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Friday, Dec. 6

Men's basketball pre-game notes

Illinois State vs. Kent State

[DEC. 6, 2002]   The Illinois State Redbirds, including Gregg Alexander of Lincoln, travel to Ohio this weekend to play the Kent State Golden Flashes. The game begins at 1 p.m. Central time on Saturday.

Click here to view background information (in Adobe Acrobat).

[Click here if you need to download the Adobe Acrobat reader.]

[Provided by Todd Kober, director of
media relations, Illinois State University]

 


Fighting Illini basketball vs. Arkansas

[DEC. 6, 2002]   Illinois-Arkansas men's basketball pre-game notes for Saturday, Dec. 7:

  • No. 25/20 Illinois (4-0) vs. Arkansas (1-3)
  • 11:30 a.m., Dec. 7
  • Alltel Arena (17,600), North Little Rock, Ark.
  • ESPN2 television

Probable starters for Illinois

F - 34 Brian Cook (senior, 6-10, 240, 19.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg)

F - 43 Roger Powell (sophomore, 6-6, 220, 13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

C - 45 Nick Smith (sophomore, 7-2, 240, 6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg)

G - 11 Dee Brown (freshman, 6-0, 175, 11.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg)

G - 5 Deron Williams (freshman, 6-3, 210, 8.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 4.3 apg)

Off the bench

C - 1 Aaron Spears (freshman, 6-9, 250, 3.8 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

G - 4 Luther Head (sophomore, 6-3, 175, 11.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

F - 23 Blandon Ferguson (senior, 6-3, 205, 4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg)

G - 24 Sean Harrington (senior, 6-3, 185, 11.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

G - 25 Jerrance Howard (junior, 6-1, 200, 0.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg)

G - 31 Nick Huge (junior, 6-4, 215, 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg)

F - 32 Kyle Wilson (freshman, 6-8, 230, 6.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg)

F - 40 James Augustine (freshman, 6-10, 220, 8.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg)

F - 42 Clayton Thomas (senior, 6-7, 240, 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Coaching staff

Illinois

Head coach: Bill Self

Overall record: 186-98 (10th year); Big Ten: 24-8

At Illinois: 57-17 (third year); vs. Arkansas: 1-1

Associate head coach: Norm Roberts (third year)

Assistants: Tim Jankovich (first year) and Wayne McClain (second year)

Trainer: Rod Cardinal (30th year).

Arkansas

Head coach: Stan Heath

Overall record: 31-9 (second season)

At Arkansas: 1-3 (first season); vs. Illinois: 0-0

Assistant coaches: Byron Boudreaux, Rob Flaska, Oronde Taliaferro

On the air

Television

ESPN2 -- Bob Carpenter, play-by-play; Jimmy Dykes, expert analyst.

Radio

Illini Sports Radio Network -- 43 stations

Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Steve Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pre-game and halftime reports.

 

Last time out

Illinois 92, North Carolina 65

No. 25 Illinois recorded its first victory in four tries in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, as the Illini defeated No. 12 North Carolina 92-65 at the Assembly Hall on Tuesday. A tight seven-point game (64-57) turned lopsided when the Illini finished on a 28-8 run over the final 7:41, giving North Carolina to its first loss of the season.

Brian Cook scored a game-high 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists, while Sean Harrington came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points, making six of eight 3-pointers. Dee Brown scored 12 points and had six assists, four steals and no turnovers in 35 minutes of action.

The 27-point margin of victory was Illinois' largest over a team ranked in the top 15 since the Illini defeated No. 15 Notre Dame by 34 points, 91-57, on Jan. 25, 1969.

 

Bench play

The Illinois bench has begun the season in a very productive manner, averaging 35.8 points and 12.5 rebounds, while limiting the opponents' bench to 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds. Illinois' bench is outscoring the opponents by nearly 25 points per game and is out-rebounding the opponents by seven boards per game.

 

[to top of second column in this article]

Bench numbers

(points-rebounds)

Illinois 32-9, Lehigh 9-7

Illinois 40-18, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-8

Illinois 32-9, Western Illinois 14-6

Illinois 39-14, North Carolina 7-1

Total Illinois 143-50, opponents 44-22

Unselfish play

The Fighting Illini have begun the 2002-03 season with unselfish play. Illinois has combined for a Big Ten-leading 85 assists over four games (21.3 avg.), including a season-high 24 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 23 against both Western Illinois and North Carolina. On the season, Illinois has recorded assists on over 61 percent of its baskets (85 assists on 139 FG). Guards Dee Brown and Deron Williams rank second and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten in assists, with Brown averaging 5.5 and Williams averaging 4.3. In three of the four games, all nine Illini players who have played in the first half have scored.

That’s a three

Senior Sean Harrington has been hot from behind the arc this season. He has made 14 of 22 treys, ranking second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage at 63.6 percent. Harrington nailed a career-high six 3-pointers in Illinois' win over North Carolina on Tuesday en route to a career-high 20 points.

 

Cook keeps on cookin'

After sitting out the first two games of the season (along with teammate Jerrance Howard) as an NCAA penalty for playing in an unsanctioned summer basketball tournament, senior Brian Cook has returned and immediately established himself in the Illini lineup. In his first game back, vs. Western Illinois on Sunday, Cook scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was Illinois' top scorer and rebounder in the win over North Carolina on Tuesday, scoring a season-high 22 points on eight-of-12 shooting and pulling down eight boards. Cook is averaging 19.5 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the field (15-25 FGs).

Dee does it all

Who is the best freshman point guard in college basketball? While it's far too early in the season to begin that debate, it's hard to find a rookie guard who has made more of an impact than Illinois' Dee Brown. Brown has started every game and leads the Illini in minutes played. He has reached double figures in three of four games and is third on the team in scoring, averaging 11.8 points. He ranks second in the Big Ten in assists with 22, an average of 5.5 per game. Brown has turned the ball over just seven times, ranking second in the league with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.14. One of the quickest guards in America, Brown's mark of 2.5 steals per game ranks second in the Big Ten.

Powell makes the most of his playing time

Roger Powell has been one of Illinois' most productive players on the court this season. He has scored in double figures in three of four games and ranks second on the team in scoring behind Brian Cook, averaging 13.5 points. Powell is shooting nearly 60 percent from the field, having connected on 22-of-37 FGs. He is also Illinois' second-leading rebounder, averaging 6.8 boards per game. Powell's lofty numbers come despite averaging under 22 minutes per game.

High-scoring Illini

Illinois has opened the 2002-03 season by averaging 90.8 points in four wins, shooting a combined 54.1 percent from the field. Illinois has outscored its four opponents by an average of nearly 36 points per game (363-to-220). Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring average (90.8), scoring margin (plus 35.8) and field goal percentage (.541), while ranking second in 3-point field goal percentage (.425).

Defense, defense

After four games this season, Illinois opponents are shooting just 36.8 percent from the field, including just 26.7 percent from three-point range. Illinois leads the league in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of just 55 points. The Illini also lead the Big Ten in rebounding margin (plus 15.5) and steals per game (8.74).

[Kent Brown, assistant athletics director
and sports information director,
University of Illinois]

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Articles from the past week

Thursday:

  • High school wrestling

  • Baseball clinics feature offense and defense, pitching and catching

  • Cook hopes to draw on his experience and redeem himself

Wednesday:

  • High school basketball

  • Lincoln College men vs. Carl Sandburg

  • Lincoln College women vs. Carl Sandburg

  • Illini pass first test: Carolina 'Cooked!'

  • Illini kick the 'Tar' out of the 'Heels!'

Tuesday:

  • High school basketball

  • Women's basketball pre-game notes: Illinois State vs. Illinois-Chicago and Northern Illinois

  • Weekly notes: Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball

  • Men's basketball pre-game notes: Illinois vs. North Carolina

  • Illinois vs. Arkansas game time changed

Monday:

  • Quick Monday morning mutterings
    By Jeff Mayfield
  • Lincoln Gator Swim Club results

  • Holiday hoops results

  • High school basketball

  • Men's basketball pre-game notes: Illinois State vs. Chattanooga

Saturday:

  • Follow the high school holiday hoops tournament

  • Holiday hoops results

  • High school basketball

  • Men's basketball pre-game notes: Illinois vs. Western Illinois

Friday:

  • 1977-78 LCHS basketball
  • Follow the high school holiday hoops tournament

  • High school girls basketball

  • High school wrestling

  • Men's basketball pre-game notes: Illinois State vs. Illinois-Chicago

  • Grigsby named Gateway Defensive Player of the Year

  • Grigsby named a finalist for Buchanan Award

  • Rams make roster moves, promote King


Quick Monday morning mutterings

By Jeff Mayfield

[DEC. 2, 2002]  The Bears looked good for a lot of the game but then faded. Not sure it's the worst thing for them to lose in this situation, as it does seem to put them in a better draft position later.

Chicago fought valiantly but came up short 30-20 north of the cheese curtain.

But what is going on with the St. Louis Rams? The one good thing about them is that they're now starting Lincoln's Andy King. The Eagles did win 10-3, but without McNabb do they have enough firepower to go far in the postseason? We think not…

* * *

The Illini will have to play much better against North Carolina on Tuesday than they did against Western Illinois yesterday. Give WIU some credit, as they were gritty and scrappy. Illinois, on the other hand, looked pretty sloppy at times.

 


[Photos by Tom Seggelke]

Brian Cook led the way with 17 points and six rebounds. Cook also tallied his 1,166th point, which helped him pass two former Illini greats, Kevin Turner (1,150) and Skip Thoren (1,164). In addition it was the 87th start he has recorded in his illustrious career and the 60th time he's hit for double figures.

The Illini are now 28-1 at the Hall under Bill Self and now have an all-time record of 98-12 against in-state rivals.

The Illini honored the Hall's seven-millionth fan, Dale Trulock. Basketball has been played in the Hall since March of 1963. Last year Illinois sold out all of their games for the first time in 30 years!

* * *

How 'bout those Railers? The Lincoln squad went a sparkling 5-0 to win their own Turkey Shootout! Next up for Lincoln is a road contest versus SH-G in Springfield.

* * *

No word on any of the area teams in girls basketball…

* * *

[to top of second column in this article]

We did catch most of the Carroll Catholic-Lincoln Junior High contest last week. What a barnburner that one was! Great coaching by LJHS' Donnie Aeilts and CC's Todd Lowman, who was filling in for Brian Brackney.

The Brackneys were a little busy coaching their new little girl into the world. Rachel Ann Brackney hit the scales at 9 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 21 inches long. Congratulations to the Brackneys from the LDN!

* * *

The ISU Redbirds are struggling out of the gate a little bit this year, falling to UIC 65-78. Gregg Alexander was second in scoring with 12, but the 'Birds could not find consistent scoring to get over the hump. Next up is a Monday night contest with Chattanooga. (See pre-game notes.)

* * *

"FANdamonium" is hoping to have some very special guests on tonight' show. We're hoping that during our middle, local segment we will have Mount Pulaski night! That's right!

We're awaiting final confirmation even now, but we hope to have state volleyball finalist coach Donna Dulle and new Hilltopper coach Jim Jumper on tonight's show. If for any reason that doesn't happen, we hope to have them both very soon. Mount Pulaski has always had loyal and faithful fan support, and now we understand that they're hooked up to our local cable system as well. See you at 6 tonight!

Have a great week, everybody!

[Jeff Mayfield]


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