Men's Basketball Meets Western Illinois This Sunday
December 12, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2001
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Last Time Out : Arkansas
Frank Williams scored 18 of his team-high 25 points from the free-throw line in leading the Fighting Illini to a 94-91 victory over Arkansas at the United Center in Chicago. Illinois overcame a 12-point second-half lead by the Razorbacks in the win. Brian Cook scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds while Robert Archibald (14 points), Sean Harrington (13), Cory Bradford (11) and Damir Krupalija (10) joined Cook and Williams in double-figure scoring. Illinois made 37 of 49 free throw attempts for the game with Williams making 18 of 24 attempts to set a school record for attempts. Williams added eight rebounds, seven steals and three steals to the cause.
Williams Running the Show
Illini point guard Frank Williams turned in two memorable performances last week. In Illinois' come-from-behind win over Arkansas, Williams finished with a team-high 25 points, team-high seven assists, eight rebounds, and team-high three steals. 18 of his points came at the free throw line, where he shot 18-of-24. The 18 made free throws for Williams is just one short of the Illinois school record, while his 24 free throw attempts sets a new school record. Of his three steals, none was more important than when Williams stripped an Arkansas guard in the backcourt with four seconds remaining to preserve the Illini victory. Against Arizona, Williams led Illinois' late rally, cutting a 19-point deficit down to four in the final minute. Williams tied his career high with 30 points against the Wildcats, connecting on 9-of-18 field goals. He heated up in the second half of both contests, scoring 21 of his 25 vs. Arkansas and 22 of his 30 vs. Arizona in the second half. For the week, Williams averaged 27.5 points, 5.5 assists, five rebounds, and two steals per game.
Comeback Kids
Illinois had a habit of making great comebacks last year, and this year's team is well on the way to earning the title of "Comeback Kids" once again. Only nine games into the season, the Illini have fought back from two double-digit deficits to post victories. The Illini fell behind by 13 points against Penn, 32-45 with :47 left in the first half, before rallying for a 78-71 win. Illinois trailed by as many as 12 points against Arkansas last week, 36-48 with 17:49 remaining in the game, before mounting another comeback and finishing with a 94-91 victory.
Getting to the Line ... And Making it Count
Through nine games, Illinois has made more free throws (214) than its opponent has attempted (200) and has outscored opponents from the line in eight of the nine games. Illinois has outscored its opponent by a combined score of 214-126 at the line, an average of 9.8 points more per game. The Illini made 37 free throws against Arkansas last week, just one shy of the school record, in 49 attempts, which is three short of the all-time UI record. As a team, Illinois is shooting 75.6 percent from the line this season, which is on pace to break the school record for free throw percentage. The current record is 74.4 percent by the 1996-97 team.
Krupalija Named MVP in Vegas
Damir Krupalija was named the MVP of the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament after an outstanding week of play. Despite coming off the bench and averaging just 21 minutes per game during the Invite, Krupalija averaged 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the four games to earn MVP honors. Krupalija was in double figures against Eastern Illinois and Georgia Tech, scoring 12 points in both games. He nearly recorded a double-double against Penn, finishing with 9 points and 11 rebounds, and was just shy of a double-double again in the championship game against Southern Illinois, tallying 9 points and 9 rebounds. His 11 rebounds against Penn are the most by an Illini player this season. For the tournament, Krupalija shot 67 percent from the field.
Tournament Tested
Illinois has already earned three victories this season over teams that participated in last year's NCAA Tournament in Gonzaga, Eastern Illinois and Georgia Tech. Maryland, who advanced to the Final Four last season, and Arizona, who was national runner-up last year, were the fourth and fifth NCAA Tournament teams, respectively, that the Illini have faced this year. Up next, Illinois faces its sixth NCAA tournament team in Arkansas.
For Openers
Williams Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Junior Frank Williams was named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by both the media and coaches for 2001-02, as well as preseason First-Team All-Big Ten. Last year, Williams was the first Illini player to earn conference player of the year honors since Bruce Douglas was named co-Big Ten Player of the Year (with Purdue's Jim Rowinski) in 1984. Illinois' last league MVP before Williams in 2001 was Jim Dawson in 1967.
National Exposure
For the 2001-02 season, Illinois is scheduled to play at least 11, with the possibility of 13 regular-season games on national television. The Illini are scheduled to appear at least seven times on ESPN, at least three times on CBS and once on FOX Sports Net.
Bradford Holds NCAA 3-Point Record
Illinois junior guard Cory Bradford holds the NCAA record for consecutive games with a three-pointer with a trey in 88 straight games. He broke the previous record of 73 games set by Wally Lancaster of Virginia Tech from 1986-89 with his first trey against Arizona on Dec. 16, 2000.
Bradford also has started every game of his Illini career and enters the Arkansas game with a school-record streak of 107 starts for the Illini.
Bradford has scored 1,424 career points, 10th on the Illini career scoring list after passing Kendall Gill and Jerry Hester with 23 points Saturday night.
Bradford's streak of consecutive starts set a school record against Northwestern on Feb. 3, 2001, passing Richard Keene's previous record streak of 85 consecutive games started in an Illini career.
Top 10 Streak Alive
Illinois has been ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Top 10 for 25 consecutive polls, the longest stretch of Top 10 action since a string of 28 straight polls in the Top 10 in the 1989 and 1990 seasons.
Illini Basketball is a Hot Ticket
For the first time in Assembly Hall history, the Fighting Illini sold out in season tickets with 16,500 sold. Of the six games not on the student season package (over the semester break), three sold out and one other is within 50 of selling out. Every Big Ten game is sold out for 2002. The eight sellouts last season were the most at the Assembly Hall since 1989.
Williams, Cook on Wooden List
Illinois' Brian Cook and Frank Williams are among 50 players on the list of preseason candidates for the 2002 Wooden Award All-American team. Williams, the 2001 Big Ten Player of the Year and a member of the 2001 Wooden All-America team, is on the list for the second consecutive season. Cook is making his first appearance on the list.
Four Sign With Illini in November
Four future Fighting Illini players signed national letters of intent to attend Illinois during the fall signing period in November. Dee Brown, a 6-foot guard from Proviso East High School in Maywood, Ill., Deron Williams, a 6-3 guard from The Colony, Texas, Kyle Wilson, a 6-8 forward from Plano, Texas and James Augustine, a 6-10 forward from Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox, Ill., all signed with the Illini. Bob Gibbons' All-Star Report ranks the Illini class No. 4 in the nation. The Illini have one scholarship remaining to issue in the spring.
