March 14, 2000

#4 Seed Illinois (21-9, 11-5) in the NCAA First & Second Round
Friday & Sunday, March 17 & 19, 2000
Winston-Salem, N.C. 1st Round vs. Penn (21-7) 12:15 p.m. ET

illinois' ncaa tournament history
Illinois has made 19 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, compiling a 23-20 record and making four NCAA Final Four appearances (1949, 1951, 1952, 1989). Illinois has appeared in the NCAA tournament in six of the last eight years and is making its third appearance in four seasons under Lon Kruger. Illinois is 2-2 in NCAA play under Kruger, splitting two games in 1997 (# 6 seed, Southeast) and 1998 (# 5 seed, West). The No. 4 seed this season is the highest under Kruger and highest since 1989 when Illinois was seeded No. 1 and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.

A quick look back:
recapping the 2000 big ten tournament

Illinois advanced to the Big Ten Tournament title game for the second straight season, with Michigan State ending the Illini's championship hopes for the second consecutive year.

Illinois, which entered the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed, defeated No. 5 Indiana in quarterfinal action 72-69, thanks to Cory Bradford's game winning three pointer from the corner with 1.3 seconds left in regulation. Freshman Brian Cook led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds.

In the semifinals, Illinois flexed its offensive muscle, scoring 94 points behind a season high 60 percent field goal shooting, to defeat No. 9 seed Penn State, 94-84. Cook had 18 points and seven rebounds, and point guard Frank Williams scored 16 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists. Damir Krupalija provided a spark off the bench with 9 points and 10 rebounds.

In the title game, No. 2 seeded Michigan State held the Illini to just 31 percent shooting, as the Spartans earned the championship with a 76-61 victory. Frank Williams led all Illini scorers with 11, while Cory Bradford and Cleotis Brown each added 10 points.

ILLINOIS

F 40 Sergio McClain (Jr., 6-4, 222, 6.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
F 22 Lucas Johnson  (So., 6-8, 217, 6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
C 34 Brian Cook     (Fr., 6-10, 231, 9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
G 13 Cory Bradford  (So., 6-3, 200, 15.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
G 30 Frank Williams (Fr., 6-3, 197, 11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.2 apg)

Reserves

00 Victor Chukwudebe (F, Sr., 6-7, 230, 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
 5 Nate Mast         (G, Jr., 5-11, 160, 0.8 ppg, 0.4 rpg)
12 Joe Cross         (G, Jr., 6-2, 205, 1.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
21 Robert Archibald  (F, So., 6-11, 228, 3.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
24 Sean Harrington   (G, Fr., 6-3, 185, 3.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg)
25 Jerrance Howard   (G, Fr., 6-1, 175, DNP)
32 Cleotis Brown     (F, Sr., 6-5, 220, 7.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)
33 Damir Krupalija   (F, So., 6-9, 216, 3.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
52 Marcus Griffin    (F, Jr., 6-9, 235, 10.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg)

The Head Coach

Illinois Head Coach Lon Kruger
Overall Record: 317-232 (18th year)
At Illinois: 80-47 (4th year)
In NCAA Tournament: 10-8 (2-2 at Illinois)
vs. Penn: 1-0 (1994 NCAA 2nd round, Fla. 70, Penn 58)
vs. Florida or Butler: First meeting
vs. Kansas: 5-10 or DePaul: 1-3
vs. Duke: 0-2 or Lamar: 0-7
Assistants: Robert McCullum, Rob Judson, Steve Henson

Illinois in the ncaa tournament

Illinois has been seeded fourth three times in its tournament history: 1981, 1983 and 1986 and has a record of 1-3 during those years (1981- 0-1, 1983- 0-1, 1986 1-1).

Illinois has a 23-20 (.535) all-time record in 19 NCAA appearances dating to 1942. Illinois qualified for the NCAA Final Four in 1949, 1951, 1952 and 1989. Illinois was seeded # 4 or higher in eight consecutive NCAA appearances from 1981-89, including the top seed in the Midwest Regional in 1989. Here is the complete Illinois NCAA history:

Overall NCAA record:
23-20 (.535) in 19 appearances dating to 1942.

Final Four appearances (4):
1949, 1951, 1952, 1989

Record as # 4 seed:

	1981	1-1
	1983	0-1
	1986	1-1

Illinois VS. NCAA FIELD

Illinois has faced 10 teams this season that are in the 64-team NCAA tournament, compiling a record of 5-8 vs. tourney teams. Here is a breakdown of the Illinois record vs. the NCAA field and the seedings for the opponents.

Overall mark vs. NCAA field 5-8
Record vs. NCAA East Regional 4-1 Indiana (2-0)
Kansas (1-0)
Seton Hall (1-0)
Duke (0-1)

IllINI PLAYERS IN NCAA ACTION

Victor Chukwudebe (4 G, 2.5 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
High Points: 6 vs. UT-Chattanooga (3/16/97)
High Rebounds: 4 vs. UT-Chattanooga (3/16/97)
3/14/97 vs. USC 12 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound
3/16/97 vs. UT-Chatt. 19 minutes, 6 points, 4 rebounds
3/12/98 vs. S. Alabama 11 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds
3/14/98 vs. Maryland 3 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds
Total (4 games): 45 minutes, 10 points, 5 rebounds

Sergio McClain (2 G, 2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
High Points: 3 vs. Maryland (3/14/98)
High Rebounds: 3 vs. Maryland (3/14/98)
3/12/98 vs. S. Alabama 17 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound
3/14/98 vs. Maryland 12 minutes, 3 points, 3 rebounds
Total (2 games): 29 minutes, 5 points, 4 rebounds

IllINI single game ncaa tourney records

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. This year record of 21-9 marks Kruger's third 20 win season in four years at Illinois. In his career he has guided four teams to 20-win seasons and taken three to the NCAA Tournament.

Kruger Career Record
Pan American, 1983-86 52-59
Kansas State, 1987-90 81-46
Florida, 1991-96 104-80
Illinois, 1997-present 80-47 (.630)
Total 317-232 (.577)

Illinois vs. PENN
Illinois leads Penn, 4-0 in the all-time series dating to 1947, going 2-0 at Huff Gym, 1-0 at Penn and 1-0 in New York City.

Coach Lon Kruger is 1-0 vs. Penn, as Florida defeated the Quakers, 70-58 in the 1994 NCAA Second Round enroute to the Final Four.

Penn Head Coach: Fran Dunphy
Career Record: 194-104 (11th year)
Record at Penn: Same
Series Record: Illinois leads 4-0
Largest Illinois win: 32 (98-66), Dec. 26, 1962 in New York City
Kruger vs. Penn all-time: 1-0

Cook, bradford nab big ten honors
Illinois sophomore shooting guard Cory Bradford was named second-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media, while freshman forward Brian Cook was tabbed Co-Freshman of the year by the coaches along with Michigan's LaVell Blanchard.

Bradford earned his first all-conference honors from the media, and his second from the coaches after being named to the third team and winning Freshman of the Year honors last season.

Bradford started all 30 games for the Illini and led the team with a 15.3 points per game scoring average. Bradford was Illinois' leading scorer in 14 games, with a season high 28 coming at Michigan on Jan. 16, and has scored 20 points or more in seven games this season. Bradford ranked first in the Big Ten in three-pointers per game (3.00) and has hit a three in 62 straight games, every game in his Illini career.

Cook helped earn the title of Co-Freshman of the Year after seeing his minutes and production rise significantly during Big Ten play. He made the first start of his career against Penn State on Jan. 22, scoring a game high 20 points. He scored his career high of 21 in the win over Iowa on Feb. 12, and recorded his first double-double against Ohio State on Feb. 27 with 17 points and 10 boards. He had back to back 18 point games in the first two rounds of the Big Ten Tournament. As a starter, Cook is averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds over the 15-game span. For the season, he carries averages of 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Cook EARNS ALL-TOURNEY ACCOLADES
Illinois freshman center Brian Cook was named to the All-Big Ten tournament team, joining Michigan State's Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, Penn State's Jarrett Stephens and Joe Crispin. Cook scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. Indiana and 18 points with seven boards vs. Penn State. In the title game, Cook scored seven points and hauled in five rebounds, giving him 43 points (14.3 ppg.) and 20 rebounds (6.7 rpg.) in his first Big Ten tournament.

krupalija a force in big ten tourney
Reserve forward Damir Krupalija had a break out weekend at the Big Ten tournament. In the quarterfinal victory over Indiana, Krupalija had six points and seven rebounds, in addition to a career high three steals. Then in the semifinal win over Penn State, Krupalija earned CBS Player of the Game honors for his nine points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting, a game and season high 10 rebounds, along with three steals and three assists. He added four points and three rebounds in the championship game against the Spartans.

Illini Jump Back Into National Rankings
Illinois reappeared in the AP Top 25 Feb. 28 after a six-week absence, and is currently 21st. After being ranked in the first ten polls of the year and as high as 15th twice, Illinois fell out of the national rankings following losses to Wisconsin, Purdue and Michigan. Down the stretch, Illinois has won 12 of 15 games, including seven in a row in one stretch, to climb back into the polls. Illinois beat one ranked team, Indiana, twice during the stretch, and the three losses were at No. 9 Michigan State, at No. 6 Ohio State and No. 5 Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament title game.

Illinois vs. Ranked Teams
Illinois is 4-5 against ranked teams this year (and 3-3 against ranked teams in the Big Ten). Illinois has played back-to-back ranked opponents twice, facing Duke (11/30) and Maryland (12/4) back-to-back in the non-conference season and Indiana (2/22) and Ohio State (2/27) in the Big Ten schedule. Illinois lost the games to both Duke and Maryland after missing last second shots, while the team split its games with Indiana and OSU, beating Indiana in Champaign before falling to Ohio State in Columbus on Senior Day.

Biggest Win over a Ranked Opponent Under Coach Kruger
Illinois' 87-63 win over No. 16 Indiana on Feb. 22 in Champaign was the largest (24 points) over a ranked team in the Lon Kruger era. The previous high was a 21 point win (84-63) over No. 13 Michigan State on Feb. 12, 1998.

protecting home court
Illinois won all but one game this year at Assembly Hall, finishing the season 12-1 at home. The one loss was a 66-69 setback to Purdue on Jan. 12. Illinois outscored its opponents by an average of 23.2 points per game at Assembly Hall. That is Illinois' best home record since the 1997-98 season, when the Illini went 13-1 with the lone loss again coming to the Boilermakers. The last Illinois team to go undefeated at home was the Final Four squad of 1988-89, which finished with a perfect mark of 17-0 at the Hall.

Seven in a Row
Illinois enjoyed a seven-game winning streak from Feb. 2-Feb. 22, the longest such streak in two years for the Orange and Blue. After starting the conference slate 1-3, many expected a young Illinois team to be unable to recover. But instead the team has regrouped and forced its way back into the upper half of the Big Ten, winning 10 of its last 12 conference games. The only losses in the last 12 games have come to top-10 teams on the road: at No. 9 Michigan State, 66-91 and at No. 6 Ohio State, 51-64.

Bradford SETS ILLINI THREE-POINT SINGLE-SEASON MARKS FOR MADE/ATTEMPTS
Sophomore Cory Bradford broke his own school record for single-season three-pointers made with 90 this season, breaking his own record of 85 set last season. Bradford has attempted 240 three-pointers this year, breaking Kevin Turner's 1997-98 school record of 212 three-point attempts in one season.

Griffin and Williams Eye Top 10 Single-Season Lists
While it will be a long shot for either Marcus Griffin or Frank Williams to set any single-season records this year, each has a chance to finish in the top 10, Griffin in blocked shots and Williams in steals. Griffin has 39 blocks, placing him ninth on the all-time list, just three shy of the seventh place tie at 42 by Derek Holcombe (1980-81) and Deon Thomas (1992-93). Holcombe's 86 blocks in 1978-79 in the UI single-season record. Williams has 70 steals, ranking eighth on the all-time UI single-season list, just one back of Kenny Battle (1987-88) and Derek Harper (1982-83), who are tied for sixth place with 72 and just two behind fifth-place Bruce Douglas' 73 in 1983-84. Battle owns the UI single-season steals mark with 89 in 1988-89.

Bradford Among Illinois' Top 50 Career Scorers
Less than two seasons into his Illini career, guard Cory Bradford has broken into Illinois' list of its top 50 career scorers. Bradford's 952 career points rank him 37th all-time at Illinois, and only 11 points away from Bill Small (963 points, 36th place).

Illinois Knows Defense Wins Games
While Illinois does not stand out among league leaders in many offensive categories, the Illini are on top in a number of defensive categories, proving once again the adage that defense wins games. Illinois led the Big Ten in steals and turnover margin, is fourth in scoring defense, and ranks fifth in field goal percent defense and second in three-point field goal percent defense.

'D' DOWN THE STRETCH Illinois won eight of its last nine games heading into the Big Ten Tournament, holding six of its last nine regular season opponents below 60 points, including 30 and 44 point outings by Northwestern. The Illini also held Penn State and Iowa to 50 points. In those nine games, Illinois held its opponent to an average of just 55.4 points per game. Here is a look at what the Illinois defense did during the 8-1 streak to end the regular season.

Pre-Illinois vs. Illinois

Griffin Makes Early Return
Center Marcus Griffin injured his knee on Jan. 21 and was told he'd miss three to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. But Griffin proved the doctors wrong, returning Feb. 9 against Michigan, only two and a half weeks after surgery. Coming off the bench, Griffin scored eight points and collected three rebounds in 15 minutes of action against the Wolverines and 10 points and five rebounds in 13 minutes against Iowa. He then played a post-injury best 23 minutes at Minnesota and chipped in 12 points and five rebounds in Illinois' win before scoring five points with two blocks and steals apiece against Northwestern. Griffin was efficient last week vs. Northwestern, hitting 4 of 7 shots and scoring 11 points with six rebounds in 15 minutes vs. the Wildcats.

Johnson Thrives as Starter
Sophomore Lucas Johnson has started the last 10 games and has averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game since starting. Johnson shot a team season-high 14 free throws Feb. 12 against Iowa, connecting on a career-high 12 en route to his season-high 16 point effort. He then set a career-high with 18 points at Minnesota as Illinois collected its first win at Willimas Arena since 1991 on Feb. 17. In the Big Ten tournament, Johnson had seven rebounds vs. Indiana and Michigan State. Illinois is 8-2 with Johnson in the starting lineup.

ILLINI 12-3 WITH COOK AS STARTER
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 20 points against the Nittany Lions.

He has not cooled down since. In twelve starts, Cook has scored 20, 19, 12, 16, 15, eight, a career high 21, five, nine, nine, 17 and five points to end the regular season. In the Big Ten tournament, Cook scored 18 points in back-to-back efforts against Indiana and Penn State and added seven points against Michigan State. He is averaging 13.3 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game since becoming the starting center and is the team's third leading scorer in conference play (10.2 ppg) despite averaging only nine minutes and 1.2 points per game in the Big Ten before stepping in for Griffin.

Cook recorded his first career double-double at No. 6 Ohio State on Feb. 27, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Cook also has two 20+ point efforst since starting, having scored 20 against Penn State in his first career start and 21 in a home game against Iowa.

Williams Improves rapidly
Since Jan. 16, Frank Williams has stepped up every aspect of his game. In wins over Michigan and Iowa on Feb. 9 and 12, Williams recorded 13 points, 13 assists and only two turnovers. He also tallied nine rebounds and four steals over the two games.

He scored a team-high 20 points at Minnesota, including 3-8 shooting from three-point land, with three assists and four steals in 30 minutes and added four points, two assists and three steals in a win at Northwestern.

Against No. 16 Indiana on Feb. 22, Williams scored 11 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. At Ohio State, he had 11 points and four assists with no turnovers. In the regular season finale against Northwestern, Williams tallied 17 points.

Williams' improved play began Jan. 22 against Penn State at home. Coming off the Michigan game, 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 State 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.

In the Big Ten tournament, the freshman point guard averaged 11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in three games, highlighted by his performance in the semis against Penn State when he scored 16 points with six rebounds and six assists.

Bradford: 55 double-digit games
Since scoring just eight points vs. Minnesota on Feb. 2, Cory Bradford has been scoring at a consistent clip, scoring a game-high 18 points in the win over Penn State and another game-high 22 against Michigan. He dipped to nine points against Iowa but scored 14 at Minnesota before tapping Indiana for 26, Ohio State for 14, Northwestern for 20 and posting three consecutive double-figure scoring games in the Big Ten tournament. Bradford has now scored in double figures in 55 of 62 career games.

Bradford saw his streak of 31 straight games in double figures come to an end Jan. 26 against Iowa. Bradford scored just five points, tying the second lowest scoring total of his career.

MT. MCCLAIN
Earning his first start since the Bradley game on Nov. 22, Sergio McClain made the most of his opportunity against the Michigan Wolverines on Jan. 16. 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.

At Iowa City, 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 the Feb. 6 win over Penn State, 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. He followed that up with a game-high eight rebounds at home against Michigan on Feb. 9 and another five boards, four assists and two steals against Iowa on Feb. 12. He scored in double figures with 11 points in three straight victories over Minnesota, Northwestern, and Indiana. McClain scored eight points with six assists vs. Indiana and came back with 11 points and six steals vs. Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament.

Packed House
Illinois sold out its last three home games (Iowa, Indiana and Northwestern), drawing 16,450 fans for each game. Prior to the Iowa sellout, Illinois had played one game with more than 16,000 fans in the stands (16,038 vs. Penn State) and three with 15,000 or more (15,841 vs. Ohio State, 15,082 vs. Purdue and 15,539 vs. Michigan) in the Hall.

For the season, Illinois drew 189,507 fans to Assembly Hall, an average of 14,578 per game, the highest average attendance since 1995-96.

Tough Losses
With the exception of Illinois' loss to No. 9 Michigan State Jan. 30 and the sixth-ranked Spartans by 15 in the Big Ten tourney title game, Illinois' other seven losses have been decided by an average difference of only 5.0 points. Five of those seven losses were by by four points or less. The biggest differential other than the MSU loss was a 15-point loss at No. 6 Ohio State. Illinois' worst loss to a team not ranked in the nation's top 10 was six points to Missouri, 72-78.

cory: 62 three-pointer games in a row
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 62-straight games, every game in his Illini career.

This season, Bradford has already made 90 threes, an average of 3.0 threes a game, which led the Big Ten. He tied his season high of five threes against Indiana on Feb 22. Bradford also nailed five treys against Seton Hall, Kansas and Michigan. His lone three-pointer vs. Indiana March 10 came with just 1.3 seconds remaining and gave the Illini a thrilling 72-69 victory over the Hoosiers.

More on Bradford
With his game high 20 points against Northwestern March 4, Cory Bradford tallied his seventh 20+ point effort of the season. It was his 15th 20+ point night of his career. 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, the Illini are averaging 76.0 points per game, the third highest scoring average in the Big Ten.

Problems on the Boards
The Illini have been out-rebounded in 13 of 30 games this year, including seven of 16 Big Ten games.

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 before tying Penn State, 33-33 on Feb. 6. After being outrebounded 39-35 against Michigan, the Illini responded by beating Iowa, 41-32, on the boards and Minnesota, 37-34 before dipping back down and losing the war on the boards, 35-31, at Northwestern. Illinois beat Indiana, 37-36, in a tight rebounding game Feb. 22 before losing out to OSU, 40-30, last Sunday. Illinois beat NU, 38-32 on the boards March 4. In the Big Ten tournament, the Illini were beaten on the boards vs. Indiana and Michigan State, but outboarded Penn State, 34-27.

THAT'S A 3 . . .
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 10 games, most recently hitting 9-18 three-pointers vs. Penn State in the Big Ten semifinal game. In the Big Ten title game, the Illini set a season high with 29 attempts vs. Michigan State.

Against Loyola, Illinois also made 13 three-pointers. 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 7.23 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 90 threes, while Frank Williams is second with 39, and Lucas Johnson is third with 29. The other seven players who have made a three-pointer this year are Cleotis Brown (20), Sean Harrington (17), Brian Cook (12), Damir Krupalija (5), Sergio McClain (3), Nate Mast (1) and Joe Cross (1).

Illini in Big Ten Rankings
(At end of regular season) Cory Bradford finished seventh in scoring (15.7 ppg), first in three-pointers per game (3.11), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.387), and tenth in field goal percentage (.375) ... Frank Williams was sixth in assists (4.22), seventh in assist to turnover ratio (1.56) and second in steals (2.44), while Sergio McClain was seventh in steals (1.75) ... Marcus Griffin finished fourth in blocks (1.55) and 11th in offensive rebounds per game (2.09) ... Brian Cook was ninth in blocked shots (0.85).

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.

Team Krush a Success
The University of Illinois men's basketball student section, Orange Krush, is more than a cheering section for the basketball program. Students in Krush solicit pledges throughout the year for three-point shots made by the Illinois team in order to raise money for charity. In return, they have the chance to earn free tickets.

To date, Orange Krush has raised more than $52,000 in pledges, money that has been split between scholarships for needy students (50%), the Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund (25%) and local charities (25%).

Earlier this season, Krush has presented checks to Journey and Crisis Nursery, local charities, in addition to a $2,000 check that was presented to Dick Vitale for the Jimmy V. Foundation before the Illinois-Duke game earlier this season at the United Center.

Orange Krush recently began a drive to begin the Orange Krush Endowment which will create the Orange-Krush - Matthew Heldman Memorial Men's Basketball Scholarship in tribute to Heldman, the point guard of the 1998 Big Ten Championship team, who was tragically killed in a car accident earlier this year. The endowed scholarship would go to the men's basketball program, significantly enhancing Illinois' ability to recruit top-flight student-athletes to the men's basketball program.

New Faces on the Floor
There are many new faces on the Illini roster this season. Newcomers include 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 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.

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 for 775 (25.8) points, 327 (10.9) rebounds, 213 (7.1) assists and 133 (4.4) steals through 30 games.

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).

Bumps and Bruises
Illinois only played five Big Ten games all season in which the entire roster was healthy and available to play. 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. Griffin missed five games before returning against Michigan, Feb. 9, only two and a half weeks after surgery.

Damir Krupalija suffered a mild 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.

Victor Chukwudebe reinjured his finger in practice on Feb. 11 and did not play against Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana or Ohio State.

Robert Archibald came down with the flu on Feb. 16 and did not travel with the team to Minnesota.

Sergio McClain missed the Northwestern game with a sprained left knee.

Cory Bradford missed most of the first half of the Big Ten Tournament Championship game against Michigan State after suffering a broken nose. He is scheduled to have surgery next Monday (Mar. 20) to have it set.

UI vs. Ranked Opponents
Under Lon Kruger, the Illini have won 17 games against ranked opponents. Following is a complete list of the Illini vs. ranked opponents under Lon Kruger.

Week-by-Week Rankings

National Polls

Illini Record Under Lon Kruger

Illini Record in 1999-2000

Did you Know ...
... Sergio McClain, Frank Williams, Brian Cook. They all share a common bond, being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois. McClain won the award in 1997, Williams in 1998 and Cook in 1999. Illinois is the first school to have three of the state's Mr. Basketball honorees on the roster at the same time.

... Since 1980 Illinois has signed 11 McDonald's All-Americans and three are currently on the Illini roster. Marcus Griffin made the All-America team in 1997, Williams in 1998 and Cook in 1999. Illinois has signed the tenth highest number of McDonald's All-Americans among Division I schools.

... Illinois has the 18th best all-time winning percentage (.641) among Division I schools.

... Illinois has an all-time record of 1378-771. The 1378 wins rank 19th on the Division I list.

... Illini Head Coach Lon Kruger was an Academic All-American in 1974.

... Illini Assistant Coach Rob Judson was an Academic All-American in 1979.

... Eight Illini players have been first-round draft selections, including Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill from the 1989 Final Four team.

... That Lon Kruger sang Take Me Out to the Ball Game in the seventh inning stretch at a Chicago Cubs game this summer.

... Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten behind Indiana and Michigan in total NCAA appearances.

... Illinois is third in wins and winning percentage in Big Ten games behind Indiana and Purdue.

... Former Illini Jerry Hester, Jarrod Gee and Kevin Turner, all starters on the 1998 Big Ten Championship team, are playing professionally in Poland. Hester and Gee are on the same team.

big ten final standings

By the Numbers
1 Illinois was the only team in the preseason Associated Press poll that had a losing record last season.

2 Number of double-doubles Marcus Griffin has recorded this season.

3 Number of Illini players originating from foreign countries. Robert Archibald was born in Scotland, Victor Chukwudebe is a native of Nigeria, and Damir Krupalija moved to the United States from Bosnia.

4 There are four different states represented on the Illinois roster (Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Alabama).

10 A total of ten Illini players have made a three-pointer this year, led by Cory Bradford with 90 treys.

11 The number of players on the roster from the state of Illinois (Victor Chukwudebe, Brian Cook, Joe Cross, Marcus Griffin, Sean Harrington, Jerrance Howard, Lucas Johnson, Damir Krupalija, Nate Mast, Sergio McClain, Frank Williams).

11.0 The scoring margin between the Illini and opponents.

13 The number of assists Frank Williams had against Loyola-Chicago on Dec. 30, ranking third all-time for single game assists by an Illini player

13 The number of threes Illinois made against Loyola-Chicago and Indiana, just one shy of the Illini single game record of 14 set against Iowa on February 24, 1996.

13 Illinois has racked up 13 Big Ten Championships with the last one coming in 1998.

18 Number of rebounds Sergio McClain had against Michigan, the most since Shelly Clark pulled down 19 against Northwestern on March 8, 1995.

19 Illinois has produced a 20-win season 19 times.

30 The number of team assists by the Illini in the semifinal Big Ten Tournament win over Penn State, the most since 1993 (vs. Chicago State).

31 School record for wins, set by the 1989 team.

50 The winning margin for Illinois over Bethune-Cookman, the largerst since Dec. 18, 1993 when Illinois beat Chicago State by 69 points, 121-52.

62 Consecutive games in which Cory Bradford has hit a three-pointer.

107 Points scored in the win over Loyola-Chicago, the most since Dec. 22, 1993 when Illinois lost to Missouri in triple overtime, 107-108

118 Number of career games for Victor Chukwudebe.

317 Number of victories for Head Coach Lon Kruger.

Illinois Team Season Highs

Points --           107  (12/30/99 vs. Loyola-Chicago)
Rebounds --          47  (12/28/99 vs. Bethune-Cookman)
Assists --           30  (3/11/00 vs. Penn State)
Steals --            18  (12/28/99 vs. Bethune-Cookman,
                          vs. Northwestern, 2/19/00)
Blocks --             8  (11/30/99 vs. Duke)
Turnovers --         23  (11/22/99 vs. Bradley)
Fouls --             32  (1/16/00 vs. Michigan)
Field Goals --       36  (12/8/99 vs. Texas-Pan American)
FG Attempts --       75  (1/16/00 vs. Michigan)
FG Percentage --   .600  (3/11/00 vs. Penn State)
Three-Pointers --    13  (12/30/99 vs. Loy., 2/22/00 vs. Indiana)
Three-Point Att. --  29  (3/12/00 vs. Michigan State)
Three-Point Pct. --.520  (12/30/99 vs. Loyola-Chicago)
Free Throws --       31  (2/9/00 vs. Michigan)
FT Attempts --       43  (2/9/00 vs. Michigan)
FT Percentage --   .808  (1/16/00 vs. Michigan)

Illinois Individual Season Highs

Points --      28,  Cory Bradford  (1/16/00  vs. Michigan)
Rebounds --    18,  Sergio McClain (1/16/00  vs. Michigan)
Assists --     13,  Frank Williams (12/30/99 vs. Loyola)
Steals --       6,  Frank Williams (12/28/99 vs. Bethune)
                6,  Sergio McClain (3/11/00  vs. Penn State)
Blocks --       4,  Marcus Griffin (11/30/99 vs. Duke)
                4,  Marcus Griffin (12/12/00 vs. Purdue)
Field Goals -- 10,  Cory Bradford  (2/22/00  vs. Indiana)
FG Attempts -- 22,  Cory Bradford  (1/16/00  vs. Michigan)
3-Pointers --   5,  Cory Bradford  (12/5/99  vs. Seton Hall)
                5,  Cory Bradford  (12/18/99 vs. Kansas)
                5,  Cory Bradford  (1/16/00  vs. Michigan)
                5,  Cory Bradford  (2/22/00  vs. Indiana)
3-Point Att. --13,  Cory Bradford  (12/18/99 vs. Kansas)
               13,  Cory Bradford  (1/16/00  vs. Michigan)
Free Throws -- 12,  Marcus Griffin (12/30/99 vs. Loyola)
               12,  Lucas Johnson  (2/12/00  vs. Iowa)
FT Attempts -- 14,  Lucas Johnson  (2/12/00  vs. Iowa)