Powell named Big Ten Player of the Week  

[DEC. 7, 2004]  PARK RIDGE -- Roger Powell Jr. led Illinois to a pair of victories last week, including a 91-73 rout of No. 1 Wake Forest in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, to earn his first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade.

It marked just the second win over a No. 1-ranked opponent in school history and the first since the Illini defeated No. 1 Michigan State 57-55 at the Assembly Hall on Jan. 11, 1979.

Against the Demon Deacons, Powell scored a game-high and season-best 19 points, notching 8-of-10 field goals, while adding seven rebounds. He picked up where he left off in a 72-60 victory on the road against Arkansas on Saturday, tying his season high with another 19-point performance while adding a career-best 11 rebounds. It marked Powell's third career double-double and the first of the 2004-05 season, while also equaling the most rebounds by an Illinois player this season. On the week, the 6-6 senior forward from Joliet averaged 19 points and 5.5 rebounds, while shooting 67 percent (14-of-21) from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

With his back-to-back 19-point performances, Powell has now scored in double figures in five straight games. He currently ranks third among the Illini in scoring (13.7), while leading the league in field goal percentage at 71 percent.

[Robin Jentes, Big Ten Conference, associate director of communications]

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