|
Probable Illinois starters
F,
34, Brian Cook (Sr., 6-10, 240, 21.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg)
F-C, 40, James Augustine (Fr., 6-10, 220, 6.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
G,
24, Sean Harrington (Sr., 6-3, 185, 9.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg) OR
G,
4, Luther Head (So., 6-3, 175, 7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
G,
11, Dee Brown (Fr., 6-0, 175, 12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.8 apg)
G,
5, Deron Williams (Fr., 6-3, 210, 5.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.4 apg)
Off the bench
C,
1, Aaron Spears (Fr., 6-9, 250, 3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F,
23, Blandon Ferguson (Sr., 6-3, 205, 2.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
G,
25, Jerrance Howard (Sr., 6-1, 200, 0.0 ppg, 0.1 rpg)
G,
31, Nick Huge (Jr., 6-4, 215, 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F,
32, Kyle Wilson (Fr., 6-8, 230, 2.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
F,
42, Clayton Thomas (Sr., 6-7, 240, 0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
F,
43, Roger Powell (So., 6-6, 220, 7.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
C,
45, Nick Smith (So., 7-2, 240, 5.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Coaching
Illinois:
Head coach: Bill Self
-- overall record 194-101 (10th year), Big Ten 26-10; at Illinois
65-20 (third year); all time versus Purdue 3-1
Associate head coach:
Norm Roberts (third year)
Assistants: Tim
Jankovich (first year) and Wayne McClain (second year)
Trainer: Rod Cardinal
(30th year)
Purdue:
Head coach: Gene
Keady -- overall 518-246 (25th year); at Purdue 480-227 (23rd year);
all time versus Illinois 23-19
Assistant coaches:
Jay Price, Todd Foster, Cuonzo Martin
On the air
Television:
ESPN2-National -- Dave Barnett, play-by-play; Tim McCormick, expert
analyst
Radio: Illini Sports
Radio Network, 43 stations
-- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst;
Loren Tate, pre-game and halftime reports
Quick shots
After four Big Ten
games, Brian Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring (22.8 average) and
rebounding (9.8 average), while James Augustine leads in field-goal
shooting (15-of-20, .750) and Dee Brown leads in assist-turnover
ratio (5.25). ... Brian Cook has scored at least 15 points in all 13
of his games this season, including at least 20 nine times. He has
scored 20 or more six of the last seven games, including six in a
row prior to Saturday's game at Indiana, the longest such streak by
an Illini player since Kendall Gill tallied 20-plus points in the
final 10 games of the 1989-90 season. ... Sean Harrington has
averaged 13.8 points in his five starts for the Illini this season.
He is shooting 55 percent (22-40) from 3-point range over the last
five games and 60 percent (28-47) in eight games at the Assembly
Hall this season. … Illini players are currently leading two Big Ten
statistical categories for all games. Brian Cook leads the Big Ten
in scoring (21.1 ppg), and Sean Harrington leads the conference in
3-point field goal percentage (.512).
Last time out -- Indiana 74, Illinois
66
Foul trouble for
Illinois' front line played a factor in the Illini's 74-66 loss at
Indiana Saturday. Brian Cook, the Big Ten's leading scorer, was held
to a season-low 15 points and fouled out in just 26 minutes, while
freshman James Augustine picked up five fouls in just 12 minutes.
Nick Smith was impressive with 13 points and four rebounds. Freshman
Dee Brown had his best scoring game in Big Ten play with 18 points
after making five-of-seven 3-point attempts. Indiana's Jeff Newton
led all scorers with 28 points and with five blocked shots.
Illini Super Bowl connections
It's Super Bowl week,
and the Fighting Illini have rooting interests for both the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders. For the NFC-champion Bucs,
former Illini players Simeon Rice, Ken Dilger and Jameel Cook are
playing for the big ring. And, for the AFC-champion Raiders, head
coach Bill Callahan spent seven years on the Illini staff under Mike
White, coaching the offensive line and quarterbacks.
Illinois senior guard
Blandon Ferguson, who hails from Oakland, Calif., picks the Raiders
by a 28-14 score, while sophomore center Nick Smith, who is a native
of Tampa suburb Valrico, Fla., says the Buccaneers will win 24-21.
Cook
books more weekly honors
Senior forward Brian Cook earned
several Player of the Week awards the week of Jan. 6-12 after a pair of stellar performances,
averaging 28 points and 10 rebounds on 56 percent shooting to earn
Big Ten, ESPN.com, The Sporting News, FoxSports.com, College
Basketball News and Dick Vitale
Player of the Week honors and lead the Illini to a pair of Big Ten
wins.
The senior forward guided the Illini to
a road victory at Minnesota to open the Big Ten season and equaled
his then-career high with 25 points by hitting six-of-13 from the field
and 13-of-17 from the free-throw line. Cook added 11 rebounds for
his 11th career double-double and third this season, which is tied
for third among all league players.
The preseason Big Ten Player of the
Year put on an even more impressive show against Wisconsin,
setting a new career high with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting,
including a pair of treys, in just 26 minutes on the court. Cook
added nine rebounds in the win to nearly record another
double-double. The 6-10 forward produced 24 of his 31 points in the
second half, including a streak of 15 consecutive Illinois points,
and scored 22 of the Illini's final 26 points in the game. His12
field goals are the most by any Big Ten player this season.
The recent Big Ten Player of
the Week accolade was his second this season and
the third of his career.
Cook was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 9 after leading
the Illini to victories over North Carolina and Arkansas. He shared
the award with Indiana's Tom Coverdale. Cook scored a game-high 22
points in Illinois' 92-65 victory over No. 12 North Carolina. He
connected on eight-of-12 shots from the field, grabbed a game-high
eight rebounds and tied his career high with five assists. He was
also the leading scorer in Illinois' 62-58 win over Arkansas,
scoring 18 points in 39 minutes of action, the most playing time
logged by an Illini player this season. He made seven-of-14 field
goals and added four rebounds and four assists versus the
Razorbacks. On the week, Cook averaged 20 points, six rebounds and
4.5 assists per game on combined 58 percent shooting.
Defense
After 15 games this season, Illinois
opponents are shooting just 37.3 percent from the field, including
just 28.2 percent from 3-point range.
Against Coppin State on Dec. 30,
Illinois held the Eagles to just 12 field goals, the fewest made
shots in the 40-year history of the Assembly Hall, and to just 29
percent shooting from the field. Coppin State was the second Illini
opponent this season to shoot under 30 percent. In the Big Ten
opener,
Illinois held Minnesota to 30.5 percent shooting on its home floor,
as the Gophers made just 19.2 percent (5-26) from 3-point range.
Illinois has now held seven of its last
nine opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field and has a total of
nine such defensive efforts this season. Coppin
State's 37 points were the fewest allowed by the Illini since
defeating Northwestern 63-30 on Feb. 19, 2000.
Illinois leads the Big Ten in
field-goal-percentage defense, at .373, and 3-point-percentage defense (.282),
and is second in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of
just 60.8 points. The Illini also rank fourth in the league in rebounding margin (plus
4.0).
In the latest national statistics (as
of Jan. 13)
compiled by the NCAA, Illinois ranks ninth in field-goal-percentage
defense and third in scoring margin (plus 18.1), while ranking 11th
in scoring defense.
Howard
says 2003 is final season
Guard Jerrance Howard has said that the
2003 season will be his final campaign as a player at Illinois.
Howard, who would have one season of eligibility remaining in
2003-04, after redshirting as a freshman in 1999-2000, will graduate
in May and plans to possibly enter the coaching field. He will be
listed as a senior for the remainder of his Illinois career.
Unselfish
play
The 2002-03 Fighting Illini season has
been trademarked with unselfish play. Illinois leads the Big Ten and
ranks fourth in the nation in assists per game (18.80 average),
highlighted by a season-high 25 assists versus Oakland, 24 versus
Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and 23 against both Western Illinois and North
Carolina. In the win over Coppin State, the Illini were credited
with 21 assists on 22 made baskets, an amazing 96 percent of shots
made. Illinois has tallied 20 or more assists in seven games and has
recorded assists on over 67 percent of its baskets (282 assists on
4217 FG) on the season. Guards Dee Brown and Deron Williams rank
second and seventh, respectively, in the Big Ten in assists, with
averages of 4.8 and 4.4 per game.
[to top of second column in this article] |
Bench play
The Illinois bench
has been very productive so far this season, averaging 21.9 points
and 10.7 rebounds, while limiting the opponents' bench to 15.9
points and 8.7 rebounds. Illinois' bench is outscoring the
opponents’ bench by 6.0 points per game and is out-rebounding the
opponents by 2.0 boards per game.
Bench numbers (points-rebounds):
32-9 vs. Lehigh 9-7
40-18 vs.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-8
32-9 vs. Western
Illinois 14-6
39-14 vs. North
Carolina 7-1
20-9 vs. Arkansas
19-13
12-13 vs. Eastern
Illinois 18-12
13-3 vs. Temple 8-8
30-13 vs. Missouri
26-11
17-12 at Memphis
11-15
12-10 vs. Coppin
State 6-8
11-10 vs. Oakland 5-7
14-11 at Minnesota
36-17
9-6 vs. Wisconsin
11-8
21-11 at Iowa 22-3
26-13 at Indiana 22-6
Illinois total
328-161, opponents 238-130
High-scoring Illini
Illinois has opened
the 2002-03 season by averaging 77 points per game, outscoring its
opponents by an average of over 16 points per game. Illinois is
shooting 49 percent from the field, ranking 11th in the nation in
field goal percentage (NCAA rankings as of Jan. 13), and has shot
better than 50 percent in eight-of-15 games this season.
Illinois is third in
the Big Ten in scoring average (77.1), first in scoring margin
(plus 16.3), first in field goal percentage (.490) and second in 3-point
field goal percentage (.383). Illinois' top six scorers are all
shooting 47 percent or better from the field.
Top 25 streak continues
Illinois began the
week ranked No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending
its streak to 49 consecutive polls in which the Illini have been
ranked, including every poll during Bill Self's tenure. Illinois is
ranked No. 18 in the AP’s top 25.
The Illini had a
school-record streak of 30 straight polls in the top 10 snapped last
January, but has never dropped out of the Coaches' Top 25 under
Self.
The book
on Cook
Senior Brian Cook, a preseason Big Ten
Player of the Year selection, is proving the recognition was
deserved. He may deserve more -- as in National Player of the Year
candidate. Cook leads the Big Ten in scoring at
21.1 points per game, while ranking third in rebounding at 8.5
boards per contest. He also ranks sixth in the league in field goal
shooting (.527) and 12th in free-throw percentage (.809). Cook has
been Illinois' leading scorer and rebounder in 11 of his 13 games this
season.
Cook's 31-point total against Wisconsin
Jan. 11 was a career high and the most by an Illinois player since
Kevin Turner scored 35 versus Indiana on Jan. 3, 1998.
Cook had a of consecutive made free
throws come to an end at 32 on Jan. 4 against Oakland, tying Rob
Judson for second place in school history for consecutive free
throws.
Cook enters the Purdue game with 1,423
career points, 12th on the UI career scoring list and just 17 points
shy of current NBA player Frank Williams for 11th.
After sitting out the first two games
of the season (along with teammate Jerrance Howard) as an NCAA
penalty for playing in an unsanctioned summer basketball tournament,
Cook returned and immediately established himself in the Illini
lineup.
Cook has scored at least 17 points in
all 12 games he's played, reaching 20 points or more nine times. He's also
had at least eight rebounds nine times and has averaged 10 boards
over the last eight games.
Cook's best scoring game came against
Wisconsin with a career-high 31 points. Other top games were 25
points each against Minnesota and Temple, 22 against North Carolina,
22 versus Oakland, 21 against Eastern Illinois and Memphis, and 20
versus Coppin State and Iowa.
In the win over No. 11 Missouri, Cook
scored 17, making all 10 of his free-throw attempts, and pulled down
a game-high nine rebounds. In Big Ten play, Cook
opened with 25 points and 11
boards against Minnesota and followed with 31 points and nine boards
against Wisconsin and most recently recorded the 12th double-double
of his career with 20 points and 12 rebounds at Iowa.
Dee-lightful,
Dee-pendable -- no Dee-bate, Dee can play
Who is the best freshman point guard in
college basketball? It's hard to find a rookie guard who has made
more of an impact than Illinois' Dee Brown. Brown has started every
game and leads the Illini in minutes played (33.9 avg.). He has
scored in double figures in nine games and is second on the
team in scoring, averaging 12.8 points. Brown exploded for a
career-high 25 points against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 10, hitting
10-of-14 shots, including a career-high five 3-pointers.
In two December performances in front
of national television audiences, Brown first had a game-high 21
points along with seven assists and five rebounds in Illinois'
victory over No. 11 Missouri to earn Big Ten Player of the Week
honors on Dec. 21. He then followed with 19 points, including five
3-pointers, along with three assists, three boards and no turnovers
in 37 minutes against Memphis.
Brown ranks second in the Big Ten in
assists, with 4.79 per game, and ranks third in the league with an
assist-turnover ratio of 2.40. He also ranks 21st in the Big Ten in
scoring, at 12.8 points per game. One of the quickest guards in
America, Brown has 1.5 steals per game for ninth in the Big Ten.
Among the top freshmen in the league,
he ranks among the top four in assists (first), points (fourth) and
steals (second) per game.
Brown
becomes first Illinois freshman to earn Big Ten Player of the Week
honors
Dee Brown became the first freshman in
Illinois history to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors. He was
honored on Dec. 23 after pouring in a game-high 21 points in the
Illini's victory over No. 11 Missouri.
The first-year point guard connected on
a trio of 3-pointers, recorded a game-high seven assists and added
five rebounds, including four on the offensive glass, in the win.
Against Missouri, Brown broke the 20-point barrier for the second time on the season, while his seven assists against the Tigers also
ranked as the second best output of his career.
Brown was the second Illini to earn Big
Ten Player of the Week accolades this season, as teammate Brian Cook
was honored on Dec. 9.
Twice as
nice -- Williams joins Brown in all-freshman backcourt
Deron Williams and Dee Brown make up
one of the best freshmen backcourts in the nation. The two rank
second and third, respectively, in the Big Ten in
assist-to-turnover ratio and have the Illini leading the Big Ten in
team assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. Brown leads the team in
minutes, at 33.9 per game, but Williams is third, at 24.7 minutes.
Williams is averaging 5.9 points, is second to Brown for the team
lead in assists with 66, and is tied for second on the team in steals with
17. He tanks second
in the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio, at 2.54, and is seventh in
assists, with an average of 4.4.
That's a
three -- Sean Harrington
Senior Sean Harrington has been hot
from behind the arc this season. He has made 41-of-80 treys, leading
the Big Ten and ranking sixth in the nation in 3-point field goal
percentage, at 51.3 percent. Harrington nailed a career-high six
3-pointers in Illinois' win over North Carolina on Dec. 3 en route
to a 20-point output, tied his mark by making six-of-eight treys on
his way to 18 points against Coppin State. He tied it again with
six-of-nine treys on his way to a career-high 22 points against
Minnesota. Against Oakland, he had 20 points, connecting on
five 3-pointers.
In his five games as a starter this
season, Harrington is averaging 13.8 points per game, including an
average of 20 points in his first three starts. It was the
first time in his career at Illinois that he scored in double
figures in three straight games.
Harrington is third on the team with 36
assists and has just 13 turnovers, for an assist-to-turnover ratio
of 2.77. He is also tied for second on the team with 17 steals. In games
played at the Assembly Hall, Harrington is 28-of-47 (.596) from 3-point
range.
Harrington ranks fifth on the UI career
list with 168 3-point field goals.
Augie hot
Another member of the heralded Illini
freshman class to shine has been newcomer James Augustine. He has
bolstered the UI frontcourt, averaging 6.7 points and shooting over
66.2 percent from the field, which would be leading the Big Ten in field
goal percentage with enough made baskets. He has scored in double figures five
times, with a season-high 17 points versus Wisconsin on Jan. 11.
He is second on the team, behind Brian
Cook, in
rebounding, averaging 5.4 boards.
Augustine has
been Illinois' top rebounder in three games, highlighted by
back-to-back nine-rebound performances versus Lehigh and
Arkansas-Pine Bluff. He ranks 18th in the Big Ten in
rebounding, at 5.4 per game, and ninth in blocked shots, at 1.3 per
game.
[Provided by Kent Brown,
assistant
athletics director
and
sports information director,
University of Illinois]
|
