Jan. 31, 2005
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Michigan State in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #22: #1 Illinois (21-0, 7-0) at #15/#13 Michigan State (14-3, 5-1)
Feb. 1, 2005 •6 p.m. CT/7 p.m. ET •ESPN
East Lansing, Mich. •Breslin Center (14,759)
Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (21-0, 7-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 13.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.5 bpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 16.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.1 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 13.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 7.0 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 12.7 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, 3.6 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 3.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 4.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 4.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 1.6 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: 150-61/.711 (7th year)
At Illinois: 47-7/.870 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 20-3/.870
Vs. Michigan State: 1-0
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)
Michigan State Head Coach: Tom Izzo
Overall Record: 220-93/.703 (10th year)
At Michigan State: Same
Vs. Illinois: 10-7
Assistant Coaches: Mark Montgomery, Dwayne Stephens, Doug Wojcik
On the Air
Television
ESPN: Dan Shelman, play-by-play; Dick Vitale expert analyst; Doris Burke, sideline reporter
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.
Series Notes: Michigan State
Illinois leads the all-time series 49-47 over the Spartans, with Michigan State holding a 30-16 advantage in games played at East Lansing. The Fighting Illini have won three of the last four and four of the last six meetings. The last Illinois win at the Breslin Center came on Feb. 12, 2002 by the score of 63-61. This is the only meeting between the two schools this year during the regular season.
Undefeated Illini
Illinois is one of just two teams in the country to boast a perfect record, and with 21 victories has the most wins in the nation. The following is a list of the remaining undefeated teams in Div. I.
Illinois 21-0 (next; Tues. at Mich. St.)
Boston College 18-0 (next; Tues. vs. West Va.)
Illini Own Pair of Nation's Longest Winning Streaks
Illinois sits atop the NCAA Div. I charts with two winning streaks. The Illini's 21-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in the nation, and Illinois' 10-game road winning streak is tied with Boston College for the longest road winning streak in the nation. Illinois won its last six road games last year and has won its first four road games this season.
Hot Start
Illinois' current 21-0 record has set a school record for the best start to a season in the 100-year history of Fighting Illini basketball, and also ranks as the longest single-season winning streak in school history. The 21 straight wins also stands as 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.
Illinois' 21-0 mark also ranks as the fifth best start ever by a Big Ten team, and is the best start by a Big Ten team in 29 years, since Indiana went a perfect 32-0 during the 1975-76 season. The following is a list of the all-time best starts by Big Ten teams.
Rank School Start Year
1. Indiana 32-0 * 1975-76
2. Indiana 31-0 1974-75
3. Ohio State 27-0 1960-61
4. Ohio State 22-0 1961-62
5. Illinois 21-0 2004-05
6. Iowa 18-0 1986-87
T7. Ohio State 17-0 1990-91
T7. Illinois 17-0 1988-89
* Indiana went undefeated during the 1975-76 season.
Big Ten Streakin'
Illinois has won 17 straight Big Ten games - its final 10 conference games last season and the first seven this season. Illinois' 17-game Big Ten winning streak is tied for the best conference run in school history, along with 17-straight Big Ten wins from Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916. The following are the Illini's all-time best Big Ten winning streaks:
•17 - Feb. 3, 2004 - CURRENT
•17 - Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916
•15 - Jan. 20, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952
•14 - March 7, 1942 through Jan. 3, 1944
•13 - Feb. 26, 1955 through Feb. 20, 1956
•13 - Feb. 23, 1924 through Feb. 21, 1925
Illinois has also set a school record with its current streak of nine straight Big Ten road victories - its final six conference away games last season and its first three road games this season. This broke the previous school-record streak of eight straight Big Ten road wins, which happened twice. The Illini won eight straight conference road games from Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916 and again from Feb. 5, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952.
Hot Big Ten Start
At 7-0 in conference play, Illinois is off to its best Big Ten start in 49 years, since winning its first 10 Big Ten games in 1956. This is the sixth time in school history that Illinois has won at least its first seven games to open conference play. The following are the Illini's all-time best Big Ten starts:
Rank Start Year
T1. 12-0 * 1942-43
T1. 12-0 * 1914-15
3. 10-0 1955-56
T4. 7-0 2004-05
T4. 7-0 1941-42
T4. 7-0 1924-25
T7. 6-0 1962-63
T7. 6-0 1951-52
T9. 5-0 1969-70
T9. 5-0 1919-20
*Illinois went unbeaten in Big Ten play during the 1942-43 and 1914-15 seasons.
Augustine Earns Second Big Ten Player of the Week Honor this Season
James Augustine was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks, while shooting 83.3 percent from the field (10-of-12) in a pair of victories last week over Wisconsin and Minnesota. He posted 14 points on 5-6 shooting, a game-high eight rebounds and two blocks in a 75-65 victory over Wisconsin, which helped end the Badgers' 38-game home winning streak. With Illinois up by just one with three minutes remaining, Augustine had back-to-back dunks to give the Illini a five-point advantage and seal the win. He followed with another strong performance, tallying 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Minnesota, while pulling down a team-high seven rebounds and adding a game-high three blocks.
Augustine currently leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage, shooting 64 percent (78-122) from the field this season. He claims his second career Big Ten weekly award this season as he was also honored on Jan. 10.
Illini Remain No. 1
For just the third year in school history - and for the ninth 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' nine straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team since Duke owned the top spot for nine straight polls, the final poll of the 2001 season the first eight weeks of the 2001-02 season. The last school to have a longer streak at No. 1 in the same season was Connecticut with 10 straight weeks during the 1998-99 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.
Illini Tally Sixth Straight 20-Win Season
With the victory at Wisconsin on Jan. 25, Illinois has recorded its sixth-straight 20-win season, which is also its eighth in the last nine years and 24th all-time. Illinois has also reached the 20-win plateau the fastest in school history in terms of both calendar date and number of total games, by winning its 20th game on Jan. 25 in just its 20th game of the season.
Prior to this year, the quickest that Illinois had recorded its 20th win in a season by calendar date was during the 1988-89 season, when the UI won its 20th game on Feb. 11, 1989. In terms of total games, the fastest that Illinois had recorded its 20th win had been in 23 games. This happened four times; during the 1948-49, 1951-52, 1983-84, and 1988-89 seasons.
Home Cookin'
The Illini have a 17-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall, which is currently (as of Jan. 30) tied for seventh in the nation among active homecourt winning streaks ...Illinois is 62-2 (.969) at the Assembly Hall over the last four-plus years, with the only losses coming to Michigan State on Feb. 3, 2002 and to Purdue on Jan. 10, 2004 ... The Boilermakers broke a 23-game Illini winning streak at the Hall that at the time ranked fourth in the nation ... Illinois is 74-3 (.961) at the Assembly Hall over the past five-plus seasons, the best home mark in the nation over that period ...The Illini have also won 38 in a row at the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents ... Illinois has won 39 of its last 41 (.951) Big Ten games at the Assembly Hall ... Below is a look at Illinois' home record the past five-plus seasons:
Year Overall Big Ten
2004-05 11-0 4-0
2003-04 12-1 7-1
2002-03 14-0 7-0
2001-02 13-1 7-1
2000-01 12-0 8-0
1999-2000 12-1 7-1
Total 74-3 (.961) 40-3 (.930)
Williams Racks Up Assists at Record Pace
Deron Williams is on pace this season to shatter various school, as well as Big Ten, assists records. He has 146 assists, which is on pace to break the Illinois school record for assists in a season (200 by Bruce Douglas in 1985). His average of 7.0 assists per game (ninth in the NCAA as of Jan. 24) is on pace to break the Illinois record for assists average in a season (6.40 apg by Tony Wysinger in 1987). In Big Ten games only, Williams is averaging 7.9 assists per game. That is on pace to break the Big Ten record for assists average in conference games (7.83 apg by Michigan State's Eric Snow in 1995).
Just midway through his junior campaign, Williams already ranks fourth all-time at Illinois with 476 career assists. At his current pace, Williams will finish this season No. 2 on the UI career assists chart.
1,000-Point Club
Illinois is on pace to have four members of its current roster join the school's 1,000-point club this season:
• Luther Head recorded his 1,000th career point against Wisconsin on Jan. 25, becoming the 37th 1,000-point scorer in Illini history. Head ranks 35th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,010 points.
• Head joins Dee Brown as current Illini to join the 1,000-point club. Brown recorded his 1,000th career point against Cincinnati on Dec. 31 and currently ranks 33rd on the school career scoring chart with 1,091 points.
• Two more Illini players are on pace to score their 1,000th career point this season. With 985 career points, senior Roger Powell is 15 points away from 1,000. And with 898 career points, junior Deron Williams is 102 points away from 1,000.
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. 24) with 8.9 three-pointers per game. The Illini have made 10 or more threes in eight games this season (12 vs. Delaware State, 12 vs. Oakland, 14 vs. Gonzaga, 11 vs. Wake Forest, 10 vs. Longwood, 11 vs. Purdue, 15 vs. Penn State and 10 vs. Minnesota), highlighted by a school-record 15 treys vs. Penn State on Jan. 15. Illinois' average of 8.9 three-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 and ranking 28th in the nation (as of Jan. 24) with a 3-point field goal percentage of 40.2 percent.
Luther Head leads the way with a Big Ten-leading 3.0 treys per game on 43.4 percent accuracy from 3-point range (6th in Big Ten). Dee Brown is next with 2.3 threes per game (5th in Big Ten) on 43.2 percent accuracy (8th in Big Ten). Deron Williams is averaging 1.7 threes per contest. Illinois' three starting guards have accounted for 79 percent of Illinois' 3-pointers this season (146-of-186).
Illini in Control
Illinois has trailed in the scoring column for just 66:34 out of 845 minutes of play this year, meaning Illinois has either held the lead or been tied in 92.1 percent of the minutes played to date in the 2004-05 season. The Illini have also not trailed during the second half in 19 of 21 games this year. Games at Purdue (Jan. 8) and at Wisconsin (Jan. 25) have been the only two games this season when Illinois has been behind in 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 10 of 21 games this year (Oakland, vs. Gonzaga, Wake Forest, vs. Oregon, Valparaiso, vs. Missouri, Longwood, vs. Northwestern State, vs. Cincinnati and vs. Minnesota), which included a streak of six straight games from Dec. 11 (Oregon) through Dec. 31 (Cincinnati) that was broken against Ohio State in the Big Ten opener on Jan. 5. Following is a list of time that Illinois has been behind this season:
Opponent Time Trailed
Delaware State 7:01
Florida A&M 0:50
vs. Arkansas 1:34
Chicago State 0:47
at Georgetown 11:20
Ohio State 7:11
at Purdue 21:46
Penn State 0:33
at Northwestern 0:22
Iowa 3:30
at Wisconsin 11:40
TOTAL 66:34
Quick Shots
• For the third year in school history - and the ninth 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' nine straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak in the same season by any team since Connecticut owned the top spot for 10 straight weeks of the 1998-99 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 snapped Wisconsin's 38-game home winning streak on Jan. 25 with a 75-65 victory at the Kohl Center, ending the longest homecourt winning streak in the nation.
• Illinois has defeated five ranked opponents this season - No. 24 Gonzaga, No. 1 Wake Forest, No. 22 Cincinnati, No. 23 Iowa and No. 18 Wisconsin.
• The Illini are averaging 8.9 three-pointers per game this season, which leads the Big Ten and ranks 12th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 24). Illinois set a school record for 3-pointers in a game with 15 vs. Penn State on Jan. 12.
• Illinois has won 18 of 21 games by double figures, and is outscoring its opponents by an average of 18.7 points per game on the year. Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in the nation (as of Jan. 24) in scoring margin.
• The Illini are shooting 49.8 percent (632-1268) from the field and 40.2 percent (186-463) from 3-point range. Illinois leads the Big Ten in both field goal pct. (15th in NCAA, as of 1/24) and 3-pt. field goal pct. (28th in NCAA, as of 1/24).
• In the first half of games this season, Illinois is averaging 44.1 points (926 pts.) on 51.1 percent shooting (349-683), and enjoys an average halftime lead of 14.0 points.
• All five Illini 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 lead the Big Ten and rank 11th in the nation (as of Jan. 24) in scoring, averaging 81.5 points per game.
• Illinois has been credited with assists on 66.5 percent of its baskets this season (420 assists on 632 field goals). The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank second in the nation in assists (behind North Carolina), averaging 20.0 assists per game.
• The Illini have four players - Luther Head, Dee Brown, Roger Powell and Jack Ingram - shooting over 40 percent 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 17-2 all-time when ranked No. 1, with wins over Indiana in 1989 and at Purdue in 1952, in addition to the 15 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: Minnesota
With more than 350 Illinois basketball program alumni back on campus, the Fighting Illini started fast and finished strong with an 89-66 victory over Minnesota at the Assembly Hall. The Illini shot 60 percent from the field, including 7 of 11 from 3-point range, in the first half in jumping out to a 47-26 halftime lead. Roger Powell, Jr., led all scorers with a season-high 21 points, while Deron Williams added 18, James Augustine scored 15 and Luther Head added 10. The victory was Illinois' 21st-consecutive win on the season.
Illinois-Wisconsin Game Receives High TV Rating
The Illinois-Wisconsin game on Jan. 25, which was televised by ESPN, achieved a 2.78 rating. That translates to roughly 2.5 million households, making it the seventh most watched regular-season college basketball game in ESPN history.
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 78.5 percent of its 3-pointers. They have also totaled 80.7 percent of Illinois' assists and 56.5 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 2.47. Below is a statistical look at Illinois' starting backcourt.
PPG APG RPG ST 3FG
Head 16.5 4.1 3.9 38 63
Williams 13.1 7.0 4.0 15 35
Brown 12.7 5.1 2.7 38 48
Total 42.3 16.2 10.6 91 146
Sharing the Wealth
One reason why Illinois ranks 15th in the nation in field goal percentage (as of Jan. 24) at 49.8 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 420 assists on its 632 baskets, an impressive 66.5 percent assist-to-made field goals percentage. Illinois ranks second in the nation in assists, averaging 20.0 apg, and has recorded at least 20 assists in 13 of 21 games on the year. The Illini recorded a season-high 27 assists vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 1.
* For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on .pdf link at the top of this page.
