Jan. 5, 2004
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Ohio State in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #12: #19ap/20 Illinois (9-2) vs. Ohio State (8-5)
ESPN-Plus Local Television
8 p.m. * Jan. 7, 2004 * Champaign, Ill. * Assembly Hall (16,500)
Probable Starters
#19ap/20 ILLINOIS (9-2)
F - 40 James Augustine (So., 6-10, 225, 11.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg)
F - 43 Roger Powell (Jr., 6-6, 220, 13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg)
F - 42 Brian Randle (Fr., 6-8, 200, 5.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) -OR-
G - 4 Luther Head (Jr., 6-3, 175, 10.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (So., 6-3, 210, 13.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 6.1 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (So., 6-0, 175, 12.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.3 apg)
Off The Bench ...
C - 1 Aaron Spears (Fr.-r, 6-9, 260, 2.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
G - 25 Jerrance Howard (Sr.-r, 6-1, 200, 1.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg)
G - 33 Rich McBride (Fr., 6-3, 210, 6.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Jr., 6-6, 220, n/a)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Fr., 6-9, 205, 3.2 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Jr.-r, 7-2, 240, 7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
C - 50 Jack Ingram (Jr.-r, 6-10, 240, 3.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 112-56/.667 (6th year)
Big Ten: 0-0
At Illinois: 9-2/.818 (1st year)
Vs. Ohio State: first meeting
Assistant Coaches: Chris Lowery (1st year), Wayne McClain (3rd year), Jay Price (1st year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary Nottingham (1st year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (21st year at Illinois)
Ohio State Head Coach: Jim O'Brien
Overall Record: 362-294/.552 (22nd year)
At Ohio State: 127-77/.623 (7th year)
Vs. Illinois: 5-6
Assistant Coaches: Rick Boyages, Monte Mathis, LaMonta Stone
Series History: Ohio State
Illinois leads the all-time series 97-59 over Ohio State and owns a 57-21 advantage over the Buckeyes in games played in Champaign. The Illini won both matchups last season, defeating OSU 76-57 Feb. 9 at the Assembly Hall and 72-59 March 16 in the Big Ten Tournament title game at the United Center.
Illinois in Big Ten Openers
Illinois is 59-39 all-time in Big Ten opening games and has won its last four conference openers ... The Illini are 38-16 when opening the Big Ten season at home and 17-4 at the Assembly Hall in Big Ten home openers ... This is the 12th time that Illinois and Ohio State have opened the Big Ten season against each other, with the Illini owning a 7-4 edge over the Buckeyes in conference openers ...The last time Illinois and Ohio State opened Big Ten play against each other was Jan. 6, 2000, when Frank Williams hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer for an 80-77 Illini victory.
First Big Ten Game for Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber is trying to become the ninth Illinois coach in school history to win his inaugural Big Ten opener. The previous 15 Illini coaches compiled an 8-7 record in their first Big Ten games. Here is a look at the all-time first Big Ten games by Illinois head coaches:
Coach Year Opponent W/L Score
Elwood Brown 1906 Indiana W 27-24
F.L. Pinckney 1907 Purdue L 27-32
Fletcher Lane 1908 at Purdue W 24-23
H.V. Juul 1909 Indiana W 30-2
T.E. Thompson 1911 Indiana W 32-22
Ralph Jones 1913 Wisconsin L 15-16
Frank Winters 1921 Chicago W 33-29
J. Craig Ruby 1923 at Ohio State W 36-31
Doug Mills 1937 Northwestern L 38-47
Harry Combes 1948 at Wisconsin L 47-52
Harv Schmidt 1968 Michigan State W 66-56
Gene Bartow 1975 Michigan L 84-86
Lou Henson 1976 at Iowa L 60-84
Lon Kruger 1997 Purdue L 69-75
Bill Self 2001 Minnesota W 80-64
Home Cookin'
Illinois is 44-1 (.978) at the Assembly Hall over the last three-and-a-half years, with the only loss coming to Michigan State in 2002 ... Since then, the Illini have won 22 straight at the Hall, a winning streak that ranks fourth nationally behind Duke (34), Pittsburgh (33) and Creighton (24) ... Illinois is 56-2 (.966) at the Assembly Hall over the past four-and-a-half seasons, the best home record in the nation over that period ...The Illini have also won 31 in a row at the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents.
Big Ten Leaders
* Illinois has three players among the Big Ten's Top 21 leading scorers. Roger Powell is tied for 12th in scoring (13.5 avg.), Dee Brown is 18th (12.1)and James Augustine is 21st (11.6).
* Augustine ranks second in rebounding (9.3 avg.) and is third in offensive rebounding with 3.1 per game.
* Powell ranks third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.639) while Augustine is fourth (.633).
* Brown ranks second in assists (5.3 avg.).
* Luther Head is ninth in free throw percentage (.793).
* Brown is seventh with 2.0 three-point FGs per game.
* Augustine is fifth in blocked shots (1.4 avg.).
* Brown ranks fifth in assist/turnover ratio (2.0).
* Powell is eighth in offensive rebounding (2.6 avg.).
* Illinois leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.469) and assists (18.1 avg.).
* Illinois ranks second in scoring (78.5 avg.), scoring margin (+13.4 avg.), rebounding (40.6 avg), rebounding margin (+5.9 avg.), steals (8.6 avg.), offensive rebounding (13.9 avg.) and defensive rebounding (26.7 avg.).
* Illinois ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (1.2) and 3-point field goals per game (6.5 avg.).
* Note: Deron Williams is currently not included in the Big Ten statistical categories because he has not played in 75% of Illinois' games.
Top 25 Streak Continues
Illinois is ranked 20th in the current (Jan. 5) ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, extending its streak to 67 consecutive polls in which the Illini have been ranked. Illinois is ranked No. 19 in this week's AP Top 25 poll.
Illinois had a school record-streak of 30 straight polls in the Coaches' Top 10 snapped in January, 2002, but has never dropped out of the Coaches' Top 25 the last three-plus seasons.
Last Time Out
Illinois started slow but finished strong in rallying from a double-digit second half deficit to defeat Illinois State in overtime by the score of 80-73. The Illini trailed by as many as 11 points (47-58) with under eight minutes to play and still faced deficits of seven points with three minutes left and six points with under two minutes remaining. But Illinois scored on five of its final seven possessions in regulation, highlighted by a pair of free throws from Nick Smith that tied the game at 68-all with 19 seconds left and forced the game into overtime. It was all Illinois in the extra session, as a three-point play by Smith and a 3-pointer by Dee Brown gave the hosts a six-point lead and propelled the Illini to their fifth straight victory. Illinois received heavy production from its bench, as Deron Williams scored a team-high 20 points and Nick Smith added 14.
This marked the first overtime game for the Illini in nearly three years, since falling 98-95 in OT at Penn State on Jan. 31, 2001.
Williams Excels in Return to Action
Deron Williams missed three games (Memphis, Missouri and Illinois-Chicago) due to a fractured jaw that occurred Dec. 11 against Maryland-Eastern Shore after running into a screen early in the second half. Williams had surgery on Dec. 12 to repair the fracture and made a successful return to the court Saturday vs. Illinois State. With his jaw still wired shut and making it difficult to breath, Illinois coaches hoped to get Williams a maximum of 18-20 minutes of playing time. But he defied those odds, coming off the bench to play 34 minutes. Williams fueled the Illini comeback against ISU, leading the team with 20 points, including four 3-pointers. He also had four rebounds and three assists in his first game-action in nearly one month.
Williams has been turning heads with his sensational play to start his sophomore season. He leads the team in scoring (13.8 ppg) and has scored in double figures in six of eight games, setting a career-high in points in three-consecutive games up to the Arkansas game (Dec. 6), but setting a career-high with 10 assists against the Razorbacks. His scoring average so far is more than double his freshman average of 6.3 points. He scored a career-high 22 points vs. North Carolina (Dec. 2) and is shooting 45.5 percent from the field (40-88) and 41 percent from 3-point land (16-39).
While his scoring has improved dramatically, Williams remains an unselfish player with the ball in his hands, leading the Illini with 6.1 assists per game. He handed out eight assists in the season opener vs. Western Illinois and again against North Carolina before dropping 10 dimes against Arkansas.
Brown Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Sophomore guard Dee Brown, nicknamed the "One-Man Fast Break," was named the Big Ten's Preseason Player of the Year by the media and to the preseason All-Big Ten squad by both the media and coaches. Wisconsin's Devin Harris was the preseason player of the year as voted by the coaches. Brown was also named to the 12-man Playboy Magazine All-America squad and is one of 50 players on the Wooden Award All-America preseason watch list. Brown is the fourth-consecutive Illini to earn league preseason player of the year honors following Cory Bradford in 2001, Frank Williams in 2002 and Brian Cook in 2003.
Brown is currently third on the Illini in scoring at 12.1 points per game with a season-high 23 points coming in the season opener vs. Western Illinois Nov. 22. Brown ranks second in the Big Ten in assists with 5.3 per game, and had a season-high nine assists vs. UIC on Dec. 30. He also ranks fifth in the Big Ten in assist/turnover ratio (2.0) and seventh in the league in 3-pointers per game with an average of 2.0.
Last year, he earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and third-team honors from the coaches, and earned a spot on the first-ever Big Ten All-Freshman steam. Brown was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points. He led the Big Ten in assists with 4.97 per game and also led the league with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.56. One of the quickest guards in America, Brown's 1.78 steals per game led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten.
In Big Ten Conference games only, Brown totaled 76 assists with only 25 turnovers, leading the conference with an assist/turnover ratio of 3.04 in league play.
Air Rog Takes Off
Junior Roger Powell ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He ranks third in the Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting 63.9 percent from the field (62-97), and is second on the team with 29 offensive rebounds.
Powell recorded the first double-double of his Illinois career against Mercer on Nov. 26, scoring 16 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds. He followed up that performance than with another double-double in his next outing vs. Temple. Powell scored 19 points and matched his career high with 10 boards. He then scored a season-high 20 points against North Carolina Dec. 2.
Last year in Big Ten play, Powell led the league in field-goal shooting at 64.1 percent and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after helping the Illini to the title.
Augustine Nearly a Double-Double Man
Another member of the heralded Illini sophomore class is James Augustine. Augustine, named to the first-ever Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season, is nearly averaging a double-double with 11.6 points and team-leading 9.3 rebounds per game. His rebounding average ranks second in the Big Ten, and he fourth in the Big Ten in field-goal shooting at 63.3 percent (50-79) and third in offensive rebounds with 3.1 per game. Augustine has scored at least nine points in nine of 11 games, highlighted by a career-high 21 points vs. Memphis Dec. 13. He has had at least nine boards in seven games, with a career-high 13 against Western Illinois in the season opener, and has led the team in rebounding seven times. Augustine has recorded four double-doubles on the season, most recently vs. Missouri on Dec. 23 (14 pts-10 reb).
Last year as a freshman, Augustine averaged 7.0 points while shooting 58 percent from the field. He was second on the team behind Brian Cook and 13th in the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 5.8 boards. He was also 13th in the league in blocked shots. In Big Ten play only, Augustine ranked third in field-goal shooting at 58.6 percent.
Head Heating Up
Junior Luther Head has been a consistent scorer this season, ranking fifth on the team with 10.0 points per game. He has scored at least nine points in seven of nine games, with four games in double figures. Head has started the past five games, averaging 11.8 points as a starter. He scored a season-high 16 points in his first start of the year vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting vs. Illinois-Chicago, and most recently scored 15 points against Illinois State.
McBride Arrives
Freshman sharp-shooter Rich McBride emerged onto the scene Dec. 13 vs. Memphis and kept up his hot shooting against Missouri and UIC. Over that three-game stretch, he averaged 13.3 points on 60 percent shooting from three-point range (12-20). A three-time All-Stater during his high school career in Illinois, McBride sat out the first four games of the season for violating team rules, but has since worked his way into the playing rotation.
He exploded for a career-high 22 points in 29 minutes of play vs. Memphis. McBride nailed 6-of-10 from 3-point range, tying the most treys by a Big Ten player this season. He also had career highs of five assists and five rebounds vs. Memphis. McBride nailed 3-of-4 three-pointers en route to nine points vs. Missouri while grabbing three steals. He again scored nine points on a trio of 3-pointers againt vs. UIC.
In seven games on the season, McBride is averaging 6.0 points and is shooting nearly 43 percent from 3-point land (12-28).
"Chainsaw" Strengthens UI Frontcourt
Nick Smith, a 7-foot-2-inch junior, has started four games this season and is averaging 7.3 points. He is also third on the team with 4.2 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in four games, with a season-high 14 points to help lead the Illini to a come-from-behind win over Illinois State. Smith was huge in the clutch, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the final eight minutes of the game and overtime. He shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the line, which included a pair of free throws with :19 left to send the game into overtime.
Smith also came up big and the end of Illinois' win over Missouri Dec. 23. He recorded an assist on James Augustine's layup that gave the Illini a 69-67 lead with under one minute to play and then came up with a steal on Missouri's next possession. Smith finished the game with six points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Last year, he put up some impressive numbers off the bench in Big Ten play. In 16 conference games, Smith shot 67.3 percent (33-49) from the field, made 4-of-6 treys, and shot 90.5 percent (19-21) from the free-throw line. Smith averaged 5.9 points and 2.9 rebounds in the league while averaging 18.8 minutes per game. He led the Illini and ranked seventh in the Big Ten with 38 blocked shots. Smith was Illinois' top free throw shooter, making 38-of-44 from the line for 86.4 percent on the season.
The Graduate
Nick Smith earned a bachelor's degree in finance this past December, graduating from Illinois' College of Business in three-and-a-half years. Smith is in the process of deciding upon a graduate program and will begin work on his master's degree when classes begin Jan. 20.
Randle an Early Contributor
Freshman Brian Randle was in the starting lineup in his first two games and has also started the last tfour. He is averaging 18.5 minutes per game on the season. In his first game, he responded with eight points and a team-high three steals and had six points and five boards in the second. Against North Carolina, Randle had seven points and five rebounds, and he scored five points with six rebounds vs. Memphis. Against UIC, Randle just missed a double-double with career-high totals of nine points and 11 rebounds. He is averaging 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds, while shooting 57 percent from the field. Randle is also fourth on the team with 11 steals.
Ingram a Post Presence
Junior transfer Jack Ingram, who sat out last season after transferring from Tulsa, is averaging 3.0 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Illini this season. He's fourth on the team with 16 offensive rebounds, just two less than his total of defensive boards. He led the Illini with eight rebounds in Illinois' win over Maryland-Eastern Shore. Ingram scored four points and grabbed five rebounds in his first action as an Illini against Western Illinois and had eight points and eight boards vs. Mercer.
* Complete Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes available by clicking on .pdf link at the top of this page.
