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I think a caller on the Illini
post-game show may have said it best after Illinois' 91-73
annihilation of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons last night in the
Assembly Hall when he said, "If there's a basketball heaven, I think
I saw a glimpse of it tonight, and… the streets are paved in
ORANGE!" If I would've stayed up all night, I couldn't have said it
better myself. Here are my very random thoughts from press row:
When was the last time a No. 3 looked
so effortless dismantling a No. 1? I sure don't remember a victory
that was that convincing.
Kansas is a very good team and I'm
not sure that Illinois can beat them. However, if the Illini win at
Arkansas on Saturday they should be No. 1, period.
Though Skip Prosser was a little
terse in the post-game interview room, he handled the thumping with
about as much class as you could expect.
This was Illinois' second win
all-time over a No. 1-ranked team. The last time the Illini defeated
a No. 1 was in January of 1979, when Eddie Johnson threw a shot from
the corner to beat eventual national champion Michigan State and
Magic Johnson.
I was a senior on LCC's hoops team
then, and we were on our way to a game in Ohio and on our way to the
best record in the school's history. LCC coach Lynn Laughlin found
the game on the radio but the reception was terrible. I heard the
announcer say that Johnson had the ball and the shot's up… and then
I couldn't hear what happened. Then I heard him say, "Illinois
wins." Coach Laughlin, who was driving our van, threw both hands
into the air and started whistling like a madman. He was honking and
waving at people, and they had no idea what he was trying to tell
them.
Never in my wildest dreams did I
think it would take 26 years to beat another No. 1. With that being
said, I'd rather just BE the No. 1 for the next 26 years!
The Illini are 55-2 over the last
four-plus seasons, 67-3 over the last five-plus and have now won 35
straight over non-league opponents at the Assembly Hall.
When Illinois and their opponents
are both ranked in the top five, Illinois now owns a 9-7 record
including a perfect 5-0 mark at home.
The tone might have been set on the
first possession of the game when Illinois out-hustled and got tips
and offensive rebounds until James Augustine was hacked and calmly
sank both free throws.
How 'bout Roger Powell's 3-pointer
after missing a dunk the previous trip?
How 'bout Augie's vicious blocked
shot, or should I say swat, that led to a fast break and a Dee Brown
left-handed lay-in that Weber called a "miracle"?
How 'bout Rich McBride of Central
State 8 and Lanphier fame draining three long 3-pointers in a
big-time crucial game?
How 'bout Dee Brown's polished
midrange game?
How 'bout the deceptive quickness of
Deron Williams?
How 'bout the way Dee, Luther and
Rich stepped up in the first half when Deron picked up his second
foul in the first three minutes of the ballgame?
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 I like the way that Augie quieted
the crowd when they started chanting "overrated." I'm not sure I've
ever seen a player attempt to quiet the crowd on that chant before.
I agree with him, though. The scoreboard said everything you needed
to know about this contest!
How 'bout Deron's over-the-head
circus shot?
There were over 20 NBA teams
represented with credentials. Wouldn't it be interesting to get
their take on the Illini? Most of them were unavailable for comment.
Nick Smith played his best game of
the year.
Illinois was so efficient and so
decisive that the game was over in less than two hours! Though I
love the early game, Greg Taylor was right -- it's too bad this
wasn't an 8 p.m. game so that all the world could see Illinois'
dominance.
With 2:45 left in the contest, the
crowd started chanting, "We're number one, we're number one." Though
we must remain impartial on press row, I can't think of a time I
agreed with them more.
I had one puzzling thought… If you
were a high school junior or senior trying to decide where to play
your college hoops and you visited Illinois sometime in the last
five years, how could you in good conscience decide to play
somewhere else? I'll never understand that! In fact, Bruce Weber's
phone should be ringing off the hook. Kids all over the country
should be calling HIM asking when they can sign… Are you kidding me?
Heck, guys already playing college ball somewhere else should even
be considering a transfer here… Do you think the football team would
let us borrow a few of their scholarships?
Dee Brown said he was so nervous
before the game that he went to the bathroom five or six times. When
he came onto the court for the pre-game warm-ups he just tried to
take it all in. He said he thanked God because when he was in high
school he really never believed that he would ever be on a national
stage like this, and he said it is even overwhelming to him and his
teammates.
One thing he wants all you Illini
backers to know
-- that he and the team genuinely appreciate your support, and they
feel you are a big part of their success. While that stuff doesn't
need to be said, I'm glad Dee, Roger and Luther stated it. I
couldn't agree with them more!
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser had
some good lines in the post-game interviews. He said, "They only
give you so many timeouts… I could've called 20-25 tonight."
The LDN asked him if Wake could
simulate Illinois' speed and quickness at practice in preparation
for this game. He said, "No, nobody can… unless it's maybe Illinois'
second team."
[LDN staff] |
