Illinois Game Notes vs. Purdue
March 1, 2005 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2005
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Purdue in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #29: #1 Illinois (28-0, 14-0) vs. Purdue (7-18, 3-11)
March 3, 2005 •8 p.m. CT •ESPN2
Champaign, Ill. •Assembly Hall (16,618)
Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (28-0, 14-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 12.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 10.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 16.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.7 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 6.8 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 13.8 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.8 apg)
Off The Bench ...
G - 15 Calvin Brock (Fr., 6-4, 185, plans to redshirt)
G - 33 Rich McBride (So., 6-3, 215, 3.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.8 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 2.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 3.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 1.5 ppg, 0.9 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: 157-61/.720 (7th year)
At Illinois: 54-7/.885 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 27-3/.900
Vs. Purdue: 2-1
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)
Purdue Head Coach: Gene Keady
Overall Record: 550-286 (27th year)
At Purdue: 512-267 (25th year)
Vs. Illinois: 25-22
Assistant Coaches: Matt Painter, Cuonzo Martin and Paul Lusk
On the Air
Television
ESPN 2 - National: Dave Barnett, play-by-play; Tim McCormick, expert analyst.
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; and, Loren Tate pregame/halftime/ postgame interviews.
Series Notes: Purdue
Purdue leads 85-79 in the all-time series, but the Fighting Illini own a 51-30 advantage in games played at Champaign. Purdue is the last team to win at the Assembly Hall, a 58-54 victory last January. The Illini have won six of the last nine and posted a 68-59 win over the Boilermakers at West Lafayette on Jan. 8 behind 14 second-half points by Dee Brown. Illinois faced its largest deficit of the season, nine points, before coming back for the victory.
Illini Honor Five Seniors on Thursday
Thursday is Senior Night at the Assembly Hall, as Illinois will honor its five departing seniors who are among the most decorated players in Illini basketball history:
• Fred Nkemdi has been a walk-on for the past two seasons and has won a pair of Big Ten championships. He will earn a degree in political science this May and plans to enroll in law school following graduation.
• Jack Ingram transferred to Illinois after playing his first two seasons at Tulsa. He has won a pair of Big Ten championships as well as a Big Ten tournament title the past three seasons. Ingram will earn a degree in electrical engineering this May.
• Roger Powell, Jr. and Luther Head are wrapping up their careers as four-year letterwinners. The Illini have compiled a record of 105-23 (.820), have won three Big Ten championships and a Big Ten Tournament championship during their tenure. Powell will earn a degree in speech communications this May, while Head will complete his coursewook in sports management this May and will need only a summer internship to earn his bachelor's degree.
• Nick Smith owns the most Big Ten titles of any player ever to suit up in an Illini basketball uniform. During his five years, the Illini have gone 132-31 (.810), have won four Big Ten championships and a Big Ten Tournament championship. Smith has already earned a bachelor's degree in finance and will earn his master's degree in finance this
May.
In addition to their career accomplishments, these five seniors have helped take the program to new heights this year, with the team in the midst of a record-setting season with its current 28-0 overall record, 14-0 Big Ten record, and No. 1 ranking in the national polls for 13 consecutive weeks.
Weber Named Finalist for Jim Phelan Coach of the Year
Bruce Weber has been named one of 10 finalists for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, which is presented by CollegeInsider.com. The voting is done by a 21-member panel made up of current and retired head coaches, athletic administrators and members of the media. In addition to Weber, other finalists are Ray Giacoletti (Utah), Bobby Lutz (Charlotte), Bruce Pearl (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Skip Prosser (Wake Forest), Al Skinner (Boston College), Tubby Smith (Kentucky), Bob Thomason (Pacific), Ralph Willard (Holy Cross) and Roy Williams (North Carolina). The winner will be announced on April 1 in St. Louis.
Illini Trio Named Finalists for Oscar Robertson Player of the Year
Illinois leads the way with three players named to the list of 16 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Player of the Year, as voted on by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Starting guards Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head all appear on the USBWA ballot for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which will be awarded on April 1 in St. Louis.
Undefeated Illini
Illinois is the only remaining NCAA Div. I team in the country to boast a perfect record, and with 28 victories has the most wins in the nation.
Weber Makes History as Illini Clinch Second Straight Outright Big Ten Championship
Following Michigan State's loss at Indiana on Sunday, Illinois has clinched its second straight outright Big Ten title. This is the program's fourth Big Ten title in the last five years and fifth in the last eight years, and is the 17th conference championship in school history for the Illini.
This is first time in 53 years and the third time in school history that the Illini have won back-to-back outright league championships, along with 1942 & 1943 and 1951 & 1952. Illinois becomes the first Big Ten team to win back-to-back outright titles since Purdue won three straight outright titles from 1994 through 1996.
Bruce Weber has also entered the record books, becoming the first coach in the 100-year history of Big Ten basketball to win consecutive outright championships in each of his first two seasons.
Illini Own Pair of Nation's Longest Winning Streaks
Illinois sits atop the NCAA Div. I charts with two winning streaks. The Illini's 28-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in the nation, and Illinois' 14-game road winning streak is the longest road winning streak in the nation. Illinois won its last six road games last year and has won its first eight road games this season. The Illini have one more road game remaining on this year's schedule, at Ohio State on March 6.
Illini Notch Second-Winningest Season in School History
With its 28 victories, Illinois has recorded its second-winningest season in school history in terms of total wins. The Illini school record for wins in a season is 31, set by the 1988-89 squad, which finished 31-5. Following are the winningest seasons in school history, in terms of total wins:
Season Wins Record 1. 1988-89 31 31-5 (.861) 2. 2004-05 28 28-0 (1.000) 3. 2000-01 27 27-8 (.771) T4. 2003-04 26 26-7 (.788) T4. 2001-02 26 26-9 (.743) T4. 1984-85 26 26-9 (.743) T4. 1983-84 26 26-5 (.838) 8. 2002-03 25 25-7 (.781) T9. 1997-98 23 23-10 (.697) T9. 1987-88 23 23-10 (.697) T9. 1986-87 23 23-8 (.742)
Illini in Midst of Record-Setting Season
Illinois' current record of 28-0 has set a school record for the best start to a season in the 100-year history of Fighting Illini basketball. The 28 straight wins also ranks as the longest winning streak in school history, breaking the previous mark of 25 consecutive wins that spanned parts of three seasons from Feb. 21, 1914, through Feb. 9, 1916.
Illinois' 28-0 mark is also the third 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.
School Start Season 1. Indiana 32-0 * 1975-76 2. Indiana 31-0 1974-75 3. Illinois 28-0 2004-05 4. Ohio State 27-0 1960-61 5. Ohio State 22-0 1961-62 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 a school-record 24 straight Big Ten games - its final 10 conference games last season and the first 14 this season. Illinois' 24-game Big Ten winning streak broke the school's previous best mark of 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:
•24 - 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, 1925Illinois' 24-game conference winning streak ranks third in Big Ten history and is the longest since Indiana won a league-record 37 straight Big Ten games from Dec. 27, 1975 through Jan. 7, 1978. Ranking second on the list is Ohio State's 27-game Big Ten winning streak from March 5, 1960 through Feb. 26, 1962.
Illinois has also set a school record with its current streak of 13 straight Big Ten road victories - its final six conference away games last season and its first seven 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 14-0 in Big Ten play, Illinois has now recorded its most wins ever to start a conference season. The Illini had twice won its first 12 Big Ten games, with a pair of undefeated conference runs in 1915 and 1943.
This is the best conference start by any Big Ten team in 29 years, since Indiana went a perfect 18-0 in 1976. The following are the Illini's all-time best Big Ten starts:
Start Season 1. 14-0 2004-05 T2. 12-0 * 1914-15 T2. 12-0 * 1942-43 4. 10-0 1955-56 T5. 7-0 1941-42 T5. 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.
Illini Tie Second-Winningest Big Ten Season in School History
With its 14 Big Ten victories so far this season, Illinois has tied its second-winningest Big Ten season in school history in terms of total wins. Illinois has also recorded its most Big Ten wins since the league went to a 16-game conference schedule in 1998 due to the Big Ten Tournament. The school record for Big Ten wins in a season was set by the 1984 Illini squad, which won 15 contests en route to a Big Ten co-championship with a 15-3 league record. Following are the winningest Big Ten seasons in school history, in terms of total wins (* marks season in which Illini also won the Big Ten title):
Season Wins Record 1. 1983-84 * 15 15-3 (.833) T2. 2004-05 * 14 14-0 (1.000) T2. 1988-89 14 14-4 (.778) T2. 1952-53 14 14-4 (.778) T5. 2003-04 * 13 13-3 (.813) T5. 2000-01 * 13 13-3 (.813) T5. 1997-98 * 13 13-3 (.813) T5. 1986-87 13 13-5 (.722) T5. 1950-51 * 13 13-1 (.929) T5. 1941-42 * 13 13-2 (.867)
Illinois' Three Guards Named First-Team All-District by NABC
Illinois had its entire starting backcourt named First-Team All-District for District 11 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Feb. 18. Deron Williams, Luther Head and Dee Brown were all first-team selections, joined by Wisconsin's Mike Wilkinson and Minnesota's Vincent Grier. The three Illini guards are now eligible for the NABC All-America Team, which will be announced at the end of the season.
*For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes vs. Purdue, click on .pdf link at the top of this page.
