2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
NCAA tournament, Second Round
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 8
APNo. 2
Record24–7 (16–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Offensive schemeSpread
Base defenseOn-the-Line-Up-the-Line, Man
CaptainAyo Dosunmu
Da’Monte Williams
Home arenaState Farm Center
2020–21 Big Ten Conference
men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 4 Michigan14–3 .82423–5  .821
No. 2 Illinois †16–4 .80024–7  .774
No. 8 Iowa14–6 .70022–9  .710
No. 20 Purdue13–6 .68418–10  .643
No. 7 Ohio State12–8 .60021–10  .677
Wisconsin10–10 .50018–13  .581
Rutgers10–10 .50016–12  .571
Maryland9–11 .45017–14  .548
Michigan State9–11 .45015–13  .536
Indiana7–12 .36812–15  .444
Penn State7–12 .36811–14  .440
Northwestern6–13 .3169–15  .375
Minnesota6–14 .30014–15  .483
Nebraska3–16 .1587–20  .259
† Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fourth-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 24–7, 16–4 in Big Ten play to finish in second place. They defeated Rutgers, Iowa, and Ohio State to win the Big Ten tournament and receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, they defeated Drexel in the First Round before being upset by No. 8-seeded Loyola–Chicago.

Previous season

The Illini finished the 2019–20 season 21–10, 13–7 in Big Ten play to finish in fourth place. Their season ended when the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[1]

Offseason

On April 7, 2020, freshman big man Kofi Cockburn declared for the NBA draft, but did not hire an agent, leaving open the chance that he would return to school for his sophomore season.[2] On April 16, sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu also declared for the draft.[3] Dosunmu did not hire an agent, but stated that he intended to stay in the draft.[4] On July 31, Cockburn and Dosunmu announced they had withdrawn from the NBA draft and would return to Illinois for the season.[5]

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Andrés Feliz10G6'2"195SeniorSanto Domingo, Dominican RepublicGraduated
Alan Griffin0F6'5"195SophomoreWhite Plains, NYTransferred to Syracuse[6]
Tevian Jones5F6'7"205SophomoreCulver City, CATransferred to Southern Utah[7]
Kipper Nichols2F6'6"220RS SeniorCleveland, OhioGraduated
Samson Oladimeji35C6'4"210SeniorRolling Meadows, IllinoisGraduated

2020 Recruiting Class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
André Curbelo
PG		 San Juan, Puerto Rico Long Island Lutheran (NY) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Nov 3, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars   ESPN grade: 83
Coleman Hawkins
PF		 Antelope, California Prolific Prep 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 215 lb (98 kg) Nov 16, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 80
Adam Miller
SG		 Chicago, Illinois Morgan Park 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Nov 21, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:5/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 89
Brandon Lieb
C		 Deerfield, Illinois Deerfield 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jun 25, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN: N/A   ESPN grade: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2020 Illinois Commits". Rivals.com.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster

2020–21 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 1 Trent Frazier 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg) SrWellington HS Wellington, FL
F 2 Connor Serven (W) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrSt. Rita HS Bushnell, IL
G/F 3 Jacob Grandison 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS JrHoly Cross Oakland, CA
F 4 Zach Griffith (W) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) SrFisher HS Fisher, IL
G 5 André Curbelo 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrLong Island Lutheran Vega Baja, P.R.
G 10 Edgar Padilla Jr. (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)165 lb (75 kg) FrColegio San Ignacio de Loyola Carolina, P.R.
G 11 Ayo Dosunmu (C) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) JrMorgan Park HS Chicago, IL
C 12 Brandon Lieb 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrDeerfield HS Deerfield, IL
F 13 Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)235 lb (107 kg) RS FrKA Pegasus Lommel, Belgium
F 15 Giorgi Bezhanishvili 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)245 lb (111 kg) JrThe Patrick School Rustavi, Georgia
G 20 Da'Monte Williams (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrManual Peoria, IL
C 21 Kofi Cockburn 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)297 lb (135 kg) SoOak Hill Academy Kingston, Jamaica
G 22 Austin Hutcherson Injured 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS JrWesleyan New York, NY
G 32 Tyler Underwood (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) GSOklahoma State Nacogdoches, TX
F 33 Coleman Hawkins 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrProlific Prep Sacramento, CA
C 34 Jermaine Hamlin 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)235 lb (107 kg) SoLincoln Community HS Lincoln, IL
G 44 Adam Miller 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrMorgan Park HS Peoria, IL
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: October 10, 2020

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-Conference regular season
November 25, 2020*
1:00 pm, BTN		 No. 8 North Carolina A&T W 122–60  1–0
  28 – Tied  10 – Tied  7 – Williams  State Farm Center (132)
Champaign, IL
November 26, 2020*
11:00 am, BTN		 No. 8 Chicago State W 97–38  2–0
  22 – Dosunmu  11 – Cockburn  7 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (143)
Champaign, IL
November 27, 2020*
12:00 pm, BTN		 No. 8 Ohio W 77–75  3–0
  27 – Dosunmu  14 – Cockburn  8 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (155)
Champaign, IL
December 2, 2020*
9:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 5 vs. No. 2 Baylor
Jimmy V Classic		 L 69–82  3–1
  18 – Dosunmu  7 – Williams  5 – Dosunmu  Bankers Life Fieldhouse (0)
Indianapolis, IN
December 5, 2020*
8:00 pm, BTN		 No. 5 UT-Martin Canceled due to COVID-19 within UT-Martin program State Farm Center 
Champaign, IL
December 8, 2020*
8:30 pm, ESPN		 No. 6 at No. 10 Duke
ACC–Big Ten Challenge		 W 83–68  4–1
  18 – Dosunmu  12 – Dosunmu  5 – Dosunmu  Cameron Indoor Stadium (0)
Durham, NC
December 12, 2020*
7:00 pm, ESPNU		 No. 6 at Missouri
Braggin' Rights		 L 78–81  4–2
  36 – Dosunmu  6 – Cockburn  4 – Curbelo  Mizzou Arena (578)
Columbia, MO
Big Ten regular season
December 15, 2020
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 13 Minnesota W 92–65  5–2
(1–0)		  33 – Cockburn  13 – Cockburn  9 – Curbelo  State Farm Center (173)
Champaign, IL
December 20, 2020
12:00 pm, ESPN2		 No. 13 at No. 19 Rutgers L 88–91  5–3
(1–1)		  22 – Dosunmu  12 – Cockburn  6 – Dosunmu  Rutgers Athletic Center (0)
Piscataway, NJ
December 23, 2020
5:30 pm, BTN		 No. 18 at Penn State W 98–81  6–3
(2–1)		  30 – Dosunmu  7 – Grandison  8 – Curbelo  Bryce Jordan Center (158)
University Park, PA
December 26, 2020
3:00 pm, FS1		 No. 18 Indiana
Rivalry		 W 69–60  7–3
(3–1)		  30 – Dosunmu  15 – Cockburn  5 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (178)
Champaign, IL
January 2, 2021
5:00 pm, BTN		 No. 15 Purdue W 66–58  8–3
(4–1)		  14 – Cockburn  10 – Tied  6 – Curbelo  State Farm Center (167)
Champaign, IL
January 7, 2021
8:00 pm, BTN		 No. 12 at Northwestern
Rivalry		 W 81–56  9–3
(5–1)		  18 – Cockburn  12 – Cockburn  7 – Curbelo  Welsh–Ryan Arena (0)
Evanston, IL
January 10, 2021
7:00 pm, BTN		 No. 12 Maryland L 63–66  9–4
(5–2)		  23 – Dosunmu  10 – Cockburn  5 – Tied  State Farm Center (169)
Champaign, IL
January 16, 2021
11:00 am, FOX		 No. 14 No. 21 Ohio State L 81–87  9–5
(5–3)		  22 – Dosunmu  11 – Cockburn  5 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (175)
Champaign, IL
January 19, 2021
7:30 pm, BTN		 No. 22 Penn State W 79–65  10–5
(6–3)		  21 – Cockburn  12 – Cockburn  5 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (148)
Champaign, IL
January 29, 2021
8:00 pm, FS1		 No. 19 No. 7 Iowa
Rivalry		 W 80–75  11–5
(7–3)		  25 – Dosunmu  10 – Tied  8 – Curbelo  State Farm Center (190)
Champaign, IL
February 2, 2021
8:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 12 at Indiana
Rivalry		 W 75–71 OT 12–5
(8–3)		  19 – Frazier  10 – Cockburn  4 – Curbelo  Assembly Hall (0)
Bloomington, IN
February 6, 2021
1:30 pm, FOX		 No. 12 No. 19 Wisconsin W 75–60  13–5
(9–3)		  23 – Cockburn  14 – Cockburn  12 – Dosunmu  State Farm Center (180)
Champaign, IL
February 12, 2021
8:00 pm, BTN		 No. 6 at Nebraska W 77–72 OT 14–5
(10–3)		  31 – Dosunmu  13 – Cockburn  6 – Dosunmu  Pinnacle Bank Arena (0)
Lincoln, NE
February 16, 2021
8:00 pm, BTN		 No. 5 Northwestern
Rivalry		 W 73–66  15–5
(11–3)		  17 – Cockburn  10 – Cockburn  5 – Tied  State Farm Center (162)
Champaign, IL
February 20, 2021
2:30 pm, FOX		 No. 5 at Minnesota W 94–63  16–5
(12–3)		  22 – Cockburn  10 – Dosunmu  10 – Dosunmu  Williams Arena (56)
Minneapolis, MN
February 23, 2021
6:00 pm, FS1		 No. 5 at Michigan State L 72–81  16–6
(12–4)		  22 – Frazier  9 – Dosunmu  5 – Dosunmu  Breslin Center (0)
East Lansing, MI
February 25, 2021
6:00 pm, BTN		 No. 5 Nebraska
Senior Night		 W 86–70  17–6
(13–4)		  24 – Cockburn  12 – Curbelo  8 – Curbelo  State Farm Center (192)
Champaign,IL
February 27, 2021
1:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 5 at No. 23 Wisconsin W 74–69  18–6
(14–4)		  19 – Cockburn  8 – Grandison  4 – Tied  Kohl Center (0)
Madison, WI
March 2, 2021
6:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 4 at No. 2 Michigan W 76–53  19–6
(15–4)		  22 – Frazier  7 – Cockburn  5 – Grandison  Crisler Center (94)
Ann Arbor, MI
March 6, 2021
3:00 pm, ESPN		 No. 4 at No. 7 Ohio State W 73–68  20–6
(16–4)		  19 – Tie  6 – Tie  6 – Curbelo  Value City Arena 
Columbus, OH
Big Ten tournament
March 12, 2021
5:30 pm, BTN		 (2) No. 3 vs. (7) Rutgers
Quarterfinals		 W 90–68  21–6
  23 – Dosunmu  12 – Cockburn  6 – Dosunmu  Lucas Oil Stadium (7,735)
Indianapolis, IN
March 13, 2021
2:30 pm, CBS		 (2) No. 3 vs. (3) No. 5 Iowa
Semifinals		 W 82–71  22–6
  26 – Cockburn  9 – Williams  9 – Dosunmu  Lucas Oil Stadium (8,000)
Indianapolis, IN
March 14, 2021
2:30 pm, CBS		 (2) No. 3 vs. (5) No. 9 Ohio State
Championship		 W 91–88 OT 23–6
  16 – Tied  9 – Tied  5 – Curbelo  Lucas Oil Stadium (8,000)
Indianapolis, IN
NCAA tournament
March 19, 2021
12:15 pm, TBS		 (1 MW) No. 2 vs. (16 MW) Drexel
First Round		 W 78–49  24–6
  18 – Cockburn  10 – Dosunmu  6 – Dosunmu  Indiana Farmers Coliseum (968)
Indianapolis, IN
March 21, 2021
11:10 am, CBS		 (1 MW) No. 2 vs. (8 MW) No. 17 Loyola–Chicago
Second Round		 L 58–71  24–7
  21 – Cockburn  9 – Cockburn  7 – Curbelo  Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Source[8]

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP8561318151214221912655432Not released
Coaches1010^913181612132422136544328

*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings
^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.

References

  1. ↑ "2020 NCAA Tournament canceled due to growing threat of coronavirus pandemic". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  2. ↑ Ryan, Shannon. "Kofi Cockburn declares for the NBA draft, and the Illinois freshman will get feedback from teams before making a final decision". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Illinois' Dosunmu declares for NBA draft". ESPN.com. April 17, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  4. ↑ Ryan, Shannon. "Illini guard Ayo Dosunmu's dad says his son is '98% or 99%' committed to remaining in the NBA draft". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Cockburn returning to Illinois for sophomore year". ESPN.com. August 1, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
  6. ↑ Cobb, David. "Syracuse lands prized Illinois transfer Alan Griffin, son of Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin". cbssports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  7. ↑ joey.wagner@lee.net, JOEY WAGNER. "Illinois sophomore Tevian Jones enters transfer portal". Herald-Review.com. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  8. ↑ "2020-21 Men's Basketball Schedule".
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