Oct. 14, 2006

Champaign, Ill. - Illinois tipped off the 2006-07 college basketball season on Friday night, participating in Illini Madness in front of 12,000 fans at the Assembly Hall. The evening began with highlight videos and a number of performances and musical acts. An "Illini Entourage" of former UI stars Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle and Stephen Bardo and former manager Ryan Baker were joined by Entourage star Jeremy Piven on the court prior to the introduction of the Illini players and assistant coaches. Head Coach Bruce Weber was the last to emerge from the tunnel, making his entrance courtesy of a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Sophomore Jamar Smith won the 3-point shooting contest, defeating sophomore Trent Meacham 11-7 in the championship. Junior Brian Randle successfully defended his slam dunk title, defeating freshman Richard Semrau in the final. Randle clinched the title by soaring over a seated Bardo for the slam in his final attempt, resulting in a perfect score of 50 from the Illini Entourage judges and eliciting a standing ovation from the crowd. Following the contests, the Illini held a 15-minute running-clock scrimmage. Weber addressed the crowd to wrap up the evening.

The Illini are back in action in two weeks, hosting the Orange and Blue Scrimmage on Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Assembly Hall.