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Probable
Illinois starters
F, 34, Brian Cook (senior, 6-10, 240,
21.6 ppg, 8.7 rpg)
F/C, 40, James Augustine (freshman,
6-10, 220, 7.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg)
G, 24, Sean Harrington (senior, 6-3,
185, 9.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
-- or --
G, 4, Luther Head (sophomore, 6-3, 175,
8.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
G, 11, Dee Brown (freshman, 6-0, 175,
12.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.8 apg)
G, 5, Deron Williams (freshman, 6-3,
210, 6.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.4 apg)
Off the
bench
C, 1, Aaron Spears (freshman, 6-9, 250,
3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F, 23, Blandon Ferguson (senior, 6-3,
205, 2.8 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
G, 25, Jerrance Howard (senior, 6-1,
200, 0.0 ppg, 0.1 rpg)
G, 31, Nick Huge (junior, 6-4, 215, 0.7
ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F, 32, Kyle Wilson (freshman, 6-8, 230,
2.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
F, 42, Clayton Thomas (senior, 6-7,
240, 0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
F, 43, Roger Powell (sophomore, 6-6,
220, 7.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
C, 45, Nick Smith (sophomore, 7-2, 240,
4.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Coaching
Illinois:
Head coach: Bill Self -- overall record
194-100 (10th year), Big Ten 26-9; at Illinois 65-19 (third year);
all time versus Indiana 2-2
Associate head coach: Norm Roberts
(third year)
Assistants: Tim Jankovich (first year)
and Wayne McClain (second year)
Trainer: Rod Cardinal (30th year).
Indiana:
Head coach: Mike Davis -- at Indiana
58-28 (third year); all time versus Illinois 2-2; overall record the
same
Assistant coaches: John Treloar, Jim
Thomas and Ben McDonald
On the
air
Television: CBS-National -- Verne
Lundquist, play-by-play; Billy Packer, expert analyst.
Radio: Illini Sports Radio Network, 43
stations
-- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Loren Tate, expert analyst and
pre-game and halftime reports.
Quick
shots
A win over Indiana would improve
Illinois to 13-2 on the season, its best record in 13 years, since
starting 13-2 in 1989-90. ... Brian Cook has scored at least 17
points in all 12 of his games this season, including at least 20
nine times. He has scored 20 or more the past six games, the longest
such streak by an Illini player since Kendall Gill tallied 20-plus
points in the final 10 games of the 1989-90 season. ... Sean
Harrington has averaged 13.8 points in his five starts for the
Illini this season. He is shooting 57 percent (20-of-35) from
3-point range over the last four games, and 60 percent (28-of-47) in
eight games at the Assembly Hall this season. … Illini players are
currently leading three Big Ten statistical categories. Brian Cook
leads the Big Ten in scoring (21.6 ppg), James Augustine leads the
league in field goal percentage (.667), and Sean Harrington leads
the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.520).
Last time
out -- Iowa 68, Illinois 61
Illinois' streaks of nine straight Big
Ten victories and five consecutive Big Ten road wins dating back to
last season came to an end Wednesday night with a 68-61 loss to the
Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. Brian Cook posted the 12th double-double
of his career, recording game highs of 20 points and 12 rebounds to
lead the Illini. Luther Head added a spark off the bench, scoring a
season-high 13 points to join Cook in double figures.
Cook
books more weekly honors
Senior forward Brian Cook earned
several weekly awards recently after a pair of stellar performances,
averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds on 56 percent shooting to earn
Big Ten, ESPN.com, The Sporting News, FoxSports.com, College
Basketball News and Dick Vitale
Player of the Week honors and lead the Illini to a pair of Big Ten
wins.
The senior forward guided the Illini to
a road victory at Minnesota to open the Big Ten season and equaled
his then-career high with 25 points by hitting six-of-13 from the field
and 13-of-17 from the free-throw line. Cook added 11 rebounds for
his 11th career double-double and third this season, which is tied
for third among all league players.
The preseason Big Ten Player of the
Year put on an even more impressive show against Wisconsin,
setting a new career high with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting,
including a pair of treys, in just 26 minutes on the court. Cook
added nine rebounds in the win to nearly record another
double-double. The 6-10 forward produced 24 of his 31 points in the
second half, including a streak of 15 consecutive Illinois points,
and scored 22 of the Illini's final 26 points in the game. His12
field goals are the most by any Big Ten player this season.
He earned his second Big Ten Player of
the Week accolade this season, as he was also honored on Dec. 9, and
the third of his career.
Defense
After 13 games this season, Illinois
opponents are shooting just 37.1 percent from the field, including
just 28.7 percent from 3-point range.
Against Coppin State on Dec. 30,
Illinois held the Eagles to just 12 field goals, the fewest made
shots in the 40-year history of the Assembly Hall, and to just 29
percent shooting from the field. Coppin State was the second Illini
opponent this season to shoot under 30 percent. In the Big Ten
opener,
Illinois held Minnesota to 30.5 percent shooting on its home floor,
as the Gophers made just 19.2 percent (5-26) from 3-point range.
Illinois has now held six of its last
eight opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field and has a total of eight such defensive efforts this season. Coppin
State's 37 points were the fewest allowed by the Illini since
defeating Northwestern 63-30 on Feb. 19, 2000.
Illinois leads the Big Ten in
scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of just 59.9 points,
and field-goal percentage defense, at .371. The Illini also
rank third in the league in 3-point percentage defense (.287) and rebounding margin (plus
4.9).
In the latest national statistics
compiled by the NCAA, Illinois ranks ninth in field-goal percentage
defense and third in scoring margin (plus 18.1), while ranking 11th
in scoring defense.
Howard
says 2003 is final season
Guard Jerrance Howard has said that the
2003 season will be his final campaign as a player at Illinois.
Howard, who would have one season of eligibility remaining in
2003-04, after redshirting as a freshman in 1999-2000, will graduate
in May and plans to possibly enter the coaching field. He will be
listed as a senior for the remainder of his Illinois career.
Unselfish
play
The Fighting Illini have begun the
2002-03 season with unselfish play. Illinois leads the Big Ten and
ranks fourth in the nation in assists per game (19.14 average),
highlighted by a season-high 25 assists versus Oakland, 24 versus
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and 23 against both Western Illinois and North
Carolina. In the win over Coppin State, the Illini were credited
with 21 assists on 22 made baskets, an amazing 96 percent of shots
made. Illinois has tallied 20 or more assists in seven games and has
recorded assists on over 67 percent of its baskets (268 assists on
397 FG) on the season. Guards Dee Brown and Deron Williams rank
third and seventh, respectively, in the Big Ten in assists, with
averages of 4.8 and 4.4 per game.
[to top of second column in this article] |
High-scoring Illini
Illinois has opened the 2002-03 season
by averaging nearly 78 points per game, outscoring its opponents by an average of
over 18 points per game. Illinois is shooting nearly 50 percent from the
field, ranking 11th in the nation in field-goal percentage, and has
shot better than 50 percent in eight-of-14 games this season.
Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring
average (77.9), scoring margin (plus 18.1), field goal percentage (.497) and 3-point field
goal percentage (.389). Illinois' top six scorers are all shooting 48 percent or
better from the field.
The book
on Cook
Senior Brian Cook, a preseason Big Ten
Player of the Year selection, is proving the recognition was
deserved. He may deserve more. Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring at
21.6 points per game, while ranking third in rebounding at 8.7
boards per contest. He also ranks sixth in the league in field-goal
shooting (.539) and seventh in free-throw percentage (.826). Cook has
been Illinois' leading scorer and rebounder in 10 of his 12 games this
season.
Cook's 31-point total against Wisconsin
Jan. 11 was a career high and the most by an Illinois player since
Kevin Turner scored 35 versus Indiana on Jan. 3, 1998.
Cook's streak of consecutive made free
throws came to an end at 32 on Jan. 4 against Oakland, tying Rob
Judson for second place in school history for consecutive free
throws.
Cook enters the Indiana game with 1,408
career points, 14th on the UI career scoring list and just one point
shy of current NBA player Kendall Gill for 13th.
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,
Cook returned and immediately established himself in the Illini
lineup.
Cook has scored at least 17 points in
all 12 games he's played, reaching 20 points or more nine times. He's also
had at least eight rebounds nine times and has averaged 10 boards
over the last eight games.
Cook's best-scoring game came against
Wisconsin with a career-high 31 points. Other top games were 25
points each against Minnesota and Temple, 22 against North Carolina,
22 versus Oakland, 21 against Eastern Illinois and Memphis, and 20
versus Coppin State and Iowa.
In the win over No. 11 Missouri, Cook
scored 17, making all 10 of his free-throw attempts, and pulled down
a game-high nine rebounds. In Big Ten play, Cook
opened with 25 points and 11
boards against Minnesota and followed with 31 points and nine boards
against Wisconsin and most recently recorded the 12th double-double
of his career with 20 points and 12 rebounds at Iowa.
Dee-lightful,
Dee-pendable -- no Dee-bate, Dee can play
Who is the best freshman point guard in
college basketball? 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 (33.6 avg.). He has
scored in double figures in eight games and is second on the
team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points. Brown exploded for a
career-high 25 points against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 10, hitting
10-of-14 shots, including a career-high five 3-pointers.
In two December performances in front
of national television audiences, Brown first had a game-high 21
points along with seven assists and five rebounds in Illinois'
victory over No. 11 Missouri to earn Big Ten Player of the Week
honors on Dec. 21. He then followed with 19 points, including five
3-pointers, along with three assists, three boards and no turnovers
in 37 minutes against Memphis.
Brown ranks third in the Big Ten in
assists, with 4.79 per game, and ranks fourth in the league with an
assist-turnover ratio of 2.23. He also ranks 21st in the Big Ten in
scoring, at 12.4 points per game. One of the quickest guards in
America, Brown has 1.5 steals per game for ninth in the Big Ten.
Among the top freshmen in the league,
he ranks among the top four in assists (first), points (fourth) and
steals (second) per game.
Brown
becomes first Illinois freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week
honors
Dee Brown became the first freshman in
Illinois history to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. He was
honored on Dec. 23 after pouring in a game-high 21 points in the
Illini's victory over No. 11 Missouri.
The first-year point guard connected on
a trio of 3-pointers, recorded a game-high seven assists and added
five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, in the win.
Against Missouri, Brown broke the 20-point barrier for the second time on the season, while his seven assists against the Tigers also
ranked as the second best output of his career.
Brown was the second Illini to earn Big
Ten Player of the Week accolades this season, as teammate Brian Cook
was honored on Dec. 9.
Twice as
nice -- Williams joins Brown in all-freshman backcourt
Deron Williams and Dee Brown make up
one of the best freshmen backcourts in the nation. The two rank
second and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten in
assist-to-turnover ratio and have the Illini leading the Big Ten in
team assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. Brown leads the team in
minutes, at 33.6 per game, but Williams is third, at 24.1 minutes.
Williams is averaging 6.3 points, is second to Brown for the team
lead in assists with 61, and is tied for second on the team in steals with
17. Williams is shooting 44 percent from the field. He tanks second
in the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio, at 2.35, and is seventh in
assists, with an average of 4.4.
That's a
three -- Sean Harrington
Senior Sean Harrington has been hot
from behind the arc this season. He has made 39-of-75 treys, leading
the Big Ten and ranking sixth in the nation in 3-point field-goal
percentage, at 52 percent. Harrington nailed a career-high six
3-pointers in Illinois' win over North Carolina on Dec. 3 en route
to a 20-point output, tied his mark by making six-of-eight treys on
his way to 18 points against Coppin State. He tied it again with
six-of-nine treys on his way to a career-high 22 points against
Minnesota. Against Oakland, he had 20 points, connecting on
five 3-pointers.
In his five games as a starter this
season, Harrington is averaging 13.8 points per game, including an
average of 20 points in his first three starts. It was the
first time in his career at Illinois that he scored in double
figures in three straight games.
Harrington is third on the team with 35
assists and has just 12 turnovers, for an assist-to-turnover ratio
of 2.92. He is also tied for second on the team with 17 steals. In games
played at the Assembly Hall, Harrington is 28-of-47 (.596) from 3-point
range.
Harrington ranks fifth on the UI career
list with 166 3-point field goals.
Augie hot
Another member of the heralded Illini
freshman class to shine has been newcomer James Augustine. He has
bolstered the UI frontcourt, averaging 7.1 points and shooting over
66.7 percent from the field, leading the Big Ten in field
goal percentage. He has scored in double figures five
times, with a season-high 17 points versus Wisconsin on Jan. 11.
He is second on the team in
rebounding, behind Brian Cook, and is averaging 5.8 boards.
Augustine has
been Illinois' top rebounder in three games, highlighted by
back-to-back nine-rebound performances versus Lehigh and
Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He ranks 14th in the Big Ten in
rebounding, at 5.8 per game, and eighth in blocked shots, at 1.4 per
game.
[Provided by Kent Brown,
assistant
athletics director
and
sports information director,
University of Illinois]
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What's up with that? Well, do you
remember life before the 3-point line? That's the way much of this
game played out, even though the Illini eventually hit eight
3-pointers to seal and slug out a 69-63 victory over a Wisconsin
team they shared the conference title with a year ago.
Not only that, but the first half
didn't exactly give you a great deal of confidence heading into the
second half. In fact, Greg Taylor, who was seated on press row, said
he had a real bad feeling about the second half. While sitting there
he must've slipped me some of his famous Cubs Kool-aid, because I
felt we had weathered the storm (where did that overwhelming sense
of optimism come from?). Luckily, I was right for once.
Illinois came out of the locker room
like a team possessed. Bucky Badger must've forgotten all about
Cook, who sat most of the first half on the bench mired with two
fouls. But somebody should've told Bucky that Cook would STILL
probably start and play a little bit in the second half. Apparently,
Bucky never got that message through to the troops, and Cook opened
up the second half scoring with a wide-open dunk! James Augustine
continued his phenomenal game by scoring a deuce and marksman Sean
Harrington nailed a 3, and for all intents and purposes the Illini
were 2-0!
[Photo by Tom Seggelke]
According to the LDN's stats, Cook blew
up for 24 second-half points and seven rebounds and totally
dominated the final 20 minutes. But had it not been for Augustine's
huge first half, Cook's performance might well have been for naught!
Augustine erupted himself by scoring 13 first-half points, including
an important 3 from the corner as the half was winding down. So,
with Cook on the bench for over 10 minutes the Illini STILL held a
36-30 lead at intermission.
Then Illinois REALLY got busy. In
addition to the before-mentioned second-half offensive barrage, the
Illini's defense stiffened as well, not allowing a field goal for
the first 9:30 of the frame.
Wisconsin's big star, Kirk Penney,
finally did wake up late in the game as he hit some big shots,
including two 3-pointers, to pull the Badgers close… but, not close
enough. Penney did finish with a double-double, going for 18 points
and 12 rebounds as he helped Wisconsin win the rebounding wars
31-29.
But Illinois held The Cheesers to 35
percent shooting over the final 20 minutes after they went for 60
percent in the first half. The Illini also out-assisted them 18-8,
and both teams had a hand in 10 turnovers each.
A sold-out Assembly Hall crowd of
16,500 roared their approval for all the former Illini stars as well
as the critical victory over the Badgers. However, once school is
back in session, many of the rowdiest, best fans will be back to
assist the Illini even more!
Things REALLY toughen up for Illinois
next as they travel to Iowa on Wednesday and to Indiana on Saturday!
[to top of second column in this
article] |
 Railers
tough, too
Speaking of tough, how 'bout those Railers? Going into the hostile environment of Lanphier's home
court, not many gave Lincoln much of a chance over Richard McBride
and the Lions. But, the Railers took the fight to Lanphier all night
long and came away with another hard-fought victory. The Railers now
find themselves at 15-2 and IF they can take care of business at
home, should be in the driver's seat to upset Lanphier AND Southeast
to win yet another CS8 title!
Hats off to Derek Schrader for his
outstanding game Friday night and to Ryne Komnick for his stellar
play over the last three or four games.
Next up is
the shootout versus Pekin at the PCCC.
Lady
Railers
Last week the Monday night sports
showcase hosted some Lady Railers along with our Railer seniors of
the week. Brittany Ingram and Jennifer Whalen did an outstanding job
representing their school, their team and their program. These girls
have really turned their season around over the holidays, and more
exciting times are sure to follow!
More
Railer stuff
According to the Charlie Essig report,
the Railers are ranked No. 14 in the state, and that was before they
pummeled Lanphier. Southeast is 31, with Lanphier ranked at 76. All
other CS8 teams were beyond 132. In the City/Suburban Hoops report,
Southeast was listed 11 with Lincoln 20. Peoria Central is ranked
No. 1. As for players, Richard McBride is ranked No. 2 to
Proviso-East's Shannon Brown. But this interesting little piece
surfaced on Lincoln's Chris Bunch:
Little men -- big impact: Bunch is a
jet-quick point guard. Runs the show despite his diminutive 5'9"
size. He is a defensive whiz with excellent vision in the open court
and in half-court sets.
Hats off
to Hartsburg-Emden
Hartem put a bump in Mount Pulaski's
roll by taking out the Hilltoppers 52-37 this past weekend. Always
rivals, according to several sources this was the first win for
Hartem over their nearby foes in quite some time. The win takes
Hartem to 7-5 and 3-1 in league play.
NFL
playoffs
We were right when we said that
wild-card teams haven't fared all that well. According to the stats,
wild-card teams were 9-39 coming into this year's playoffs. So all
the smack talk from last week went for naught, and most of those
teams, including the ones who made great comebacks, all went down
this week. Every home team won. No predictions for next week, but
I'd sure like to see boyhood favorites in the big game!
Cook wins
another award
The LDN has just learned that Lincoln's
Brian Cook has picked up another Big Ten Player of the Week award!
Cook went for 25 against Minnesota and a career-high 31 versus
Wisconsin in leading Illinois to a 2-0 first-place week! Nice going,
Brian! [See the Big Ten announcement
here.]
"FANdamonium"
...Tonight
at 6, right here on the LDN
link and on CITV and FIX-96.3 FM.
[Jeff
Mayfield]
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