@IlliniMBB Big Ten Tournament First Round Notes
March 8, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Illini open play vs. Minnesota on Wednesday (3:30 pm, ESPN2)
| B1G Tournament First Round: #12 Illinois (13-18, 5-13) vs. #13 Minnesota (8-22, 2-16) | |
|---|---|
| When | Wednesday, March 9, 2016 | 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET) |
| Where | Indianapolis, Ind. | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (18,345) |
| Big Ten Tournament | Tournament Central | Bracket | Ticket Info |
| Television | ESPN2 (Mike Tirico, Dan Dakich, Quint Kessenich) |
| Live Stream | WatchESPN.com |
| Radio | Fighting Illini Sports Network | TuneIn | SiriusXM – 84 |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Printable Notes | Illinois | Minnesota |
| 2015-16 Stats | Illinois (HTML) | Illinois (PDF) | Minnesota | Big Ten |
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| Illinois Probable Starters (from the last game) | |||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| G | 3 | Khalid Lewis | 6-3 | 185 | Gr. | 3.9 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 1.0 SPG |
| G | 5 | Jalen Coleman-Lands | 6-3 | 180 | Fr. | 10.3 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 42% 3FG |
| G | 25 | Kendrick Nunn | 6-3 | 190 | Jr. | 15.6 | 5.1 | 1.6 | 2.7 3FG/G |
| G | 21 | Malcolm Hill | 6-6 | 220 | Jr. | 18.6 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 82.4% FT |
| C | 22 | Maverick Morgan | 6-10 | 245 | Jr. | 7.8 | 3.4 | 0.5 | 56% FG |
| Off the Bench | |||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| G | 0 | D.J. Williams | 6-7 | 200 | Fr. | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 11.3 MPG |
| G | 1 | Jaylon Tate | 6-3 | 170 | Jr. | 1.8 | 1.2 | 2.5 | 3.1 A/TO |
| F | 12 | Leron Black | 6-7 | 220 | So. | 4.4 | 4.4 | 0.6 | Suspended |
| G | 23 | Aaron Jordan | 6-5 | 190 | Fr. | 3.4 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 21 3FG |
| C | 33 | Mike Thorne Jr. | 6-11 | 270 | Gr. | 12.9 | 8.5 | 0.3 | Injured knee |
| F | 43 | Michael Finke | 6-10 | 220 | r-Fr. | 7.3 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 OREB/G |
| G | 44 | Alex Austin | 6-4 | 185 | r-Jr. | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 9.7 MPG |
| F | 45 | Cameron Liss | 6-6 | 215 | So. | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3 G |
| Sitting Out | |||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Yr. | PPG | RPG | APG | Note |
| F | 2 | Kipper Nichols | 6-6 | 220 | Fr. | –– | –– | –– | Joined team Dec. 27 |
| G | 10 | Mike LaTulip | 6-1 | 170 | Sr. | 1.6* | 0.6* | 0.0* | *2014-15 Stats |
| G | 13 | Tracy Abrams | 6-2 | 185 | Gr. | 10.7* | 3.5* | 3.2* | *2013-14 Stats |
Head Coach John Groce
Career Record: 160-116/.580 (8th year)
At Illinois: 75-60/.556 (4th year)
Big Ten: 29-43/.403
Big Ten Tournament: 2-3/.400
Series Notes vs. Minnesota
All-Time Series Record: Illinois leads 121-65
Series Record in Big Ten Tournament: Illinois leads 5-0
This Season's Meetings: ILL 76, MINN 71, OT (1/23 at MINN) | ILL 84, MINN 71 (2/28 at ILL)
Groce vs. Minnesota: 5-2
Illini Big Ten Tournament Notes
• Illinois has the second-most all-time Big Ten Tournament (BTT) wins with 25.
• The Illini own the third-best all-time BTT winning percentage at .610 (25-16).
• Illinois has won two BTT championships (2003 and 2005), one of five conference schools to win multiple titles.
• Illinois is tied for the second-most BTT championship game appearances, having advanced to the title game six times.
• Illinois has advanced to the BTT semifinals 12 times, tied for the most semifinal appearances of any school.
• Illinois is a double-digit seed in the BTT for the third time. The Illini advanced to the title game in both previous appearances, as the 11 seed in 1999 and the 10 seed in 2008.
• Illinois is 16-6 in BTT games when seeded higher.
• Illinois is 9-9 in the BTT in Indianapolis.
• Wednesday marks Illinois' sixth BTT match-up with Minnesota, with the Illini winning all five previous games. The teams most recently met in the 2013 quarterfinal, a 51-49 victory by the eighth-seeded Illini over the ninth-seeded Golden Gophers on a jumper by Brandon Paul at the buzzer.
• Eight Illini on the current roster have BTT experience, but only five will dress for this year's tournament: juniors Malcolm Hill, Kendrick Nunn, Maverick Morgan and Jaylon Tate and sophomore walk-on Cameron Liss.
• Illinois' active BTT scoring leader is Malcolm Hill, who has totaled 29 points over three games the previous two years. Kendrick Nunn is right behind Hill with 28 points in three appearances, while Jaylon Tate is the only other Illini who has entered the scoring column in the BTT, tallying nine points in three games.
• Illini freshman Jalen Coleman-Lands returns to his home city of Indianapolis for the the BTT. Coleman-Lands attended Indianapolis Cathedral High School for two years before spending his final two years at La Lumiere Prep in La Porte, Ind.
Hill Named Second-Team All-Big Ten; USBWA All-District V
Malcolm Hill has earned second-team All-Big Ten honors by the league coaches, media and Associated Press, as well as All-District V Team accolades by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Hill has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments in his junior season with the Fighting Illini:
• One of 10 finalists for Jerry West Award (nation's top shooting guard).
• One of only two Big Ten players to lead his team in scoring, rebounding and assists.
• Third in Big Ten in scoring, averaging 18.6 points.
• Highest scoring average by an Illini player in the last 13 years.
• Scored in double figures in 29 of 31 games, with 16 performances of 20+ points and four of 30+ points.
• Averaging 20.0 points over the last 15 contests, with nine games of 20+ points during this stretch.
• Career-high 39 points in final regular season game at Penn State (March 6), tying the seventh-highest scoring performance in Illini history.
• Ninth in Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 6.6 boards.
• Eight games with double-figure rebounds, led by career-high 14 boards at Rutgers (Feb. 3).
• Third-best defensive rebounder in the conference, averaging 5.4 rpg.
• Seven double-doubles on the season.
• Fifth in Big Ten in free throw shooting at 82.4 percent.
• Leads league and ranks 19th in the NCAA with 182 made free throws.
• Second in the conference with 221 free throw attempts.
• 14th in Big Ten in assists with average of 3.3 per game, after entering year with career average of 1.0 apg.
• Third in league in minutes played at 35.6 mpg.
• Big Ten Co-Player of the Week (Dec. 21).
• Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team (Nov. 27-28).
• Has played and defended all five positions over the course of the season.
Elite Company
Junior Malcolm Hill leads the Fighting Illini by average in scoring (18.6 ppg), rebounding (6.6 rpg) and assists (3.3 apg). He is joined by Michigan's Derek Walton as the only Big Ten players to lead their teams in all three categories this season.
Hill is vying to become just the second Fighting Illini player ever to rank first in scoring, rebounding and assists in the same season. The first to accomplish the feat (dating back to the start of assists record keeping in 1974) was Rick Schmidt in 1975. During Schmidt's junior season, he led the Illini with averages of 20.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
For much of the season Hill led the Fighting Illini in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots, ranking with LSU's Ben Simmons and Florida A&M's Malcolm Bernard as the only players nationally to lead his team in all of those categories. But in the final regular season game at Penn State, Hill was passed in steals by Kendrick Nunn and now trails for the team lead by one steal.
Last Time Out: Penn State 86, Illini 79, 2OT (March 6)
Illinois made a strong comeback on the road to put itself in position to win, but Penn State found an extra gear at the end to outlast the Illini in double-overtime.
After a back-and-forth first half, Penn State seemed to gain control midway through the second half, opening up a 55-45 lead with 10 minutes remaining. The Lions still led by eight with five to go before the Illini came roaring back, scoring 11 of the game's next 13 points to take a 64-63 lead. After a pair of PSU free throws put the hosts back ahead, Khalid Lewis made a tough runner to retake the lead, and Lewis then grabbed a steal on defense to force PSU to foul Malcolm Hill. The Illini lead extended to two after Hill made 1-of-2 free throws. Penn State had an answer though, with Shep Garner scoring a game-tying layup with 14 seconds left. The Illini were unable to get a shot off on the final possession of regulation, as Hill's pass was deflected.
Neither team could pull ahead in the first overtime, sending it to a second extra session. That's when the Nittany Lions took advantage, drawing fouls repeatedly and converting at the line. After hitting a 3-pointer on its first possession, PSU's final 11 points came at the free throw line as they outscored the Illini 14-to-7 in the OT to claim the victory.
Malcolm Hill had a tremendous performance in Happy Valley, registering his seventh double-double of the season with a career-high 39 points and game-high 13 rebounds. Hill's 39 points tied the seventh-highest single-game scoring performance in Illini history, and equaled the most ever scored against Penn State as a member of the Big Ten. Khalid Lewis also finished in double figures, scoring a season-high 10 points.
Big Two
Juniors Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn are leading the charge for the Illini offensive attack, ranking as the second-highest scoring duo in the Big Ten, and eighth-highest among the six major conferences this season. Here is a current ranking of the top scoring duos from each of the power six leagues:
- 38.2 points – Grayson Allen (21.5 ppg) & Brandon Ingram (16.7 ppg), Duke
- 38.1 points – Buddy Hield (25.1 ppg) & Isaiah Cousins (13.0 ppg), Oklahoma
- 37.5 points – Ben Bentil (21.2 ppg) & Kris Dunn (16.3 ppg), Providence
- 36.6 points – Jamal Murray (20.0 ppg) & Tyler Ullis (16.6 ppg), Kentucky
- 36.5 points – Andrew Andrews (21.2 ppg) & Dejounte Murray (15.3 ppg), Washington
- 35.1 points – Stefan Moody (23.1 ppg) & Sebastian Saiz (12.0 ppg), Mississippi
- 34.6 points – Jarrod Uthoff (18.8 ppg) & Peter Jok (15.8 ppg), Iowa
- 34.2 points – Malcolm Hill (18.6 ppg) & Kendrick Nunn (15.6 ppg), Illinois
- 34.2 points – Kevin Punter (22.2 ppg) & Armani Moore (12.0 ppg), Tennessee
Illini Trends
• Illinois has started 14 different lineups this season.
• In 12 of its 13 wins, Illinois has scored more point off turnovers than the opponent.
• Illinois' turnover rate of 14.9 percent ranks 14th nationally, and the Illini rank 22nd in the NCAA in fewest turnovers per game (10.5 avg.).
• Illinois ranks 19th nationally in defensive free throw rate (27.3).
• Only two opponents have shot better than 46 percent from the field against the Illini over the last 12 games.
• Illinois played in four Big Ten games that went to overtime, the most since the 1984 Illini squad also had four conference games go into OT. This year's UI team played a total of seven extra periods (two 1OT, one 2OT, one 3OT), most since the '84 Illini played eight extra sessions (two 1OT, one 2OT, one 4OT).
• Junior Malcolm Hill has scored in double figures in all but two games this season, ranking third in the Big Ten with an average of 18.6 points.
• Hill's scoring average is the highest by an Illini in the last 13 years, since Brian Cook led the Big Ten in scoring in 2003 (20.0 ppg).
• Hill scored his 1,000th career point at Minnesota (Jan. 23), becoming the 47th player in Fighting Illini history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. He now ranks 32nd on the all-time UI list with 1,207 points.
• Hill has 20 career games of 20+ points, with 16 this season, including nine of the last 15 games.
• Hill leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the NCAA in made free throws, and is second in the conference and 26th nationally in free throw attempts. His totals of 182 made free throws on 221 attempts are both the second-highest single-season totals in school history.
• Hill has grabbed at least seven rebounds in nine of the last 12 games, reaching double figures five times .
• Junior Kendrick Nunn has scored in double figures in 21 of the 25 games he has played in, averaging 15.6 points (11th in Big Ten).
• Nunn has six games of 20+ points this season, including four times in Big Ten play. He equaled his career scoring high in conference play with 25 points vs. Minnesota (Feb. 28).
• Nunn has drained 67 three-pointers in his 25 games, surpassing his total of 54 treys in 33 games last year. His current average of 2.7 made threes per game ranks third in the Big Ten.
• Nunn has totaled 976 career points, 24 away from reaching the 1,000-point milesone.
• Freshman Jalen Coleman-Lands leads all Big Ten rookies with 79 made three-pointers this season. Last week against Indiana, Coleman-Lands broke the Illinois season record for 3-pointers by a true freshman (69 by D.J. Richardson in 2010).
• Coleman-Lands is now just six treys away from the all-time Illini freshman record of 85 set by Cory Bradford in 1999.
• Coleman Lands' 79 three-pointers ranks second among freshmen from the six major conferences, trailing only Kentucky's Jamal Murray.
• Coleman-Lands is third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points. The last Illini to average double figures as a freshman was D.J. Richardson in 2010 (10.5 ppg).
• Coleman-Lands has scored at least nine points in eight of the last nine games, with two 20+ point performances, and is averaging 14.1 points over this stretch (127).
• Over those nine games, Coleman-Lands has knocked down 32 treys (3.6 makes per game) on 45.7 percent shooting from behind the arc (32-70).
• Junior Maverick Morgan ranks eighth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting 56 percent on the season.
• Morgan is averaging 11.6 points (104) and 5.8 rebounds (52) over the last nine games. He has scored in double figures five times over that stretch and recorded his first career double-double last Thursday at Maryland, finishing with career highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds.
• Freshman D.J. Williams has logged double-figure minutes in each of the last nine games, combining for 40 points and 19 rebounds on 54.8 percent shooting (17-31).
Battling Through Adversity
Seven different Illini players have combined to miss a total of 92 games due to injuries and other circumstances so far this season. The only contest where Illinois had this season's full roster available for the entirety of the game was the 72-58 victory over UAB on Nov. 27.
With the list of available players changing often, Coach John Groce has used 14 different starting lineups.
On six occasions the Illini have had as few as eight scholarship players available, including four times in Big Ten play (Michigan, at Ohio State, at Michigan State, at Rutgers).
The Illini are currently without three projected starters with Tracy Abrams, Leron Black and Mike Thorne Jr. all sidelined.
Oh So Close
Illinois has been involved in 11 games this season decided by five points or less, owning a record of 5-6. The Illini enjoyed great success in close games during Groce's first three seasons, entering the year with an 18-6 record in games decided by five or less points. Only seven teams from the six major conferences have suffered more close losses than the Illini this season.
Newcomers Playing Prominent Role
Illinois has seven newcomers who have all factored into the rotation this season in graduate transfers Khalid Lewis and Mike Thorne Jr., junior transfer Alex Austin, redshirt freshman Michael Finke and true freshmen Jalen Coleman-Lands, Aaron Jordan and D.J. Williams. Together they have accounted for 50 percent of the team's minutes played, the second-highest number in the conference. Illinois is one of only two Big Ten teams with at least half of its minutes coming from newcomers. The Illini rank fifth in the league, meanwhile, in minutes played by freshmen at 32 percent. Minnesota leads the conference with freshmen accounting for 37.9 percent of its minutes.
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 season Illinois ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 22nd nationally in fewest turnovers, averaging just 10.5 per game. And Illinois ranks second in the conference with a +2.7 turnover margin (26th in NCAA).
Getting it Done at the Line Again
Illinois led the Big Ten in free show shooting during league play at 78.1 percent, connecting on 249-of-319. Illinois led the conference in free throw shooting last year as well, making 81 percent in Big Ten games.
The Illini led the entire NCAA in free throw accuracy last season (all games), setting a school record at 79.4 percent to break the previous UI record by five percentage points. This year the Illini are shooting 74.7 percent at the line in all games (2nd in B1G, 28th in NCAA).
