black 3 4 Michael Finke 1 1 5+ 3-Point FG Games Michael Finke 0 1 3+ Block Games Kipper Nichols 1 1 3+ Steal Games Leron Black 1 1 Michael Finke 1 1 Te Jon Lucas 1 1 Starts Leron Black 27 39 Michael Finke 8 24 Te Jon Lucas 15 15 Aaron Jordan 2 8 Kipper Nichols 1 1 Leads Team in Scoring Michael Finke 3 6 Leron Black 1 2 Kipper Nichols 1 1 Leads Team in Rebounding Leron Black 14 21 Michael Finke 4 9 Kipper Nichols 2 2 Te Jon Lucas 1 1 Black started the final 27 games last season, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 8.1 points while leading the Illini in rebounds with 6.3 per contest (14th in Big Ten). The Memphis native recorded three double-doubles on the year including two during the NIT and scored in double figures 13 times. Always active around the basket, Black will look to increase his rebounding and scoring production this season. Finke was the UI s sixth-leading scorer a year ago at 6.9 points per game. He also led the team in 3-point shooting at 41.1 percent. A tireless worker in the weight room, Finke now carries a muscular 235-pound frame. With his shooting ability and offensive skill set, he has the chance to excel in the pinch post. Lucas Emerges at Point The Illini s lone true freshman last season, Te Jon Lucas eventually took over the reigns at the point guard position. He started the final 15 games and ended up leading the team in assists on the season (3.1 apg). Lucas is a tenacious defender who provides energy on the court. He also will be counted on to provide leadership to his teammates. Nichols and Jordan Bolster UI Depth Kipper Nichols had a number of bright spots during his shortened redshirt freshman campaign last season. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds during conference play, breaking out with 13 points in a home win over Michigan and scoring a career-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting versus Minnesota. Nichols is a strong, physical player who can guard multiple positions. Aaron Jordan had a great offseason and has worked hard to challenge for a spot in the rotation entering his junior season. Jordan has made gains in all areas of strength and conditioning and has the ability to knock down shots and defend. Grad Transfer Alstork a Proven Scorer One Illini who could help replace the loss of scoring production is senior Mark Alstork. The Wright State graduate ranked third in the Horizon League last year, averaging 19.0 points. He netted double figures in 27 of 32 games, with 17 outings of 20-plus points. He also set a school record with 176 free throws while draining 70 three-pointers. While known for his scoring, Alstork will be counted on to help the Illini in all areas and has that ability as he also averaged 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists last season for the Raiders. Freshman Influx Added to the mix of returnees is a talented and promising five-player freshman class. Underwood s first recruit was a big one in Edwardsville s Mark Smith. The first Illinois Mr. Basketball to select the Fighting Illini since 2010, Smith averaged 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 2.1 steals as a senior. Formerly a multi-sport athlete, he did not focus solely on basketball until his senior year of high school. Smith is a powerful, skilled player with multi-positional skills and strong work ethic. The Illini inked one of the top players in the state of Florida in top-100 recruit Trent Frazier. He averaged 27.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a senior. Frazier was an electric scorer in high school, tallying a school-record 52 points in a game and leaving as Wellington High s all-time leading scorer with 1,742 points in three varsity seasons. Frazier has great quickness and deep shooting range. The third guard in the recruiting class is Da Monte Williams from Peoria Manual. The son of former Illini All-American Frank Williams, Da Monte is coming off a torn ACL that abruptly cut short his senior season after three games. He averaged 15.3 2016-17 FINAL BIG TEN STANDINGS Big Ten Overall 1. Purdue 14-4 27-8 2. Wisconsin 12-6 27-10 Maryland 12-6 24-9 4. Minnesota 11-7 24-10 5. Michigan 10-8 26-12 Northwestern 10-8 24-12 Michigan State 10-8 20-15 Iowa 10-8 19-15 9. ILLINOIS 8-10 20-15 10. Ohio State 7-11 17-15 Indiana 7-11 18-16 12. Penn State 6-12 15-18 Nebraska 6-12 12-19 14. Rutgers 3-15 15-18 CURRENT ILLINOIS STREAKS All Games At State Farm Center On the Road At Neutral Sites Big Ten Big Ten (Home) Big Ten (Road) vs. Ranked Opponents vs. Ranked Opponents (Home) vs. Ranked Opponents (Road) vs. Ranked Opponents (Neutral) vs. Ranked Big Ten Opponents vs. Ranked Big Ten Opponents (Home) vs. Ranked Big Ten Opponents (Road) Non-Conference (Home) Non-Conference (Road) Non-Conference (Neutral) 1 L 4 W 2 L 1 L 1 L 2 W 1 L 6 L 3 L 8 L 3 L 4 L 3 L 7 L 5 W 4 L 1 W 4 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
ILLINI AT STATE FARM CENTER Illinois Record at State Farm Center All-Time: 598-169 (.780) 1963-69 49-13 (.790) 1970-79 76-46 (.623) 1980-89 135-22 (.860) 1990-99 114-35 (.765) 2000-09 128-18 (.877) 2010-96-35 (.733) Longest Win Streak: 33 G (1/17/04-1/28/06) Current Win Streak: 4 G (2/21/17- ) Current Big Ten Win Streak: 2 G (2/21/17- ) Current Non-Conference Win Streak: 5 G (11/29/16-) points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists as a junior, leading Manual to a third-place finish in state. Williams has outstanding passing ability and vision and the length and competitiveness to be a strong defender. Underwood signed two frontcourt players during the summer. Greg Eboigbodin is an athletic, 6-9 forward from Nigeria who arrived in the U.S. for high school. He attended University of Detroit Jesuit High, where he first began playing basketball. Eboigbodin improved each year and ended up averaging 13.8 points, 13.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 66 percent from the field as a senior. He has added 25 pounds to his frame since June while continuing to learn and grow each day. Matic Vesel is a skilled, 6-10 forward from Slovenia. He has played with the Slovenian youth national teams, participating in the FIBA U18 European Championships in 2016 and the FIBA U20 European Championships this past summer. Vesel arrived on campus in August and joined the Illini at the beginning of the fall semester. Vesel has strong fundamentals and the ability to pass and shoot. He will look to add muscle and weight while experiencing strength training for the first time. Walkon Depth Rounding out the roster are five walkons who will push the team in practice every day and participate on scout team to aid in game-plan preparations. Tyler Underwood has followed his father in joining the Illini program and is sitting out this season as a transfer. Tyler has a thorough understanding of the offense and defense and is a coach on the floor for his teammates in practice while they are learning the systems. Drew Cayce practiced with the Illini guards while sitting out as a transfer from Creighton and has returned for his second season. Clayton Jones also is in his second year, but he will miss the season recovering from a torn ACL. Cameron Liss has been with the Illini for a total of three seasons but redshirted last year. He works with the frontcourt players along with Samson Oladimeji, who is now in his second year. FIGHTING ILLINI STARTING LINE-UPS Game G G G F F Record* Southern UT Martin DePaul Marshall Augustana (Ill.) N.C. Central at Wake Forest at Northwestern at Maryland Austin Peay at UNLV Longwood vs. N.M. State vs. Missouri Grand Canyon at Minnesota at Michigan Iowa at Nebraska at Wisconsin Michigan State Indiana Rutgers at Ohio State Wisconsin Penn State at Indiana Nebraska at Michigan State Purdue at Rutgers at Big Ten Tourn. * - Running total of Illinois overall record when this line-up is starting THIS WEEK IN THE BIG TEN (ALL TIMES CT) Friday, Nov. 10 Campbell at Penn State 3 p.m. // BTN Plus Indiana State at Indiana 6 p.m. // BTN Plus Maryland vs. Stony Brook 6 p.m. // BTN Plus CCNY at Rutgers 6 p.m. // BTN Plus Robert Morris at Ohio State 6 p.m. // BTN Plus South Carolina State at Wisconsin 6 p.m. // BTN Plus Southern at Illinois 7 p.m. // BTN Plus North Florida at Michigan State 7 p.m. // BTN USC Upstate at Minnesota 7 p.m. // BTN Plus SIU-Edwardsville at Purdue 7 p.m. // BTN Plus Loyola (Md.) at Northwestern 7:30 p.m. // BTN Plus Chicago State at Iowa 8 p.m. // BTN Plus Saturday, Nov. 11 Michigan vs. North Florida 6:30 p.m. // BTN Plus Eastern Illinois at Nebraska 7:30 p.m. // BTN Plus Sunday, Nov. 12 Radford at Ohio State 1:30 p.m. // BTN Plus Central Connecticut State at Rutgers 1:30 p.m. // BTN Plus Alabama State at Iowa 3 p.m. // BTN Plus Chicago State at Purdue 3 p.m. // BTN Fairleigh Dickinson at Penn State 4 p.m. // BTN Plus Tennessee-Martin at Illinois 5 p.m. // ESPNU Maryland Eastern Shore at Maryland 5 p.m. // BTN Plus Yale at Wisconsin 5 p.m. // BTN Howard at Indiana 7 p.m. // BTN 5 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
UNDERWOOD MEDIA SCHEDULE All press conferences will be held in the State Farm Center Media Room (unless a different location is denoted). Enter the arena through the guard shack. Courtesy parking is available in the northeast lot of State Farm Center (enter off Fourth St.). All press conferences will be streamed on FIGHTINGILLINI.com. Press conferences also will be accessible via teleconference. Contact the UI Athletics Communication Office for teleconference number information. Wednesday, Oct. 11, 12:30 p.m. Media Day (at Bielfeldt/Ubben) Thursday, Oct. 19, 8 a.m.-noon Big Ten Media Day (at New York City) Friday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. Media Availability (Ubben) Thursday, Nov. 2, 2:15 p.m. Media Availability (Ubben) Wednesday, Nov. 8, 12:45 p.m. Press Conference (at Memorial Stadium Press Box, 8th Floor) Thursday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m. Press Conference Tuesday, Nov. 21, TBD Press Conference Monday, Nov. 27, TBD Teleconference Thursday, Nov. 30, TBD Teleconference Saturday, Dec. 2, TBD Media Availability Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m. Press Conference Friday, Dec. 8, TBD Teleconference Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2 p.m. Press Conference Friday, Dec. 15, TBD Teleconference Thursday, Dec. 21, TBD Press Conference Friday, Dec. 29, TBD Press Conference Tuesday, Jan. 2, TBD Teleconference Friday, Jan. 5, TBD Teleconference Wednesday, Jan. 10, TBD Press Conference Sunday, Jan. 14, TBD Teleconference Thursday, Jan. 18, TBD Teleconference Sunday, Jan. 21, TBD Teleconference Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2 p.m. Press Conference Monday, Jan. 29, 2 p.m. Press Conference Saturday, Feb. 3, TBD Teleconference Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2 p.m. Press Conference Saturday, Feb. 10, TBD Press Conference Tuesday, Feb. 13, TBD Teleconference Saturday, Feb. 17, TBD Press Conference (at Memorial Stadium Press Box, 8th Floor) Monday, Feb. 19, TBD Media Availability Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2 p.m. Press Conference Saturday, Feb. 24, TBD Teleconference TBD Big Ten Tournament Press Conference FIGHTING ILLINI SPORTS NETWORK (47 stations) Aledo, WRMJ-FM 102.3 Alton, WBGZ-AM 1570 Alton, WBGZ-FM 94.3 Bloomington, WRPW-FM 92.9 Canton, WBYS-AM 1560 Canton, WBYS-FM 93.7 Champaign, WDWS-AM 1400 Champaign, WHMS-FM 97.5 Chicago, WSCR-AM 670 Chicago, WJMK-HD2 104.3 Danville, WDAN-AM 1490 Danville, WDNL-FM, 102.1 Davenport, IA, WFXN-AM 1230 Decatur, WSOY-AM 1340 Decatur, WSOY-FM 103.3 Dwight, WJEZ-FM 98.9 Effingham, WHQQ-FM 98.9 Fairfield, WFIW-AM 1390 Fairfield, WFIW-FM 103.3 Galesburg, WGIL-AM 1400 Galesburg, WGIL-FM 93.7 Jacksonville, WJIL-AM 1550 Jerseyville, WJBM-AM 1480 Litchfield, WAOX-FM 105.3 Mt. Carmel, WSJD-FM 100.5 Murphysboro, WINI-AM 1420 Murphysboro, WINI-FM 93.5 Olney, WVLN-AM 740 Olney, WSEI-FM 92.9 Paxton, WPXN-FM 104.9 Peoria, WZPN-FM 96.5 Pittsfield, WJBM-AM 1480 Pittsfield, WBBA-FM 97.5 Quincy, WTAD-AM 930 Quincy, WTAD-FM 103.3 Robinson, WTAY-AM 1570 Rockford, WROK-AM 1440 Rushville, WKXQ-FM 92.5 Salem, WJBD-AM 1350 Salem, WJBD-FM 100.1 Sparta, WHCO-AM 1230 Springfield, WFMB-AM 1450 Springfield, WFMB-FM 107.1 Springfield, WCVS-FM 96.7 St. Louis, MO, KFNS-AM 590 Watseka, WGFA-FM 94.1 BRAD UNDERWOOD RADIO SHOW Program airs Mondays from 7-8 p.m. on the Fighting Illini Sports Network and locally on WDWS-AM 1400, the flagship station for the network. The host is Brian Barnhart. Shows will be held at Buffalo Wild Wings in Savoy, unless denoted. Brad Underwood Radio Show Dates Nov. 27 (studio) Feb. 5 Dec. 4 Feb. 12 Dec. 11 Feb. 19 (studio) Dec. 18 Feb. 26 (studio) Jan. 8 March 5 Jan. 29 ILLINOIS BASKETBALL QUICK FACTS GENERAL INFORMATION Location: Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Founded: 1867 Enrollment: 44,880 Nickname: Fighting Illini Colors: Orange and Blue Arena: State Farm Center Opened: 1963 Capacity: 15,544 Conference: Big Ten President: Timothy L. Killeen Chancellor: Robert J. Jones Director of Athletics: Josh Whitman Athletics Department Phone: 217-333-3631 Ticket Office Phone: 217-333-3470 or 1-866-ILLINI-1 HISTORY Seasons of Basketball: 113th First Year of Basketball: 1906 All-Time Record: 1,764-973 (.645) All-Time Big Ten Record: 926-700 (.569) Big Ten Championships / Last: 17 / 2005 NCAA Tournament Appearances / Last: 30 / 2013 All-Time NCAA Tournament Record: 40-31 (.563) NCAA Final Four Appearances / Last: 5 / 2005 COACHING STAFF Head Coach: Brad Underwood, 1st year Alma Mater, Year: Kansas State University 86 Record at Illinois / Years: 0-0 (.000) / 1st Career Record / Years: 109-27 (.801) / 5th Basketball Office Phone: 217-333-3400 Assistant Coaches: Orlando Antigua, 1st year; Ron Coleman, 1st year; Jamall Walker, 6th year Assistant to the Head Coach: Geoff Alexander Strength and Conditioning Coach: Adam Fletcher Director of Operations: Joey Biggs Video Coordinator: Patrick Schulte Graduate Manager: Grant Bale Athletic Trainer: Paul Schmidt Coordinator of Special Projects: Rod Cardinal Administrative Secretary: Julie Pioletti 2016-17 TEAM INFORMATION Overall Record: 20-15 Big Ten Record / Finish: 8-10 / 9th Postseason: N/A Final Ranking: AP - NR / Coaches - NR Starters Returning / Lost: 2 / 3 Lettermen Returning / Lost: 7 / 8 Newcomers: 7 ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION Men s Basketball Contact: Derrick Burson Cell Phone: 217-766-7315 Email: burson@illinois.edu Men s Basketball Assistant Contact: Derek Neal Cell Phone: 309-241-0804 Email: drneal@illinois.edu Associate AD, Media Relations: Kent Brown Cell Phone: 217-493-9795 Email: kwbrown3@illinois.edu Office Phone: 217-333-1391 State Farm Center Press Row Phone: 217-333-1227 Mailing Address: Bielfeldt Athletics Admin. Bldg. 1700 South Fourth Street Champaign, IL 61820 Website: www.fightingillini.com 6 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
HEAD COACH BRAD UNDERWOOD 1st Year at Illinois // 5th Year as Div. I Head Coach // 30th Year in Coaching THE UNDERWOOD FILE HOMETOWN McPherson, Kan. FAMILY Wife, Susan; Son, Tyler; Daughters, Katie & Ashley EDUCATION Kansas State University, B.S., Radio & TV Communications, 1986 PLAYING EXPERIENCE 1983 Hardin-Simmons University 1984 Independence Community College 1985-86 Kansas State University COACHING EXPERIENCE 1988 Graduate Assistant Hardin-Simmons University 1989 Assistant Coach Dodge City Community College 1990-93 Head Coach Dodge City Community College 1994-2003 Assistant Coach Western Illinois University 2004-06 Head Coach Daytona Beach Community College 2007 Director of Operaions Kansas State University 2008-11 Assistant Coach Kansas State University 2012 Associate Head Coach Kansas State University 2013 Associate Head Coach University of South Carolina 2014-16 Head Coach Stephen F. Austin University 2017 Head Coach Oklahoma State University 2018 Head Coach University of Illinois Brad Underwood was hired as Fighting Illini men s basketball coach in March 2017, becoming the 18th head coach in program history. He arrives in Champaign as the third-winningest head coach in NCAA history through four seasons, totaling 109 career victories. Underwood came to Illinois from Oklahoma State, where he led OSU to a 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Cowboys had one of the most exciting and prolific offenses in the country, ranking fifth in the NCAA in scoring (85.7 points per game) and leading the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (kenpom). The Cowboys ranked 14th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.402), fourth in the country in offensive rebounding percentage (.383) and fourth in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.789). Oklahoma State finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 conference record in a season where the Big 12 was rated as the top conference in the nation. That was a dramatic improvement for the Cowboys, who went 3-15 in league play a year ago. Oklahoma State came on strong during the second half of the season, winning 10 of 11 games from Jan. 21-Feb. 25, which included a pair of five-game winning streaks. Underwood arrived in Stillwater following a dominant run at Stephen F. Austin where he led the Lumberjacks to Southland Conference regular season and tournament titles in each of his three seasons. Underwood compiled an 89-14 record at SFA, tied with Brad Stevens (Butler, 2008-10) for the most wins by a head coach in his first three seasons at an NCAA school. He led SFA to a 28-6 overall record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance in 2016. The 14th-seeded Lumberjacks rolled past No. 3 West Virginia in the first round, 70-56, before narrowly missing a trip to the Sweet 16 with a 76-75 defeat to No. 6 Notre Dame in the second round. That Stephen F. Austin squad was efficient on both sides of the ball, ranking 57th nationally on offense and 38th on defense. The Lumberjacks averaged 80.2 points accompanied by highpressure defense that forced the highest turnover rate in the country (.259). Underwood s second SFA team went 29-5 in 2015, also advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Lumberjacks ranked seventh in the nation in field goal percentage (.487) and led the NCAA in assists (18.7 apg). His debut season in Nacogdoches in 2014 included a 29-game winning streak and culminated in a 32-3 record and NCAA Round of 32 appearance after a victory over No. 5 seed VCU UNDERWOOD S DIVISION I HEAD COACHING RECORD in the opening round. Underwood earned the Joe B. Hall award, given to the nation s top first-year coach. Prior to taking over at Stephen F. Austin, Underwood served the 2013 season as associate head coach at South Carolina under Frank Martin. He went to Columbia with Martin after serving on his bench for five seasons as an assistant at Kansas State, with his final season elevated to associate head coach. Underwood spent his first year at K-State in the role of director of operations for then-head coach Bob Huggins. Underwood had two head coaching stints in the junior college ranks, compiling a 70-24 record in three seasons at Daytona Beach (2004-06) and a 57-63 mark in four years at Dodge City (1990-93). In between those opportunities, Underwood was entrenched in the state of Illinois for 10 seasons, as an assistant coach for Jim Kerwin at Western Illinois from 1994-2003. Underwood is a December 1986 graduate of Kansas State University. He played in Manhattan for the legendary Jack Hartman, K-State s all-time winningest coach. Former Illinois head coach Lon Kruger also played and coached for Hartman at Kansas State. Underwood began his college career at Hardin-Simmons, where he later worked as a graduate assistant. Hardin-Simmons was the first college job for Lou Henson, the Fighting Illini s all-time winningest coach, and whose name permanently adorns the court at State Farm Center. Brad and his wife, Susan, have a son, Tyler, and two daughters, Katie and Ashley. Tyler also is a member of the Fighting Illini basketball team. WINNGEST COACHES IN NCAA HISTORY AFTER FIRST 4 YEARS Rk. Coach Wins School(s) Seasons 1. Brad Stevens 117 Butler 2008-11 2. Shaka Smart 111 VCU 2010-13 3. Brad Underwood 109 SFA/Oklahoma State 2014-17 4. Everett Case 107 North Carolina State 1947-50 5. Josh Pastner 106 Memphis 2010-13 6. Mark Few 105 Gonzaga 2000-03 Jamie Dixon 105 Pittsburgh 2004-07 8. Bruce Stewart 104 W.Va. Wesleyan/Middle Tenn. 1983-86 Steve Prohm 104 Murray State 2012-15 10. Roy Williams 103 Kansas 1989-92 Season School Overall Conf. (Finish) Postseason 2013-14 Stephen F. Austin 32-3 18-0 (1st) NCAA Round of 32 2014-15 Stephen F. Austin 29-5 17-1 (1st) NCAA First Round 2015-16 Stephen F. Austin 28-6 18-0 (1st) NCAA Round of 32 2016-17 Oklahoma State 20-13 9-9 (5th) NCAA First Round Total Four Years 109-27 (.801) 7 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
2016-17 NOTES AT WRIGHT STATE First-team All-Horizon League and second-team NABC All-District 12 Ranked third in the Horizon in scoring with an average of 19.0 points, along with 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists (eighth in league) Total of 608 points ranked fifth on Wright State s all-time single-season scoring list Scored in double figures in 27 of 32 games, with 17 outings of 20 or more points, including three 30-plus point performances Averaged 22.1 points over the final 10 games of the season Scored career-high 39 points vs. Toledo (Nov. 19) Fourth in the Horizon in free-throw percentage (.846) and seventh in the league in 3-point percentage (.387) Made 70 three-pointers on the year, ranking seventh in the Horizon with an average of 2.2 per game Set WSU school record with 176 made free throws, ranking 20th nationally on the season Two-time Horizon League Player of the Week, Nov. 14 and Nov. 21 Grabbed career-high 12 rebounds vs. Cleveland State (Jan. 5) Dished out career-best 10 assists vs. UIC (Feb. 26) 24 MARK ALSTORK GRADUATE STUDENT // GUARD // 6-5 // 190 DAYTON, OHIO // THURGOOD MARSHALL H.S. // WRIGHT STATE CAREER NOTES Born Feb. 27, 1995 Enrolled in the UI master s program in education policy, organization and leadership Earned bachelor s degree in communication from Wright State in July 1,000-point scorer at Wright State, totaling 1,042 points in just two seasons Started 30 of 35 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2015-16, averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds Season-high 27 points vs. South Dakota (11/13/15) Horizon League Player of the Week (1/18/16) Sat out the 2014-15 season as a transfer Started 15 of 30 games as a true freshman at Ball State during the 2013-14 season Averaged 5.6 points and 3.1 rebounds Recorded double-double with season highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds vs. Kent State (1/11/14) WSU CAREER HIGHS 39 vs. Toledo (11/19/16) 15 vs. Toledo (11/19/16) 25 vs. Toledo (11/19/16) 5 (three times) last vs. Valparaiso (2/24/17) 10 at Kent State (12/18/16) 15 (twice) last vs. CSU Bakersfield (11/25/16) 20 vs. Miami (11/15/16) 12 vs. Cleveland State (1/5/17) AST: 10 vs. UIC (2/26/17) 3 (twice) last vs. Detroit (3/6/16) 4 vs. UIC (3/5/16) 39 vs. Valparaiso (2/24/17) SEASON HIGHS AT BALL STATE 2013-14 30-15 678-22.6 45-144/.313 19-59/.322 58-83/.699 30-64 94/3.1 76-4 45 57 12 14 167-5.6 AT WRIGHT STATE 2014-15 DNP Transfer 2015-16 35-30 931-26.6 140-324/.432 54-143/.378 100-144/.694 23-141 164/4.7 100-3 61 55 21 29 434-12.4 2016-17 32-30 965-30.2 181-452/.400 70-181/.387 176-208/.846 26-124 150/4.7 92-4 112 136 25 19 608-19.0 TOTAL 67-60 1896-28.3 321-776/.414 124-324/.383 276-352/.784 49-265 314/4.7 192-7 173 191 40 54 1042-15.6 AT ILLINOIS 8 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
2016-17 NOTES Academic All-Big Ten selection Played in 31 games, starting the last 27 12 LERON BLACK REDSHIRT JUNIOR // FORWARD // 6-7 // 220 MEMPHIS, TENN. // WHITE STATION H.S. Ranked fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 8.1 points Scored in double figures 13 times, led by career-high 21 points on 9-13 shooting vs. Central Michigan (Dec. 10) Led team and ranked 14th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 6.3 rpg Illini s top rebounder in 14 games, grabbing double-digit boards five times Recorded three double-doubles on the season: 15 pts-11 reb vs. Florida State (Nov. 25), 13 pts-12 reb vs. Valparaiso in NIT First-Round win (March 14) and 12 pts-10 reb vs. Boise State in NIT Second-Round victory (March 20) MVP of Hoophall Miami Invitational with 18 points and eight rebounds in win over VCU (Dec. 3) Career-high 15 rebounds in victory over Ohio State (Jan. 1) 14 points and nine rebounds vs. Maryland (Jan. 14) 11 points and eight boards in win over Northwestern (Feb. 21) 15 points on 6-9 FG, including career-best three 3-pointers, in win over Michigan State (March 1) CAREER NOTES Born Jan. 31, 1996 in Omaha, Neb. Majoring in communication Limited to seven games during the 2015-16 season following meniscus surgery on right knee in October 2015, eventually receiving medical hardship waiver Season-high 12 points on 6-9 shooting vs. UAB (11/27/15) Eight points and season-high eight rebounds vs. Iowa State (11/28/15) Played in all 33 games as a freshman in 2014-15, starting 10 times and averaging 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds Scored in double figures six times, led by season-high 18 points vs. Coppin State (11/16/14) Double-double in first career start with 15 points and season-high 13 rebounds vs. Purdue (1/21/15) Consensus national top-50 recruit averaged 20.2 points and 12.9 rebounds as a senior at White Station High School Tennessee Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class AAA All-State Team Pepsi Best of the Preps Player of the Year by Memphis Commercial Appeal 9 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball CAREER HIGHS 21 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 9 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 14 (twice) last vs. Northwestern (2/21/17) 3 vs. Michigan State (3/1/17) 5 vs. Michigan State (3/1/17) 8 vs. IUPUI (12/6/16) 9 vs. IUPUI (12/6/16) 15 vs. Ohio State (1/1/17) AST: 2 (four times) last vs. Boise State (3/20/17) 1 (11 times) last vs. Michigan (3/9/17) 3 at Central Florida (3/22/17) 32 vs. Purdue (1/21/15) SEASON HIGHS 2014-d15 33-10 487-14.8 67-141/.475 0-3/.000 30-44/.682 42-99 141/4.3 89-1 4 28 6 11 164-5.0 2015-16 7-2 100-14.3 15-36/.417 0-0/.000 1-2/.500 10-21 31/4.4 23-1 4 5 2 2 31-4.4 2016-17 31-27 627-20.2 101-223/.453 11-37/.297 39-54/.722 55-141 196/6.3 89-0 13 37 3 14 252-8.1 TOTAL 71-39 1214-17.1 183-400/.458 11-40/.275 70-100/.700 107-261 368/5.2 201-2 21 70 11 27 447-6.3 AST:
2016-17 NOTES Walkon sat out the season per NCAA transfer rules 10 DREW CAYCE REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE // GUARD // 6-1 // 175 LIBERTYVILLE, ILL. // LA LUMIERE PREP // CREIGHTON CAREER NOTES Born May 31, 1997 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Redshirted the 2015-16 season as a true freshman at Creighton Averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 assists as a senior team captain at La Lumiere, a prep school in La Porte, Ind. Third-leading scorer as a junior on team that went 23-3 and was ranked No. 5 nationally by USA Today Attended Libertyville High School as a freshman and sophomore CAREER/SEASON HIGHS AST: 2016-17 DNP Transfer 10 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
11 GREG EBOIGBODIN FRESHMAN // FORWARD // 6-9 // 220 BENIN CITY, EDO, NIGERIA // UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT H.S. NOTES CAREER NOTES Born April 4, 1998 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Arrived in the United State from Nigeria in 2013 Averaged 13.8 points, 13.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 66 percent from the field as a senior Helped lead U of D Jesuit to a 20-4 record and state quarterfinals appearance Second-team Class A All-State by the Detroit News Fourth-team Class A All-State by the Detroit Free Press Second-team Detroit Dream Team by MLive During his junior season, member of the Detroit U-D Jesuit team that won the 2016 Michigan Class A state title with a perfect 28-0 record 11 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball CAREER/SEASON HIGHS AST:
2016-17 NOTES Academic All-Big Ten selection Played in 32 games on the season, starting the first eight, before missing last three games during the NIT with a foot injury Sixth on team in scoring, averaging 6.9 points Led Illini and ranked 14th in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 41.1 percent (37-90) Shot 44.9 percent (22-49) behind the arc during conference play to rank eighth in the league Fourth on team in rebounding, averaging 4.2 boards Scored in double figures 11 times on the season, including five of the first six games Double-double with 10 points and season-high 11 rebounds vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) 17 points on 8-10 shooting with eight boards vs. McKendree (Nov. 15) Season-high 18 points vs. Winthrop (Nov. 21) 13 points vs. West Virginia (Nov. 24) 43 MICHAEL FINKE REDSHIRT JUNIOR // FORWARD // 6-10 // 230 CHAMPAIGN, ILL. // CENTENNIAL H.S. 17 points on 7-10 shooting in win over Iowa (Jan. 25) 11 points and career-high three steals in win at Northwestern (Feb. 7) 12 points on 5-8 shooting with career-high five assists in victory at Iowa (Feb. 18) CAREER NOTES Born April 26, 1996 Majoring in communication Played in 33 of 34 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015-16, starting 16 times Fifth on team in scoring, averaging 7.5 points Averaged 3.7 rebounds and led Illini with 45 offensive boards Fourth on team with 40 three-pointers while shooting 36.7 percent behind the arc Scored in double figures in 10 games Career-high 24 points on 9-13 shooting vs. Western Carolina (12/5/15) Career-high 16 rebounds at Minnesota (1/23/16) 17 points with career-best five 3-pointers in Big Ten Tournament First-Round win over Minnesota (3/9/16) Averaged 19.6 points and 9.3 rebounds as a senior at Centennial High School First-team All-State by Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Two-time News-Gazette All-Area Player of the Year CAREER HIGHS 24 vs. Western Carolina (12/5/15) 9 vs. Western Carolina (12/5/15) 14 vs. Winthrop (11/21/16) 5 vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 8 (twice) last vs. Nebraska (1/16/16) 8 vs. Chicago State (11/23/15) 9 vs. Chicago State (11/23/15) 16 at Minnesota (1/23/16) AST: 5 at Iowa (2/18/17) 2 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 3 at Northwestern (2/7/17) 36 at Minnesota (1/23/16) SEASON HIGHS 2014-15 DNP-Redshirt 2015-16 33-16 670-20.3 90-207/.435 40-109/.367 28-43/.651 45-76 121/3.7 61-0 32 31 5 4 248-7.5 2016-17 32-8 635-19.8 83-172/.483 37-90/.411 17-31/.548 49-86 135/4.2 44-0 21 30 5 10 220-6.9 TOTAL 65-24 1305-20.1 173-379/.456 77-199/.387 45-74/.608 94-162 256/3.9 105-0 53 61 10 14 468-7.2 12 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball AST:
NOTES CAREER NOTES Born Sept. 8, 1998 CAREER/SEASON HIGHS 13 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball 1 TRENT FRAZIER FRESHMAN // GUARD // 6-1 // 170 WELLINGTON, FLA. // WELLINGTON H.S. Majoring in recreation, sport and tourism Consensus four-star recruit ranked No. 86 by Scout, No. 95 by Rivals and No. 110 by 247Sports Composite Averaged 27.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists as a senior, leading Wellington to a 27-4 record and Florida Class 9A State Semifinals Scored school-record 52 points in win over Seminole Ridge (Jan. 20) Wellington s all-time leading scorer, totaling 1,742 points over three varsity seasons MaxPreps honorable mention All-American Class 9A Player of the Year by the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Florida Dairy Farmers Class 9A Player of the Year, selected by statewide panel of media and coaches Runner-Up in voting for Florida Mr. Basketball South Florida Sun-Sentinel Player of the Year Palm Beach Post Player of the Year First-team All-State by USA Today High School Sports and the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches AST:
2016-17 NOTES Academic All-Big Ten selection Played in 24 games on the season, starting twice Scored season-high 11 points while equaling career high with three 3-pointers vs. McKendree (Nov. 15) Four points vs. West Virginia (Nov. 24) Career-high four rebounds at Michigan (Jan. 21) 23 AARON JUNIOR // GUARD // 6-5 // 210 PLAINFIELD, ILL. // EAST H.S. JORDAN CAREER NOTES Born May 5, 1997 Majoring in media and cinema studies Played in 31 of 34 games with six starts as a freshman in 2015-16, averaging 3.3 points Fifth on team with 22 three-pointers Earned start in first career game vs. North Florida (11/13/15), scoring career-high 14 points and hitting 3-of-5 three-pointers Eight points back-to-back vs. Chattanooga (11/21/15) and Chicago State (11/23/15) Eight points and two steals in 17 minutes vs. Western Carolina (12/5/15) Eight points at Indiana (1/19/16) Seven points and three rebounds in start vs. Wisconsin (1/31/16) Averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists as a senior at Plainfield East High School, finishing fifth in voting for Illinois Mr. Basketball First-team All-State by the Associated Press, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Finished his career as Plainfield East s all-time leading scorer (1,483 points) and record holder for most career 3-pointers (162) 14 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball CAREER HIGHS 14 vs. North Florida (11/13/15) 5 vs. North Florida (11/13/15) 10 vs. North Florida (11/13/15) 3 (twice) last vs. McKendree (11/15/16) 6 vs. Chicago State (11/23/15) 4 (twice) last vs. Purdue (1/10/16) 4 (twice) last vs. Purdue (1/10/16) 4 at Michigan (1/21/17) AST: 3 (twice) last at Providence (11/18/15) 1 (four times) last vs. McKendree (11/15/16) 2 (three times) last vs. Winthrop (11/21/16) 31 vs. North Florida (11/13/15) SEASON HIGHS 2015-16 31-6 353-11.4 31-95/.326 22-64/.344 19-23/.826 5-23 28/0.9 47-0 14 7 3 12 103-3.3 2016-17 24-2 165-6.9 8-28/.286 6-20/.300 1-6/.167 6-21 27/1.1 19-0 5 4 1 8 23-1.0 TOTAL 55-8 518-9.4 39-123/.317 28-84/.333 20-29/.690 11-44 55/1.0 66-0 19 11 4 20 126-2.3
2016-17 NOTES Walkon sat out the season as a redshirt 45 CAMERON LISS REDSHIRT JUNIOR // FORWARD // 6-6 // 220 NORTHBROOK, ILL. // GLENBROOK NORTH H.S. CAREER NOTES Born May 4, 1996 Majoring in accountancy Appeared in five games in 2015-16 Made first basket as an Illini and scored career-high three points in Big Ten Tournament first-round win over Minnesota (3/9/16) Appeared in 12 games as a freshman in 2014-15 Made Illini debut vs. Coppin State (11/16/14) Scored first career point vs. Brown (11/24/14) Averaged 12 points, 6.5 rebounds and three assists as a senior at Glenbrook North High School 15 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball CAREER HIGHS 3 vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 1 vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 1 vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 0 0 1 (twice) last vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 2 (twice) last vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) 1 (three times) last vs. Indiana State (11/27/14) AST: 1 at Indiana (1/19/16) 0 0 3 (four times) last vs. Minnesota (3/9/16) SEASON HIGHS 2014-15 12-0 16-1.3 0-0/.000 0-0/.000 1-2/.500 0-3 3/0.3 1-0 0 1 0 0 1-0.1 2015-16 5-0 10-2.0 1-1/1.000 0-0/.000 1-2/.500 0-0 0/0.0 1-0 1 1 0 0 3-0.6 2016-17 DNP Redshirt TOTAL 17-0 26-1.5 1-1/1.000 0-0/.000 2-4/.500 0-3 3/0.2 2-0 1 2 0 0 4-0.2
2016-17 NOTES Lone true freshman on Illini roster played in 31 games, starting the last 15 Averaged 4.8 points and led Illini in assists on the season, averaging 3.1 apg Totaled 19 assists during three NIT games, an average of 6.3 apg Fourth in the Big Ten in steals during conference play, averaging 1.5 spg Fifth in the Big Ten with a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio during league games Scored in double figures five times on the season 3 TE JON LUCAS SOPHOMORE // GUARD // 6-1 // 180 MILWAUKEE, WIS. // WASHINGTON H.S. Career-high eight assists in win over Michigan (Jan. 11) 11 points, five rebounds and six assists in win at Northwestern (Feb. 7) 11 points, four rebounds and seven assists vs. Penn State (Feb. 11) Career-high 12 points on 4-5 shooting in win at Iowa (Feb. 18) Seven points, career-high six rebounds and seven assists in NIT Second-Round win over Boise State (March 20) CAREER NOTES Born Oct. 10, 1998 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Averaged 20.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 2.8 steals as a high school senior Led Milwaukee Washington to a 14-4 overall record and 8-0 in the City Conference before his season was cut short after suffering fractured right ankle in a game (2/6/16) Unanimous first-team Div. 2 All-State selection by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Named the state s top senior point guard by the Wisconsin Sports Network City Co-Player of the Year CAREER HIGHS 12 at Iowa (2/18/17) 4 (four times) last at Iowa (2/18/17) 9 at Northwestern (2/7/17) 1 (11 times) last at Central Florida (3/22/17) 3 (three times) last vs. Minnesota (2/4/17) 7 vs. Penn State (2/11/17) 13 vs. Penn State (2/11/17) 6 vs. Boise State (3/20/17) AST: 8 vs. Michigan (1/11/17) 1 at Iowa (2/18/17) 3 vs. Penn State (2/11/17) 35 vs. Boise State (3/20/17) SEASON HIGHS 2016-17 31-15 642-20.7 47-115/.409 12-32/.375 42-71/.592 7-51 58/1.9 58-0 95 51 1 32 148-4.8 TOTAL 16 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
2016-17 NOTES Appeared in a total of 21 games after gaining eligibility on Dec. 17 vs. BYU Sat out the fall semester per NCAA transfer rules Averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds on the season, with those averages increasing to 5.3 ppg and 3.3 rpg during conference play Shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range (12-27) 2 KIPPER NICHOLS REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE // FORWARD // 6-6 // 225 CLEVELAND, OHIO // ST. EDWARD H.S. 13 points on 6-9 shooting and career-high eight rebounds, including five offensive, in win over Michigan (Jan. 11) Eight points and six rebounds at Penn State (Jan. 28) Career-high 16 points on 6-8 shooting, including perfect 3-3 from 3-point range, with six rebounds vs. Minnesota (Feb. 4) Nine points on 3-4 shooting in win at Northwestern (Feb. 7) Career-best three blocked shots in win over Northwestern (Feb. 21) CAREER NOTES Born July 7, 1997 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Joined the Illini program on Dec. 27, 2015 after originally signing with Tulane Sat out the 2016 spring semester per NCAA transfer rules Averaged 18.6 points and 4.7 rebounds as as a high school senior, leading St. Edward to state semifinals appearance Division I Player of the Year by the Ohio Basketball Coaches Association Second-team All-Ohio by the Associated Press Helped lead St. Edward to the 2014 Division I state championship as a junior while being named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament CAREER HIGHS 16 vs. Minnesota (2/4/17) 6 (twice) last vs. Minnesota (2/4/17) 9 vs. Michigan (1/11/17) 3 vs. Minnesota (2/4/17) 3 (three times) last vs. Valparaiso (3/14/17) 2 (three times) last vs. Northwestern (2/21/17) 3 (twice) last vs. Northwestern (2/21/17) 8 vs. Michigan (1/11/17) AST: 1 (twice) last vs. Boise State (3/20/17) 3 vs. Northwestern (2/21/17) 1 (seven times) last vs. Boise State (3/20/17) 23 vs. Minnesota (2/4/17) SEASON HIGHS 2016-17 21-1 286-13.6 39-86/.453 12-27/.444 13-21/.619 19-41 60/2.9 47-0 2 15 7 7 103/4.9 TOTAL 17 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
35 SAMSON SOPHOMORE // GUARD // 6-4 // 195 ROLLING MEADOWS, ILL. // FREMD H.S. 2016-17 NOTES Walkon appeared in seven games in first season with the Illini OLADIMEJI Scored first career points with a pair of free throws vs. Central Michigan (Dec. 10) CAREER NOTES Born July 5, 1998 Majoring in community health Played four years at Fremd, including two on the varsity team Also on the Fremd track and field team, competing in high jump and triple jump CAREER HIGHS 2 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 0 1 vs. McKendree (11/15/16) 0 1 vs. McKendree (11/15/16) 2 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 2 vs. Central Michigan (12/10/16) 2 vs. McKendree (11/15/16) AST: 0 at Indiana (1/19/16) 0 0 2 (twice) last vs. Valparaiso (3/14/17) SEASON HIGHS 2016-17 7-0 8-1.1 0-1/.000 0-1/.000 2-3/.667 2-1 3/0.4 1-0 0 0 0 0 2-0.3 TOTAL 18 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball
13 MARK SMITH FRESHMAN // GUARD // 6-4 // 225 EDWARDSVILLE, ILL. // EDWARDSVILLE H.S. NOTES CAREER NOTES Born Aug. 16, 1999 Majoring in learning and education studies Consensus four-star, top-100 recruit ranked No. 55 by Rivals, No. 78 by 247Sports Composite and No. 80 by Scout. Averaged 21.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 2.1 steals as a senior, leading Edwardsville to a 30-2 record and IHSA Class 4A Super-Sectionals Illinois Mr. Basketball Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year Champaign-News Gazette Player of the Year First-team All-State by the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, Champaign News-Gazette and Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games, with eight 30-point performances Scored career-high 45 points in sectional final win over Ottawa (March 10) Belleville News-Democrat Player of the Year St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Team Collinsville Holiday Classic MVP CAREER/SEASON HIGHS 19 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball AST:
4 MATIC VESEL FRESHMAN // FORWARD // 6-10 // 215 LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA // DOMŽALE // HELIOS SUNS NOTES CAREER NOTES Born Feb. 25, 1998 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Member of the Slovenian National Team that competed in the FIBA U20 European Championships in July, averaging 2.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists Competed for Slovenia in the FIBA U18 European Championships in 2016, averaging 7.7 points and 8.7 rebounds Grabbed eight or more rebounds in five of six games at the U18 Euros, finishing the tournament with a double-double performance of 14 points and 13 rebounds vs. Turkey Played for the Helios Suns in the Slovenian League during the 2016-17 season Saw action in 24 of 32 games for Helios, averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per contest Also competed for Helios in the Basketball Champions League during the 2016-17 season, appearing in nine of 14 games CAREER/SEASON HIGHS 20 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball AST:
20 DA MONTE FRESHMAN // GUARD // 6-3 // 185 PEORIA, ILL. // MANUAL H.S. WILLIAMS NOTES CAREER NOTES Born Nov. 2, 1998 Enrolled in the Division of General Studies (undeclared) Four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals, ranked No. 93 by ESPN Averaged 25.6 points through first three games of senior season before suffering torn ACL on Dec. 2 Averaged 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.1 steals as a junior, leading Manual to third-place finish in IHSA Class 3A First-team Class 3A All-State by the Associated Press First-team Class 3A/4A All-State by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Second-team All-State by the Champaign News-Gazette All-Area Co-Player of the Year by the Peoria Journal-Star Son of Illini all-time great point guard Frank Williams, the 2001 Big Ten Player of the Year and two-time All-American 21 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball CAREER/SEASON HIGHS AST:
41 CLAYTON JONES REDSHIRT SENIOR // GUARD // 6-0 // 190 CHAMPAIGN, ILL. // CENTRAL H.S. // LAKE LAND NOTES Walkon is sidelined for the season, recovering from a torn ACL CAREER NOTES Born Sept. 23, 1993 Majoring in kinesiology Appeared in nine games last season with the Illini Scored career-high four points vs. Valparaiso in NIT first round (March 14), hitting a 3-pointer and free throw on a four-point play Attended Lake Land College in Mattoon for two years, playing for the Lakers in 2014-15 Played in 26 games, starting 22 times, and averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists Scored a career-high 22 points and drained 5-of-6 three-pointers vs. Moberly Area (12/7/14) Prior to transferring to Lake Land, spent his freshman year at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas in 2013-14 Averaged 2.8 points while shooting 42.5 percent from 3-point range (17-40) Brother, Verdell III, was a four-year point guard at Indiana from 2009-12 AT ILLINOIS 2016-17 9-0 11-1.2 1-3/.333 1-2/.500 1-1/1.000 0-0 0/0.0 0-0 0 0 0 0 4-0.4 32 TYLER UNDERWOOD REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE // GUARD // 6-2 // 180 CHAMPAIGN, ILL. // NACOGDOCHES (TEXAS) H.S. // OKLAHOMA STATE NOTES Walkon is sitting out the season per NCAA transfer rules CAREER NOTES Born Aug. 22, 1996 Majoring in sociology Appeared in 11 games last season at Oklahoma State, totaling seven points Recorded first career points vs. New Orleans (Nov. 16), hitting a shot-clock beating 3-pointer Also made a 3-pointer in a win over Georgetown in the Maui Invitational third-place game (Nov. 23) Redshirted the 2015-16 season as a true freshman at Stephen F. Austin Averaged 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals as a senior at Nacogdoches High, earning first-team All-District honors while setting school records for season and career 3-pointers and season free-throw percentage AT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 2015-16 DNP Redshirt AT OKLAHOMA STATE 2016-17 11-0 30-2.7 2-4/.500 2-4/.500 1-2/.500 0-2 2/0.2 2-0 1 4 1 2 7-0.6 22 // Illinois Fighting Illini Basketball