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Probable
Illinois starters
F, 40 -- James Augustine (So., 6-10,
225, 10.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg)
F, 43 -- Roger Powell (Jr., 6-6, 220,
15.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
C, 45 -- Nick Smith (Jr.-r, 7-2, 240,
6.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg) OR
F, 42 -- Brian Randle (Fr., 6-8, 200,
5.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
G, 4 -- Luther Head (Jr., 6-3, 175, 9.4
ppg, 2.4 rpg)
G, 11 -- Dee Brown (So., 6-0, 175, 12.9
ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.6 apg)
Off the
bench
C, 1 -- Aaron Spears (Fr.-r, 6-9, 260,
3.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
G, 25 -- Jerrance Howard (Sr.-r, 6-1,
200, 1.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
G, 33 -- Richard McBride (Fr., 6-3,
210, 0.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
F, 41 -- Warren Carter (Fr., 6-9, 205,
4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
C, 50 -- Jack Ingram (Jr.-r, 6-10, 240,
4.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg)
Not
available, injured
G, 5 -- Deron Williams (So., 6-3, 210,
12.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.6 apg)
On the
air
Television: ESPN2 -- Dave Barnett,
play-by-play; Tim McCormick, analyst; Steve Lavin, analyst.
Radio: Illini Sports Radio Network, 45
stations -- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Loren Tate, expert analyst
and pre-game, halftime and post-game interviews.
Series
history versus Memphis
Illinois leads the all-time series 3-1,
with Memphis getting its only win, 77-74, last season in Memphis.
The Illini posted an 83-71 win at Rosemont in 1989, an 84-75 win at
Memphis in 1990 and an 86-76 win at Champaign in 1994 before meeting
last season.
Illinois
coaching
Head coach: Bruce Weber -- overall
record 108-56, .659 (sixth year); Big Ten 0-0; at Illinois 5-2
(first year); first meeting versus Memphis
Assistant coaches: Chris Lowery (first
year), Wayne McClain (third year), Jay Price (first year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary
Nottingham (first year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (21st year at
Illinois)
Memphis
coaching
Head coach: John Calipari -- overall
record 245-96 (11th season); at Memphis 75-32 (fourth season);
versus Illinois: 1-0
Assistant coaches: Tony Barbee, Ed
Schilling and Derek Kellogg
Home
cookin'
Illinois is 42-1 (.977) at the Assembly
Hall over the last three-plus years, with the only loss coming to
Michigan State in 2002. ... Since then, the Illini have won 20
straight on their home floor. ... Illinois is 54-2 (.964) at the
Assembly Hall over the past four-plus seasons, the best home record
in the nation over that period. … The Illini have won 29 in a row at
the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents.
Memphis
first Conference USA foe at Assembly Hall since 1998
Memphis is the first Conference USA
team to travel to Champaign for a men's basketball game since the
Illini defeated St. Louis on Nov. 20, 1998.
Big Ten
leaders
* Sophomore James Augustine (.681) and
Roger Powell (.677) rank second and third, respectively, in field
goal percentage in the Big Ten.
* Roger Powell ranks ninth (15.3 avg.)
in scoring, and Deron Williams (12.9) and Dee Brown (12.9) are tied
for 13th.
* Williams ranks first in assists (6.6
avg.), while Brown is seventh (4.6 avg.).
* Augustine ranks second in rebounding
(9.6 avg.) and is second in offensive rebounding with 3.43 per game.
* Williams would lead in free-throw
percentage (12-13, .923) but lacks the minimum number of made free
throws (2.0 per game).
* Williams ranks eighth in steals (1.71
avg.).
* Augustine ranks ninth in blocked
shots (1.17 avg.).
* Brown is third with 2.43 3-pt. field
goals per game, while Williams is sixth (1.71 avg.).
* Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring
(80.4 ppg), assists (19.29 avg.), scoring margin (plus 16.3) and
field goal percentage (.488).
* Illinois ranks third in rebounding
margin (plus 6.1), second in offensive rebounding (14.4 avg.),
second in 3-point field goals (5.9 avg.), second in field goal
percentage defense (.381) and third in assist-turnover ratio (1.24).
Top 25
streak continues
Illinois is ranked 14th in the current
(Dec. 8) ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending its streak to 63
consecutive polls in which the Illini have been ranked. Illinois is
also ranked No. 14 in the AP Top 25 poll.
The Illini had a school-record streak
of 30 straight polls in the Top 10 snapped in January 2002 but never
dropped out of the Coaches' Top 25 the last three-plus seasons.
Last time
out
Illinois responded to the loss to
Providence by posting an 85-43 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore
Thursday night at the Assembly Hall. Any celebrating, however, was
subdued, as sophomore guard Deron Williams suffered a fractured jaw
and will remain on the sidelines for several games.
Roger Powell made nine of 11 shots for
a game-high 19 points, while Luther Head scored 16 points in his
first start of the season. Illinois shot 59 percent from the field
in the first half in jumping out to a 46-19 lead.
Williams
sidelined after terrific start
Sophomore guard Deron Williams will be
sidelined from fractured jaw he suffered Dec. 11 against
Maryland-Eastern Shore after running into a screen early in the
second half. Williams had surgery on Dec. 12 to repair the fracture
and hopes to return by the start of Big Ten play in early January.
Williams has been turning heads with
his sensational play to start his sophomore season. He is second on
the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and has scored in double figures in
five of seven games, setting a career high in points in three
consecutive games up to the Arkansas game and setting a career high
with 10 assists against the Razorbacks. His scoring average so far
is six points better than his freshman scoring average of 6.3
points. He scored a career-high 22 points versus North Carolina and
is shooting 45 percent from the field (33-73) and 40 percent from
3-point land (12-30). While his scoring has improved dramatically,
Williams remains an unselfish player with the ball in his hands. He
leads the Big Ten in assists with 46 (6.6 apg), handing out eight
assists in the season opener versus Western Illinois and again
against North Carolina before dropping 10 dimes against Arkansas.
[to top of second column in this article] |
Brown
named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Sophomore guard Dee Brown, nicknamed
the "One-Man Fast Break," was named the Big Ten's Preseason Player
of the Year by the media and was named to the preseason all-Big Ten
squad by both the media and coaches. Wisconsin's Devin Harris was
the preseason player of the year as voted by the coaches. Brown was
also named to the 12-man Playboy Magazine all-America squad and is
one of 50 players on the Wooden Award all-America preseason watch
list. Brown is the fourth consecutive Illini to earn league
preseason player of the year honors, following Cory Bradford in
2001, Frank Williams in 2002 and Brian Cook in 2003.
Brown is currently second on the team
in scoring at 12.9 points per game. He also ranks second in assists
with 4.6 per game. Brown leads the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game
with an average of 2.4.
Last year, he earned second-team
all-Big Ten honors from the media, third-team honors from the
coaches and a spot on the Big Ten's first-ever all-freshman team.
Brown was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points. He
led the Big Ten in assists with 4.97 per game and also led the
league with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.56. He ranked 18th in the
Big Ten in scoring at 12.0 points per game. One of the quickest
guards in America, Brown's 1.78 steals per game led the team and
ranked third in the Big Ten. In Big Ten Conference games only, Brown
totaled 76 assists with only 25 turnovers, leading the conference
with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.04 in league play.
Air Rog
leads Illini scorers
Junior Roger Powell leads the team in
scoring and is second in rebounding, averaging 15.3 points and 5.3
rebounds. He is shooting 68 percent from the field (44-65) and is
second among the Illini with 18 offensive rebounds.
Powell recorded the first double-double
of his Illinois career against Mercer on Nov. 26, scoring 16 points
and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds. What better way to follow up
that performance than with another double-double in his next outing,
versus Temple. Powell scored 19 points and matched his career high
with 10 boards. He then scored a season-high 20 points against North
Carolina Dec. 2.
Last year in Big Ten play, Powell led
the league in field goal shooting at 64.1 percent and was named to
the Big Ten's all-tournament team after helping the Illini to the
title.
Augustine
a double-double man
Another member of the heralded Illini
sophomore class is James Augustine. Augustine, named to the Big
Ten's first-ever all-freshman team last season, is nearly averaging
a double-double with 10.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He is
shooting 68 percent (32-47) from the field and leads the team with
24 offensive rebounds in seven games. Augustine has scored at least
nine points in six of seven games and has had at least nine boards
in five of seven games, with a career-high 13 against Western
Illinois in the season opener.
Last year, as a freshman, he averaged
7.0 points while shooting 58.0 percent from the field. Augustine was
second on the team, behind Brian Cook, in rebounding, averaging 5.8
boards. He ranked 13th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 5.8 per game
and was 13th in blocked shots. In Big Ten play only, Augustine
ranked third in field goal shooting at 58.6 percent.
Head of
the class
Junior guard Luther Head responded to
his first start of the season with 16 points, three assists and
three steals against Maryland-Eastern Shore. After five games, Head
is averaging 9.4 points. Against UMES, Head made five of eight
shots, including two of three from 3-point range. Head is expected
to see his minutes increase as the Illini await the return of Deron
Williams.
Smith
steps into starting role
Nick Smith, a 7-foot-2 junior, moved
into the starting lineup in the third game of the season and is
averaging 6.7 points and 4.6 rebounds. He has scored in double
figures in three games, with season highs of 13 against Western
Illinois and Mercer. Smith had a 10-point performance versus
Arkansas.
Last year, he put up some impressive
numbers off the bench in Big Ten play. In 16 conference games, Smith
shot 67.3 percent (33-49) from the field, made four of six treys and
shot 90.5 percent (19-21) from the free-throw line. Smith averaged
5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in the league while averaging 18.8
minutes per game. He led the Illini and ranked seventh in the Big
Ten with 38 blocked shots. Smith was Illinois' top free-throw
shooter, making 38 of 44 from the line for 86.4 percent on the
season.
Randle an
early contributor
Freshman Brian Randle was in the
starting lineup in his first two games as an Illini and is averaging
16 minutes per game on the season. In his first game, he responded
with eight points and a team-high three steals, and he had six
points and five boards in the second. In his outing against North
Carolina, Randle had seven points and five rebounds. He is averaging
5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds, while shooting 70 percent (16-23) from
the field. He's third on the team with eight steals.
Ingram a
post presence
Junior transfer Jack Ingram, who sat
out last season after transferring from Tulsa, is averaging 4.0
points and 4.4 rebounds for the Illini this season. He's third on
the team with 15 offensive rebounds, one more than his total of
defensive boards. He led the Illini with eight rebounds in Illinois'
win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. He had scored four points and
grabbed five rebounds in his first action as an Illini, against
Western Illinois, and had eight points and eight boards versus
Mercer.
Look for
more McBride
With Deron Williams moving to the
sidelines as he recovers from his broken jaw, look for freshman
guard Richard McBride to see more playing time. A three-time all-stater
during his high school career in Illinois, McBride sat out the first
four games of the season for violating team rules but is starting to
work his way into the playing rotation. He's averaging 12 minutes
per contest in three games played.
Quick
shots
Illinois' 2003 Big Ten Tournament title
was the school's first in the six-year history of the tourney. ...
In 2002-03, Illini opponents shot .377 from the field, which ranked
second in the nation and was the lowest opponent field goal
percentage by UI opponents since 1955-56 (.352). ... Since 1956, the
only other Illini squad to hold opponents to less than 40 percent
shooting was the 2001 squad (.386). ... Illini opponents also shot
just .309 from 3-point range, the second lowest in school history
(record is .308 in 2000). ... Dee Brown's 159 assists in 2003 were
seventh most in a season in school history.
Future
coach Howard?
Senior
Jerrance Howard, who returned in 2003-04 for his fifth year, hopes
to break into coaching after his eligibility is finished this
season. While at Illinois, he has played under three coaches: Lon
Kruger, Bill Self and Bruce Weber.
[Kent Brown, assistant
athletics director,
sports information director,
University of Illinois] |
