Career Record: 155-105/.596 (8th year)
At Illinois: 70-49/.588 (4th year)
Big Ten: 24-32/.429
Series Notes vs. Michigan State
Series Record: Tied, 58-58
Series Streak: Michigan State W-1
Record at East Lansing: Michigan State leads 36-20
Series Streak at East Lansing: Illinois W-2
Last Year's Meetings: ? ILL 59, MSU 54 (2/7/15 at MSU) | MSU 60, ILL 53 (2/22/15 at ILL)
Groce vs. Michigan State: 2-3
Opening Tip
Illinois takes on ranked opponents in each of its next two games, facing No. 5 Michigan State on Thursday followed by No. 20 Purdue on Sunday. The Illini head to East Lansing looking to snap a six-game skid on the road. Illinois' most recent road win was a 59-54 victory at Michigan State last season (Feb. 7, 2015).
3-Point Improvement
The Illini have increased their production from behind the arc in recent weeks. Illinois is making an average of 9.9 threes per game over the last nine games (89), a vast improvement over the average of 6.5 treys through the first six games. The Illini have hit at least nine 3-pointers in seven of the last nine games – including each of the last five – led by a season-high 14 triples vs. South Dakota (Dec. 19) and 12 treys vs. Ohio State on Sunday.
Elite Company
Junior guard Malcolm Hill leads the Fighting Illini in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots on the season. He is one of just two players nationally to lead his team in all of those categories, joined by LSU's Ben Simmons.
Big Two
Juniors Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill are leading the charge for the Illini offensive attack, ranking as the highest-scoring duo in the Big Ten, and fifth-highest among the six major conferences so far this season:
1. 41.2 ppg – Buddy Hield (26.3 ppg) & Jordan Woodard (14.9 ppg) – Oklahoma
2. 37.1 ppg – Ben Bentil (19.4 ppg) & Kris Dunn (17.7 ppg) – Providence
3. 37.0 ppg – Grayson Allen (20.6 ppg) & Brandon Ingram (16.4 ppg) – Duke
4. 36.7 ppg – Kevin Punter (22.8 ppg) & Armani Moore (13.9 ppg) – Tennessee
5. 36.4 ppg – Kendrick Nunn (18.5 ppg) & Malcolm Hill (17.9 ppg) – Illinois
Nunn and Hill, meanwhile, are one of only three duos who are both averaging at least 17 points. Here is the ranking of the highest-scoring duos among the six major conferences where both players are averaging at least 17 ppg:
1. 37.1 ppg – Ben Bentil (19.4 ppg) & Kris Dunn (17.7 ppg) – Providence
2. 36.4 ppg – Kendrick Nunn (18.5 ppg) & Malcolm Hill (17.9 ppg) – Illinois
3. 34.2 ppg – Dwayne Bacon (17.2 ppg) & Malik Beasley (17.0 ppg) – Florida State
Taking on Another Ranked Opponent
Illinois faces its second Top-5 opponent of the season in No. 5 Michigan State. The Illini fell to then-No. 4 Iowa State, 84-73, on Nov. 28 in the title game of the Emerald Coast Classic.
Illinois is 8-21 against the AP Top 25 under Coach John Groce, with its most recent win a 64-57 home victory over No. 11 Maryland last season (Jan. 7, 2015).
The last time Illinois defeated a Top-5 opponent was during Groce's first year, when the Illini defeated No. 1 Indiana in Champagin, 74-72, on Tyler Griffey's layup at the buzzer (Feb. 7, 2013).
It has been 27 years since Illinois last defeated a Top-5 team on the road, a 70-67 win by Coach Lou Henson's Flyin' Illini at No. 3 Indiana on March 5, 1989, thanks to a Nick Anderson 35-footer at the buzzer.
Illini Bring their Best to East Lansing
The Breslin Center is one of the toughest arenas in the Big Ten, with Michigan State averaging just 1.5 home conference losses over the last 14 years. But Illinois has competed well on the road against the Spartans during that time frame. The Illini have been victorious five times in their last 12 trips to East Lansing, earning wins in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2014 and 2015. Illinois' five wins dating back to the 2001-02 season are the most by an opponent at Breslin Center.
The Illini's average margin of defeat in the other seven games has been just 6.3 points, with five of those decided by six points or less. In all but one of those seven games (2010), the Illini led during the second half (2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013).
Looking Back at Last Year's Illinois-Michigan State Games
• Illinois 59, Michigan State 54 (Feb. 7 at East Lansing)
The Illini earned a road victory over Michigan State, winning at the Breslin Center for the second straight season. Illinois started slow, falling behind 10-2 while uncharacteristically racking up six fouls and five turnovers during the first eight minutes of play. But the Orange and Blue settled down after that, grabbing a 19-14 lead later in the half following a 17-4 run. The Spartans would tie it twice in the second half, but the Illini never relinquished its lead, coming up with stops and timely baskets in crunch time.
A driving floater by Kendrick Nunn put the Illini ahead by three with less than a minute remaining. The Illini then overcame an unusual sequence when, after MSU's Travis Trice made the front end of a 1-and-1 with 33 seconds to go, Jaylon Tate was assessed a dead ball technical following a monitor review for fouling Trice on a box out. That gave the Spartans two additional free throws and possession of the ball. But Trice missed his second attempt at the line, and Bryn Forbes missed one of the two technical shots, so the Illini still led by one. The Illini made a big defensive stop on the ensuing possession and Malcolm Hill knocked down four free throws in the closing seconds to secure the win.
Hill lead all scorers with 19 points while collecting six boards. Nunn scored 14 and Nnanna Egwu had one of his best games of the season with 12 points, a game-high nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
• Michigan State 60, Illinois 53 (Feb. 22 at Champaign)
Illinois lost for just the second time on the season at State Farm Center, falling to Michigan State in a rematch two weeks after the Illini won on the Spartans' home court. After MSU scored the game's first five points, the Illini quickly rattled off 12 unanswered to take control. The Spartans came right back as the lead continued to change hands throughout the first half.
MSU led by four at the halftime and answered each time the Illini seemed close to regaining control. With the Illini trailing 38-34 and just over nine minutes left, the Spartans outscored the Illini 14-7 over the next five minutes to grab their biggest lead of the night at 52-41. Illinois went to a fullcourt press which ignited a furious late-game rally. After the Orange and Blue had pulled within three points, Kendrick Nunn was left open near the top of the key. But his 3-pointer with 44 seconds remaining did not fall. And instead of tying the game, the Illini were forced to foul where the Spartans sealed the victory at the free throw line.
Illinois committed only five turnovers and held Michigan State to just six offensive rebounds. But the Illini could not overcome a cold shooting night, managing only 15-of-52 from the field, a season-low 28.8 percent.
Malcolm Hill led the Illini with 17 points while Rayvonte Rice scored 15.
Current Illini vs. Michigan State
Malcolm Hill (4 G): 13.5 ppg (54), 4.3 rpg (17)
Highlights: Team-high 17 points last year in Champaign … Game-high 19 points with six rebounds last year in East Lansing … 10 points and five rebounds in 2014 in East Lansing … Eight points in 2014 in Champaign.
Tracy Abrams (4 G): 12.0 ppg (48), 3.0 rpg (12), 3.3 apg (13), 2.8 spg (11)
Highlights: Team-high 12 points with four assists and career-high five steals in 2014 in East Lansing … Team-high 15 points in 2014 in Champaign … Team-high 16 points with five rebounds, six assists and four steals in 2013 in East Lansing.
Kendrick Nunn (4 G): 8.5 ppg (34), 4.0 rpg (16)
Highlight: 14 points, five rebounds and three assists last year in East Lansing … Eight points, team-high six rebounds and season-high four assists in 2014 in East Lansing.
Leron Black (2 G): 4.0 ppg (8), 3.5 rpg (7)
Maverick Morgan (4 G): 6 pts, 4 reb
Jaylon Tate (4 G): 4 pts, 5 reb
Mike LaTulip (1 G): 0 pts, 0 reb
Taking Care of the Rock
Illinois has been one of the best teams in the country under Coach John Groce in taking care of the basketball. Last year's team set a school record for fewest turnovers, averaging just 9.9 per game. That broke the previous school mark of 10.4 per game set by Groce's 2014 squad.
This year the Illini are currently averaging 10.1 turnovers per game, ranking second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. And Illinois leads the conference with a +3.4 turnover margin (36th in NCAA).
Capitalizing Off Turnovers
Over the last six games, Illinois has averaged just 8.7 turnovers (52) while the opponent is averaging 15.2 turnovers (91). The Illini have made the most from those extra opportunities, outscoring the opposition in points off turnovers in all six games and by a combined 101-to-46, an advantage of 9.2 points per game.
Battling Through Injuries
Six different Illini players have combined to miss a total of 42 games so far this season. The only contest where Illinois has had its full roster available (not counting Tracy Abrams) for the entirety of the game was the 72-58 victory over UAB on Nov. 27.
With the list of healthy players changing from one day to the next, Coach John Groce used a different starting lineup in 10 of Illinois' first 12 games.
On four occasions the Illini have had as few as eight scholarship players available, including each of the last two games to open Big Ten play.
Early in the year the Illini were missing mostly backcourt players. But now the bulk of injuries lie in the frontcourt, with center Mike Thorne Jr. and power forward Leron Black out indefinitely. Since Thorne was injured late in the first half vs. Iowa State on Nov. 28, Illinois has been outrebounded in seven of the last nine games.
Illini Trends
• Illinois' turnover rate of 14.3 percent stands sixth nationally.
• Illinois ranks 37th nationally in defensive free throw rate (25.1). The Illini were 11th in that category prior to Ohio State shooting 39 free throws on Sunday.
• Illinois is getting an average of 24.1 points from its bench, outscoring the opposing bench in 10 of its first 11 games, and by an average of 5.5 points on the year. Last season the UI averaged 18.7 points in bench scoring.
• Illinois has started the same lineup over each of the last four games: Jaylon Tate, Jalen Coleman-Lands, Kendrick Nunn, Malcolm Hill and Michael Finke.
• Malcolm Hill has scored in double figures in every game this season and currently ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 17.9 points.
• Hill has 11 career games of 20+ points, which included his first stretch of four straight to round out non-conference play with 20 vs. Yale, 22 vs. UIC, 34 vs. South Dakota and 21 vs. Missouri.
• Hill entered Big Ten play on a tear, averaging 24.3 points (97), 6.3 rebounds (25), 4.0 assists (16), 1.8 blocks (7) and 1.3 steals (5).
• Hill has gotten to the foul line 45 times over the last six games, making 38.
• Hill ranks 34th in the NCAA in made free throws (75) and 60th nationally in free throw attempts (90), standing second behind Wisconsin's Nigel Hayes among Big Ten players in each category.
• Hill is currently averaging 3.7 assists this season (14th in Big Ten), after entering the year with a career average of 1.0 assists.
• Kendrick Nunn has scored in double figures in all 10 games since making his season debut Nov. 27, and is currently averaging 18.5 points.
• Nunn's scoring average would rank second in the Big Ten, but he is currently not listed among the conference statistical leaders because he has yet to play in 75 percent of Illinois' games. Nunn has played in 66.7 percent of games on the season.
• Nunn, who led the team in 3-pointers last year, has combined for 30 treys over his 10 games. His average of 3.1 made threes per game also would rank second in the Big Ten
• Nunn has shot better than 46 percent from the field in seven of his 10 games.
• Nunn's game-high 23 points vs. Michigan marked his third 20-point performance of the season.
• Nunn grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds vs. Missouri and is averaging 7.0 boards (35) over the last five games.
• Since Nunn's return to the lineup, Malcolm Hill (6 times) or Nunn (5 times) have led the Illini in scoring.
• Michael Finke was held in double figures for just the second time in the last seven games, scoring seven vs. Michigan. But he grabbed a career-high eight rebounds, including seven on the defensive end, in 26 minutes.
• After registering 14 points at Ohio State, Finke has now scored in double figures in four of the last five, and six of the last eight games.
• Finke is averaging 13.4 points (107) on 54.9 percent shooting (39-71) and 50 percent 3-point shooting (16-32) over the last eight games.
• Jalen Coleman-Lands is averaging 13.4 points (67) and shooting 46.4 percent from 3-point range (17-36) over the last five games, scoring in double figures four times.
• Coleman-Lands has made three or more treys in eight games, including four of the last five. His average of 2.4 made threes is seventh in the Big Ten.
• Coleman-Lands is averaging 13.5 points through two Big Ten games and has drained seven 3-pointers.
• Jaylon Tate has combined for 9 assists with only 1 turnover in Big Ten play while playing 72 of 80 minutes.
• Khalid Lewis has combined for 18 assists (6.0 apg) with just three turnovers over his last three games.
Complete Illinois-Michigan State Game Notes (PDF)
