The Latest on Illinois Basketball Injuries

Stay up to date on the latest Illinois basketball injuries with this blog. Find out who is hurt, and how long they are expected to be out.

Introduction

The latest on injuries for Illinois Basketball heading into the 2019-20 season

The Latest on A.J. Turner’s Knee Injury

A.J. Turner’s knee injury will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future, according to Head Coach Brad Underwood.

Turner, a sophomore guard, injured his knee in practice last week and has not been able to participate in any basketball activities since.

“We’re hopeful that AJ will be able to return later in the season, but we’ll just have to wait and see how his knee responds to treatment,” Underwood said.

Turner is averaging 6.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this season. His absence will likely mean more minutes for freshman guard Trent Frazier and sophomore forward Da’Monte Williams.

The Latest on Andres Feliz’s Back Injury

Andres Feliz, the Illini’s starting point guard is currently sidelined with a back injury. He suffered the injury in practice last week and has not been cleared to return to action yet.

This is a big blow for the Illini, as Feliz has been one of their best players this season. He is averaging 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds per game His absence will make it tough for the Illini to win games down the stretch.

The Latest on Michael Finke’s Ankle Injury

The Illinois men’s basketball team got some bad news on the injury front as senior forward Michael Finke will be sidelined for the foreseeable future with an ankle injury.

Finke, who was averaging 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, suffered the injury in practice and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. His absence will be a big blow to an Illinois team that is already thin up front.

Freshman center Jeremiah Tilmon is also out with a broken foot and it is unclear when he will return. With Tilmon and Finke out, the Illini will have to rely heavily on junior forward Leron Black and sophomore forward Kipper Nichols.

The Latest on Leron Black’s Knee Injury

Leron Black is out with a knee injury, and his timeline for return is unclear.

The Latest on Kipper Nichols’ Shoulder Injury

Kipper Nichols, a redshirt sophomore for the University of Illinois men’s Basketball team is dealing with a shoulder injury that has sidelined him for the past few weeks.

The 6-foot-6 guard/forward injured his right shoulder in a practice prior to the team’s game against Indiana on January 27. He did not travel with the team to that game or the following game at Michigan State

Nichols has only played in eight games this season due to various injuries, but was averaging 5.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game before the latest setback.

It is unclear when Nichols will return to action, but head coach Brad Underwood said on February 4 that he was “hopeful” that Nichols would be back “soon.”

The Latest on Trent Frazier’s Foot Injury

Illinois Basketball guard Trent Frazier is nursing a foot injury suffered in the team’s latest game against Northwestern. The injury occurred in the second half when Frazier went down after planting his foot awkwardly. He was able to finish the game, but x-rays taken afterwards revealed a small stress fracture in his foot.

Frazier is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks as he recovers from the injury. This is a big blow to an Illinois team that is already without starting point guard Da’Monte Williams, who is out for the season with a knee injury.

Frazier was averaging 11 points and 3 assists per game prior to suffering the injury. He will be sorely missed by an Illinois team that will now have to rely even more heavily on Ayo Dosunmu and Alan Griffin to carry the scoring load.

The Latest on Da’Monte Williams’ Ankle Injury

Da’Monte Williams, one of the top recruits in the class of 2018, has suffered a severe ankle injury that will force him to miss the rest of his senior season.

Williams, a 6-foot-3 point guard from Peoria, Illinois, was considered a lock to be a one-and-done player at the University of Illinois He was averaging 19.5 points per game and 5.7 assists per game for Manual High School before suffering the injury.

The extent of the injury is not yet known, but it is expected to keep Williams sidelined for several months. This is a huge blow to an Illinois team that was hoping to make a run at the NCAA tournament this season.

The Latest on Aaron Jordan’s Shoulder Injury

Despite promising to be “fine,” Illini shooting guard Aaron Jordan is still being bothered by the shoulder injury that he suffered during the team’s game against Iowa on January 27th. The injury caused him to miss the next two games against Northwestern and Rutgers.

Jordan was back in the lineup for Illinois’ game against Indiana on February 7th, but he clearly wasn’t 100%. He only played 16 minutes, scoring 2 points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field. After the game, Jordan said that his shoulder was “bothering [him] a little bit” but that he planned on playing through the pain.

Since then, Jordan has played in Illinois’ last two games against Maryland and Purdue. He hasn’t been very effective, shooting a combined 4-of-16 from the field and 0-of-7 from three-point range Thankfully for Illinois, other players have stepped up in his absence.

The Latest on Mark Smith’s Knee Injury

Mark Smith, a freshman on the University of Illinois men’s basketball team is out indefinitely with a knee injury.

Smith hurt his knee during the team’s game against Iowa on December 28. He did not play in the team’s next game against Northwestern on December 31.

Smith is averaging 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.