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Probable
Illinois starters
F, 34, Brian Cook (senior, 6-10, 240,
21.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg)
F-C, 40, James Augustine (freshman,
6-10, 220, 6.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
G, 4, Luther Head (sophomore, 6-3, 175,
8.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
G, 11, Dee Brown (freshman, 6-0, 175,
12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.6 apg)
G, 5, Deron Williams (freshman, 6-3,
210, 6.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.6 apg)
Off the
bench
C, 1, Aaron Spears (freshman, 6-9, 250,
3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F, 23, Blandon Ferguson (senior, 6-3,
205, 2.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
G, 24, Sean Harrington (senior, 6-3,
185, 9.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
G, 25, Jerrance Howard (senior, 6-1,
200, 0.0 ppg, 0.1 rpg)
G, 31, Nick Huge (junior, 6-4, 215, 0.7
ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F, 32, Kyle Wilson (freshman, 6-8, 230,
2.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
F, 42, Clayton Thomas (senior, 6-7,
240, 0.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
F, 43, Roger Powell (sophomore, 6-6,
220, 7.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
C, 45, Nick Smith (sophomore, 7-2, 240,
5.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
Coaching
Illinois
Head coach: Bill Self -- overall record
195-101 (10th year) and 27-10 in the Big Ten; at Illinois, 66-20
(third year); all time versus Penn State, 2-1
Associate head coach: Norm Roberts
(third year)
Assistants: Tim Jankovich (first year)
and Wayne McClain (second year)
Trainer: Rod Cardinal (30th year).
Penn
State
Head coach: Jerry Dunn -- record at
Penn State, 115-110 (eighth year); all time versus Illinois, 3-8;
overall record the same
Assistant coaches: Christian Appleman,
Mike Boyd, Pat Brogan
On the
air
Television: ESPN-Plus regional -- Wayne
Larrivee, play-by-play; Shon Morris, expert
ESPN-Plus analyst
Radio: Illini Sports Radio Network, 43
stations -- Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Loren Tate, expert analyst
and pre-game and halftime reports.
Quick
shots
After five Big Ten games, Brian Cook
leads the Big Ten in scoring (22.6 average) and is second in
rebounding (9.0 average), while James Augustine leads in field goal
shooting (19-27, .704) and Dee Brown leads in assist-turnover ratio
(5.75). ... Brian Cook has scored at least 15 points in all 14 of
his games this season, including at least 20 10 times. He has scored
20 or more in seven of the last eight 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 52.4 percent (22-of-42) from 3-point range over the last
six games and 57 percent (28-of-49) in nine games at the Assembly
Hall this season. … Illini players are currently leading in three
Big Ten statistical categories for all games. Brian Cook leads the
Big Ten in scoring (21.1 ppg), Dee Brown leads in assist-to-turnover
ratio (2.47), and Sean Harrington leads the conference in 3-point
field goal percentage (.500) ... Prior to losing consecutive Big Ten
road games at Iowa and Indiana, the Illini had won five consecutive
conference road contests.
Last time
out -- Illinois 75, Purdue 62
Illinois returned home after two
consecutive road losses and used the familiar surroundings to post a
75-62 win over conference leader Purdue Wednesday at the Assembly
Hall. The Illini held the Boilers to just 32.8 percent field goal
shooting and 19 percent from beyond the 3-point line. Purdue pulled
down 20 offensive rebounds, which allowed the Boilermakers to stay
in the game. Illinois' Brian Cook, with 22 points, led all scorers,
while Luther Head scored a season-high 15 and Deron Williams scored
11, grabbed a game-high seven rebounds and handed out a game-high
seven assists.
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 Kirby Wilson is coach for the running backs. 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. Illini football coach Ron Turner's nephew, Chris
Turner, is an offensive assistant with the Raiders.
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 as he 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. He added 11 rebounds
for his 11th career double-double and his 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. He 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 UI points, as he scored 22 of the Illini's
final 26 points in the game. His 12 field goals are the most by any
Big Ten player this season.
Cook earned his second Big Ten Player
of the Week accolade this season, as he was also honored on Dec. 9,
and the third of his career.
Self
defense
After 16 games this season, Illinois
opponents are shooting just 37.0 percent from the field, including
just 27.6 percent from 3-point range. The Illini rank fifth in the
nation (as of Jan. 20) in field-goal-percentage defense.
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, 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 (five-of-26) from 3-point range.
Illinois has now held eight of its last
10 opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field and has a
total of 10 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 (.370) and 3-point percentage defense
(.276) and is second in scoring defense, allowing opponents an
average of just 60.9 points. In addition, the Illini rank fourth in
the league in rebounding margin (plus 4.0).
In the latest national statistics (as
of Jan. 20) compiled by the NCAA, Illinois ranks fifth in
field-goal-percentage defense and ninth in scoring margin (plus
16.3) while ranking 15th in scoring defense (60.9).
Howard
says 2003 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 (18.60 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 66.4 percent of its baskets (297 assists on
447 FG) on the season. Guards Dee
Brown and Deron Williams rank third and
fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten in assists, with averages of
4.62 and 4.56 per game.
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 23rd in the nation in field goal percentage
(NCAA rankings as of Jan. 20), and has shot better than 50 percent
in eight-of-16 games this season.
Illinois leads the Big Ten in scoring
average (77.0), scoring margin (plus 16.1) and field goal percentage
(.490) and is second in 3-point field goal percentage (.383).
Illinois' top six scorers are all shooting 47 percent or better from
the field.
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Bench
play
The Illinois bench has been very
productive this season, averaging 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds,
while limiting the opponents' bench to 16.0 points and 8.8 rebounds.
Illinois' bench is outscoring their opponents by 4.1 points per game
and is out-rebounding the opponents by 1.6 boards per game.
Bench
numbers (points-rebounds):
Illinois, 32-9; Lehigh, 9-7
40-18; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 14-8
32-9; Western Illinois, 14-6
39-14; North Carolina, 7-1
20-9; Arkansas, 19-13
12-13; Eastern Illinois, 18-12
13-3; Temple, 8-8
30-13; Missouri, 26-11
17-12; Memphis, 11-15
12-10; Coppin State, 6-8
11-10; Oakland, 5-7
14-11; at Minnesota, 36-17
9-6; Wisconsin, 11-8
21-11; at Iowa, 22-3
26-13; at Indiana, 22-6
6-6; Purdue, 18-11
334-167; total for opponents, 256-141
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 top 25.
The Illini had a school-record streak
of 30 straight polls in the top 10 snapped last January but have
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
(26th nationally as of Jan. 20), while ranking third in rebounding
at 8.4 boards per contest. He also ranks sixth in the league in
field goal shooting (.531) and 11th in free-throw percentage (.810).
Cook has been Illinois' leading scorer and rebounder in 12 of his 14
games this season.
Cook's 31 points against Wisconsin Jan.
11 were a career high and the most by an Illinois player since Kevin
Turner scored 35 versus Indiana on Jan. 3, 1998.
Cook had a streak 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 Penn State game with
1,445 career points, placing him 11th on the UI career scoring list,
just four points shy of Don Freeman and 10th place, and 14 points
from Dave Scholz and ninth place.
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 15 points in
all 14 games he's played, reaching 20 points or more 10 times. He's
also had at least eight rebounds nine times and has averaged 9.3
boards over the last 10 games.
Cook's best scoring game came against
Wisconsin, when he made a career-high 31 points. Other top games
were 25 points each against Minnesota and Temple; 22 against North
Carolina, Oakland and Purdue; 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 at Minnesota, 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 (33.8 average). He has
scored in double figures in 10 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 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 third in the Big Ten in
assists, with 4.62 per game, and ranks first in the league with an
assist-turnover ratio of 2.47. He also ranks 18th in the Big Ten in
scoring at 12.8 points per game. One of the quickest guards in
America, Brown's 1.4 steals per game ranks 11th 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, when 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.
Brown broke the 20-point barrier for the second time on the season
against Missouri, 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
first 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 25.3 minutes. Williams is
averaging 6.2 points, is second to Brown by one with 73 assists and
is tied for second on the team in steals with 19. He ranks third in
the Big Ten in assist-turnover ratio at 2.35 and is fourth in
assists with an average of 4.56.
That's a
three -- Sean Harrington
Senior Sean Harrington has been hot
from behind the arc this season. He has made 41-of-82 treys, leading
the Big Ten and ranking sixth in the nation (as of Jan. 20) in
3-point field goal percentage at 50 percent. Harrington nailed a
career-high six 3-pointers in Illinois' win over North Carolina on
Dec. 3 en route to 20 points and 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, Harrington had 20 points,
connecting on five 3-pointers. For the first time in his career at
Illinois he scored in double figures in three straight games. In his
five games as a starter this season, Harrington is averaging 13.8
points per game, including an average of 20.0 points in his first
three starts.
Harrington is third on the team with 38
assists and has just 14 turnovers, for an assist-to-turnover ratio
of 2.71. He is also tied for second on the team with 19 steals. In
games played at the Assembly Hall, Harrington is 28-of-49 (.571)
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 6.8 points and shooting 65.3
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
Jan. 11.
Augustine is also second on the team,
behind Brian Cook, in rebounding, averaging 5.4 boards. He has been
Illinois' top rebounder in three games, highlighted by back-to-back
nine rebound performances versus Lehigh and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Augustine ranks 16th in the Big Ten in rebounding at 5.4 per game
and ninth in blocked shots at 1.2 per game.
Cook
named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week following wins over UNC and
Arkansas
Brian 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. Cook was also the
leading scorer in Illinois'
62-58 win
over Arkansas, scoring 18 points in 39 minutes of action. Cook 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.
[Provided by Kent Brown,
assistant
athletics director
and
sports information director,
University of Illinois]
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