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Saturday, March 8

High school basketball

[MARCH 8, 2003] 

Class AA Lincoln Regional

Champaign Centennial 12 22 35 57

Lincoln                        18 24 44 66

Lincoln - Gallagher 2-0-5, Bunch 4-0-10, Farmer 4-7-17, Schrader 4-0-10, Young 9-5-23, Heidbreder 0-0-0, Werner 0-0-0,            Komnick 0-0-0. Totals - 23-13-66.

Three-point Field Goals: Champaign Centennial- (3), Lincoln (7), Schrader (2), Farmer (2), Bunch (2), Gallagher.

Photo by Bob Frank
[Lincoln Railsplitters topped Champaign Centennial 66-57 to take the Class AA Regional Championship.]

See http://go.ihsa.org/scores/3r07bkb2.htm

Photo by Bob Frank

Men's basketball pre-game notes

Illinois vs. Minnesota

[MARCH 8, 2003]   CHAMPAIGN -- Fighting Illini basketball: No. 14 (AP)/14 Illinois (20-6, 10-5 Big Ten) versus Minnesota (16-10, 8-7 Big Ten) will be televised by CBS from Assembly Hall (16,500) at 1:05 p.m. Sunday.

F, 34, Brian Cook (senior, 6-10, 240, 20.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg)

F-C, 40, James Augustine (freshman, 6-10, 220, 7.1 ppg, 5.7 rpg)

F, 43, Roger Powell (sophomore, 6-6, 220, 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg)

G, 11, Dee Brown (freshman, 6-0, 175, 12.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg)

G, 5, Deron Williams (freshman, 6-3, 210, 6.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.7 apg)

C, 1, Aaron Spears (freshman, 6-9, 250, 3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

G, 4, Luther Head (sophomore, 6-3, 175, 7.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg)

F, 23, Blandon Ferguson (senior, 6-3, 205, 1.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg)

G, 24, Sean Harrington (senior, 6-3, 185, 7.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg)

G, 25, Jerrance Howard (senior, 6-1, 200, 0.5 ppg, 0.3 rpg)

G, 31, Nick Huge (junior, 6-4, 215, 0.3 ppg, 0.2 rpg)

F, 32, Kyle Wilson (freshman, 6-8, 230, 2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg)

F, 42, Clayton Thomas (senior, 6-7, 240, 0.4 ppg, 0.6 rpg)

C, 45, Nick Smith (sophomore, 7-2, 240, 5.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg)

Head coach: Bill Self

Overall record: 202-104 (10th year), Big Ten 34-13

At Illinois: 73-23 (third year), all-time versus Minnesota 6-0

Associate head coach: Norm Roberts (third year)

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

Trainer: Rod Cardinal (30th year)

Head coach: Dan Monson

At Minnesota: 64-53 (fourth year), all-time versus Illinois 0-8

Overall: 116-70 (sixth year)

Assistant coaches: Mike Petersen, Bill Walker and Vic Couch

Television: CBS-Split National -- Gus Williams, play-by-play; Dan Bonner, expert analyst

Radio: Illini Sports Radio Network, 43 stations -- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; and Loren Tate, pre-game and halftime reports

Illinois enters the March 9 game against Minnesota needing a victory to gain the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. ... A Michigan victory over Purdue on Saturday combined with a Minnesota win would move Illinois to a No. 3 seed in the tourney. ... The Illini have topped 20 wins 22 times in school history, including six of the last seven seasons, and each season under Bill Self. ... Illinois is 38-1 (.973) at the Assembly Hall under Bill Self, with the only loss coming to Michigan State in 2002. ... Since then, the Illini have won 16 straight at the Hall. ... Illinois is 50-2 (.962) at the Assembly Hall over the past four seasons. … Illini opponents are shooting .379 from the field, which ranks third in the nation and would be 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 under Bill Self (.386). ... Illini opponents are also shooting just .290 from 3-point range, which would be the lowest in school history (current low is .308 in 2000). ... After 15 Big Ten games, Brian Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring (19.9 average) and is eighth in rebounding (6.5 average), while Roger Powell and James Augustine rank first and third, respectively, in field-goal shooting at .634 (45-71) and .583 (49-84). ... Deron Williams leads the league in assists (4.73 average), while Dee Brown is tied for third (4.60 average). ... Brown leads in steals (1.93 average) while leading in assist-turnover ratio (3.00). ... Over the last four games, Deron Williams has 23 assists and just three turnovers in 119 minutes. ... Brian Cook has scored at least 15 points in 21 of his 24 games this season, including at least 20 points 15 times. He has scored 20 or more 12 of the last 17 games, including six in a row prior to Jan. 18 at Indiana, 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. ... Illini players are currently leading three Big Ten statistical categories for all games. Brian Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring (20.0 ppg), Dee Brown leads in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.45), and Sean Harrington leads the conference in 3-point field-goal percentage (.439). ... Roger Powell is third in field-goal shooting (.600, 84-140), Deron Williams and Dee Brown are second and third in assists (4.69 and 4.62 apg), and Deron Williams is second in assist-turnover margin (2.44).

CBS has chosen the Minnesota at Illinois contest for a Sunday, March 9, telecast. Game time is 1 p.m. The Purdue at Michigan game will be televised on ESPN-Regional TV at 3:30 p.m. Central time on Saturday.

For the fourth consecutive year, Bill Self is one of 25 finalists for the Naismith National College Coach of the Year Award. He is the only Big Ten coach on the list of finalists.

Wisconsin's Devin Harris made a free throw with :00.4 seconds remaining to give the Badgers a victory and the Big Ten championship Wednesday at Madison. Brian Cook and Dee Brown led the Illini back from a 10-point deficit with under six minutes remaining to tie it at 59-59 on a short turnaround jumper by Cook. Brown fouled Harris as he drove to the basket in the final seconds.

Cook led all scorers with 25 points, while Brown scored 20. No one else from Illinois scored more than four points.

Six members of the Illini basketball team, plus one four-year student manager, will be honored Sunday prior to the Minnesota game. The senior class of 2003 leaves with a four-year record of 95-33 entering the March 9 game. Only four groups of Illini seniors accumulated more wins in a four-year period.

The six players who are making their final Assembly Hall appearance are Nick Huge, Clayton Thomas, Blandon Ferguson, Jerrance Howard, Sean Harrington and Brian Cook. The student manager is Ed Storako.

Over the last four years, the group has been a part of a total of 95 wins, two Big Ten championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances and helped compile a 50-2 record in games played at the Assembly Hall.

Cook and Harrington have had the biggest impact on the Illini record book. Cook will finish his career as one of the top five scorers and top seven rebounders in school history. He also stands fourth on the career blocked-shots list. Harrington ranks fourth on the UI career 3-point list.

The Orange Krush student support group and cheering section has announced that it will fund an endowment in the amount of $300,000 in the name of retiring men's basketball trainer Rod Cardinal to fund future graduate assistants for the UI sports medicine program. A public announcement of the endowment will come Sunday at halftime of the Illinois-Minnesota game.

The Illini are 20-6 this season and shooting for second place in the Big Ten with a majority of playing time coming from underclassmen. Of a possible 130 starts this season, 74 have come from freshmen and 27 from sophomores, with only 29 coming from seniors Brian Cook and Sean Harrington.

2002-03 starts by class (minutes played):

Seniors: 29 (1,607 minutes played, 30.9 percent)

Juniors: 0 (0 minutes played, 0 percent)

Sophomores: 27 (1,267 minutes played, 24.4 percent)

Freshmen: 74 (2,226 minutes played, 44.7 percent)

After 26 games this season, Illinois opponents are shooting just 37.9 percent from the field, including just 29.0 percent from 3-point range. The Illini rank third in the nation (as of March 3) in field-goal defense percentage. Only three opponents have shot better than 45 percent from the field on the season.

The 37.9 percent shooting by Illini opponents would be the lowest allowed since 1956 and just the second time since that teams shot under 40 percent. The other was in 2001, also under Bill Self.

The 29 percent 3-point field-goal defense percentage is the lowest in school history.

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 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. In a 70-40 defeat of Michigan State on Feb. 18, the 40 points scored by the Spartans tied the fewest points allowed by Illinois in Big Ten play in Assembly Hall history.

Illinois has now held 14 of its last 20 opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field and has a total of 16 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 field-goal defense percentage and is second in 3-point defense percentage and scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of just 61.0 points.

In the latest national statistics (as of March 3) compiled by the NCAA, Illinois ranks third in field-goal defense percentage and sixth in scoring margin (plus 13.6), while ranking 18th in scoring defense (61.0).

The 2002-03 Fighting Illini season has been trademarked with unselfish play. Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation (as of March 3) in assists per game (18.2 average), highlighted by a season-high 25 assists versus Oakland, 24 versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and 23 against Western Illinois, North Carolina and Penn State. 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 10 games and has recorded assists on over 66 percent of its baskets (468 assists on 705 field goals) on the season.

Guards Deron Williams and Dee Brown are second and third in the Big Ten in assists with respective averages of 4.69 and 4.62 per game.

Illinois is averaging 74.6 points per game this season, outscoring its opponents by an average of over 13.6 points per. Illinois is shooting 48.8 percent from the field, ranking ninth in the nation in field-goal percentage (NCAA rankings as of March 3), and has shot 50 percent or better in 13-of-26 games this season.

Illinois leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (.488) and scoring margin (plus 13.6) and is second in scoring average (74.6) and 3-point shooting (.370). Four of Illinois' top six scorers are shooting 50 percent or better from the field.

Senior Brian Cook, a preseason Big Ten Player of the Year selection, is proving the recognition was deserved. He may deserve more -- as in National Player of the Year candidate. He is a National Player of the Year finalist for the USBWA, Naismith Award and Wooden Award.

Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring at 20.0 points per game (44th nationally as of March 3), while ranking third in rebounding at 7.1 boards per contest. He also ranks seventh in the league in field-goal shooting (.505) and 10th in free-throw percentage (.799). Cook has been Illinois' leading scorer 17 times and leading rebounder 16 times in his 24 games this season.

Cook's 31 points against Wisconsin Jan. 11 were a career high and the most by an Illinois player since Kevin Turner scored 35 versus Indiana on Jan. 3, 1998.

In one of the most inspiring performances in Illini hoops history, Cook scored 26 second-half points (to Michigan's 27) in leading the Illini from an 11-point deficit and knocking off the previously conference-undefeated Wolverines. Cook scored 19 points in the final 9:15 to finish with 30 for the game. Cook had a streak of consecutive made free throws come to an end at 32 on Jan. 4 against Oakland, tying Rob Judson and Andy Kaufmann for second place in school history for consecutive free throws.

Cook enters the Minnesota game with 1,630 career points, sixth on the UI career scoring list and 23 points shy of Mark Smith for fifth place.

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 15 points in all but three games this season, reaching 20 points or more 15 times. He's also had at least eight rebounds 10 times.

Cook's best scoring game came against Wisconsin with a career-high 31 points. Other top games were his 30 points and 26 points versus Michigan; 25 points against Wisconsin, Minnesota and Temple; 22 against North Carolina, Oakland, Purdue and Ohio State; 21 against Eastern Illinois and Memphis; and 20 versus Coppin State, Iowa and Purdue.

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.

 Cook has been named one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award, is one of 30 midseason candidates for the Wooden Award, is one of 15 finalists for USBWA National Player of the Year, is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award and most recently was named a first team NABC all-District 11 selection.

[to top of second column in this article]

Self milestones

Illinois head coach Bill Self should receive consideration for Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the highest ranked conference team with three freshmen and one sophomore in the starting lineup. After winning Big Ten titles in his first two seasons, Self posted his 200th career win Feb. 22 against Northwestern and tied the Illini record as quickest to 70 wins at Illinois. Self is the only Big Ten coach on the list of 25 finalists for Naismith National College Coach of the Year.

Illinois began the week ranked No. 14 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending its streak to 55 consecutive polls in which the Illini have been ranked, including every poll during Bill Self's tenure. Illinois is also ranked No. 14 in this week's AP Top 25.

The Illini had a school-record streak of 30 straight polls in the Top 10 snapped in January 2002 but have never dropped out of the Coaches' Top 25 under Self.

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 (34.1 average). He has scored in double figures in 15 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 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, as well as three assists and three boards with no turnovers, in 37 minutes against Memphis.

 Brown had his best game in conference play against Michigan State on Feb. 18, scoring a game-high 24 points on eight-of-13 shooting with five rebounds, five assists and a career-high five steals.

Brown is third in the Big Ten in assists with 4.62 per game and also leads the league with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.45. He ranks 17th in the Big Ten in scoring at 12.3 points per game. One of the quickest guards in America, Brown's average of 1.81 steals per game leads the team and ranks second in the Big Ten.

Through 15 Big Ten games, Brown has totaled 68 assists with only 23 turnovers, leading the conference with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.00 in league play. In conference games only, Brown is tied for third in assists and leads the league in steals and assist-turnover ratio.

Among the top freshmen in the league, he ranks among the top four in assists (first), points (fourth) and steals (first) per game.

In head-to-head matchups with other heralded freshman point guards, Brown held North Carolina's Raymond Felton to nine points (2-6 FG), three assists and eight turnovers. Michigan's Daniel Horton was three-of-17 from the field (seven points) with two assists and seven turnovers on Jan. 29. On March 1, Horton was four-of 17 from the field with five assists, five turnovers and 12 points.

Dee Brown and Deron Williams make up one of the best freshmen backcourts in the nation. The two rank first and second, 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 31.1 per game, but Williams is third at 27.4 minutes. Williams is averaging 6.3 points, is two assists ahead of Brown for the team lead with 122 and is tied for second on the team in steals with 34. He ranks second in the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio at 2.44 and is tied with Brown  for second in assists with an average of 4.69.

Air Rog takes off

Sophomore Roger Powell returned to the starting lineup with a bang over the last two weeks with strong performances against Michigan State, Northwestern, Indiana and Michigan. He scored at least 18 points in wins over the Wildcats, Hoosiers and Wolverines.

After starting the first nine games of the season, Powell suffered a toe injury against Memphis and sat out the next two games. A slow return from the injury pushed back his progress before a strong stretch of play beginning at Michigan State on Feb. 2.

Last week, Powell had 10 points and seven rebounds in the 70-40 win over Michigan State and a then-career-high 20 points and four rebounds in the victory over Northwestern.

Against Indiana, Powell set a new career high with 22 points and grabbed seven boards, making nine-of-13 shots. In the win at Michigan, he had 18 points and seven rebounds. In the last five games, he has combined to make 29-of-45 (.644) field goals in four wins and now ranks third in the Big Ten in field-goal shooting at 60.0 percent (84-140). He ranks fourth on the team with an average of 8.6 points. In Big Ten play, he leads the league in field-goal shooting at 63.4 percent.

Senior Sean Harrington has been hot from behind the arc this season. He has made 54-of-123 treys, leading the Big Ten in 3-point field-goal percentage at 43.9 percent. Harrington nailed a career-high six 3-pointers in Illinois' win over North Carolina on Dec. 3 en route to 20 points and 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 averaged 13.8 points per game, including an average of 20.0 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 58 assists and has just 22 turnovers, for an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.64. He is third on the team with 25 steals. In games played at the Assembly Hall, Harrington is 33-65 (.508) from 3-point range.

Harrington ranks fourth on the UI career list with 181 3-point field goals.

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 is one field goal made away from ranking fourth in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage, shooting 59.7 percent from the field. He has scored in double figures seven times, recorded his first career double-double with season highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds versus Penn State, and followed with another as he had 11 points and 10 rebounds against Michigan. In addition, Augustine is second on the team -- behind Brian Cook -- in rebounding, averaging 5.7 boards. He has been Illinois' top rebounder in seven games, highlighted by his 12-rebound performance against Penn State. Augustine ranks 13th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 5.7 per game and 14th in blocked shots at .92 per game.

In Big Ten play only, Augustine ranks third in field-goal shooting at 58.3 percent.

The Illinois bench has been productive this season, averaging 18.3 points and 8.7 rebounds, while limiting the opponents' bench to 15.2 points and 8.9 rebounds. Illinois' bench is outscoring the opponents' bench by 3.1 points per game and nearly matching opponents in rebounding.

Bench numbers (points-rebounds):

Illinois 32-9, Lehigh 9-7

40-18, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-8

32-9, Western Illinois 14-6

39-14, North Carolina 7-1

20-9, Arkansas 19-13

12-13, Eastern Illinois 18-12

13-3, Temple 8-8

30-13, Missouri 26-11

17-12, at Memphis 11-15

12-10, Coppin State 6-8

11-10, Oakland 5-7

14-11, at Minnesota 36-17

9-6, Wisconsin 11-8

21-11, at Iowa 22-3

26-13, at Indiana 22-6

6-6, Purdue 18-11

19-8, at Penn State 20-7

8-4, Michigan 13-13

22-7, at Michigan State 30-13

25-3, Ohio State 6-15

12-9, at Purdue 23-11

17-6, Michigan State 15-16

6-4, Northwestern 4-2

11-18, Indiana 16-8

19-4, at Michigan 7-2

4-7, at Wisconsin 4-2

Total 477-227, opponents 394-232

Senior forward Brian Cook earned several Player of the Week awards the week of Jan. 6-12 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, as he 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.

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 UI points, as he scored 22 of the Illini's final 26 points in the game. His 12 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.

Dee Brown became the first freshman in Illinois history to earn Big Ten Player of the Week recognition, when 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.

Brian Cook was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 9 after leading the Illini to victories over North Carolina and Arkansas. He shared the award with Indiana's Tom Coverdale.

Cook scored a game-high 22 points in Illinois' 92-65 victory over No. 12 North Carolina. He connected on eight-of-12 shots from the field, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and tied his career high with five assists. Cook was also the leading scorer in Illinois' 62-58 win over Arkansas, scoring 18 points in 39 minutes of action. Cook made seven-of-14 field goals and added four rebounds and four assists versus the Razorbacks. On the week, Cook averaged 20 points, six rebounds and 4.5 assists per game on combined 58 percent shooting.

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.

Freshman center Aaron Spears suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee during practice on Dec. 16 and had arthroscopic surgery on Dec. 27. He is expected to miss four to six weeks of action, with a possible return in mid-February. He averaged 3.2 points and 1.5 rebounds in six games before he was injured.

Longtime Illini men's basketball trainer Rod Cardinal is in his 30th and final season on the bench. Cardinal began his career in 1973-74 in Harv Schmidt's final season, worked with Gene Bartow in his one season (1974-75), under Lou Henson from 1976 to 1996, Lon Kruger from 1997-2000 and Bill Self from 2001-03. Cardinal has been on the bench for more than 900 games (921; 590-331 as of March 6) and several thousand practices.

Illinois coach Bill Self led a Big Ten All-Star squad on a tour through Germany, Belgium and Holland during the summer of 2002. Big Ten players on the trip included Roger Powell and Sean Harrington of Illinois, Tom Coverdale of Indiana, Jared Reiner of Iowa, Bernard Robinson of Michigan, Chris Hill of Michigan State, Ben Johnson of Minnesota, Winston Blake of Northwestern, Velimir Radinovic of Ohio State, Jason McDougald of Penn State, Ivan Kartelo of Purdue and Dave Mader of Wisconsin.

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

Illinois State announces 2003 football schedule

[MARCH 8, 2003]  NORMAL -- A home date against the reigning NCAA I-AA national champions and the first game at Illinois since 1944 highlight the 2003 Illinois State football schedule that was released last month.

Illinois State, which went 6-5 last season for its fourth winning season in the last five years, opens the season for the first time in three years at Hancock Stadium against Drake. The Bulldogs are NCAA I-AA non-scholarship and are members of the Pioneer Football League. They finished with 5-6 record last season.

Drake is the first of six home games that are currently scheduled, but the Redbird staff is still working to fill the Sept. 27 open date with a home game against a I-AA opponent.

"Our schedule is going to be challenging and exciting," head coach Denver Johnson said. "There are a lot of things that are attractive about this schedule, and the lack of long road swings is one of them."

Following the Drake game, Illinois State will face Illinois on the gridiron in Champaign for the first time since 1944. The 'Birds own a 4-3 mark against the Fighting Illini, which finished the 2002 season with a 5-7 record. The Illini will be the 21st I-A opponent for the Redbirds in the last 22 seasons, including their second straight Big Ten foe.

"We are excited about going down the road to face Illinois," Johnson said. "It is a close game for us against a Big Ten opponent. It's a game that hopefully will generate a lot of excitement for our fans."

The remainder of the non-conference slate includes a home date against Division II Truman State, which finished 6-5 in 2002, and a return visit to Eastern Illinois on Sept. 20. The Panthers finished the season with an 8-4 mark and earned an at-large bid for the NCAA I-AA playoffs but lost in the first round to Western Illinois.

The Redbirds finished in a tie for third last year in the Gateway Football Conference, with a 4-3 mark.

"In such a competitive league like the Gateway, it is important to win games at home," Johnson said. "If you don't protect your home field, you have to go out and get them back on the road. It is also key to get off to a good start in conference play and get the momentum started."

If the Redbirds are unable to schedule a 12th game, there will be an off week heading into conference play. The 'Birds open league play at home on Oct. 4 against Northern Iowa for Family Day. The Panthers were picked to win the conference last season but finished in sixth place with a 5-6 record overall. The 'Birds have won the last two meetings against UNI and the last two games in Normal.

After UNI, the 'Birds head south to Carbondale to face Southern Illinois. The Salukis started the year strong, but hand injuries to two running backs slowed the Dawgs to a 4-8 final record and a seventh-place league finish.

[to top of second column in this article]

On Oct. 18, the Redbirds return to Hancock Stadium for homecoming against the 2002 national champion, Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers and the Redbirds had a defensive battle last season in Bowling Green, Ky., as the 'Birds held WKU to three field goals in a 9-0 loss.

"When Western Kentucky came into this league, I knew that a good conference was only going to get better," Johnson said. "We played them in a real tough ballgame down there in a real defensive struggle. They are a championship team and that is where we want to be, so it will be a good measuring stick for us to see where we're at."

Things don't get any easier as the Redbirds travel to four-time national champs Youngstown State on Oct. 25. The Penguins were tied for third with the 'Birds last year and posted a 7-4 overall record. Continuing the alternate trend, Illinois State returns home the following week to host regular-season conference champion Western Illinois, which advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA playoffs. The Leathernecks were 11-2 on the season and 6-1 in league games.

The Redbirds finish the regular season at SMS and at home against Indiana State. SMS finished a disappointing eighth in the conference with a 4-7 mark, while Indiana State ended 5-7 overall and in fifth place in the league.

Season ticket information is available from the ticket office at Redbird Arena, (309) 438-8000.

2003 Redbird football schedule

(* Gateway Football Conference games)

Aug. 28 -- Drake

Sept. 6 -- at Illinois

Sept. 13 -- Truman State (HOF/Varsity I)

Sept. 20 -- at Eastern Illinois

Sept. 27 -- open

Oct. 4 -- Northern Iowa* (Family Day)

Oct. 11 -- at Southern Illinois*

Oct. 18 -- Western Kentucky* (Homecoming)

Oct. 25 -- at Youngstown State*

Nov. 1 -- Western Illinois*

Nov. 8 -- at SMS*

Nov. 15 -- Indiana State*

Nov. 22 -- open

Nov. 29 -- NCAA I-AA first round

Dec. 6 -- NCAA I-AA quarterfinals

Dec. 13 -- NCAA I-AA semifinals

Dec. 20 -- NCAA I-AA championship

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

Articles from the past week

[MARCH. 3, 2003]  Sometimes the planets and stars align just right. Sometimes the good karma is flowing your way. And sometimes even the sports gods are looking favorably upon you. That's the way many sporting events have turned out for area residents through the last week. One of those contests was the always tough Lincoln-Lanphier battle…

The Lincoln Railsplitters had one last tough assignment in CS8 play. And that was to beat the always difficult Lions of Lanphier High. No coach prides himself more on scouting and being prepared for Lincoln than former Railer coach Craig Patton. And late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter when Lanphier cut a substantial lead to four points, you began to worry. They even had chances to cut into the lead further, but the Railers would have none of that!

With the victory Lincoln now stands at an incredible 28-2 and ends up sharing the league title with Springfield Southeast. Postseason play is the next level for Lincoln, as they will host Springfield Tuesday night in their own regional.

You may be wondering if you read that subtitle correctly. Is it just another Mayfield overstatement? In a word, no. It is one of the biggest victories ever because of the possible implications or consequences. The Illini had to at least split their remaining road games.

Kudos and props to Greg Taylor, Brad Neal, Tom Seggelke and a host of others who felt all along that Illinois could win at Michigan easier than at Wisconsin.

Normally, I would've agreed with them. But that was before I watched Michigan do everything but beat us in their last trip to the Hall. Thank God for Brian Cook, or we would've already been eliminated from the league race. It was also before I saw how much Michigan had improved and saw for myself that they were as good as anybody and better than most. Then, when you consider how tough it is to win on the road, especially the last few years in the league… Or when you analyze how young the Illini truly are… Not to mention that since Michigan is on probation (something I might vote for on a permanent basis), winning the league championship and tourney title is the only postseason that they will have. Weighing those options, the scales seemed to tip in favor of Michigan.

But, I didn't know that they weren't going to watch film and remember that No. 34 lit them up in the last meeting. I didn't know that Sean Harrington would find himself, and I didn't know that Dee Brown would want the ball in crunch time and make a huge midrange jumper to deliver a dagger.

And did you happen to see the ball screen that Cook used to free up Brown? Or how 'bout the pick Cook displayed freeing up James Augustine for another nail in the coffin? Cook only had 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and may have even helped usher some of the patrons to their seats, especially with the last 3-pointer that he nailed!

I agree with longtime central Illinois resident John Coady, who once said that if you could place microphones over the TV rooms of fans all over the state in games like yesterday's, the noise level would be nuclear or louder. The final possessions of either half would certainly, I think, prove Mr. Coady's hypothesis!

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Oh, and the biggest reason that I think this win was one of the biggest ever was because the victory gives Illinois a chance to three-peat for the first time ever in their history.

In an unrelated development, I think that Brian Cook may have solidified his position as the possible player of the year in the league. It may also help him get consideration for national player of the year honors.

STILL if you would've told me in November that this team would be 20-5 with a realistic shot at yet another Big Ten championship, I would've laughed, given you a stamp and mailed it in for you! Who knows? Maybe we can even win at Wisconsin…

CONGRATULATIONS to the Lincoln College Lynx on winning the Collegiate Conference of Central Illinois league title with a 15-1 record. With Saturday's 83-64 victory over John Wood, LC extended their sparkling record to 22-7 overall. They will play a first-round game in the Region XXIV Tournament Friday at Southwestern.

We believe you can catch the Lady Lynx in a first-round game at home tonight at 5:30, as LC is seeded seventh. They will take a 16-14 record into the postseason.

…had the karma flowing. LCC's teams did for at least one night, as both the ladies and the men won exciting first-round regional matchups. The ladies had their chances in round two in Wyoming, Mich., but just came up short. The LCC men, on the other hand, had their hands full with the always phenomenal Maranatha Baptist team. Maranatha took out the Preachers early and often, and before you knew it, their season was over.

But what a nice feature on them on WAND! And congratulations to coach Randy Kirk and the men for sticking through one of the most obstacle-filled seasons this reporter can ever remember. Lesser men would've folded up their tent and gone home months ago. What you men did by sticking out the season with dignity is a testament to your strong character. Too bad there are no trophies for that.

Please join my good friend Greg Taylor tonight at 6 right here on LDN or on CITV Channel 5 or FIX 96.3 as he hosts Josh Gallagher and John Peters from the Lincoln Railers basketball team. Call 735-3306 with your question or comment on the Railers, the Illini, the Cubs, the Cards or yesterday's wrestling!

Have a good week, everyone, and good luck, Railers and Illini!!!

[Jeff Mayfield]

• Last week: "Coach Alexander new victory king"
• More columns...

Announcements

[MARCH 6, 2003]  The Lincoln PONY Association will have its annual spring sign-up this year beginning March 9 and running until March 29. Sign-up sheets can be obtained at the front desk of the Lincoln Rec Center. On Saturday, March 29, representatives of Lincoln PONY will be on hand to assist with signups.

Lincoln PONY ball is for both boys baseball and girls softball, ages 8 through 14.

Additional information can be obtained at the Lincoln PONY website and at http://www.pony.org/.

Redbird baseball offers summer clinics

[MARCH 6, 2003]  NORMAL -- In June, Illinois State head baseball coach Jim Brownlee and his staff will offer three summer clinics designed to help area youths improve their baseball fundamentals.

The first clinic will focus on offense and defense and will be offered twice, June 9-12 and June 23-26. All sessions will run from 9 a.m. to noon, and the clinic is open to all youths ages 11-17. Cost of the clinic is $100.

The second clinic will emphasize the fundamentals of pitching and catching and will take place June 9-12. The pitching and catching clinic will be open to youths ages 9-17 and will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Cost for this clinic is $100.

The third baseball clinic offered at Illinois State in June will be a developmental clinic. It is designed to instruct younger children the fundamentals of baseball. This clinic will be offered on June 16-19 from 9 a.m. to noon and is available for children ages 6-10. Cost for the developmental clinic is $100.

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Participants in any of the three clinics will receive a Redbird Baseball Clinic T-shirt and an in-depth take-home evaluation upon completion.

For further information regarding any of these three clinics, please contact Seth Kenny, assistant baseball coach at Illinois State, at (309) 438-3338 or sakenny@ilstu.edu.

Registration forms are available online from the baseball page of the Illinois State athletics website. [To download the Adobe Acrobat reader for the registration file, click here.]

[Rob Huizenga, athletics media relations,
Illinois State University]

[MARCH 6, 2003]  The American Amateur Youth Baseball Alliance is seeking both players and coaches for their 2003 All-Star Nationals program. The AAYBA is seeking the "best of the best" among coaches and players. If interested, please visit our website at www.aayba.com and click on the "All-Star Nationals" link. If, after reviewing information about the program, you are interested in playing or coaching, complete the online tryout form.

Questions may be directed to clwjr28@aol.com.

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