Dec. 8, 2004
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Game Notes vs. Georgetown in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #8: #1 Illinois (7-0) at Georgetown (3-1)
ESPN+Local • 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. CT
Dec. 9, 2004 • Washington D.C. • MCI Center (20,600)
Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (7-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 13.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 8.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 15.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.3 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 12.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.1 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 14.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.4 apg)
Off The Bench ...
G - 15 Calvin Brock (Fr., 6-4, 185, plans to redshirt)
G - 33 Rich McBride (So., 6-3, 215, 5.6 ppg, 1.6 apg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.3 ppg, 0.5 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 5.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 3.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 2.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 2.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
Injured
F - 42 Brian Randle (So., 6-7, 210, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 2004)
Illinois Head Coach: Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 136-61/.690 (7th year)
At Illinois: 33-7/.825 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 13-3/.813
Vs. Georgetown: First meeting
Assistant Coaches: Wayne McClain (4th year), Jay Price (2nd year), Tracy Webster (1st year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary Nottingham (2nd year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (22nd year at Illinois)
Georgetown Head Coach: John Thompson III
Overall Record: 71-43/.250 (5th year)
At Georgetown: 3-1/.750 (1st year)
Vs. Illinois: First meeting
Assistant Coaches: Robert Burke, Kevin Broadus, Sydney Johnson
On the Air
Television
ESPN - Local - Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Doug Altenberger, expert analyst.
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.
Series Notes: Georgetown
This is just the fourth meeting between Illinois and Georgetown, with the Illini owning a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. The two teams most recently met on Nov. 11, 1998 in New York City as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Challenge, which resulted in a 65-50 Illini win.
Quick Shots
• For the third time in school history, the Illini are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Illinois last stood atop the national polls the week of January 23-29, 1989. Illinois' first tenure at No. 1 came the final week of January, 1952.
• Illinois' victory over Chicago State on Monday marked the first time in school history that the Illini have won their first game after earning the No. 1 ranking. In 1989, No. 1 Illinois lost at Minnesota and in 1952, the No. 1 Illini lost at DePaul. The Illini are now 3-2 all-time when ranked No. 1, with wins over Indiana in 1989 and at Purdue in 1952, in addition to Monday's win over Chicago State.
• Illinois defeated a No.1-ranked team for the second time in school history and the first since 1979 on Dec. 1 when the Illini cruised past No. 1 Wake Forest 91-73.
• After seven games, the Illini are shooting an eye-popping 52.2 percent (224-429) from the field and 44 percent (73-166) from 3-point range. Illinois ranks seventh in the NCAA in field goal percentage and 17th in nation in 3-point field goal percentage.
• In the first half of games this season, Illinois is averaging 50.6 points (354 pts.) on 57.3 percent shooting (134-234), and enjoys an average halftme lead of 19.6 points.
• Illinois has trailed in the scoring column for just 10:12 out of 280 minutes of play this season. Illinois trailed Delaware State for a total of 7:01, all in the first half, Florida A&M for the first 50 seconds of the game, Arkansas for 1:34 of the first half, and Chicago State for the first 47 seconds of the game. The Illini held the lead the entire way in three consecutive games against Oakland, Gonzaga and Wake Forest.
• Playing against ranked teams in consecutive games (No. 24 Gonzaga and No. 1 Wake Forest), Illinois combined for an amazing assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.92. The Illini had 24 assists with only seven turnovers against Gonzaga and tallied a season-high 27 assists with a season-low six turnovers against top-ranked Wake Forest.
• Four of Illinois' five starters are averaging in double-figure scoring after seven games.
• Illinois has led the Big Ten in scoring each of the last four seasons. The Illini currently rank 16th in the nation in scoring, averaging 84.7 points this year through seven games.
• Illinois has been credited with assists on 69.86percent of its baskets this season (156 assists on 224 field goals). The Illini lead the nation in assists, averaging 22.3 per game.
• The Illini have four players - Dee Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and Rich McBride - shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range.
• The Illini are averaging 10.4 three-pointers per game this season, which ranks fifth in the NCAA. Illinois tied its school record for 3-pointers in a game with 14 vs. Gonzaga on Nov. 27.
• In its win over Gonzaga, Illinois set a number of Wooden Tradition team records, including points (89), assists (24), steals (13), three-pointers (14), as well as individual records, including assists (Luther Head, 9), steals (Luther Head-tied, 4), and 3-pointers (Deron Williams-tied, 5).
• In the season opener on Nov. 19, Illinois and Delaware State combined to set the Illinois all-time and Assembly Hall records for combined field goal percentage. The teams joined to shoot 60.8 percent (59-97), with the Illini making 35-of-55 attempts and the Hornets connecting on 24-of-42 shots.
Illini Move to No. 1
For just the third time in school history, Illinois is the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. Illinois moved up from third to first this week in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and all the way from fifth to first in the Associated Press Poll. The Illini moved past an undefeated Kansas team in the Coaches Poll and moved ahead of three undefeated teams - Kansas, Syracuse and Georgia Tech - to claim the top spot in the AP Poll.
This marks the first time since the week of Jan. 23-29, 1989 that the Illini have stood atop the national polls. The Illini were also ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for a week during the final week in January, 1952. In each of the previous two seasons when the Illini achieved a No. 1 ranking, they went on to advance to the NCAA Final Four.
Powell Earns Big Ten Weekly Honor
Roger Powell, Jr. was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 6 following his performance in a pair of Illini victories. Powell scored a game-high and season-high 19 points in the win over No. 1 Wake Forest. He connected on 8-of-10 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers, while grabbing seven boards. Powell then registered the third double-double of his career in the win over Arkansas, leading the Illini with 19 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. On the week, Powell averaged 19 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field (14-21). This is the first Big Ten Player of the Week accolade of Powell's career.
Last Time Out: vs. Chicago State
Another strong first-half effort propelled top-ranked Illinois to its seventh straight victory of the season, 78-59 over Chicago State Monday night at the Assembly Hall. Illinois grabbed a 15-point lead a the half after shooting nearly 55 percent in the first stanza and knocking down seven 3-pointers. The Illini shot 51 percent for the game and outrebounded Chicago State 38-21. Luther Head scored a game-high 17 points and Dee Brown just missed a double-double with 15 points and a season-high nine assists.
Taking Down No. 1
Illinois' victory over No. 1 Wake Forest on Dec. 1 marked the second time in school history that the Illini have defeated an opponent ranked atop the Associated Press poll. The last time came on Jan. 11, 1979, when Illinois defeated Michigan State 57-55. Illinois is now 2-19 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents.
Williams Fifth-Straight Illini Chosen Preseason Player of the Year Pick
Junior guard Deron Williams became the fifth straight Illini to be named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year at the recent Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Williams, also named to the All-Big Ten First-Team last season, is just the third Big Ten player ever to lead the league in assists in each of his first two seasons, joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978-79) and Illinois' Bruce Douglas (1983-84). Williams has also earned Preseason All-America honors from Playboy Magazine and is among 50 preseason candidates for the Wooden, Naismith and Rupp Awards.
Williams is fourth on the team in scoring this season, averaging 12.9 points. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th in the nation in assists, averaging 7.1 apg. Williams tied his career-high vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 1, dishing out 11 assists. He boasts an impressive assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 through seven games. Williams is also third on the team in rebounding with 4.3 boards per game.
Two Illini Earn Preseason All-Big Ten Honors
Junior guards Deron Williams and Dee Brown were both named to the Preseason All-Big Ten First Team at the recent Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Brown was a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2004 after being named the preseason Player of the Year prior to his sophomore season.
Backcourt Earns National Rep
Junior guards Deron Williams and Dee Brown are both listed on the preseason lists for the Naismith Award and Wooden Award All-America teams.
Great Guard Play
Illinois has what many believe is the top backcourt in the country in the three-guard lineup of senior Luther Head and juniors Dee Brown and Deron Williams. They comprise three of Illinois' top four scorers as well as the top three assists and steals leaders. The trio has accounted for 52 percent of Illinois' scoring and 77 percent of its 3-pointers. They have also totaled 80 percent of Illinois' assists and 57 percent of its steals. Perhaps most impressive is that despite playing the most minutes and handling the ball for the majority of the game, the three guards boast an incredible combined assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.31. Below is a statistical look at Illinois' starting backcourt.
PPG APG RPG ST 3FG
Head 15.9 5.3 3.0 14 22
Brown 14.9 5.4 2.6 8 20
Williams 12.9 7.1 4.3 4 14
Total 43.7 17.8 9.9 26 56
Sharing the Wealth
One reason why Illinois is shooting 52.2 percent from the field through seven games is unselfish play. The Illini have been moving the ball well and making the extra pass to set up an open shot. Illinois has been credited with 156 assists on its 224 baskets, an impressive 69.6 percent assist-to-made field goals percentage. Illinois leads the nation in assists, averaging 22.3 apg, and has recorded at least 22 assists in six of seven games on the year. The Illini recorded a season-high 27 assists against Wake Forest on Dec. 1.
First-Half Dominance
Illinois' play has been especially crisp in the first half of games this season. The Illini have shot 50 percent or better in six of the seven first halves so far, and are averaging 57.3 percent shooting in the first half of its games. Illinois has scored 50 or more points in four of the seven first halves and is averaging 50.6 points in the first half. Illinois has also taken a double-digit lead into halftime six of seven games this year and goes into the locker room with an average lead of 19.6 points. Below is a breakdown of Illinois' dominance in the first half
UI UI UI
Opponent FG% PTS LEAD
Delaware St. 64.5 50 13
Florida A&M 58.8 58 29
Oakland 60.0 47 19
Gonzaga 55.0 58 31
Wake Forest 60.0 54 21
Arkansas 48.4 40 9
Chicago St. 54.5 47 15
Avg. 57.3 50.6 19.6
The Head of the Class
Guard Luther Head entered the season as one of the most underated players in the nation, and has been playing like an All-America candidate to begin his senior year. Head leads the Illini in scoring at 15.9 points per game and steals with 2.0 per game, and is also contributing 5.3 assists per game. He is shooting 50 percent (40-80) from the field, and 45 percent (22-49) from 3-point land with a team-leading 22 treys. Head opened the season by scoring in double figures in five straight games - a career-best streak - with 15 points vs. Delaware State, 13 vs. Florida A&M, a season-high 22 points vs. Oakland (which also marked the second highest total of his career), 20 points vs. Gonzaga and 16 points vs. Wake Forest. After his streak ended with eight points against Arkansas, Head responded with a game-high 17 points vs. Chicago State.
Head has ant assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.47 on the year to rank second on the team. In the two games vs. Gonzaga and Wake Forest, he combined for 14 assists with only two turnovers. He tied his career-high in assists with nine dimes apiece in consecutive games vs. Oakland and Gonzaga.
Dee Lighting it Up
Dee Brown has had a hot shooting hand to start the season. Through seven games, the junior guard is shooting 62.7 percent (37-59) from the field. That percentage is even more impressive when considering that over 64 percent of his shots have come from 3-point range. And Brown is dialed in from downtown as well, shooting 52.6 percent (20-38) from behind the arc. Brown's 62.7 field goal percentage ranks 25th nationally, and stands second among NCAA Div. 1 guards.
Brown is second on the Illini in scoring at 14.9 points per game.
Brown broke into Illinois' Top-50 career scoring list Nov. 24 against Oakland, becoming the first player on the current UI roster to join the elite list. Brown currently stands 42nd on the Illini all-time scoring chart with 928 points.
Like his backcourt teammates, Brown has also been taking care of the ball and making good decisions. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.90 on the season and in the two games vs. Gonzaga and Wake Forest, Brown combined for 15 assists without a turnover. In his most recent game vs. Chicago State, he tallied a season-high nine assists with just one turnover.
The Rev Rises to the Occasion
Senior forward Roger Powell, Jr., is averaging 13 points and 5.4 rebounds after seven contests, while shooting 70.4 percent from the field (38-of-54). His field goal percentage leads the Big Ten and ranks eighth nationally. Standing 6-foot-6 and playing the power forward position, Powell is often undersized against his opponent. But he causes a match-up problem for the defense with his ability to step out and face the basket and either drive or hit the outside shot. Powell began the season as a career 59-percent shooter from the field.
Powell had his best game of the season Dec. 1 vs. Wake Forest, scoring a season-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, which included a pair of 3-pointers. He followed that performance with a team-high 19 points and career-high 11 rebounds in a victory over Arkansas. Powell was named Big Ten Player of the Week for his performance in those two games.
Powell is scheduled to graduate with his bachelor's degree in speech communications in December. He is a licensed minister in the Pentecostal church.
Augie Off to Strong Start
Junior James Augustine is off to a strong start by making shooting 64 percent from the field (23-36) and averaging a team-high 6.9 rebounds, which ranks fifth in the Big Ten. He grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Oakland, the highest total by a Big Ten player this season, and Augustine's 13th career double-digit effort on the boards. After seven games he is fifth on the team with an average of 8.7 points per game and leads the Illini with 14 blocked shots.
That's a Three ...Rich McBride
Sophomore Rich McBride has been another offensive weapon on the perimeter for the Illini. He is the first guard off the bench and is averaging 17 minutes per game. Known for his smooth stroke from 3-point land, McBride is shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc, making 11-of-26 treys.
Carter Makes Most of Minutes
Sophomore Warren Carter has been productive off the bench for the Illini. Despite playing under 10 minutes per game, Carter is averaging 5.6 points and 2.1 rebounds and is shooting 55 percent (17-31) from the field.
