Western Illinois vs Illinois: Game 6 Preview and Schedule for Friday, 8pm

Nov. 24—Lineups

Illinois (4-1)

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown

G/F Ty Rodgers So. 6-6 7.2 Saginaw, Mich.

G Terrence Shannon Jr. Sr. 6-6 19.6 Chicago

G/F Marcus Domask Gr. 6-6 8.2 Waupun, Wis.

F Quincy Guerrier Gr. 6-8 5.8 Montreal

F/C Dain Dainja R-Jr. 6-9 9.2 Brooklyn Park, Minn.

FYI: Shannon has scored 21, 22 and 24 points in Illinois’ last three games. It’s the first time he’s hit 20-plus in three consecutive games in his career. The veteran guard had consecutive 20-plus games on three separate occasions last season for the Illini.

Off the bench

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown

G Luke Goode Jr. 6-7 8.8 Fort Wayne, Ind.

G Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Fr. 6-1 5.0 Lafayette, Ind.

F Amani Hansberry Fr. 6-8 4.3 Silver Spring, Md.

Western Illinois (2-3)

Starters

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown

G Ryan Myers Jr. 6-1 11.8 Brooklyn, N.Y.

G Quinlan Bennett R-Sr. 6-4 7.0 Chicago

G James Dent Jr. Jr. 6-5 17.2 Springfield

F Jesiah West Sr. 6-5 7.2 Elizabeth, N.J.

C Drew Cisse Sr. 6-11 8.6 San Diego

FYI: Dent, who won an NJCAA national championship with John A. Logan College last season, was a 2021 Second Team News-Gazette All-State selection. The Springfield Southeast grad averaged 21.1 points and 7.2 rebounds and shot 41 percent from three-point range as a senior.

Off the bench

P Name Yr. Ht. PPG Hometown

F Tay Knox So. 6-9 3.6 Troy, Ala.

G De’ Meiko Anderson R-Fr. 6-0 3.6 Minneapolis

G Shay Davis Jr. 6-0 4.2 Orlando

Details

Site: State Farm Center (15,544); Champaign.

Radio: Brian Barnhart (play-by-play) and former Illini Deon Thomas (analysis) will have the call on the Illini Sports Network on WDWS 1400-AM, WDWS 93.9-FM, WHMS 97.5-FM, WPXN 104.9-FM, WDAN-1490-AM and WDNL 102.1-FM.

TV: BTN.

Series: Illinois leads 5-0.

Last meeting: Illinois won 94-66 on Nov. 22, 2003, in Champaign.

FYI: The Illini and Leathernecks played in three consecutive years two decades ago (2001, 2002 and 2003), with Illinois winning the three games by an average of 31 points. Dee Brown led five Illini in double figures in the most recent game against Western Illinois, putting up a game-high 23 points. Roger Powell Jr. chipped in 14 points, James Augustine had 12 points and 13 rebounds, Deron Williams flirted with a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and Nick Smith had 13 points off the bench.

Beat writer Scott Richey’s storylines

Injury update

Illinois’ Nico Moretti won’t play Friday against Western Illinois. The redshirt freshman guard suffered a right foot injury in the first half of the Illini’s win agianst Southern when Terrence Shannon Jr. stepped on it as they collided trying to run down a Jaguars fast break. Moretti was wearing a protective boot that same night. Illinois coach Brad Underwood said he hopes it’s not a long term injury, but there’s also no timetable for Moretti’s return. That means the point guard rotation will look like it did against Marquette with Ty Rodgers, Shannon and Marcus Domask mostly filling that role.

“It’s a little different when we have Coleman (Hawkins) out there who’s also a facilitator and connector,” Underwood said. Hawkins has missed the last two games with a knee injury, and his status is still to be determined for Friday’s game. “We’ll see what that looks like as (Hawkins) tries to come back. Not any different or anything we haven’t seen.”

Early defensive success

Amani Hansberry hasn’t played a big role off the bench for Illinois in the first five games of the season, but it’s been a consistent role. The freshman forward is averaging 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game, and the steadiness he’s shown has stood out the most to Underwood. How Hansberry has grasped the Illini’s defense has also impressed his coach.

“He’s been unbelievable in ball screen coverage,” Underwood said. “It’s one of the hardest things there is to master and learn, and he’s been phenomenal at it. Making the right calls. Not leaving his teammates hung out to dry. He’s a great processor. He’s very intelligent. That’s one of the things we’ve seen every day and allowed him to be on the court and very successful.”

Not a casual observer

Luke Goode has taken advantage of Feast Week. College basketball games on every day and at all hours? Consider Goode a fan. The Illinois guard is catching games in the morning before practice, doing the same in between practices and then heading home after the Illini wrap up for the day to watch more.

“I probably watch the most college basketball out of anybody on this team,” Goode said. “It’s not even close. It’s fun, too. You grow up playing basketball and play all these guys in middle school and AAU and then you go watch them on TV. I just got a text from the point guard at Duquesne who I haven’t talked to in like five years. I really enjoy watching college basketball regardless of who it is and the size of the schools. It’s just what I do.”

The News-Gazette’s pick

Illinois 87, Western Illinois 59

The way the Illini have locked in defensively through the first two weeks of the regular season doesn’t bode well for the Leathernecks. Western Illinois’ offense is among the least efficient in the country — from twos to threes and even the freebie ones. Illinois isn’t a world beater on the offensive end itself, but pushing tempo and turning defense into offense has worked for the Illini through five games. It will work again Friday. (N-G prediction record — 5-0).