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Probable
Illinois starters
F -- 40, James Augustine (So., 6-10,
225, 11.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
F -- 43, Roger Powell (Jr., 6-6, 220,
13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
F -- 42, Brian Randle (Fr., 6-8, 200,
5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) -OR-
G -- 4, Luther Head (Jr., 6-3, 175,
10.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
G -- 5, Deron Williams (So., 6-3, 210,
13.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.1 apg)
G -- 11, Dee Brown (So., 6-0, 175, 12.1
ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.3 apg)
Off the
bench…
C -- 1, Aaron Spears (Fr.-r, 6-9, 260,
2.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
G -- 25, Jerrance Howard (Sr.-r, 6-1,
200, 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
G -- 33 , Rich McBride (Fr., 6-3, 210,
6.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
F -- 34, Fred Nkemdi (Jr., 6-6, 220,
n/a)
F -- 41, Warren Carter (Fr., 6-9, 205,
3.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
C -- 45, Nick Smith (Jr.-r, 7-2, 240,
7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
C -- 50, Jack Ingram (Jr.-r, 6-10, 240,
3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Series
history versus Ohio State
Illinois leads the all-time series
97-59 over Ohio State and owns a 57-21 advantage over the Buckeyes
in games played in Champaign. The Illini won both matchups last
season, defeating OSU 76-57 Feb. 9 at the Assembly Hall and 72-59
March 16 in the Big Ten Tournament title game at the United Center.
Illinois
coaching
Head coach: Bruce Weber -- overall
record 112-56, .667 (sixth year); Big Ten 0-0; at Illinois 9-2, .818
(first year); first meeting versus Ohio State
Assistant coaches: Chris Lowery (first
year), Wayne McClain (third year), Jay Price (first year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary
Nottingham (first year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (21st year at
Illinois)
Ohio
State coaching
Head coach: Jim O'Brien -- overall
record 362-294, .552 (22nd year); at Ohio State: 127-77, .623
(seventh year); versus Illinois 5-6
Assistant coaches: Rick Boyages, Monte
Mathis, LaMonta Stone
On the
air
Television:
ESPN-Plus local -- Mike Gleason,
play-by-play; Doug Altenberger, expert analyst
Radio:
Illini Sports Radio Network, 45
stations -- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert
analyst; Loren Tate, pre-game, halftime and post-game interviews
Westwood One, 45 national -- Bob Papa,
play-by-play; Kevin Grevey, expert analyst
Illinois
in Big Ten openers
Illinois is 59-39 all-time in Big Ten
opening games and has won its last four conference openers. ... The
Illini are 38-16 when opening the Big Ten season at home and 17-4 at
the Assembly Hall in Big Ten home openers. ... This is the 12th time
that Illinois and Ohio State have opened the Big Ten season against
each other, with the Illini owning a 7-4 edge over the Buckeyes in
conference openers. ... The last time Illinois and Ohio State opened
Big Ten play against each other was Jan. 6, 2000, when Frank
Williams hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for an 80-77
Illini victory.
Home
cookin'
Illinois is 44-1 (.978) at the Assembly
Hall over the last 3½ years, with the only loss coming to Michigan
State in 2002. ... Since then, the Illini have won 22 straight at
the Assembly Hall, a winning streak that ranks fourth nationally
behind Duke (34), Pittsburgh (33) and Creighton (24). ... Illinois
is 56-2 (.966) at the Assembly Hall over the past 4½ seasons, the
best home record in the nation over that period. ...The Illini have
also won 31 in a row at the Assembly Hall against non-conference
opponents.
Big Ten
leaders
* Illinois has three players among the
Big Ten's Top 21 leading scorers. Roger Powell is tied for 12th in
scoring (13.5 average), Dee Brown is 18th (12.1), and James
Augustine is 21st (11.6).
*Augustine ranks second in rebounding
(9.3 average) and is third in offensive rebounding with 3.1 per
game.
*Powell ranks third in the Big Ten in
field goal percentage (.639), while Augustine is fourth (.633).
*Brown ranks second in assists (5.3
average).
*Luther Head is ninth in free-throw
percentage (.793).
*Brown is seventh in 3-point field
goals per game with 2.0.
*Augustine is fifth in blocked shots
(1.4 average).
*Brown ranks fifth in assist-turnover
ratio (2.0).
*Powell is eighth in offensive
rebounding (2.6 average).
*Illinois leads the Big Ten in field
goal percentage (.469) and assists (18.1 average).
*Illinois ranks second in scoring (78.5
average), scoring margin (plus 13.4 average), rebounding (40.6
average), rebounding margin (plus 5.9 average), steals (8.6
average), offensive rebounding (13.9 average) and defensive
rebounding (26.7 average).
*Illinois ranks third in
assist-turnover ratio (1.2) and 3-point field goals per game (6.5
average).
*Note: Deron Williams is currently not
included in the Big Ten statistical categories because he has not
played in 75 percent of Illinois' games.
Top 25
streak continues
Illinois is ranked 20th in the Jan. 5
ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending its streak to 67 consecutive
polls in which the Illini have been ranked. Illinois is ranked No.
19 in this week's AP Top 25 poll.
Illinois had a school-record streak of
30 straight polls in the Coaches' Top 10 snapped in January 2002 but
has never dropped out of the Coaches' Top 25 the last three-plus
seasons.
Last time
out
Illinois started slow but finished
strong in rallying from a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat
Illinois State in overtime by the score of 80-73.
The Illini trailed by as many as 11
points (47-58) with under eight minutes to play and still faced
deficits of seven points with three minutes left and six points with
under two minutes remaining. But Illinois scored on five of its
final seven possessions in regulation, highlighted by a pair of free
throws from Nick Smith that tied the game at 68-all with 19 seconds
left and forced the game into overtime.
It was all Illinois in the extra
session, as a 3-point play by Smith and a 3-pointer by Dee Brown
gave the hosts a six-point lead and propelled the Illini to their
fifth straight victory.
Illinois received heavy production from
its bench, as Deron Williams scored a team-high 20 points and Nick
Smith added 14.
This marked the first overtime game for
the Illini in nearly three years, since falling 98-95 in OT at Penn
State on Jan. 31, 2001.
Williams
excels in return to action
Deron Williams missed three games --
Memphis, Missouri and Illinois-Chicago -- due to a jaw fracture that
occurred Dec. 11 against Maryland-Eastern Shore after running into a
screen early in the second half. He had surgery on Dec. 12 to repair
the fracture and made a successful return to the court Saturday
versus Illinois State.
With his jaw still wired shut, making
it difficult to breathe, Illinois coaches hoped to get Williams a
maximum of 18-20 minutes of playing time. But he defied those odds,
coming off the bench to play 34 minutes.
Williams fueled the Illini comeback
against ISU, leading the team with 20 points, including four
3-pointers. He also had four rebounds and three assists in his first
game action in nearly one month.
Williams has been turning heads with
his sensational play to start his sophomore season. He leads the
team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and has scored in double figures in six
of eight games, setting a career high in points in three consecutive
games up to the Arkansas game on Dec. 6 and setting a career-high 10
assists against the Razorbacks. His scoring average so far is more
than double his freshman average of 6.3 points. He scored a
career-high 22 points versus North Carolina on Dec. 2 and is
shooting 45.5 percent from the field (40-88) and 41 percent from
3-point land (16-39).
While his scoring has improved
dramatically, Williams remains an unselfish player with the ball in
his hands, leading the Illini with 6.1 assists per game. He handed
out eight assists in the season opener versus Western Illinois and
again against North Carolina before dropping the 10 dimes against
Arkansas.
Brown
named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Sophomore guard Dee Brown, nicknamed
the "One-Man Fast Break," was named the Big Ten's Preseason Player
of the Year by the media and was named to the preseason All-Big Ten
squad by both the media and coaches. Wisconsin's Devin Harris was
the preseason player of the year as voted by the coaches. Brown was
also named to the 12-man Playboy Magazine All-America squad and is
one of 50 players on the Wooden Award All-America preseason watch
list.
Brown is the fourth consecutive Illini
to earn league preseason player of the year honors, following Cory
Bradford in 2001, Frank Williams in 2002 and Brian Cook in 2003.
Brown is currently third on the Illini
in scoring at 12.1 points per game, with a season-high 23 points
coming in the season opener versus Western Illinois on Nov. 22.
Brown ranks second in the Big Ten in assists with 5.3 per game, and
had a season-high nine assists versus UIC on Dec. 30. He also ranks
fifth in the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio (2.0) and seventh in
the league in 3-pointers per game with an average of 2.0.
[to top of second column in this article] |
Last year, he earned second-team
All-Big Ten honors from the media, third-team honors from the
coaches and a spot on the Big Ten’s first-ever all-freshman team.
He was second on the team in scoring,
averaging 12.0 points. He led the Big Ten in assists with 4.97 per
game and also led the league with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.56.
One of the quickest guards in America, Brown's 1.78 steals per game
led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten.
In Big Ten Conference games only, Brown
totaled 76 assists with only 25 turnovers, leading the conference
with an assist-turnover ratio of 3.04 in league play.
Air Rog
takes off
Junior Roger Powell ranks second on the
team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5
rebounds. He ranks third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage,
shooting 63.9 percent from the field (62-97), and is second on the
team with 29 offensive rebounds.
Powell recorded the first double-double
of his Illinois career against Mercer on Nov. 26, scoring 16 points
and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds. He followed up that
performance than with another double-double in his next outing
versus Temple. Powell scored 19 points and matched his career high
with 10 boards. He then scored a season-high 20 points against North
Carolina Dec. 2.
In Big Ten play last year, Powell led
the league in field goal shooting at 64.1 percent and was named to
the Big Ten’s all-tournament team after helping the Illini to the
title.
Augustine
nearly a double-double man
Another member of the heralded Illini
sophomore class is James Augustine. Augustine, named to the Big
Ten’s first-ever all-freshman team last season, is nearly averaging
a double-double with 11.6 points and a team-leading 9.3 rebounds per
game. His rebounding average ranks second in the Big Ten. He is
fourth in the Big Ten in field goal shooting at 63.3 percent (50-79)
and third in offensive rebounds with 3.1 per game. Augustine has
scored at least nine points in nine of 11 games, highlighted by a
career-high 21 points versus Memphis Dec. 13. He has had at least
nine boards in seven games, with a career-high 13 against Western
Illinois in the season opener, and has led the team in rebounding
seven times. Augustine has recorded four double-doubles on the
season, most recently versus Missouri on Dec. 23 (14 points, 10
rebounds).
Last year, as a freshman, Augustine
averaged 7.0 points while shooting 58 percent from the field. He was
second on the team, behind Brian Cook, and 13th in the Big Ten in
rebounding, averaging 5.8 boards. He was also 13th in the league in
blocked shots. In Big Ten play only, Augustine ranked third in field
goal shooting at 58.6 percent.
Head
heating up
Junior Luther Head has been a
consistent scorer this season, ranking fifth on the team with 10.0
points per game. He has scored at least nine points in seven of nine
games, with four games in double figures. Head has started the past
five games, averaging 11.8 points as a starter. He scored a
season-high 16 points in his first start of the year versus
Maryland-Eastern Shore, had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting versus
Illinois-Chicago and most recently scored 15 points against Illinois
State.
McBride
arrives
Freshman sharpshooter Rich McBride
emerged onto the scene Dec. 13 versus Memphis and kept up his hot
shooting against Missouri and UIC. Over that three-game stretch, he
averaged 13.3 points on 60 percent shooting from 3-point range
(12-20).
A three-time all-stater during his high
school career in Illinois, McBride sat out the first four games of
the season for violating team rules but has since worked his way
into the playing rotation.
He exploded for a career-high 22 points
in 29 minutes of play versus Memphis. McBride nailed 6-of-10 from
3-point range, tying the most treys by a Big Ten player this season.
He also had career highs of five assists and five rebounds versus
Memphis. McBride nailed 3-of-4 3-pointers en route to nine points
versus Missouri while grabbing three steals. He again scored nine
points on a trio of 3-pointers against versus UIC.
In seven games on the season, McBride
is averaging 6.0 points and is shooting nearly 43 percent from
3-point land (12-28).
"Chainsaw" strengthens UI frontcourt
Nick Smith, a 7-foot-2-inch junior, has
started four games this season and is averaging 7.3 points. He is
also third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. He has scored in
double figures in four games, with a season-high 14 points to help
lead the Illini to a come-from-behind win over Illinois State. Smith
was huge in the clutch, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the final
eight minutes of the game and overtime. He shot a perfect 8-of-8
from the line, which included a pair of free throws with 19 seconds
left to send the game into overtime. Smith also came up big at the
end of Illinois' win over Missouri Dec. 23. He recorded an assist on
James Augustine's layup that gave the Illini a 69-67 lead with under
one minute to play and then came up with a steal on Missouri's next
possession. Smith finished the game with six points, four rebounds,
three assists and two steals.
Last year, he put up some impressive
numbers off the bench in Big Ten play. In 16 conference games, Smith
shot 67.3 percent (33-49) from the field, made 4-of-6 treys, and
shot 90.5 percent (19-21) from the free-throw line. Smith averaged
5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in the league while averaging 18.8
minutes per game. He led the Illini and ranked seventh in the Big
Ten with 38 blocked shots. Smith was Illinois' top free-throw
shooter, making 38-of-44 from the line for 86.4 percent on the
season.
The
graduate
Nick Smith earned a bachelor's degree
in finance this past December, graduating from Illinois' College of
Business in 3½ years. Smith is in the process of deciding upon a
graduate program and will begin work on his master's degree when
classes begin Jan. 20.
Randle an
early contributor
Freshman Brian Randle was in the
starting lineup in his first two games and has also started the last
four. He is averaging 18.5 minutes per game on the season. In his
first game, he responded with eight points and a team-high three
steals, and he had six points and five boards in the second. Against
North Carolina, he had seven points and five rebounds. He scored
five points with six rebounds versus Memphis. Against UIC, he just
missed a double-double with career-high totals of nine points and 11
rebounds. Randle is averaging 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds, while
shooting 57 percent from the field. He is also fourth on the team
with 11 steals.
Ingram a
post presence
Junior transfer Jack Ingram, who sat
out last season after transferring from Tulsa, is averaging 3.0
points and 3.1 rebounds for the Illini this season. He's fourth on
the team with 16 offensive rebounds, just two less than his total of
defensive boards. He led the Illini with eight rebounds in Illinois'
win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. He scored four points and grabbed
five rebounds in his first action as an Illini against Western
Illinois and had eight points and eight boards versus Mercer.
Future
coach Howard?
Senior Jerrance Howard, who returned in
2003-04 for his fifth year, hopes to break into coaching after his
eligibility is finished this season. While at Illinois, he has
played under three coaches: Lon Kruger, Bill Self and Bruce Weber.
New faces
on the roster
*Ingram transfers from Tulsa: Jack
Ingram, a 6-10 forward-center from San Antonio, Texas, transferred
to Illinois from Tulsa in the summer of 2002 and sat out the 2002-03
season per NCAA transfer rules. He began the 2003-04 season with
junior eligibility.
*Freshmen trio: The 2003 recruiting
class of 6-foot-3-inch guard Rich McBride of Springfield Lanphier
High School, 6-8 forward Brian Randle of Peoria Notre Dame High
School and 6-9 forward Warren Carter of Lake Highlands High School
in Dallas, Texas, are now in their freshman seasons at Illinois.
Both McBride and Randle are three-time all-state picks. Carter was
the Texas Class 5A Player of the Year in 2003.
Tough
slate
Illinois, ranked No. 11 in the
preseason poll, is tackling one of the nation's most difficult
schedules again this year. Opponents included in the preseason USA
Today/ESPN Top 25 were No. 3 Michigan State, No. 6 Missouri, No. 10
North Carolina and No. 14 Wisconsin. Purdue (34th), Memphis (36th),
Ohio State (36th), Providence (41st), Temple (48th),
Illinois-Chicago (53rd), Indiana (53rd) and Minnesota (53rd) all
received votes in the first poll of the season.
A pro
look
Illinois
players are getting a look at several pro venues this season.
Illinois played at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, on
Dec. 6 against Arkansas and Dec. 30 against Illinois-Chicago.
Illinois also played at Madison Square Garden, home of the New York
Knicks, on Dec. 9 against Providence and at Savvis Center, home of
the NHL's St. Louis Blues, on Dec. 23 against Missouri. The team's
next game in a pro arena will be March 11-14 at the Big Ten
Tournament, which is at Conseco Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana
Pacers.
[University
of Illinois news release] |
