2022–23 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team explained

Mode:Basketball
Year:2022–23
Team:Illinois Fighting Illini
Conference:Big Ten Conference
Short Conf:Big Ten
Record:20–13
Conf Record:11–9
Hc Year:6th
Ac1 Year:2nd
Asst Coach2:Tim Anderson
Ac2 Year:2nd
Asst Coach3:Geoff Alexander
Ac3 Year:2nd
Tourney Result:First Round
Captain:Luke Goode
Captain2:Coleman Hawkins

The 2022–23 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by sixth-year head coach Brad Underwood, the Illini played their home games at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 20–11, 11–9 in Big Ten play to finish in a four-way tie in fifth place. As the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they were defeated by Penn State in the second round. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 9 seed in the West Region, where they lost to Arkansas in the First Round.

Previous season

The Illini finished the 2021–22 season 23–10, 15–5 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for the regular season championship. As the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they were defeated by No. 9 seed Indiana in the quarterfinals.[1] They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the South Region, where they defeated Chattanooga in the First Round before losing to Houston in the Second Round.[2]

Offseason

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes Reference
Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk 13 F 6'8" 235 Redshirt Sophomore[3]
21 C 7'0" 285 Junior [4]
5 G 6'1" 175 Sophomore [5]
11 G 6'2" 175 Senior [6]
3 G/F 6'6" 210 Graduate Student [7]
Austin Hutcherson 22 G 6'6" 190 Graduate Student Graduated[8]
Omar Payne 4 F 6'10" 240 Junior [9]
11 G 6'1" 180 Graduate Student Graduated [10]
0 G 6'5" 200 Freshman[11]
20 G 6'3" 215 Senior [12]

Incoming transfers

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Previous School
Dain Dainja 42 F 6'9" 270 Redshirt Sophomore Baylor
24 G/F 6'9" 225 Graduate Student Baylor
0 G 6'6" 215 Senior Texas Tech

2022 recruiting class

Roster

Note: Skyy Clark and Zacharie Perrin left the team mid-season and were removed from the official Illini Roster page.

Schedule and results

|-!colspan=12 style=""| Exhibition|-!colspan=12 style=""| Regular Season|-!colspan=12 style=""| Big Ten tournament|-!colspan=12 style=""| NCAA Tournament

Rankings

See also: 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings. *AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jackson-Davis leads Indiana past No. 16 Illinois 65-63 . . March 11, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . April 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220401041710/https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/gametracker/recap/NCAAB_20220311_IND@ILL/ . live .
  2. Web site: NCAA men's tournament: Illinois overwhelmed by Houston, bows out in 2nd round again . . March 20, 2022 . Cooper, Sam . July 13, 2022 . April 26, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220426081833/https://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa-tournament-illinois-overwhelmed-by-houston-bows-out-in-2nd-round-again-182454020.html . live .
  3. Web site: Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk commits to South Carolina . May 11, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Beherns, Bret . . May 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220514023255/https://www.wcia.com/sports/your-illini-nation/benjamin-bosmans-verdonk-commits-to-south-carolina/ . live .
  4. Web site: What Kofi Cockburn brings to the Utah Jazz . June 24, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Brennan, Eamonn . . June 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220624143357/https://theathletic.com/3370395/2022/06/24/kofi-cockburn-nba-draft-utah-jazz/ . live .
  5. Web site: Andre Curbelo transferring to St. John's after leaving Illinois . April 15, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Borzello, Jeff . . May 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511030122/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/33744579/andre-curbelo-transferring-st-john-leaving-illinois . live .
  6. Web site: Trent Frazier signs pro contract with European team . June 10, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Werner, Jeremy . . June 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220611000506/https://247sports.com/college/illinois/Article/Illinois-Fighting-Illini-basketball-Trent-Frazier-signs-contract-FMP-Meridian-188606781/ . live .
  7. Web site: Duke Men's Basketball Lands Illinois Transfer Jacob Grandison . June 11, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . McDaniel, Mike . . June 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220614053615/https://www.si.com/college/2022/06/11/duke-mens-basketball-lands-illinois-transfer-jacob-grandison . live .
  8. Web site: Good Morning, Illini Nation: Austin Hutcherson, we hardly knew you . May 31, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Richey, Scott . . May 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220531125940/https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/good-morning-illini-nation-austin-hutcherson-we-hardly-knew-you/article_01d77972-e02b-11ec-b278-5b08341c50ac.html . live .
  9. Web site: Former Florida Gator Omar Payne announces his intention to transfer to Jacksonville University . April 13, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Smits, Garry . . July 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220713210929/https://www.jacksonville.com/story/sports/college/jacksonville-dolphins/2022/04/13/former-gator-omar-payne-announces-his-intention-transfer-ju/7309881001/ . live .
  10. Web site: Good Morning, Illini Nation: Alfonso Plummer and the NBA? . June 23, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Richey, Scott . . July 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220713210930/https://www.news-gazette.com/sports/good-morning-illini-nation-alfonso-plummer-and-the-nba/article_35c22d3c-f27c-11ec-adcb-3f63b182543d.html . live .
  11. Web site: Illinois Transfer Brandin Podziemski Signs With Santa Clara MBB . May 6, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Santa Clara Athletics . May 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220508002533/https://www.santaclarabroncos.com/sports/m-baskbl/2021-22/releases/20220506ojwbv0 . live .
  12. Web site: Active offseason sees Illinois men's basketball welcome seven high-caliber players for 2022–23 season . June 20, 2022 . July 13, 2022 . Kim, James . . June 23, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220623100515/https://dailyillini.com/sports-stories/2022/06/20/illini-basketball-2022/ . live .