Feb. 17, 2000

By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS - With their suspended 7-foot-1 star skipping classes and practices and preparing for the NBA draft instead of the Big Ten, Minnesota came up just short against Illinois on Thursday night.

The Illini got 20 points from Frank Williams and 18 from Lucas Johnson in an 89-80 victory over the depleted Golden Gophers at Williams Arena.

Illinois (16-7, 8-4) swept the regular season series with the Golden Gophers for the first time since 1991. But it wasn't as easy as their 73-59 victory over the Gophers two weeks ago. Minnesota was within four points with just over a minute left.

The Gophers (12-10, 4-8) played without sophomore center Joel Przybilla, who was suspended for academic reasons by new coach Dan Monson, brought in last summer to clean up a program that was sullied by extensive academic dishonesty under Clem Haskins.

Instead of trying to win back his starting spot, Przybilla decided to get ready for the NBA draft in June, according to his parents.

Przybilla was the Gophers' leading scorer (14.2), rebounder (8.4) and shot-blocker (3.9) and on Monday was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his career-best 33-point, 14-rebound effort in an upset of Indiana last week.

The Gophers also were without floor leader J.B. Bickerstaff, who broke his right leg against the Hoosiers.

But the Gophers got inspired efforts from several players, most notably Dusty Rychart, who scored 18 of his 20 points in a furious second half, and Kevin Burleson (15 points).

Junior Kyle Sanden, who recently rejoined the team after spending three months trying to meet academic requirements, replaced Przybilla and scored 8 points. Freshman Shane Schilling replaced Bickerstaff and scored 13.

The Gophers were within four at 82-78 with 1:10 left before Marcus Griffin sank two foul shots.

Monson was widely applauded by the crowd of nearly 14,000 during introductions and a halftime contestant in a promotion was roundly booed when it was announced he was from Monticello, Minn., Przybilla's hometown.