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Probable Starters
#21ap/19 ILLINOIS (6-2)
F - 40 James Augustine (So., 6-10, 225, 11.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg)
F - 43 Roger Powell (Jr., 6-6, 220, 14.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Jr.-r, 7-2, 240, 6.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg) OR
F - 42 Brian Randle (Fr., 6-8, 200, 5.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Jr., 6-3, 175, 8.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (So., 6-0, 175, 11.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.9 apg)
Off The Bench ...
C - 1 Aaron Spears (Fr.-r, 6-9, 260, 3.2 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
G - 25 Jerrance Howard (Sr.-r, 6-1, 200, 1.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg)
G - 33 Richard McBride (Fr., 6-3, 210, 6.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Fr., 6-9, 205, 4.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
C - 50 Jack Ingram (Jr.-r, 6-10, 240, 3.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
Not Available - Injured ...
G - 5 Deron Williams (So., 6-3, 210, 12.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.6 apg)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 109-56/.661 (6th year) Big Ten: 0-0
At Illinois: 6-2/.750 (1st year) Vs. Missouri: 0-1
Assistant Coaches: Chris Lowery (1st year), Wayne McClain (3rd
year), Jay Price (1st year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary Nottingham (1st year) Trainer: Al
Martindale (21st year at Illinois)
Missouri Head Coach: Quin Snyder
Overall Record: 88-50/.638 (5th season)
At Missouri: Same Vs. Illinois: 1-3
Assistant Coaches: Tony Harvey, Lane Odom, Marcus Perez
Series History - Missouri
Illinois leads the all-time series 21-12,
including a 14-8 advanage in Braggin' Rights
games at St. Louis. Illinois carries a three-game
winning streak over Missouri into Tuesday night's
showdown. The Illini posted an 86-81 overtime
victory in 2000, a 72-61 win in 2001 and an 85-70 win last season.
Braggin' Rights Notes
Illinois owns a 14-8 advantage over Missouri in
Braggin' Rights games played in St. Louis
Illinois won eight consecutive games from 1983-90
and won nine of the first 10 games played in St.
Louis This is the sixth time in Braggin' Rights
history, and the third straight year, that both
teams are ranked in the Top 25 Last season
marked the third time in Braggin' Rights history
that both teams entered the game with undefeated
records, as 7-0 Illinois defeated 6-0 Missouri by
the score of 85-70 When the Braggin' Rights
series began in St. Louis, Illinois' Lou Henson
and Missouri's Norm Stewart were in charge of
their respective programs. Since then, every
first-year coach has won his inaugural Braggin'
Rights game, which could be a good sign for
Illinois' Bruce Weber. In 1996, Lon Kruger's
first year at Illinois, the Illini won 85-69. In
1999, Quin Snyder's first year at Missouri, the
Tigers won 78-72. And in 2000, Bill Self's first
year at Illinois, the Illini won 86-81 in
overtime.
Past Braggin' Rights Games in St. Louis
Date Winner Score
Dec. 10, 1980 Illinois 84-62
Dec. 8, 1981 Missouri 78-68 (OT)
Dec. 28, 1983 Illinois 66-60
Dec. 6, 1984 Illinois 65-50
Dec. 21, 1985 Illinois 67-55
Dec. 23, 1986 Illinois 92-74
Dec. 22, 1987 Illinois 75-63
Dec. 19, 1988 Illinois 87-84
Dec. 20, 1989 Illinois 101-93
Dec. 19, 1990 Illinois 84-81
Dec. 23, 1991 Missouri 61-44
Dec. 23, 1992 Missouri 66-65
Dec. 22, 1993 Missouri 108-107 (3OT)
Dec. 22, 1994 Missouri 76-58
Dec. 20, 1995 Illinois 96-85 (OT)
Dec. 28, 1996 Illinois 85-69
Dec. 23, 1997 Missouri 75-69
Dec. 22, 1998 Missouri 67-62
Dec. 21, 1999 Missouri 78-72
Dec. 21, 2000 Illinois 86-81 (OT)
Dec. 22, 2001 Illinois 72-61
Dec. 21, 2002 Illinois 85-70
Big Ten Leaders
* Sophomore James Augustine leads the Big
Ten in field goal percentage (.702) while Roger
Powell ranks third (.644).
* Deron Williams leads the Big Ten in assists (6.6 avg.), while Dee
Brown is sixth (4.9 avg.).
* Powell ranks 10 in scoring (14.3 avg.), while Williams is 18th
(12.9).
* Augustine ranks second in rebounding (9.4
avg.) and is also second in offensive rebounding
with 3.1 per game.
* Williams would lead in free-throw
percentage (12-13, .923), but lacks the minimum
number of made free throws (2.0 per game).
* Williams ranks ninth in steals (1.71 avg.)
* Augustine ranks eighth in blocked shots (1.25 avg.)
* Brown is fourth with 2.25 3-pt. FGs per
game, while Williams is eighth (1.71 avg.).
* Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring margin (+15.5 avg.), field
goal percentage (.479)
and assists (19.12 avg.)
* Illinois ranks second in scoring (79.6
avg.), field goal percentage defense (.379),
offensive rebounding (13.88 avg.) and defensive
rebounding (27.38 avg.)
* Illinois ranks third in rebounding margin
(6.1 avg.), assist/turnover ratio (1.24) and
3-point field goals (6.12 avg.).
Top 25 Streak Continues
Illinois is ranked 19th in the current (Dec. 15)
ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending its
streak to 64 consecutive polls in which the
Illini have been ranked. Illinois is ranked No.
21 in the AP Top 25 poll.
Illinois had a school record-streak of 30
straight polls in the 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 defeated Memphis 74-64 on Dec. 13 in
front of 16,618 fans at Assembly Hall, the first
sellout crowd of the season. The Illlini trailed
19-9 after the first 10 minutes of play, but then
went on a 43-18 run over the next 18 minutes to
take its biggest lead of the game, 15 points
(52-37), with 12 minutes remaining.
Freshman Richard McBride erupted for a
career-high 22 points behind 6-10 shooting from
3-point land. McBride added five rebounds and
five assists in 29 minutes of play, his most
extensive action of the season. James Augustine
also registered a career-high in scoring,
finishing with 21 points on 8-10 shooting.
Home Cookin'
Illinois is 43-1 (.977) at the Assembly Hall over
the last three-plus years, with the only loss
coming to Michigan State in 2002 ... Since then,
the Illini have won 21 straight at the Hall ...
Illinois is 55-2 (.965) at the Assembly Hall over
the past four-plus seasons, the best home record
in the nation over that period The Illini have
won 30 in a row at the Assembly Hall against
non-conference opponents.
Williams Sidelined After Terrific Start
Sophomore guard Deron Williams will be sidelined
after suffering a fractured jaw Dec. 11 against Maryland-Eastern
Shore after running into a screen early in the second half. Williams
had surgery on Dec. 12 to repair the fracture and hopes to return by
the start of Big Ten play in early January.
Williams has been turning heads with his
sensational play to start his sophomore season.
He is second on the team in scoring (12.9 ppg)
and has scored in double figures in five of seven
games, setting a career-high in points in three-consecutive games up
to the Arkansas game,
but setting a career-high with 10 assists against
the Razorbacks. His scoring average so far is
more than six points better than his freshman
average of 6.3 points. He scored a career-high 22
points vs. North Carolina and is shooting 45
percent from the field (33-73) and 40 percent
from 3-point land (12-30). While his scoring has
improved dramatically, Williams remains an
unselfish player with the ball in his hands. He
leads the Big Ten in assists with 46 (6.6 apg),
handing out eight assists in the season opener
vs. Western Illinois and again against North
Carolina before dropping 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 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 tied for third on the
team in scoring at 11.9 points per game and ranks
second in assists with 4.9 per game. He ranks
fourth in the Big Ten in 3-pointers per game with
an average of 2.25.
Last year, he earned second-team All-Big
Ten honors from the media and third-team honors
from the coaches, and earned a spot on the
first-ever Big Ten All-Freshman steam. Brown 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 Leads Illini Scorers
Junior Roger Powell leads the Illini in scoring
and is second in rebounding, averaging 14.3
points and 5.4 rebounds. He ranks third in the
Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting 64
percent from the field (47-73), and is second on
the team with 20 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. What better way to follow up that
performance than with another double-double in
his next outing vs. 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.
Last year in Big Ten play, Powell led the
league in field-goal shooting at 64.1 percent and
was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team
after helping the Illini to the title.
Augustine Almost a Double-Double Man
Another member of the heralded Illini sophomore
class is James Augustine. Augustine, named to
the first-ever Big Ten All-Freshman Team last
season, is nearly averaging a double-double with
11.9 points and team-leading 9.4 rebounds per
game. He leads the Big Ten in field-goal shooting
at 70.2 percent (40-57) and leads the Illini with
25 offensive rebounds. Augustine has scored at
least nine points in seven of eight games,
highlighted by a career-high 21 points vs.
Memphis Dec. 13. He has had at least nine boards
in five games, with a career-high 13 against
Western Illinois in the season opener.
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.
McBride Arrives
With Deron Williams sidelined as he
recovers from his broken jaw, freshman guard
Richard McBride will be seeing more playing time.
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 vs. Memphis.
McBride nailed 6-of-10 from 3-point range,
marking the most treys by a Big Ten player this
season. He also had career highs of five assists
and five rebounds vs. Memphis.
In four games on the season, McBride is
averaging 6.0 points and 2.0 rebounds.
"Chainsaw" Strengthens UI Frontcourt
Nick Smith, a 7-foot-2-inch junior, has started
four games this season and is averaging 6.8
points and 4.4 rebounds. He has scored in double
figures in three games, with season highs of 13
against Western Illinois and Mercer. Smith also
had a 10-point performance vs. Arkansas.
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.
Randle An Early Contributor
Freshman Brian Randle was in the starting lineup
in his first two games and most recently earned a
start vs. Memphis. He is averaging 17.5 minutes
per game on the season. In his first game, he
responded with eight points and a team-high three
steals and had six points and five boards in the
second. Against North Carolina, Randle had seven
points and five rebounds, and he scored five
points with six rebounds vs. Memphis. He is
averaging 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds, while
shooting 67 percent (18-27) from the field.
Randle is also tied for second 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 3.6 points and 4.0 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. Ingram scored four points and grabbed five
rebounds in his first action as an Illini against Western Illinois
and had eight
points and eight boards vs. Mercer.
Quick Shots
Illinois' 2003 Big Ten Tournament title was the
school's first in the six-year history of the
tourney ... In 2002-03, Illini opponents shot
.377 from the field, which ranked second in the
nation and was the lowest opponent field-goal
percentage by UI opponents since 1955-56 (.352)
... Since 1956, the only other Illini squad to
hold opponents to less than 40 percent shooting
was the 2001 squad (.386) ... Illini opponents
also shot just .309 from three-point range, the
second-lowest in school history (record is .308
in 2000) ... Dee Brown's 159 assists in 2003 were
seventh-most in a season in school history.
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 in 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 Richard McBride of
Springfield (Ill.) Lanphier High School, 6-8
forward Brian Randle of Peoria (Ill.) 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) once again is set to
tackle one of the nation's most-difficult
schedules this year. Opponents included in the
preseason USA Today/ESPN Top 25 are 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.
[News release] |
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