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Illinois news and
notes
--Illinois has faced only seven of the
10 Big Ten teams in the conference tournament, having never faced
Iowa, Michigan or Northwestern.
--Illinois has played Indiana three
times; Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State and Purdue twice; and
Penn. State and Wisconsin once each.
--The Illini have been seeded No. 1
(2001), No. 2 (1998), No. 3 (2002), No. 4 (2000) and No. 11 (1999).
Illinois is seeded No. 2 for this tournament.
--They have an overall conference
tourney record of 8-5 heading into this weekend's games.
--Illinois has never lost on Thursday
or Friday of the Big Ten tournament.
--The Illini
have won their last seven games against Northwestern, last losing to
the Cats in Champaign during the 1999 Big Ten season under coach Lon
Kruger.
Day One games
No. 9
Iowa vs. No. 8 Ohio State
The first game of the sixth Big Ten
tourney featured two teams who limped to end of the conference
season. Ohio State knocked off Iowa 66-64 in a game that went down
to the wire. Both Iowa and Ohio State had less than stellar
campaigns. Iowa jumped out to an early 14-6 mark and led the most of
the first half, going into the break with a 27-23 lead. Iowa battled
early foul trouble, committing seven fouls in the first seven
minutes, but was able to keep a cold-shooting Ohio State team at
bay.
The second half, however, was almost
the complete opposite of the first 20 minutes. Ohio State quickly
tied and then passed the Hawkeyes, and the Buckeye lead swelled to
12 at 59-47 with just over 3:00 left in the game. The parents of the
OSU players were excited and talking about the game on Friday
against Wisconsin. But coach Steve Alford and his group of
overachieving players decided it was time to tap into that Big Ten
tourney magic one more time, and Iowa went on a 17-3 run to tie the
game on a Chaucey Leslie NBA 3 with 17.9 seconds left. Then,
however, it was Darby time; the Buckeye senior drove the lane and
scored a layup with 1.8 seconds to go. Another Leslie heave from
half court was late and off to the right, and Ohio State moved on in
the tourney.
Brent Darby led Ohio State with 18
points, while Brody Boyd and Chauncey Leslie each scored 15 points
for Iowa. Ohio State moves into the 11 a.m. game Friday
against Big Ten champion Wisconsin. Wisconsin defeated Ohio State by
one point on a last-second Kirk Penney shot in the team's only
meeting of the regular season. The game can be seen on ESPN.
No. 7
Minnesota vs. No. 10 Northwestern
In the second game of the day,
Northwestern upset Minnesota 76-64, proving once again that it is
really difficult to beat a team three times in a season. Minnesota
defeated the Wildcats by double figures twice during the regular
season and appeared on its way to a third convincing victory,
jumping out to an early 15-6 lead and really looking like the
superior team. However, Northwestern battled back to even the game
late and actually went into the half with a 30-28 lead.
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article] |
The second half was all Northwestern,
as they quickly extended their lead to 12 at 43-31 and never looked
back. The Gophers, still looking dazed from a 0-4 finish to the
regular season, never pulled closer than six and lost their first
game of the Big Ten tourney for the fourth time in six years.
Minnesota, which at one time looked poised for an NCAA tourney bid,
will now compete in the NIT more than likely.
Jitim Young and T.J. Parker paced the
Wildcats with 20 and 18 points respectively. Rick Rickert and
Michael Bauer led Minnesota with 16 points each. Northwestern moves
into the 5:40 p.m. game Friday night against Big Ten
runner-up Illinois. The Illini defeated the Wildcats 73-61 on Feb.
22 at the United Center in the only meeting between the teams during
the regular season. The game will mark the first time these two
teams have met in the Big Ten tournament. The game can be seen on
WCIA Channel 3.
No. 6
Indiana vs. No. 11 Penn State
In a rematch of the regular-season
finale for both teams played last Saturday night in College Park,
Pa. (won by Penn State 74-66), Indiana exacted revenge, defeating
the Lions 77-49. Penn State hung around early, but Indiana extended
their lead to 12 at the break, 36-24, behind 14 first-half points
from power forward Jeff Newton. Reminding this sportswriter of his
performance against Illinois at Bloomington back in January, Newton
was unstoppable. Penn State's Brandon Watkins tried to keep the
Lions close, scoring 11 points in the first 20 minutes.
Indiana continued to dominate in the
second half, extending the lead quickly to over 20 points and
cruising to victory. Coach Mike Davis seemed very pleased with his
team's effort in the final 20 points, clearing his bench at the
four-minute mark and smiling regularly from his place on the
sidelines. The victory moves Indiana to 19-11 on the season and,
according to ESPN's Dick Vitale, gives the Hoosiers an excellent
shot at the NCAA tourney.
Newton led Indiana with 23 points and
was clearly the best player on the court, while Watkins paced Penn
State with 17 points. Indiana moves into the 8:10 p.m. game
Friday night against the No. 3-seeded Michigan Wolverines.
Indiana beat Michigan 63-49 at Bloomington in the only matchup
between the two teams this season.
- - -
Friday's Big Ten
tourney schedule
Game 1 -- Wisconsin vs. Ohio State, 11
a.m.
Game 2 -- Purdue vs. Michigan State,
1:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- Illinois vs. Northwestern,
5:40 p.m.
Game 4 --
Michigan vs. Indiana, 8:10 p.m.
[Greg
Taylor] |
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But this story is about Brian Cook.
Talk about a kid who did it right. First of all, he took care of
business in high school. He even told us before his senior year in
Lincoln that he was a little bored and was probably ready for Big
Ten ball. I wish when we were bored we could lead our school to the
IHSA Elite Eight just for something to do! For his efforts he was
crowned Mr. Basketball in Illinois, which is no small accomplishment
for ANY downstate player.
He followed that up with a nice showing
in the McDonald's all-American game. There everyone was talking
about the Duke players and virtually everyone else but Cook. They
were in for a big surprise. It's worth noting here that several of
us were not one bit surprised. If you ever watched some of the
things that Cook could do in practice, you knew from the start that
this kid would some day be a very rich man toting his wares for,
hopefully, a close by NBA team.
As Cook was making his final
preparations to attend Illinois, he was still legally able to make
official visits to at least six other schools that knew HE was the
franchise. We enjoyed talking to him about those options, but we
were also very glad when he decided NOT to make those visits! And
the rest, as they say, is history.
How 'bout leaving this legacy for any
Illini to follow? He was selected Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He
made coaches and media all-Big Ten squads his sophomore and junior
years. And we think he might squeak in on some of those all-star
teams again this year. Unless he is robbed, which could happen, as
NOTHING that happens in the Big 10 surprises us, he should walk away
with player of the year honors. He will probably make and deserves
to be on several all-American teams. He might even win a few senior
awards and at least has a shot at some national player of the year
awards.
Here's a stat for you… What college has
the best home-court winning percentage over the last four years? How
'bout Brian Cook's Illini with a 50-2 mark during his career! With
his 22 points yesterday, he becomes the first Illini player since
Kendall Gill in 1990 to average 20 or more points in league games
and the first to lead the league in scoring since Gill did it that
same season. Whenever he scores his next point, he will amazingly be
tied for fifth place on Illinois' all-time scoring list! That is a
feat that we find just incredible. He will leave Champaign-Urbana
seventh on the career rebounding chart. He will also have claimed
fourth place on the blocked-shots list.
He had no idea how important those last
two buckets were on Sunday to these individual records. We're guessing
that someone on the bench knew, but he and Self had already gotten
what they came to get… the "W."
This is a more important factor when
considering Cook's legacy. He should've broken every record! On a
great, smart team, teammates would've realized that sacrificing some
personal glory to get the ball in the hands of the guy who can take
us to the dance would probably have been a good idea. But Cook
didn't pout. He didn't demand the ball and take the glory away from
guys like Williams, Johnson, Griffin or McClain. He didn't sulk that
the offense that should've gone through him oftentimes froze him
completely out. And furthermore, those teammates probably didn't
even realize how much better the Illini could've been! For instance,
how far do you think they could've gone had they played with the
energy that THIS year's team played with? At least one trip, maybe
two, to the final weekend?
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article] |
[photos by Tom Seggelke]
But if you just look at numbers,
figures and stats as a basis for your opinion on Brian Cook, you
will have missed the most compelling aspects of his presence and his
nature. And that is the person of Brian Cook. As hard as it will be
to replace his numbers, it will be even harder to replace his
persona, his charisma and his personhood. Brian has been a
tremendous representative of Lincoln to not only the UIUC campus and
the Big Ten but to the nation as well.
Several of our friends who got to see
the Illini when we didn't said that Cook ALWAYS stayed around to
sign autographs and take pictures with kids. It's easy to do that
when you win; he did it many times when we lost! He is the kind of
kid that you would want hangin' around your kids -- not because of
his celebrity status but because he is so fun to be around and hang
out with.
His mother, Joyce, has done an
excellent job raising this young man through extraordinary
circumstances. We're here to tell you that they're due EVERYTHING
that may soon come their way. Through it all this kid has remained
polite, good-natured and a tribute to his community upbringing.
We will miss seeing Lincoln or Illinois
stamped across his chest, but it will ALWAYS be stamped on his
heart. Why? Because he's one of us; albeit, a little taller and
maybe a little more talented at least in this arena.
His coaches should also be commended
for the way they molded him for his future. His Lincoln junior high
coaches and several even before got him off to a good start.
Then there are Neil and Denise
Alexander. When he wasn't at home, he was probably with Gregg at the
Alexanders' house. Probably why yesterday was a bittersweet time for
them as well. Do you have ANY idea how much those kids eat? Or how
many summer games, practices and trips these people took him to? It
is a staggering number. We think it is safe to say that coach Al may
have filled that father role for Brain on several occasions. We know
a lot of kids who haven't fared nearly as well. And from what we can
tell it was a mutually beneficial relationship. We do know that
Brian wouldn't be nearly as far along as he is without the
Alexanders' influence on his life on or off the court!
Then there was coach Kruger and his
staff, especially assistant coach Rob Judson. They went to great
lengths to recruit Brian, but we always felt that they treated the
Lincoln coaches and Brian with great respect and dignity. Lon's
quiet confidence was helpful in Brian's early development. Lon
protected Brian and knew that he would need time to learn the Big
Ten game. He didn't throw him to the wolves until it was really
necessary.
Though it was a shock and a huge
disappointment when Kruger left, NO ONE could have foreseen what
Bill Self would add to the equation. He didn't baby or pamper Brian;
he toughened him up. And before this campaign got under way, Self
placed the huge burden of leadership squarely on Cook's shoulders.
And Brian Cook delivered! As a matter of fact he delivered in a way
that shocked many of the doubters and skeptics. If you know Brian
well, YOU probably weren't surprised.
We were
going to make this a REALLY long column. We were going to show
conclusive proof and evidence, because it does exist, on why Brian
Cook is one of THE most CONSISTENT Illini players ever! But we're
just going to let Brian's walk be his talk. We are going to say
this: Thanks Brian for representing us all so well -- more off the
court than on it. Good luck in both remaining tournaments. And
always remember that no matter where you go or what you do, we are
proud of you!
Your friends in Lincoln
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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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article] |
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] |
