| Illinois Probable Starters (from the previous game) |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
1 |
Jaylon Tate |
6-3 |
170 |
Sr. |
6.0 |
2.0 |
5.8 |
2.9 A/TO |
| G |
13 |
Tracy Abrams |
6-2 |
185 |
Gr. |
11.8 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
81.8% 3FG |
| G |
21 |
Malcolm Hill |
6-6 |
225 |
Sr. |
22.3 |
7.5 |
1.5 |
83.3% FT |
| F |
43 |
Michael Finke |
6-10 |
230 |
r-So. |
11.0 |
8.0 |
0.3 |
3.0 OREB/G |
| C |
22 |
Maverick Morgan |
6-10 |
245 |
Sr. |
12.0 |
2.3 |
1.0 |
70% FG |
| Off the Bench |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| G |
0 |
D.J. Williams |
6-7 |
210 |
So. |
5.3 |
1.8 |
0.8 |
60% FG |
| G |
3 |
Te'Jon Lucas |
6-0 |
170 |
Fr. |
3.0 |
0.8 |
1.8 |
5-5 FG |
| G |
5 |
Jalen Coleman-Lands |
6-3 |
190 |
So. |
9.5 |
2.3 |
1.0 |
3.0 3FG/G |
| F |
12 |
Leron Black |
6-7 |
220 |
r-So. |
4.4* |
4.4* |
0.6* |
1.4 OREB/G* |
| G |
14 |
Samson Oladimeji |
6-5 |
195 |
Fr. |
0.0 |
1.0 |
0.0 |
2 G |
| G |
23 |
Aaron Jordan |
6-5 |
190 |
So. |
2.8 |
1.3 |
0.5 |
3-7 3FG |
| C |
33 |
Mike Thorne Jr. |
6-11 |
280 |
Gr. |
6.3 |
5.5 |
0.0 |
50% FG |
| G |
41 |
Clayton Jones |
6-0 |
170 |
r-Jr. |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
3 G |
| G |
44 |
Alex Austin |
6-4 |
190 |
r-Sr. |
0.7 |
2.0 |
0.0 |
3 OREB |
| Sitting Out |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
Note |
| F |
2 |
Kipper Nichols |
6-6 |
225 |
r-Fr. |
- |
- |
- |
Out fall semester (transfer) |
| G |
10 |
Drew Cayce |
6-1 |
165 |
So. |
- |
- |
- |
Sitting out season (transfer) |
| F |
45 |
Cameron Liss |
6-6 |
220 |
Jr. |
0.6* |
0.0* |
0.2* |
Redshirting season |
* 2015-16 Stats
Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 166-117/.587 (9th year)
At Illinois: 81-61/.570 (5th year)
Illinois Series Notes vs. Winthrop
All-Time Series Record: First meeting
Groce vs. Winthrop All-Time: 1-0 (Ohio 77, Winthrop 74 – Feb. 19, 2011 at Rock Hill, S.C.)
November Reign
Illinois is a perfect 18-0 at State Farm Center in November under Coach John Groce. The Illini have two home games remaining in college basketball's opening month: Monday vs. Winthrop and Nov. 28 vs. N.C. State.
The Illini have won 35 straight home games overall in the month of November, with the current streak beginning on Nov. 11, 2007. Illinois' last home November defeat came at the hands of Maryland in the 2006 Big Ten/ACC Challenge (Nov. 28, 2006).
Busy Schedule
Illinois concludes its stretch of five home games in 11 days to start the season, hosting Winthrop on Monday at 7 p.m.
The Winthrop contest follows Friday's victory over Detroit Mercy as preliminary games of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Illinois next heads to Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the final two rounds of the tournament, facing No. 19 West Virginia on Thanksgiving Day followed by Florida State or Temple on Friday.
Illini Player Trends
• Senior Malcolm Hill ranks third in the Big Ten and 45th in the NCAA in scoring (22.3 ppg).
• Hill's career-high 40 points vs. Northern Kentucky (Nov. 13) is tied for the No. 2 scoring performance in the NCAA so far this season.
• Hill has scored more than 20 points in all three games against D1 opponents.
• Hill ranks fourth in the nation by kenpom with an offensive rating of 143.6 (28 percent possessions used).
• Hill is currently shooting 46.2 percent from 3-point range (12-26) after never topping 39 percent in his first three seasons and entering his senior year as a 35 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Hill ranks 27th in the NCAA with 12 made threes. Last year he made 37 treys in 34 games.
• Hill continues to make a living at the line. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 16th in the NCAA with 25 made free throws. His 30 attempts, meanwhile, rank second in the conference and 27th nationally.
• Senior Maverick Morgan ranks second in the Big Ten and 25th in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 70 percent (21-30).
• Morgan has scored at least eight points in nine of his last 10 games, tallying at least 14 points in five of those outings.
• Morgan is currently averaging double figures for the first time in his career (12.0 ppg).
• Senior Tracy Abrams has scored in double figures in three of four games, ranking third on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg).
• Abrams is currently shooting 81.8 percent from 3-point range (9-11) after entering his final season as a 27 percent career 3-point shooter.
• Sophomore Michael Finke scored in double figures in each of the first three games.
• Finke currently leads the Illini in rebounding, averaging 8.0 boards, after grabbing 3.7 rpg last season.
• Finke is averaging 3.0 offensive rebounds, ranking fifth in the Big Ten in offensive rebound percentage.
• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands is tied with Hill with 12 made threes, ranking 27th in the NCAA.
• Senior Jaylon Tate has dished out at least six assists in three of four games.
• Tate ranks third in the Big Ten and 51st in the NCAA in assists, averaging 5.8 per game.
• Senior Mike Thorne Jr. is averaging 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over the last two games (21 pts, 17 reb).
• Thorne has been the team's leading rebounder in eight of 12 career appearances with the Illini.
• Sophomore D.J. Williams is averaging 7.5 points (15) on 75 percent shooting (6-8) over the last two games.
Illini Team Trends
• Illinois has shot better than 50 percent from the field in three of its first four games.
• Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 21st in the NCAA in field goal percentage (.523).
• The Illini have won each of their four games by at least 15 points, ranking 20th in the NCAA in scoring margin (+25.3 ppg).
• Illinois ranks 32nd in the nation in scoring offense (90.2 ppg).
• The Illini are in the top 25 nationally in two categories from long distance, ranking 20th in made threes per game (10.5) and 22nd in 3-point field goal percentage (.433).
• Illinois has held each of its four opponents to less than 43 percent shooting.
Notes from Friday's Win over Detroit Mercy
• Illinois improved to 4-0 on the young season, marking the fourth time in Coach John Groce's five seasons and seventh time in the last nine years that the Illini have started the season with at least four wins.
• Illinois led a balanced attack throughout the first half as eight different players scored. Illinois' first eight field goals were made by seven different players. Nine players contributed points in the victory, with four putting up double-digits.
• The Orange and Blue shot 51.9 percent (27-52), the third time in four games that Illinois has shot better than 50 percent.
• The Illini bench scored 26 points against Detroit Mercy. Illinois' bench has now outscored its opponents 85-33 in the last two wins.
• Illinois never trailed, leading the game for 38:33 of the 40 minutes.
• Senior Malcolm Hill scored 25 points vs. Detroit, his 23rd career 20-point game. It was his third time with 20+ points in four games on the season.
• Senior Tracy Abrams scored a season-high 15 points.
• Senior Jaylon Tate scored a career-high 12 points. He also led the team in assists (6).
• Senior Mike Thorne Jr. went 4-for-4 from the field to score a season-high 11 points. He also led the team with seven rebounds, his eighth time leading the Illini in rebounding in 12 career games.
• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands tied his career-best with six rebounds.
