Jan. 14, 2005

Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Northwestern in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #18: #1 Illinois (17-0, 3-0) at Northwestern (8-7, 1-2)
Jan. 15, 2005 •3:30 p.m. CT •ESPN+ Regional
Evanston, Ill. •Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117)

Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (17-0, 3-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 12.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 15.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.5 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.9 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 13.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.1 apg)

Off The Bench ...
G - 15 Calvin Brock (Fr., 6-4, 185, plans to redshirt)
G - 33 Rich McBride (So., 6-3, 215, 4.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.7 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 3.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 4.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 3.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg)

Injured
F - 42 Brian Randle (So., 6-7, 210, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 2003-04)

Illinois Head Coach: Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 146-61/.705 (7th year)
At Illinois: 43-7/.860 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 16-3/.842
Vs. Northwesten: 1-1
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)

Northwestern Head Coach: Bill Carmody
Overall Record: 153-96/.614 (9th year)
At Northwestern: 61-71/.462 (5th year)
Vs. Illinois: 1-6
Assistant Coaches: Paul Lee, Craig Robinson and Mitch Henderson

On the Air
Television
ESPN+ Local: Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Mike Kelley, expert analyst.

Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Loren Tate, expert analyst/pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.

Series Notes: Northwestern
Illinois leads the all-time series 117-34 over Northwestern and owns a 57-21 advantage over the Wildcats in games played at Evanston. Illinois has won nine of the last 10 meetings, but Northwestern knocked off the Illini, 70-60, Jan. 14, 2004, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The last time Northwestern had consecutive wins over Illinois at Evanston was in 1974 and 1975.

Undefeated Illini
Illinois is one of only four teams in the country to boast a perfect record, and with 17 victories has the most wins in the nation. The following is a list of the remaining undefeated teams in Div. I.
Illinois 17-0 (next; Sat. at N'western)
Kansas 12-0 (next; Sat. at Colorado)
Duke 12-0 (next; Sun. vs. Virginia)
Boston College 13-0 (next; Sun. at West Va.)

Hot Start
Illinois' 17-0 record ties both the best start to a season in the 100-year history of Fighting Illini basketball history (17-0 to begin the 1988-89 season) and the longest single-season winning streak in school history (the same 17-0 opening to the' 88-89 campaign). The 17 straight wins also ties the second longest winning streak in school history. Only the 25-game winning streak that included parts of three seasons from Feb. 21, 1914, through Feb. 9, 1916, bests the Illini's current string of victories.

Illini Join 1,500 Club
Wednesday's win over Penn State marked the 1,500th victory all-time at Illinois. The Fighting Illini are the 15th program in NCAA history to record 1,500 victories, and the program now owns an all-time record of 1,500-803 (.651). With the .651 all-time winning percentage, Illinois ranks as the 11th winningest program in NCAA history by percentage. The following is a list of every NCAA Div. I team with 1,500 all-time victories:

1.	 Kentucky
2.	 North Carolina
3.	 Kansas
4.	 Duke
5.	 St. John's
6.	 Syracuse
7.	 Temple
8.	 Pennsylvania
9.	 Indiana
10.	Notre Dame
11.	Utah
12.	UCLA
13.	Oregon State
14.	Princeton
15.	ILLINOIS

Big Ten Streakin'
Illinois has won 13 straight Big Ten games - its final 10 conference games last season and the first three this season. This is Illinois' longest conference winning streak since 1955 and 1956 when the Illini also won 13 straight spanning the final three Big Ten games in '55 and the first 10 Big Ten games in '56. (Feb. 26, 1955 through Feb. 20, 1956). Illinois also won 13 consecutive conference games from Feb. 23, 1924 through Feb. 21, 1925.

Illinois' 13-game Big Ten winning streak ties the fourth-best conference run in school history. The following Illini Big Ten winning streaks are the only ones longer than the UI's current run:
•17 - Feb. 2, 1914 through Feb. 19, 1916
•15 - Jan. 20, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952
•14 - March 7, 1942 through Jan. 3, 1944

Illinois has also won seven straight Big Ten road games - its final six conference away games last season and the road opener this season. This is just one shy of Illinois' school-record streak of eight straight Big Ten road wins, which has happened twice. The Illini first accomplished the feat with eight straight conference road wins from Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916 and most recently won eight straight Big Ten road games from Feb. 5, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952.

3-Point Attack
With the outstanding play of the Illini guards this year, it's no surprise that Illinois is enjoying one of its best seasons ever from behind the arc. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 12th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 10) with 9.1 three-pointers per game. The Illini have made 10 or more threes in seven games this season (12 vs. Delaware State, 12 vs. Oakland, 14 vs. Gonzaga, 11 vs. Wake Forest, 10 vs. Longwood, 11 vs. Purdue and 15 vs. Penn State), highlighted by a school-record 15 treys vs. Penn State on Wednesday. Illinois' average of 9.1 3-pointers per game is on pace to set a school record, with the current record of 7.5 per game set during the 1995-96 season.

The Illini have been accurate as well as prolific from behind the arc, leading the Big Ten with a 3-point field goal percentage of 41.1 percent. This is the first time in 13 years that Illinois has shot 40 percent or better from 3-point range - since 1991-92, when the Illini shot 41.4 percent from the arc.

Luther Head leads the way with a Big Ten-leading 3.0 treys per game on 45.5 percent accuracy from 3-point range (6th in Big Ten). Dee Brown is next with 2.47 threes per game (6th in Big Ten) on 46.7 percent accuracy (4th in Big Ten). Deron Williams is averaging 1.82 threes per contest. Illinois' three starting guards have accounted for 80 percent of Illinois' 3-pointers this season (124-of-155).

Augustine Named Big Ten POTW
James Augustine is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week after leading the Illini to victories over Ohio State and Purdue, while nearly averaging a double-double on the week. He tied his career high in scoring with a season-high 21 points against Ohio State in the Big Ten opener. He shot 8-of-10 from the field, while also grabbing 10 rebounds to notch the 12th double-double of his career. Augustine then scored eight points and had a game-high nine rebounds, while adding three assists and two blocked shots in a road win at Purdue. On the week, he averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on a combined 71.4 shooting percentage (10-of-13). Augustine currently leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.640), while also ranking third in rebounding (8.7 rpg) in conference games.

Illini in Control
Illinois has trailed in the scoring column for just 51:02 out of 680 minutes of play this year, meaning Illinois has held the lead in 92.5 percent of the minutes played to date in the 2004-05 season. The Illini have also held the lead the entire second half in 16 of 17 games this year. The Jan. 8 game at Purdue marked the only time all season that Illinois trailed entering the second half of play. Illinois has never trailed by double figures at any point this season. Its largest deficit - nine points - came at Purdue on Jan. 8. The Illini have held the lead the entire way in nine of 17 games this year (Oakland, Gonzaga, Wake Forest, Oregon, Valparaiso, Missouri, Longwood, Northwestern State and Cincinnati), which included a streak of six straight games (Oregon through Cincinnati) that was broken against Ohio State. Following is a list of time that Illinois has been behind this season:
Delaware State - 7:01
Florida A&M - :50
Arkansas - 1:34
Chicago State - :47
Georgetown - 11:20
Ohio State - 7:11
Purdue - 21:46
Penn State - :33
TOTAL - 51:02

Quick Shots
• For the third year in school history - and the sixth straight week - the Illini are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Prior to this season, 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' six straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team since Arizona owned the top spot the first six weeks of the 2002-03 season. • This is the first time in school history that Illinois has spent multiple weeks ranked No. 1 in the polls. In 1952 and 1989, the Illini spent just one week at the No. 1 spot. • The Illini are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game this season, which leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 10). Illinois set a school record for 3-pointers in a game with 15 vs. Penn State on Jan. 12. • Dee Brown recorded his 1,000th career point against Cincinnati on Dec. 31, becoming the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Illini history. Brown currently ranks 34th on the school career scoring chart with 1,052 points. • Illinois has won 15 of 17 games by double figures, and is outscoring its opponents by an average of 20.2 points per game on the year. Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation (as of Jan. 10) in scoring margin. • The Illini are shooting 50.8 percent (522-1027) from the field and 41.1 percent (155-377) from 3-point range. Illinois leads the Big Ten in both field goal pct. and 3-pt. field goal pct. Its 50.8 field goal pct. ranks 16th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 10). • In the first half of games this season, Illinois is averaging 45.2 points (768 pts.) on 52.4 percent shooting (289-552), and enjoys an average halftime lead of 15.0 points. • Four of Illinois' five starters are averaging in double-figures this season. • Illinois has led the Big Ten in scoring each of the last four seasons. The Illini currently rank second in the Big Ten and 16th in the nation (as of Jan. 10) in scoring, averaging 82.1 points per game. • Illinois has been credited with assists on 66.7 percent of its baskets this season (348 assists on 522 field goals). The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank second in the nation in assists (behind North Carolina), averaging 20.5 assists per game. • The Illini have three players - Dee Brown, Luther Head and Roger Powell - shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. • Illinois' victory over Chicago State on Dec. 6 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 13-2 all-time when ranked No. 1, with wins over Indiana in 1989 and at Purdue in 1952, in addition to the 11 straight victories this season while sitting atop the polls. • 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 then-No. 1 Wake Forest 91-73. • 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 just six turnovers against top-ranked Wake Forest. • 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.

Last Time Out: Penn State
Illinois made a school-record 15 three-pointers in winning its 17th straight game, defeating Penn State 90-64 Wednesday at the Assembly Hall. The Illini guard accounted for all 15, as Luther Head and Dee Brown each nailed five treys, Deron Williams added three and Rich McBride came off the bench to hit two. Every Illini player got in the scoring column, with four scoring in double figures. Head had a game-high 19 points while Brown scored 15. Deron Williams recorded the fourth double-double of his career and his first of the season, scoring 11 points while dishing out a career-high 12 assists. The Illini shot 55.7 percent from the field, its 10th game this season at 50 percent or better, and had 26 assists, just one short of its season high.

Illini Remain No. 1
For just the third year in school history - and for the sixth straight week - Illinois is the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. This marks the first time in school history that the Illini have been ranked first for more than one week in the same season. Illinois' first tenure at No. 1 came the final week of January, 1952. Illinois' six straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team since Arizona owned the top spot the first six weeks of the 2002-03 season.

Prior to this year, the last time Illinois was ranked No. 1 was the week of Jan. 23-29, 1989. The UI was 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.

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 Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Oct. 31. 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 second on the team in scoring this season, averaging 13.8 points. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the nation in assists (as of Jan. 10), averaging 6.9 apg. Williams dished out a career-high 12 assists vs. Penn State on Jan. 12. He boasts an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.29 through 17 games. Williams is also fourth on the team in rebounding with 3.8 boards per game.

Williams had one of his best games of the season in Illinois' win over Missouri on Dec. 22, scoring 19 points - 15 of which came in the second half - with five assists. He then had a season-high 23 points with four 3-pointers vs. Longwood (Dec. 27).

Williams was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Las Vegas Holiday Classic after scoring 14 points with a game-high six assists vs. Northwestern State and a game-high 18 points with six rebounds and four assists vs. Cincinnati.

He played 39 minutes in the Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State, finishing with 14 points and a game-high eight assists.

Williams notched the fourth double-double of his career on Wednesday vs. Penn State, scoring 11 points in addition to his career-high 12 assists. He also tied his career high in steals with four against the Nittany Lions.

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 Illinois' top three scorers and assists leaders. The trio has accounted for 52.4 percent of Illinois' scoring and 80 percent of its 3-pointers. They have also totaled 80.5 percent of Illinois' assists and 56.8 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 2.55. Below is a statistical look at Illinois' starting backcourt.

          PPG	  APG	  RPG	  ST	  3FG
Head	     15.8	 4.5	  4.1	  28	  51
Williams	 13.8	 6.9	  3.8	  11	  31
Brown	    13.4	 5.1	  2.7	  28	  42
Total	    43.0	 16.5	 10.6	 67	  124

Sharing the Wealth
One reason why Illinois ranks 16th in the nation in field goal percentage (as of Jan. 10) at 50.8 percent 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 348 assists on its 522 baskets, an impressive 66.7 percent assist-to-made field goals percentage. Illinois ranks second in the nation in assists, averaging 20.5 apg, and has recorded at least 20 assists in 11 of 17 games on the year. The Illini recorded a season-high 27 assists vs. 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 12 of the 17 first halves so far, and are averaging 52.4 percent shooting in the first half of its games. Illinois has scored 45 or more points in nine of the 17 first halves and is averaging 45.2 points in the first half. Illinois has also taken a double-digit lead into halftime 13 of 17 times this year and goes into the locker room with an average lead of 15 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
Georgetown	    41.9	  31	   7
Oregon	        56.0	  43	   14
Valparaiso	    57.1	  49	   26
Missouri	      41.9	  38	   15
Longwood	      57.5	  56	   13
N'western St.	 50.0	  42	   14
Cincinnati	    35.5	  35	   11
Ohio State	    56.3	  46	   6
Purdue	        37.9	  33	   -6
Penn State	    50.0	  41	   16
Avg.	          52.4	  45.2	 15.0

The Head of the Class
Guard Luther Head entered the season as one of the most underrated 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 15.8 points per game (8th in Big Ten), is tied for the team with 28 steals (T-7th in Big Ten), and is also contributing 4.5 assists per game (5th in Big Ten). He is shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point land (6th in Big Ten) with a Big Ten-leading 51 treys. Head opened the season by scoring in double figures in five straight games with 15 points vs. Delaware State, 13 vs. Florida A&M, a game-high 22 points vs. Oakland, 20 points vs. Gonzaga and 16 points vs. Wake Forest. After his streak ended against Arkansas, Head responded with a career-long streak of eight straight games in double figures: a game-high 17 points vs. Chicago State; 13 at Georgetown; a season-high 23 vs. Oregon (which also marked the second highest total of his career); 11 against Valparaiso; 20 vs. Missouri; 20 vs. Longwood; a game-high 18 vs. Northwestern State; and 11 vs. Cincinnati. That streak ended vs. Ohio State, but Head picked it right back up at Purdue on Jan. 8, leading the Illini with 15 points. Head most recently had a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds vs. Penn State.

Head has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.04 on the year to lead the team and rank second in the Big Ten. In consecutive 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 back-to-back games vs. Oakland and Gonzaga. Head also had nine assists with no turnovers vs. Valparaiso.

Head moved into the Illinois Top 50 scoring list on Dec. 27 vs. Longwood and is currently tied for 41st in school history with 941 career points.

Dee Lighting it Up
Dee Brown has had a hot shooting hand to start the season, shooting 56.1 percent (83-148) from the field. That percentage is even more impressive when considering that nearly 61 percent of his shots have come from 3-point range. And Brown has been dependable from downtown as well, shooting 46.7 percent (42-90) from behind the arc (4th in Big Ten).

Brown is third on the Illini in scoring at 13.4 points per game. He recorded his 1,000th career point against Cincinnati on Dec. 31, becoming the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Illini history. Brown currently ranks 34th on the school career scoring chart with 1,052 points.

Like his backcourt teammates, Brown has also been taking care of the ball and making good decisions. He is third in the Big Ten in assists, averaging 5.1. He also an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.53 on the season (4th in Big Ten). In the two games vs. Gonzaga and Wake Forest, Brown combined for 15 assists without a turnover. In a three-game stretch vs. Chicago State, Georgetown and Oregon, he combined for 20 assists with just four turnovers (game-high nine assists with one turnover vs. Chicago State; game-high six assists with two turnovers at Georgetown; five assists with one turnover vs. Oregon). Against Longwood on Dec. 27, Brown had a career-high 13 assists, tying the third highest single-game assist total in UI history.

The Rev Rises to the Occasion
Senior forward Roger Powell, Jr., is averaging 12.8 points and is second on the team with 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field (86-of-142). His field goal percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 23rd nationally (as of Jan. 10). 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 quickness and ability to step out and face the basket and either drive or hit the outside shot. Powell currently ranks third on the UI career field goal percentage chart at 59.2 percent (367-620).

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 season-high tying 19 points and career-high 11 rebounds in a victory over Arkansas. Powell was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 6 for his performance in those two games.

In a victory at Georgetown on Dec. 9, Powell led the Illini with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Powell moved into the Illinois Top 50 scoring list on Dec. 27 vs. Longwood and is currently 44th in school history with 929 career points.

Powell is scheduled to graduate with his bachelor's degree in speech communications in May. He is a licensed minister in the Pentecostal church.

Augie Off to Strong Start
Junior James Augustine is off to a strong start by shooting 64 percent from the field (64-100) and averaging a team-high 7.4 rebounds. His field goal percentage leads the Big Ten, and he ranks fourth in the league in rebounding. He grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Oakland on Nov. 24 - which ties the highest total by an Illini player this season. Augustine recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. Northwestern State on Dec. 30.

Augustine is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week after notching the 12th double-double of his career in the Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State with a career-high tying 21 points and 10 boards, and adding eight points and a game-high nine boards at Purdue. On the week, Augustine averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent from the field (10-14).

Augustine is fifth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.9 points and leads the Illini with 24 blocked shots (6th in Big Ten).

* For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on the .pdf link at the top of this page.