Jan. 16, 2006
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Indiana in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #18: #7ap/6 Illinois (16-1, 2-1) at #9ap/8 Indiana (10-3, 2-1)
Jan. 17, 2006 • 6 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. ET • ESPN
Bloomington, Ind. • Assembly Hall (17,456)
On the Air
Television
ESPN-National: Dan Shulman, play-by-play; Dick Vitale, expert analyst; Erin Andrews, sideline reporter.
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 50 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.
Probable Starters
#7/6 ILLINOIS (16-1, 2-1)
F - 42 Brian Randle (So.-r, 6-8, 215, 7.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.6 apg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Sr., 6-10, 235, 14.4 ppg, 9.3 rpg. 1.8 apg)
C - 55 Shaun Pruitt (So., 6-10, 240, 5.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg)
G - 33 Rich McBride (Jr., 6-3, 205, 8.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.4 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Sr., 6-0, 185, 15.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.3 apg)
Off The Bench ...
G - 2 Chris Hicks (So., 6-2, 190, 1.3 ppg, 0.0 rpg)
G - 3 Chester Frazier (Fr., 6-2, 190, 1.5 ppg, 1.9, rpg, 2.6 apg)
G - 25 Calvin Brock (Fr.-r, 6-4, 185, 1.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg)
G - 31 Jamar Smith (Fr., 6-3, 175, 9.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.4 apg)
F - 34 C.J. Jackson (Fr., 6-8, 265, intends to redshirt)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Jr., 6-9, 210, 5.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg)
C - 44 Marcus Arnold (Jr.-r, 6-8, 245, 4.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 182-64/.740 (8th year)
At Illinois: 79-10/.888 (3rd year)
Big Ten: 30-5/.857
All-Time Vs. Indiana: 4-1
Assistant Coaches: Wayne McClain (5th year), Jay Price (3rd year), Tracy Webster (2nd year)
Assistant to the Head Coach: Gary Nottingham (3rd year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (23rd year at Illinois)
Indiana Head Coach: Mike Davis
Overall Record: 106-70/.602 (6th year)
At Indiana: Same
Vs. Illinois: 3-7
Assistant Coaches: Sidney Green, Donnie Marsh, Kerry Rupp
Series Notes: Indiana
Indiana leads the all-time series, 78-75, including a 47-27 margin in games played at Bloomington. Illinois has a current winning streak of five straight, which includes a 51-49 victory at Bloomington Feb. 3, 2004. The teams met just once last year, with the Illini posting a 60-47 victory at Champaign. James Augustine led all scorers with 16 points, while Dee Brown added 12.
Illini Headlines
• Illinois has the most victories of any team in the nation so far this season with 16 wins (tied with Duke and Florida).
• Illinois has won 55 of its last 57 games during the regular season.
• Illinois owns the nation's longest homecourt winning streak at 31 games, tied with Gonzaga and Southern Illinois.
• Illinois' 31-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall has tied its longest in school history, equaling the school-record streak of 31 straight wins first set at The Hall from Jan. 15, 1984 through Jan. 4, 1986.
• Illinois is 88-3 (.967) at the Assembly Hall over the last six-and-a-half seasons, the best home mark in the nation over this time period.
• Illinois is the second-winningest team in the nation over the past five-and-a-half seasons. Illinois has won 157 games since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, which trails only Duke (166 wins).
• Bruce Weber is the winningest coach in the nation over the past four-and-a-half seasons. Since the beginning of the 2001-02 season, Weber has won 131 games, recording 52 wins in his final two years at Southern Illinois and 79 wins in his first two-and-a-half years at Illinois. He is tied with Duke's Mike Krzyzewski over this time period.
• Illinois and Duke are the only two schools in the nation to win at least 25 games each of the last five seasons.
• Illinois, Duke and Oklahoma State are the only three teams to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons.
• Illinois has won 12 of 16 games by double figures, leading the Big Ten and ranking 13th in the nation (as of Jan. 9) in scoring margin at +16.4 ppg.
• Illinois' opponents are averaging just 56.8 points on 38.9 percent shooting on the season, including just 27.8 percent from 3-point range. The Illini rank third in the Big Ten and seventh in the nation (as of Jan. 9) in scoring defense, and are second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally (as of Jan. 9) in field goal percentage defense and first in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
• Illinois is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.7 boards per game. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 13th in the nation (as of Jan. 9) in rebounding margin and have outrebounded 15 of 17 opponents on the year.
• Seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine have accounted for 58.8 percent of Illinois' points during Big Ten play.
• Dee Brown scored a career-high 34 points in the win over Michigan State on Jan. 5. It marked the most points by an Illini player in eight years, since Kevin Turner scored 35 vs. Indiana on Jan. 3, 1998.
• Sharp-shooting freshman guard Jamar Smith ranks third in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (as of Jan. 9) at 53.8 percent (42-78). He has come off the bench to make his first 3-point attempt in 59 percent of the games on the year (10-17), which includes 10 of the last 14 games.
• Dee Brown has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.48 over the past 11 games (67 assists, 27 turnovers), after opening the season with an assist/turnover ratio of 0.96 in the first six games (23 assists, 24 turnovers).
• James Augustine broke the school record for career rebounds vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30 when he collected his 854th rebound, breaking the previous Illini career record of 853 rebounds set by Efrem Winters from 1983-86. Augustine currently has 881 career rebounds and is on pace to become the first 1,000-point scorer and 1000-rebounder in UI history and just the 11th in Big Ten history.
• Dee Brown and James Augustine have each played in 104 wins during their respective careers, ranking third on the UI career wins chart. The Illinois record for wins (played in) is 110 by Nick Smith (2002-05).
• Dee Brown recorded his 1,500th career point vs. Coppin State on Dec. 18, becoming just the eighth player in UI history to reach that milestone. Brown currently has 1,607 points to rank seventh on the all-time UI list, and he is the top active career scorer in the Big Ten.
• James Augustine has won the opening tip in all but two games this season, and has won the tip over 81 percent of the time during his career (95-22).
• Illinois has played 66 consecutive games while ranked in the Top 25.
• Illinois has the nation's longest nonconference homecourt winning streak at 46 games (tied with Oklahoma).
• Illinois tied its fourth-best start in school history this season with a 15-0 start, marking the second straight season that the UI won its first 15 games. The Illini won a school-record 29 games to start last season.
• Illinois sold out of season tickets for the entire season for the second year in a row and third time in the last five years. The Illini have played in front of a school-record 22 consecutive sell-out crowds at the Assembly Hall.
Illini By the Numbers Under Weber
Illinois has been a consistent winner during Bruce Weber, a tenure that spans the most successful period in school history. The following is a breakdown of Illinois' success under Weber:
• 79-10: Illinois' overall record under Weber, a winning percentage of .888.
• 37-1: Illinois' record at the Assembly Hall under Weber, a winning percentage of .974.
• 55-2: Illinois' record in its last 57 regular season games under Weber (beginning Jan. 31, 2004), a winning percentage of .965.
• 37-2: Illinois' record last season, which tied the record for the winningest season in NCAA history.
• 26-7: Illinois' record in Weber's first season (2003-04), which tied the fourth-winningest season in school history.
• 16-1: Illinois' record so far this season - the second straight year under Weber that Illinois has gone undefeated in non-conference play and won its first 15 games - a winning percentage of .941.
• 30-5: Illinois' record in Big Ten play under Weber - which incudes back-to-back outright championships in 2004 and 2005 - a winning percentage of .857.
• 67-7: Illinois' record in regular season games under Weber, a winning percentage of .905.
• 16-4: Illinois' record in road games under Weber, a winning percentage of .800.
• 26-5: Illinois' record in neutral-site games under Weber, a winning percentage of .839.
• 7-2: Illinois' NCAA Tournament record under Weber - which includes a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2004 and the program's first-ever appearance in the national championship game in 2005 - a winning percentage of .778.
• 5-1: Illinois' Big Ten Tournament record under Weber - which includes the 2005 tournament title - a winning percentage of .833.
• 12-3: Illinois' combined postseason record under Weber, a winning percentage of .800.
Seniors Carry Scoring Load in Big Ten Play
Illinois has leaned on experience to start off conference play with seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine combining for 58.8 percent of the UI's scoring in Big Ten games, totaling 110 of the Illini's 187 points. This is up considerably from non-conference play, where the duo accounted for just 37.8 percent of the team's points. Below is a game-by-game look at the scoring load Brown and Augustine have carried in Big Ten play:
Opp. Brown Augi Seniors Team % by Srs.
MSU 34 7 41 60 68.3
IOWA 6 14 20 48 41.7
MICH 26 23 49 79 62.0
Total 66 44 110 187 58.8
Avg. 22.0 14.7 36.7 62.3 58.8
Home Cookin'
Illinois carries a 31-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall, which leads the nation among active homecourt winning streaks (tied with Gonzaga and Southern Illinois) ... Illinois' 31-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall has tied a school record, equaling the streak of 31 straight wins at The Hall first set from Jan. 15, 1984 through Jan. 4, 1986 ... The Illini have also won 46 in a row at the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents, which is tied with Oklahoma for the longest non-conference homecourt winning streak in the country ...Illinois is 76-2 (.974) at the Assembly Hall over the last five-and-a-half 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 88-3 (.967) at the Assembly Hall over the past six-and-a-half seasons, the best home mark in the nation over that period ... Illinois has won 45 of its last 47 (.957) Big Ten games at the Assembly Hall ... Below is a look at Illinois' home record the past six-and-a-half seasons:
Year Overall Big Ten
2005-06 10-0 2-0
2004-05 15-0 8-0
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 89-3 (.967) 46-3 (.939)
Following is a list of the current longest homecourt winning streaks in Div. I:
School Wins Next Home Game
T1. ILLINOIS 31 Jan. 25
T1. Gonzaga 31 Jan. 16
T1. Southern Illinois 31 Jan. 22
Last Time Out: Michigan
Illinois tied a school record by winning its 31st game at the Assembly Hall with a 79-74 victory over Michigan on Saturday. The Illini were led by their seniors as Dee Brown and James Augustine combined for 49 points, with Brown totaling a game-high 26 and Augustine tying his career high with 23. The duo also accounted for 24 of Illinois' last 26 points over the final 10:45.
Illinois led by 11 at the half and survived an early second-half run by Michigan, leading by nine after UM had cut the lead down to two with 10 minutes left.
But with the Illini up 69-60, Michigan scored 10 straight points to take its first lead since early in the game. But Augustine answered with four straight points to put the Illini back up by three.
With the Illini leading 75-74, reserve Warren Carter made a pair of huge free throws with :17 left to make it a three-point game. Michigan's Daniel Horton missed a three-pointer that would have sent the game to overtime, and Dee Brown iced the game with a pair of free throws in the final second.
Augustine and Brown Approaching School Record for Career Wins
Saturday's win over Michigan marked the 104th career victory that seniors James Augustine and Dee Brown have played in during their UI tenure, which is tied with Luther Head for third on the school career wins chart. The school record for career wins (played in) is 110 by Nick Smith (2002-05).
Augustine Breaks Illini Career Rebounding Record
Senior James Augustine broke the Illinois school record for career rebounds with his final rebound with 10:51 left in the game vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30 to give him 854 rebounds in his career, breaking the previous Illini career record of 853 rebounds set by Efrem Winters from 1983-86. Augustine now has 881 career boards, which is also the most rebounds of any current Big Ten player. He is on pace to become the first 1,000-point scorer and 1,000-rebounder in Illinois history and just the 11th in Big Ten history.
Doing it with Defense
At the beginning of the season, Bruce Weber challenged his team to build its identity and reputation on defense. Illinois has responded, using defense to spur its 16-1 start. Opponents are averaging just 56.8 points (third in Big Ten, seventh in NCAA as of Jan. 9) on 38.9 percent shooting (second in Big Ten, 16th in NCAA as of Jan. 9) and 27.8 percent 3-point shooting (first in Big Ten) for the season. The Illini have only given up more than 65 points once this season (Michigan), with 11 of the 17 opponents scoring under 60. Illinois has not had an opponent shoot 50 percent in a game this year, and only four teams have shot better than 45 percent.
Illinois held back-to-back opponents to less than 50 points in wins over Arkansas-Little Rock (75-49) and Georgetown (58-48) for the first time since Nov. 30 and Dec. 5, 1998 under Lon Kruger when the Illini defeated Valparaiso (53-49) and Bradley (53-48).
On Dec. 18, the Illini held Coppin State to just 42 points, the second-fewest points by an opponent in the Weber era at Illinois and the fewest by a UI opponent since Penn State scored 37 in an 80-37 loss at the Assembly Hall on Jan. 21, 2004.
Illinois' best defensive effort of the season came in the win over Michigan State on Jan. 5. The Spartans entered the game ranked 14th in the nation in scoring, averaging 82.8 ppg. But the Illini held MSU to a season-low 50 points, nearly 33 points below its average. MSU was 10th in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 50.4 percent but shot just 36.2 percent against the Illini defense.
The Illini "D" did its best work on Michigan State's top two scorers, Maurice Ager and Paul Davis. Ager entered the game ranked 12th in the nation in scoring at 22 points per game, but he was held 13 below his average, scoring a season-low nine points on 3-8 shooting, his only game of the season not reaching double figures. Davis, meanwhile, came into the game third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 20 points, but scored just 12.
Crashing the Boards
One major area where Illinois has improved its performance compared to last season is in rebounding. The Illini are averaging 38.2 rpg and have totaled 40+ boards eight times. Illinois is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.7 boards to lead the Big Ten and rank 13th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 9) in rebounding margin. Illinois has outrebounded its opponent in all but two games (Xavier and Iowa) on the season. The Illini also lead the Big Ten in offensive rebounding, averaging 13.47 offensive boards per game.
Last season, Illinois averaged 34.3 rpg and outrebounded its opponent by an average of only 3.0 boards.
Brown Eclipses 1,500 Career Points
Dee Brown scored his 1,500th point against Coppin State on Dec. 18, becoming the eighth player in Illinois history to reach that milestone. Brown currently stands seventh on the UI career scoring list with 1,607 points, which is also the most career points of any current Big Ten player. At his current pace, Brown should finish his career ranked third on the all-time Illini scoring chart.
Illini Also Enjoy Success in Close Games
Illinois leads the Big Ten and ranks 13th in the nation (as of Jan. 9) in scoring margin at +16.4 ppg and has won 12 of its 16 games by double figures. But the other four games have gone down to the wire and the Illini have been successful in close games as well, owning a 4-0 record this season in games decided by five points or less:
Nov. 25 vs. Wichita State W, 55-54
Nov. 29 at North Carolina W, 68-64
Dec. 3 vs. Xavier W, 65-62
Jan. 14 Michigan W, 79-74
This is quite a contrast to last year, when Illinois had a total of just four games decided by five points or less out of 39 games on the year. Last season, Illinois did not play in a game decided by five or less until its 19th game, when it defeated Iowa in overtime on Jan. 20 by the score of 73-68. Illinois went 2-2 in games decided by five points or less last season and is 10-3 in such games under Bruce Weber.
Dee Does it All
Dee Brown, the "one-man fast break", is doing it all for the Illini this season now that his former running mates Deron Williams and Luther Head are in the NBA. Brown boasts a career-best scoring average of 15.6 ppg to lead the team, and he ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring in conference play with a 22-point average. He has been Illinois' leading scorer in 10 of 17 games and has reached double figures 12 times, with five games of 20 or more points.
Brown put on one of the best scoring performances by an Illinois player in nearly a decade in the Big Ten opener vs. Michigan State on Jan. 5. He scored a career-high 34 points, making a career high 12 field goals. Seven of his 12 buckets came from 3-point range, tying the most treys by a Big Ten player on the year. Brown was on fire in the first half, scoring 23 points on 8-12 shooting, which matched the number of first-half baskets that MSU had as a team. His 34 points are the most by a UI player in eight years, since Kevin Turner scored 35 vs. Indiana in the 1998 Big Ten opener vs. Indiana (Jan. 3, 1998).
Brown was at it again in the win over Michigan on Saturday, scoring a game-high 26 points, which equaled his second-highest total of the season. He scored 16 of 26 in the final 11 minutes, nailing four 3-pointers and a key basket with less than two minutes left to put the Illini up by three. Brown, who played the entire 40 minutes against the Wolverines, also tied his best-ever performance from the free throw line by making 9-10.
Brown's first scoring explosion of the season came in the win at Oregon on Dec. 10 when he led the Illini with 26 points. Brown made 9-15 shots against the Ducks, including 5-8 from 3-point range.
Against Missouri on Dec. 21, Brown played a brilliant all-around game, scoring a game-high 17 points while also recording a game-high seven assists. He played the entire game (36 min.) without committing a turnover.
Brown's presence can be felt all over the court, as he leads the Illini in five total categories: scoring (15.6 ppg), minutes (34.1 mpg), assists (5.3 apg), steals (1.6 spg) and free throw percentage (36-60, .767). He ranks fourth in the Big Ten in both assists and steals, and leads the conference with 47 three-pointers.
Brown has recorded a season-high 10 assists twice, vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (Dec. 5) and vs. Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 30). He also owns an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.48 over the last 11 games (67 assists, 27 turnovers).
Augie Taking Over
Illinois is counting on a big year from senior James Augustine, and he is delivering. A four-year starter, Augustine was the Illini's fifth-leading scorer last year (10.1 ppg), but ranks second on the team in scoring this season at 14.4 points per game. He has reached double figures in all but two games (Oregon, Michigan State) and tied his career high with 23 points in the win over Xavier on Dec. 3 and again with 23 in the win over Michigan on Saturday. Augustine had a nine-game streak of scoring in double figures - the longest stretch of games scoring in double figures of his career - come to an end vs. Oregon on Dec. 10 when he finished with eight points.
The leading career field goal percentage shooter in Illinois history, Augustine has made 64.8 percent of his shots this season (94-145), which ranks second in the Big Ten and 13th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 9). He's shot 50 percent or better in all but two games (Georgetown, Michigan State) this season, highlighted by a pair of 7-9 performances vs. Rutgers (Nov. 26) and Xavier (Dec. 3), 8-9 shooting vs. Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 30) and 9-11 shooting vs. Michigan (Jan. 14).
In addition to his increased scoring, Augustine has remained the Illini's top rebounder and has increased his production in that category as well. He is averaging 9.3 boards per game this season to lead the team and rank third in the Big Ten and 33rd nationally (as of Jan. 9). Augustine averaged 7.6 rpg last year and entered his senior season with a career average of 7.0 rebounds.
Augustine broke the school career rebounding record vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30 and with 881 career rebounds, at his current average he is on pace to become Illinois' first-ever player to collect 1,000 rebounds.
Augustine has five double-doubles on the season with 18 pts.-14 reb. vs. South Dakota State (Nov. 18), 14 pts.-10 reb. vs. Wichita State (Nov. 25), 13 pts.-13 reb. vs. North Carolina (Nov. 29), 10 pts.-13 reb. vs. Georgetown (Dec. 8) and 19 pts.-11 reb. vs. Tennessee-Martin (Dec. 30).
Smith Gives Illini Instant Offense
True-freshman shooting guard Jamar Smith has given the Illini instant offense off the bench. Despite playing under 20 minutes per game, Smith is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.3 points in a reserve role. He is shooting 51 percent from the field and ranks third in the NCAA in 3-point field goal shooting (as of Jan. 9) at 53.8 percent (42-78) while ranking second on the team with 42 treys, which is also the most 3-pointers by a freshman in the NCAA.
Smith has come off the bench to make his first 3-point attempt in 10 of 17 games on the year, which includes 10 of the last 14 games. He has made at least one 3-pointer in all but one game (Michigan State) on the season.
Smith's coming out party occurred during Illinois' victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Dec. 5. He scored a career-high 23 points, connecting on 8-10 from the field, including 6-8 from 3-point range.
Against Southeast Missouri State on Dec. 28, Smith scored 14 points on 5-5 shooting, including 4-4 from 3-point range.
On the season, Smith has scored at least eight points in 14 of 17 games.
Randle Hitting Stride
After redshirting last season due to a broken hand, sophomore Brian Randle is back in the UI lineup and has had a number of breakout performances. He has also become Illinois' defensive stopper, drawing the assignment of containing the opponents' top perimeter player each game.
Randle scored a career-high 16 points against Rutgers on Nov. 26, shooting 6-8 from the field. He then had 12 points on 4-5 shooting against North Carolina on Nov. 29. He came up huge in the clutch, scoring in traffic with 1:06 remaining to give Illinois a 66-62 lead after the team had gone scoreless for five-and-a-half minutes.
Randle had 11 points on 5-7 shooting and six rebounds vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (Dec. 5). and had nine points and seven boards vs. Oregon on Dec. 10.
Randle did not play vs. Coppin State on Dec. 18 due to a sprained ankle but returned to the starting lineup to score 13 points and collect six rebounds vs. Missouri on Dec. 21. His defense locked down MU's Thomas Gardner, who entered the game leading the Big XII in scoring at 22.3 ppg but managed just six points on 2-12 shooting and had five turnovers against the Illini.
Randle had another superb defensive performance on Michigan State's Maurice Ager on Jan. 5. Ager entered the game ranked 12th in the nation in scoring at 22 points per game, but Randle held him 13 below his average, as Ager scored a season-low nine points on 3-8 shooting, his first game of the season not reaching double figures.
Randle has started 16 games on the year. He is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 7.9 points while shooting over 51 percent from the field (51-99). He is third on the team in rebounding at 5.2 rpg and ranks second with 11 blocks.
McBride Showcases All-Around Game
Rich McBride was known as a three-point specialist in his first two seasons with the Illini. Now that he has moved from a reserve role to a starter, McBride has strengthened other parts of his game. He worked hard over the summer to improve his conditioning and is now playing nearly 29 minutes per game and has earned a reputation as one of the team's top perimeter defenders along with Brian Randle.
McBride is still a threat from behind the arc, ranking third on the team with 41 treys on the year. He had a season-high 21 points vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30 behind a career-high seven 3-pointers, tying the most by a Big Ten player this season and also tying the third-most 3-pointers in a game ever by an Illinois player.
McBride ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 8.8 points per game and is shooting 39 percent from 3-point range (41-105). He is second on the team behind in Brown in assists, averaging 2.4.
Illini Nation's Second-Winningest Team over Past Five-and-a-Half Seasons
Illinois ranks as the second-winningest team in the nation over the past five-and-a-half seasons in terms of total wins, and ranks third over that same time span in terms of winning percentage. Illinois has reeled off 157 victories since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, which trails only Duke, while the Illini's .822 winning percentage over that time span trails just Duke and Gonzaga. Following is a list of the five winningest teams (ranked by total wins) over the past five-and-a-half seasons:
School Wins Record Pct. Next Game
1. Duke 166 166-27 .860 Jan. 18
2. ILLINOIS 157 157-34 .822 Jan. 17
T3. Gonzaga 146 146-31 .825 Jan. 16
T3. Kansas 146 146-40 .785 Jan. 16
5. Kentucky 142 142-40 .780 Jan. 17
Weber Nation's Winningest Coach over Past Four-and-a-Half Seasons
Bruce Weber has coached consistent winners everywhere he's been throughout his college career. In fact, over the past four-and-a-half seasons no head coach in America has more wins on his resume than Weber. Beginning with the 2001-02 season, Weber has recorded 131 victories, which is tied with Mike Krzyzewski (131 wins, next game 1/18) and leads Roy Williams (125 wins, next game 1/19) for the most wins by an NCAA Div. I coach over this time span. In his final two years at Southern Illinois, Weber went 28-8 in 2001-02 and 24-7 in 2002-03. He then took over the Illinois program, leading the Illini to a 26-7 record in 2003-04, a 37-2 mark in 2004-05 and a 16-1 mark so far this season.
*For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on .pdf link at top of this page.
