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WOW!
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By Jeff
Mayfield
[JAN. 26, 2005]
That's the only
superlative I can think of after a late night of watching ACCSPN
highlights… only this time they had to show clips of the No. 1
Illini. Greg Taylor was right once again. He hardly wavered at all
when he picked Illinois to win this one weeks ago, and he rode his
prediction to the final buzzer. These Illini players are different…
they're special… they have the heart of a lion… and they are one of
the biggest joys to cover of any sports team I have ever been
familiar with.
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Take for
instance, Jack Ingram. We at the LDN were among the first to tell
you to keep your eye on him. Toward the middle of last season we saw
some things in him that we liked. At the end of the year he came in
and provided huge minutes. "Huge" would not adequately describe his
two 3-pointers, 2-2 free-throw performance and his six rebounds. If
you saw him shoot his 3 against Iowa though, you might not have been
that surprised that he made them as much as you were that he shot
both of them in that situation with the game on the line… That's
"Cool Hand Luke" stuff right there.
Rich McBride is another. Those of you
who diligently watch Central State Eight action already knew how
skilled McBride was, especially in the shooting department. Though
he didn't have one of his best games and he has been struggling a
little bit, the 3 that he hit was "large" as well.
And what can you say about James
Augustine. When he was saddled with two first-half fouls, it may
have given you a sinking feeling in your gut. But get this kid in
there in the second half and he becomes a "man-child." When he gets
that football swerve on, he can take over a ballgame. Blocked shots,
monster dunks and converting free throws make him one of the most
underrated players in the nation.
[to top of second column in
this article]
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 Good to see Roger Powell Jr.'s shot
return to him, as he provided 11 points and four rebounds while
battling foul trouble himself. While Dee Brown made only eight
points, he inspired the Illini with five assists and four steals.
Deron Williams likes to play in these marquee matchups. While he
didn't have an explosive game, his 13 points, six rebounds and six
assists show that he leads this team by example. He simply makes
plays. His wealth of contributions is sometimes overlooked, but his
teammates know how valuable he is to their success.
Then there's Luther Head. At first,
everyone thought that teams were putting their best defenders on Dee
and Deron, leaving Head free to roam. Once teams saw how good he was
and that he was the one NBA scouts were saying had the most upside,
opponents then started putting their best defenders on him. It
doesn't matter. The man refuses to be stopped… heck, he refuses to
be contained. Eighteen points and four assists later, it's goodbye
38-game winning streak and good night Cheeseheads!
Basketball experts say to win on the
road you must be poised and composed, you must prize possessions,
you must make key defensive stops, and you must knock down your free
throws. Game, set and match to the No. 1 Illini. Wow!
[Jeff Mayfield]
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