Nov. 17, 2001
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ILLINOIS OPENS SEASON AT CLEMSON
Illinois opens the 2001-2002 season at Clemson on Monday, Nov. 19. Clemson
posted a 21-10 record in 2000-2001. The Tigers return three starters from
last year's team including Chrissy Floyd, who averaged 16.9 points per game.
Illinois is coming off a 17-16 record last year, which included a trip to
the WNIT. The Illini advanced to the second round.
SUCCESSFUL START
The Illinois-Clemson series is tied at 1-1. Illinois opened last year with
an impressive 80-62 win over the Tigers in Champaign. Illinois began last
season ranked No. 24 in the country. Cindy Dallas had a career high 12
rebounds in her first game back from knee surgery. Dawn Vana had 15 points
on 6 of 6 shooting coming off the bench. Illinois out-rebounded Clemson
45-31. Illinois led 36-26 at halftime. Free throws were a big story with
Illinois making twice (20) as many free throws as Clemson attempted (10).
REMEMBERING THE NCAA
Illinois returns to Clemson for the first time since the first and second
rounds of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. The Illini defeated Louisville, 69-67
before falling to the host Tigers, 63-51 in the second round. Dawn Vana is
the only current Illinois player to play in those games. She had one rebound
vs. Louisville and two points and one rebound vs. Clemson
The Louisville game was the second of Tauja Catchings dramatic game
winning shots. Her driving lay-up with 1.7 seconds left and the game tied
lifted the Illini over the Cardinals. She pulled off the same feat in the
Big Ten Tournament vs. Penn State in the semifinal round.
THE SCHEDULE
Clemson is one of nine teams on the current Illinois schedule who played in
the NCAA Tournament last season. Purdue advanced to the championship game
before falling to Notre Dame.
Other NCAA Tournament teams on the slate this year include Iowa,
Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, Penn State, St. Mary's and Wisconsin.
THE COACHES
Illinois is coached by Hall of Famer Theresa Grentz who has a 577-227
overall record in 27 years of coaching. She has a 116-72 record in six
seasons at Illinois.
Clemson is coached by Jim Davis who has a record of 317-146 in 15 years
overall and a 299-138 in 14 years at Clemson.
ILLINOIS' explosive offense
If the exhibition season is any indication, Illinois will be tough to stop.
The Illini scored 202 points in victories over the Ohio Girls' Basketball
Magazine Legends (105-90) and LKKA-Kaunas (97-34).
Illinois' starting post players combined for 112 points and 54 rebounds.
Cindy Dallas led the way with 47 points and 18 rebounds combined in the two
games. Iveta Marcauskaite had back-to-back double doubles with 17 points and
10 rebounds vs. OGBM and 13 points and 11 boards vs. LKKA.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Illinois competed in six games over 13 days in an international tour of
Russia, Latvia and Lithuania from Aug. 7-19.
Playing against players ages 25 and up, Illinois posted a 2-4 record and
nearly won the last three games of the trip.
Illinois visited the Hermitage and St. Isaac's Cathedral while attending
the Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg. In Lithuania the team toured the world
famous Hill of the Crosses outside Sialiaui, Lithuania. The last four days
were spent in Riga, Latvia, during the 800th anniversary of the City of Riga
celebration.
One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to Iveta Marcauskaite's
hometown of Sialiaui. Illinois played a team of university all-stars
preparing for a trip to China while in Lithuania. Marcauskaite stole the
show by scoring 29 points and eight rebounds on 12 of 18 shooting. She
scored 18 of her points in the first half.
THE THERESA GRENTZ TV SHOW
The Theresa Grentz Show is going to school, literally. Beginning Dec. 16,
continuing on Jan. 6 and the following nine weeks, the Grentz Show will be
aired on WCIA-TV Sunday morning. The shows will be taped at local grade
schools and junior high schools the Friday before. Coach Grentz is issuing a
life message to kids in each of the shows.
DALLAS EMERGING
Cindy Dallas has emerged as a dominating force on the inside. The emergence
really began last season when she scored a career high 16 points in a 80-68
upset of third-seeded Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament.
Over the summer Dallas scrimmaged with some men's players at Point Park
College in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pa. She gives a lot of credit to that
experience in the advancement of her game.
That really showed during the international tour. Dallas had six double
doubles in six games. She averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game on
the trip. She began the trip with 14 points and 14 rebounds vs. Club Dynamo
Kursk then poured in 21 points and 12 rebounds in the rematch with Dynamo.
In the exhibition games, Dallas had 47 points and 18 rebounds while
shooting 65 percent from the field.
Dallas played 661 minutes last season after playing just 48 minutes
combined in her first two years with Illinois. Dallas is in the same class
as seniors Holly Wilson and Dawn Vana.
THE TURNING POINT
Perhaps the turning point in the trip and for this group of players came on
Aug. 12 vs. Club Dynamo, the third-ranked team in Russia. After falling in
each of its first two games by double digits, Illinois reached a defining
moment. Trailing 75-58 after three quarters, Illinois rallied to close the
gap to 88-87 with just over a minute to play.
Cindy Dallas had 21 points and 12 boards. With the shot clock winding down
during that stretch, Shavonna Hunter hit a 30-foot three-pointer to keep the
momentum going. Though Illinois didn't win, it gave the team a spark and
helped bring the team closer together.
ATTRACTING WINNERS
Although Illinois has always attracted talent from winning teams, that is no
more apparent then in this year's freshmen and the recent signees.
Jer? Issenmann played for Mason, Ohio, the 2000 Ohio state champion which
finished the season ranked second in the nation after placing second in
1999. Mason lost a total of five games in four seasons with Issenmann on the
squad.
Tiffanie Guthrie played for Trotwood-Madison, which won four GMVC titles
and made three straight tournament appearances.
Angelina Williams played for George Washington in Chicago, which advanced
to the championship game of the 2000 state tournament, posting a 31-4
record.
In the Class of 2006, which just signed letters of intent on Nov. 14,
Jessica Wright has played Indiana Class 3A finalists and one runner-up at
Indianapolis Cathedral High School, Brittney Daugherty and Peoria Central
advanced to the Elite Eight the last two years, Maggie Acuna has a combined
for a record of 80-13, including 60-3 in the last two years, Kari Embree
played for Loyola when the Ramblers reach the Elite Eight in 1999, Janelle
Hughes' Hillcrest team combined for an 80-9 record and three regional and
two sectional titles in the past three seasons.
FOUR OPENERS....
Illinois is 4-2 in season openers under Head Coach Theresa Grentz. Illinois
will be looking for its fourth straight opening game victory, having won the
first game each of the past three seasons.
The Illini defeated Clemson at home, 80-62, last year, downed Western
Michigan, 112-73 to start the 1999-2000 season, and won at Stanford, 76-58
in 1998-99.
Several Illinois players have been impressive in those openers. Karen
Hagberg had 11 points and 7 rebounds and Shavonna Hunter had nine points two
years ago in their debuts. Cindy Dallas had 12 rebounds last year.
Do you remember? One of the most impressive Illinois debuts came in 1999
when Susan Blauser set an Illinois record for rebounds in a debut (18).
Illini Double-Doubles
Karen Hagberg (1 - career): 15 points, 10 rebounds vs. Michigan State
(1/30/00).
Shavonna Hunter (1 - career): 13 points, 10 steals vs. Kansas (12/18/99)
Iveta Marcauskaite (1-career): 16 points, 10 rebounds vs. Wisconsin
(1/25/01)
Cindy Dallas (2- career): 12 points, 10 rebounds vs. Kansas (11/28/00), 11
points, 12 rebounds vs. Northwestern, 2/08/01
Dawn Vana (1-career): 14 points, 14 rebounds vs. Ohio State (1/11/01)
GRENTZ TO HALL OF FAME
Theresa Grentz was elected to the women's basketball Hall of Fame. Grentz
makes to the Hall in just the third class of honorees. Counting the Class of
2001, just 61 people have that distinction. The formal induction ceremony
was June 8-9 in Knoxville, Tenn.
Coach Grentz is being honored not only for her accomplishments as a coach
but also for her accolades as a player. The coach was an imposing player
on the Immaculata AIAW National Championship teams from 1972-74 and was the
coach of the Olympic Team.
Grentz is beginning her 28th season as a head coach and seventh as the
head coach for the Fighting Illini. She has compiled a 577-227 record
overall and 116-72-65 mark at Illinois.
Besides her impressive credentials, Grentz is honored for her
advancement of the game of basketball. Her 1992 Olympic Team was the
catalyst for the present day women's professional league.
Grentz EYES 600
Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz, fresh off her induction into the Women's
Basketball Hall of Fame, eyes yet another milestone. The winningest coach at
both Rutgers and Illinois, has 577 victories, just 23 wins shy of 600.
MARCAUSKAITE HAS HOMECOMING
Illinois sophomore Iveta Marcauskaite competed in the Junior World
Championships July 14-22 in the Czech Republic. In the six-game tournament,
Marcauskaite had the second-best scoring average of any player in the entire
tournament, scoring 128 points in six games for an average of 21.3 points
per game. In other statistical categories, Marcauskaite led the tournament
in two-point field goals (46) and was fourth in offensive rebounds (32). She
was 46 of 91 from the field (.505) and 5 of 10 in three-pointers in six
games. Marcauskaite then scored 29 points in the Illini's 99-75 win over the
Lithuanian University All-Star team in August.
MILESTONES NEARING
Cindy Dallas needs 155 points for 400
Shavonna Hunter needs 210 points for 750, 48 steals for 200, 59 steals to
move into third and 94 steals to move into second on the Illini all-time
steals list, 92 assists for 300.
Iveta Marcauskaite needs 369 points for 750, 212 rebounds for 25th on the
all-time Illinois list, 22 blocks for 50 and ninth on the all-time Illini
list.
Dawn Vana needs 83 rebounds for 25th on the all-time list, 198 rebounds for
500, and 44 assists for 200 and 19th on the all-time Illinois list, 94
assists for 250 and 13th on the all-time list.
ILLINOIS CLASS OF 2006
Maggie Acuna, 5-6, G, Hinsdale, Ill. (Hinsdale Central)
Illinois found the point guard it was looking for in Acuna. An all-state
selection, Acuna averaged 8.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for her
career, including 10.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest last season.
Acuna's strength is running the offense and distributing the basketball.
Acuna had 475 assists for her career compared to just 236 turnovers, over a
2:1 ratio. Acuna has also amassed 381 steals, including 137 last season.
Acuna earned all-state honors in 2001 and three times was named to the
All-West Suburban Silver team. She also was named all-tournament at both
Wheaton North and Hinsdale South three times each. The Hinsdale Central Red
Devils won sectional titles in 2000 and 2001 and have claimed regional
titles all three years with Acuna on the roster.
Brittney Daugherty, 6-2, F, Peoria, Ill. (Peoria Central)
Brittney Daugherty is the latest to commit to Illinois. A 6-2 center, she
joins godbrother, Jerrance Howard, as basketball players for Illinois. This
summer she teamed up with some of her teammates and assistant coach and
ex-Illini Anita Clinton to win the top class at the Gus Macker tournament in
Peoria. As a member of the Chicago Hoops Express, Daugherty played on teams
that participated in the prestigious Loyola Blue Chip Tournament and won the
Deep South Classic. Daugherty was the team MVP.
In helping Peoria Central to the state tournament the last two years,
Daugherty averaged 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting .523
from the field last season. She led the Lions in rebounding 19 times. She
was also named to the all-tournament team at Galesburg and garnered
all-Mid-State Six first team accolades. Daugherty scored 20 points in the
supersectional win over Urbana in 2001.
Kari Embree, 6-4, Center, Wheeling, Ill. (H.S.)
Embree is a two-time NIKE All-American and was named a Street and Smith's
All-American in both 2000 and 2001. Embree is ranked No. 34 in the latest
Blue Star ratings of incoming seniors. Embree played two years at Loyola,
playing on the Ramblers Elite Eight team in 1999 before transferring to
Wheeling.
Embree was tenacious, averaging a double double -- 18.2 points, 10.7
rebounds per game. What's even more amazing were her 108 blocks. Embree
earned all-state accolades from the Chicago Sun-Times and is a three-time
all-conference selection.
Janelle Hughes, 5-8, G, Country Club Hills, Ill. (Hillcrest)
Hillcrest Head Coach John Maniatas called Hughes "the best point guard I've
ever coached." Hughes will give Illinois versatility at the guard spot. She
averaged 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 4.1 steals per game for
Hillcrest last season playing the point. This year Hughes will be an
off-guard. She is listed among the state's all-time best with 65
three-pointers last year, also a school record. Hughes did so in 135
attempts for a 48 percent clip.
Jessica Wright, 6-0, F, Indianapolis, Ind. (Cathedral)
Wright, ranked 45th in the nation by StudentSports.com, averaged 12.1 points
and 4.7 rebounds per game in 2001 for the Indiana High School Class 3A state
champions. Wright was invited to attend the NIKE camp in 2001 and earned
Pre-season First Team All-State honors by Hoosier Basketball Magazine.
Wright was named the state tournament MVP last season after scoring a
game-high 16 points vs. Plymouth for the 29-1 Lady Irish. She earned
all-city honors by the Indianapolis Star this season as well.
Grentz Gang Continues
Illini Fans are encouraged to join the Hometown Heroes Kids Club. Members of
the Hometown Heroes Kids Club will be able to get into women's basketball
games for free and sit behind the Illinois basket as part of the Grentz
Gang. Other kids will be able to sit in the Grentz Gang by purchasing a $2
ticket and being one of the first 400 kids through the door.
GRENTZ RADIO SHOW DEBUTS
The Theresa Grentz Radio Show debuts on Dec. 10 at 5:35 p.m. along select
Illini Sports Network stations. The show, hosted by Brian Barnhart will run
every Monday throughout the season.
YANNI RETURNS FROM SURGERY
Forward Aminata Yanni is returning to the team after suffering a tear of her
ACL on Jan. 28 against Minnesota. Yanni made 40 percent of her three-points
attempts (12 of 30), including making 4 of 7 vs. Michigan State on Jan. 18.
Yanni combined for 46 points in three straight games before suffering her
injury.
Road Warriors
For the first time under Theresa Grentz, Illinois had a better record on the
road than it did at home, going 6-8 at home and 11-8 away from Champaign in
2000-2001.
One of the reasons that Coach Grentz's team has been so successful has
been the ability to win on the road.
Last year Illinois tied the school record by posting a 5-3 Big Ten road
record and won three in a row on the road in the Big Ten for the first time
ever.
The 7-5 overall road record was the second best mark under Grentz next
to the 8-4 road record in the Big Ten championship year of 1996-97.
Coach Grentz reaches out to kids
Illinois Head Coach Theresa Grentz wants the kids to be a part of Illinois
basketball. She understands how important they are to her program. Here are
the ways the Coach Grentz is reaching out to the youth of the
Champaign-Urbana area:
Coach Grentz is presenting an all-school assembly at an elementary school
about once per week.
Coach Grentz is sponsoring the ?A for Apple Program.? That means that
Coach Grentz will buy any student who gets straight A's and has perfect
conduct a ticket to the games.
The Grentz Gang continues underneath the Illinois basket.
The coach is inviting junior high and grade school teams to practice. call
217/333-8612 for an appointment.
The women's basketball team is a part of the literacy program where the
players are reaching out by reading to area youth.
