Feb. 7, 2000

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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It wasn't pretty, but the Illini got what they were seeking when they traveled to Penn State on Sunday: a victory. The 51-50 win over the Nittany Lions moved Illinois to above .500 in Big Ten play at 5-4.

Illinois never trailed in the first half, opening up a ten point lead behind the early scoring of Brian Cook. After Penn State cut the lead down to 18-14, the Illini closed out the last six minutes of the half with a 9-2 run to take an eleven point lead into the locker room.

While the Illini shot 55 percent in the first half, their defensive pressure frustrated the Lions in to just 32 percent shooting, while holding Jarrett Stephens and Joe Crispin to a combined eight points and six turnovers.

But in the second half, PSU warmed up while the Illini went ice cold from the floor. A twelve point lead at the 17-minute mark turned into a two point deficit as the Lions went on a 14-0 run. Penn State began connecting on the three-ball, with Crispin nailing two and Titus Ivory one as the hosts held onto a one point lead.

Cory Bradford had back-to-back threes to break the Illini out of its shooting slump. The game was tied with four minutes to go when Bradford and Sergio McClain each scored on layups to make it 51-47 with less than two minutes left.

After a Penn State basket, Illinois had a shot clock violation and PSU had a chance to tie. Joe Crispin drove to the basket and was fouled, but opened up a gash over his eye on the drive. He was unable to shoot the free throws, and was replaced by Brandon Watkins, who made one of two to make it 51-50.

Penn State fouled Brian Cook with :23 left, but Cook missed the front end of the bonus and the Lions called timeout to set up a play. Gyasi Cline-Heard was left all alone under the basket and was fouled on a dunk attempt with just :04 on the clock.

Cline-Heard, a 39 percent foul shooter, missed both free throws and the Lions fouled Cook with :03 left. Cook again missed his free throw, leaving the Lions one more chance. PSU threw a full length pass to Cline-Heard, who turned and had a clean look at a 15 footer. The shot bounced off the rim as the horn sounded, and the Illini escaped with the win.

About Michigan
Michigan owns a record of 12-7 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play coming into the Illinois game. The Wolverines opened conference play with a loss at Minnesota, then went on a three game winning streak. But since then, Michigan has lost four straight games, at Iowa, at Indiana, and at home to Michigan State and then Ohio State on Sunday.

The Wolverines are led by their outstanding freshmen class. Three of the newcomers, forward LaVell Blanchard, and guards Jamal Crawford and Kevin Gaines, are all averaging in double figures. Crawford is the leading scorer at 16.6 ppg, with Blanchard right behind at 15.7 per contest. Blanchard is also the team's leading rebounder and third in the Big Ten, with 8.2 rebounds per game. Crawford and Gaines rank fourth and fifth in the conference in assists, both dishing out 4.4 per game.

Michigan has a high-powered offense, averaging 79 points per game, the second highest average in the Big Ten. But on defense the Wolverines are giving up 79.3 points per game, which ranks last in the conference.

Illinois vs. Michigan: The History
Illinois and Michigan have met 135 times, with the Illini holding a slight 68-67 edge in the series. Illinois is 44-23 against the Wolverines in Champaign.

The two teams met for the first time this season in Ann Arbor on Jan. 16 with the Wolverines winning in overtime, 95-91. The Illini were led by Cory Bradford, who scored a game high 28 points, and Sergio McClain, who had a monster game on both ends of the floor. Earning his first start in almost two months, McClain scored 15 points and pulled down an amazing 18 rebounds. McClain's rebounding total was the most by an Illini player since Shelly Clark had 19 against Northwestern in 1995.

Foul trouble plagued the Illini all afternoon, with Marcus Griffin and Damir Krupalija each fouling out and the team collecting a season high 32 fouls. Michigan shot and made the most free throws in school history (37-of-45) on its way to victory.

RV/RV ILlinois (13-7, 5-4) vs. Michigan (12-7, 3-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 9 -7 p.m. (ESPN Plus)
Champaign, Ill. - Assembly Hall (16,450)

ILLINOIS

Reserves

MICHIGAN

The Head Coaches

Illinois Head Coach Lon Kruger
Overall Record: 309-230 (18th year)
At Illinois: 72-45 (4th year)

Michigan Head Coach Brian Ellerbe
Overall Record: 83-82 (6th year)
At Michigan: 49-35 (3rd year)

On the Air
ESPN+ R Play-by-Play: Tom Hamilton
ESPN+ R Color Analyst: Doug Altenberger
Radio Play-by-Play: Jim Turpin
Radio Color Analyst: Loren Tate

Illini Head Coach Lon Kruger
Lon Kruger is in his fourth season at the helm of the Illini program. He posted back-to-back 20 win seasons in his first two years at Illinois and took the Illini to consecutive NCAA Tournaments (1997, 1998). In 1999 with the Big Ten's most inexperienced team, Kruger led the 11th place Illini to the tournament championship game. In his career he has guided four teams to 20-win seasons and taken three to the NCAA Tournament.

Kruger Career Record

Illini Record Under Lon Kruger

Illini Record in 1999-2000

Team Comparisons

Illini Players vs. Michigan

Robert Archibald (2G, 6 ppg, 4.5 rpg)
High Points: 12, on 1/16/00
High Rebounds: 8, on 1/16/00

Cory Bradford (2G, 20 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
High Points: 28, on 1/16/00
High Rebounds: 3, on 1/16/00

Cleotis Brown (2G, 10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
High Points: 13, on 1/28/99
High Rebounds: 4, on 1/16/00

Victor Chukwudebe (4G, 1.5 ppg, 2 rpg)
High Points: 10, on 1/25/98
High Rebounds: 5, on 1/25/98

Brian Cook (1G, 2 pts, 0 reb)

Marcus Griffin (1G, 11 pts, 5 reb)

Sean Harrington (1G, 2 pts, 0 reb)

Lucas Johnson (2G, 4 ppg, 2 reb)
High Points: 8, on 1/28/99
High Rebounds: 4, on 1/28/99

Damir Krupalija (2G, 5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
High Points: 10, on 1/16/00
High Rebounds: 3, on 1/16/00

Nate Mast (1G, 6 pts, 1 reb)
High Points: 6, on 1/28/99
High Rebounds: 1, on 1/28/99

Sergio McClain (3G, 6.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
High Points: 15, on 1/16/00
High Rebounds: 18, on 1/16/00

Frank Williams (1G, 3 pts, 3 reb)

Cook Still Cookin'
When Marcus Griffin went down with a knee injury on Jan. 21, it opened the door for freshman Brian Cook to make his first start in an Illini uniform. Cook stepped up to the challenge by scoring a career high 20 points against the Nittany Lions.

He has not cooled down since. In the win over Iowa, Cook scored a game high 19 points and followed with 12 against Michigan State with six rebounds. In last week's two victories, he scored 16 points against Minnesota and had 15 points and seven rebounds against Penn State.

Since taking over as a starter, Cook is averaging 16.4 points per game the last five games.

Week-by-Week Rankings

National Polls

Williams Steps Up
In last week's win over Minnesota, Frank Williams put on a show by scoring 14 points and dishing out four assists. The point guard also had four steals and pulled down a career high 10 rebounds.

While Penn State held Williams' scoring in check on Sunday, the freshman impacted the game in other ways, with seven assists and five steals in a season-high 37 minutes of playing time.

Williams has put together a solid string of performances since a rough outing against Michigan on Jan. 16, when he had three points and six turnovers. He responded with 16 points off the bench in a home win over Penn State and led the team with seven rebounds.

He worked his way back into the starting lineup against Iowa and had another excellent showing, scoring 12 points with four assists, four steals, and just one turnover in 33 minutes.

Against Michigan St. on Jan. 30, he played a team-high 33 minutes while collecting 11 points and four assists despite beng guarded by All-American Mateen Cleaves.

Bradford's Streak Ends
Cory Bradford saw his streak of 31 straight games in double figures come to an end Jan. 26 against Iowa. Bradford scored just five points on 2-of-12 shooting, tying the second lowest scoring total of his career.

After scoring 13 points against Michigan State, Bradford was held under double figures against Minnesota last Wednesday for the second time in three games when he scored eight points on just 2-of-9 shooting.

He got back on track Sunday, scoring a game-high 18 points in the win over Penn State. Bradord has now scored in double figures in 46 of 52 career games.

McClain the Warrior
Earning his first start since the Bradley game on Nov. 22, Sergio McClain made the most of his opportunity against the Michigan Wolverines. In 33 minutes of action, he scored a season high 15 points and had five assists. But McClain's biggest stat was his astounding rebounding total. The 6'4? McClain pulled down a career high 18 rebounds, including six offensive. The 18 boards are the most by an Illinois player since March 8, 1995 when Shelly Clark tallied 19 against Northwestern.

McClain has thrived since returning to the starting lineup. Against the Hawkeyes, he scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and stepped up the defensive intensity, holding Iowa's Dean Oliver scoreless over the final 10 minutes of the game.

In Sunday's win over Minnesota, McClain was 4-of-6 from the field for eight points, including a layup with under two minutes left that put the Illini up for good.

Tough Losses
With the exception of Illinois' loss to No. 8 Michigan State Jan. 30, Illinois' other six losses have been decided by an average difference of only 3.7 points. Five of those six losses were by by four points or less. The biggest differential before the MSU loss was a six point defeat to Missouri on Dec. 21.

Griffin Sidelined with Injury
It seems as though the injury list for the Illinois basketball team grows longer every day. The most crushing blow came last week, when starting center Marcus Griffin went down with a knee injury during practice on Friday, Jan. 21. An MRI done the next morning revealed torn cartilage in his left knee. Griffin had arthroscopic surgery on Jan. 24 in Peoria and is expected to be out three to six weeks.

That's Bradford with a Three
Last year as a freshman, Cory Bradford set the Illinois school record for three-pointers made in a season with 85. Even more impressive is that he has made a three-pointer in 52-straight games, every game in his Illini career.

This season, Bradford has already made 59 threes, an average of 2.95 threes a game, which leads the Big Ten. He tied his season high of five threes against Michigan on Jan. 16. Bradford also nailed five threes against Seton Hall and Kansas.

More on Bradford
With his 28 points against Michigan on Jan. 16, Cory Bradford tallied the second-highest scoring output of his career and posted his 12th 20-point effort. Here's a list of the games when Bradford has hit the 20-point mark.

More Scoring
Last year Illinois struggled offensively, scoring over 70 points only eight times in 32 games and averaging 61.5 points for the season. This year, Illinois has more offensive fire power and the Illini are averaging 76.8 points per game, the third highest scoring average in the Big Ten.

Problems on the Boards
The Illini have been out-rebounded in seven of 18 games this year, including four of eight Big Ten games.

Illinois appeared to be turning its fortune around on the boards, outrebounding its last three opponents, including an advantage of +14 against Iowa. But against Michigan State, the Illini were beaten 41-16 on the boards, the largest margin of the season. The Illini got back on the plus side, outrebounding Minnesota 38-33 on Feb. 2 and tied Penn State with 33 each on Sunday.

More Threes this Year
Even with sharp-shooter Cory Bradford on the floor last season, the team high for three pointers in a game was only nine against Missouri. This season, the Illini have made nine threes or more in seven games, most recently nailing nine treys against Minnesota on Feb. 2.

Against Loyola-Chicago, Illinois made 13 of 25 three-point attempts. The 13 threes are just one behind the Illini single game record of 14, set against Iowa on Feb. 24, 1996.

This year Illinois is averaging 7.2 threes a game compared to only 5.15 last season. Illinois leads the Big Ten in three pointers per game.

Long Rangers
Ten Illini players have made a three-pointer this year. Cory Bradford leads the team with 59 threes, while Frank Williams is second with 24, and Lucas Johnson is third with 21. The other seven players who have made a three-pointer this year are Cleotis Brown (18), Sean Harrington (8), Brian Cook (7), Damir Krupalija (3), Sergio McClain (2), Nate Mast (1) and Joe Cross (1).

Illini in Big Ten Rankings
(As of Feb. 6) Cory Bradford is ninth in scoring (15.5 ppg), first in three-pointers per game (2.95), and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.378) ... Frank Williams is seventh in assists (4.25) and third in steals (2.35), while Sergio McClain is seventh in steals (1.78) ... Marcus Griffin is third in blocks (1.73) and eighth in offensive rebounds per game (2.47) ... Brian Cook is 11th in blocked shots (0.80).

Howard and Cross Eligible
Freshman Jerrance Howard and junior Joe Cross became eligible Jan. 18 when second semester classes resumed.

After receiving a qualifying ACT score in the fall, Howard officially joined the Illini program and worked out with the team in practice for the first time on Sunday, Dec. 19. It looks as though Howard will redshirt this season. In October, the point guard had surgery on his right shoulder to correct a circulatory problem.

Cross joined the Illini program last January after transferring from Florida International. According to NCAA rules, Cross was able to practice with the team, but had to sit out one year before becoming eligible for games. He saw his first game action against Michigan State on Jan. 30, nailing his first and only shot, a three late in the contest and then made his Assembly Hall debut one game later against Minnesota on Feb. 2.

Griffin Earns Big Ten Player of the Week Recognition
Illini center Marcus Griffin earned Co-Big Ten Player of the Week honors thanks to his outstanding play the week of Dec. 27. In just 17 minutes against Bethune-Cookman, Griffin scored 18 points and earned a double-double with 10 rebounds. He scored a season high 24 points in the win over Loyola, including 12-of-13 shooting from the free throw line. He was one rebound shy of notching his second double-double in a row against the Ramblers. In the two games, he combined for 42 points and 19 rebounds, while going 16-for-17 from the free throw line.

The 300th Victory
On December 8th against Texas-Pan American, Head Coach Lon Kruger collected the 300th victory of his career, when the Illini defeated UTPA 98-61. With the win, Kruger joined 47 other active head coaches who have reached the 300-club.

Kruger notched his first victory as a head coach against Air Force, 78-44, in the 1982-83 season at Pan American. It took the first-year coach three games to pick up win No. 1 after losses to Louisiana Tech, 66-58, and LSU, 76-67.

Bench Points
The Illinois bench is outscoring the opponent's bench by an average of 23.9 ppg to 18.6 ppg. Illinois has outscored the opponent's bench in 11 of 20 games.

Bradford on Wooden List
Illinois' Cory Bradford is one of 25 players named to the preseason list of candidates for the 2000 Wooden Award All-American team. The 1999 Big Ten Freshman of the Year is one of only four sophomores tabbed on the preseason list, joined by St. John's Erick Barkley, Florida's Mike Miller and DePaul's Quentin Richardson.

Bradford led the Illini last year with 15.4 ppg and broke the school record for three pointers in a season with 85. He earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament team after averaging 18.8 ppg in four tourney contests. He also made a statement with his three-point shooting accuracy in the tourney games, hitting on 17-of-29 (.586) attempts from behind the arc. Bradford's 494 points in 1999 were the most ever by an Illini freshman and he is the first player in Illinois history to hit a three-pointer in every game in a season.

New Faces on the Floor
There are several new faces donning the orange and blue this season. New on the Illini roster are freshmen Brian Cook, Sean Harrington, Jerrance Howard, and Frank Williams, and juniors Joe Cross and Marcus Griffin.

The Illini also have a new face on the coaching staff this year. Steve Henson, a former player under Lon Kruger at Kansas State, is in his first season as an assistant coach after spending the last 10 years playing professionally in the NBA, CBA and overseas.

Johnson Honors Former Illini Matt Heldman
On October 10, 1999 Matt Heldman, the starting point guard on the Illinois 1998 Big Ten Championship team, was killed along with his father and two others in a two-car collision in his hometown of Libertyville, Ill. Lucas Johnson, the younger brother of former Illini Brian Johnson wears tape on his arm with the number 21 to honor his friend and his brother's teammate and roommate.

Even with a shooting style that made coaches cringe, Matt Heldman was one of Illinois' best three-point shooters, ranking fourth on the all-time career list with 161 treys. In the Illini's first game Johnson hit 4-for-4 from three-point range. He matched that effort by nailing four treys against both Bethune-Cookman and Loyola-Chicago

Illini Basketball is a Hot Ticket
Single game tickets for Illini basketball games went on sale Nov. 3 and the Iowa and Indiana games are sold out. Here's a look at the remaining home games and the amount of tickets available.

The Peoria Trio
For the first time since the 1997 season, Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin and Frank Williams are reunited. All three players starred at Manual High School and teamed to win three state high school titles (1995, 96, 97). In 1994, McClain and Griffin were freshmen on the first of four consecutive championship teams.

McClain and Griffin signed with Illinois in the fall of 1996. McClain was a freshman at Illinois in 1997-98 and Griffin attended junior college the last two years. Williams signed with Illinois in the fall of 1997 and was a partial qualifier. He spent the 1998-99 season practicing with the team but was unable to play.

The Peoria trio have combined to average 30.5 ppg, 13.1 rpg, 7.5 apg, and 4.9 spg through 20 games this year.

Illini Picked Third
Illinois was picked to finish third in the Big Ten by a Big Ten coaches' vote and a conference media poll. Only five times in Big Ten history has a team that finished last in the league one year finished in the top three the following year. In 1916 Purdue was last in the Big Ten and then finished third in 1917. In 1955 Ohio State was last and then improved to third place in 1956. Michigan State was last in 1965 and then finished second in 1966. Minnesota placed last in the league in 1977 after being forced to forfeit all games from that season and then the Gophers were third in 1978. And last year Ohio State was second in the Big Ten after finishing 11th in 1998.

Illini Schedule
Six teams on the 1999-2000 Illinois schedule opened the season ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25 and five were in the Associated Press Top 25. Illinois' non-conference foes produced a record of 221-144 (.605) last year and eight of the teams produced winning records. Six of the non-conference opponents had 20 wins last year. The Illini schedule features three Final Four teams from a year ago and a total of 12 which played in the NCAA Tournament. (Duke, Indiana, Iowa, George Washington, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin). Four Illini opponents participated in the NIT (Bradley, Kansas State, Northwestern and Seton Hall).

Illinois will play five games against in-state teams: Western Illinois, Bradley, Loyola-Chicago, and twice against Northwestern during the course of the 1999-2000 season.

Bumps and Bruises
Lon Kruger is looking forward to the day when he has a complete group of healthy Illini. Here's a list of the injuries this year.

Sergio McClain (knee scoped), Damir Krupalija (knee scoped), and Cleotis Brown (pin in foot for stress fracture) all had surgery during the summer.

Victor Chukwudebe is bothered by a sore back that periodically has kept the senior out of practice. Sophomore Robert Archibald has also missed some practice time with a sore back.

Lucas Johnson took an elbow to the nose on Nov. 5 and had surgery on Nov. 10. He missed the exhibition game against Cimeba All-Stars.

Frank Williams jammed and sprained his finger in practice the week of Nov. 8.

Sergio McClain sat out the games against Maryland and Seton Hall because of sore knees.

Damir Krupalija sprained the big toe on his left foot in the game against Pan American. He sat out against Kansas State.

Nate Mast took an elbow to the mouth against Pan American and had stitches in his lower lip.

Victor Chukwudebe sprained the lower part of the index finger on his right hand in practice the week of Dec. 13.

Robert Archibald, hampered by a bad back, saw limited duty against Kansas. The back has continued to bother the sophomore and although he has not missed any more playing time he has sat out a number of practices.

Chukwudebe twisted his right ankle while working out over Christmas break. He had x-rays taken and did not play against Bethune-Cookman or Loyola-Chicago. After seeing limited action in the beginning of conference play, Chuwkudebe did not play against Michigan in order to rest his ankle.

Damir Krupalija, who is still bothered by a sprained big toe, also sat out the games against Bethune-Cookman, Loyola-Chicago, Ohio State and Wisconsin. He began participating in practice again on Wednesday, Jan. 5 and returned to action against Purdue.

Marcus Griffin injured his back in practice on Monday, Jan. 10 and saw it tighten up on him as he tried to enter the Purdue game on Jan. 12th. After returning to the training room to get his back loosened up, Griffin was able to play 20 minutes against the Boilers.

Marcus Griffin tore cartilage in his left knee during practice on Friday, Jan. 21 and underwent surgery on Monday, Jan. 24 to repair the tear. He is expected to miss three to six weeks.

Damir Krupalija suffered a mild to moderate sprain of his right ankle in the game against Minnesota on Feb. 2. Krupalija returned to play 12 minutes in Illinois' next game at Penn State on Feb. 6.

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