Feb. 24, 2006

Champaign, Ill. - It was a class that began with five and on Saturday evening in front of a sold-out, orange-clad Assembly Hall, it will end with two. Four years ago Dee Brown, James Augustine, Deron Williams, Kyle Wilson and Aaron Spears were unveiled as the Illinois basketball recruiting class of 2002. Even though two of those guys were no longer with the program by the time they all became juniors, it will go down as one of the greatest classes in the long and storied history of the Illinois basketball program.

It was a class that came in with high expectations, and amazingly they lived up to them and accomplished much, much more. They entered Champaign with a certain confidence and swagger, and they will leave a legacy from which all other recruiting classes will be judged. They provided countless great moments, played and starred in some of the most memorable games in the history of the program, and made plays and shots that will be talked about for years to come.

They played with determination, they played with heart and they fought hard each and every night. Most importantly they did it all with class. They have been incredible ambassadors for the Illinois basketball program and together Dee Brown, James Augustine and Deron Williams have taken Illinois basketball to new heights.

It has been a four-year stretch that's brought Big Ten championships, monumental wins, another Final Four, a first-ever appearance in the national title game and more national recognition for the program than anyone could have imagined before they arrived.

Dee Brown and James Augustine take the Assembly Hall floor for the last time on Saturday evening having already tied the school record for most wins in the history of the Illinois basketball program. When you think about it, all Dee Brown and James Augustine have done since they arrived in Champaign is win.

What more can you say about James Augustine and Dee Brown? By the time their collegiate careers are over, they might be the bounce of a basketball in Wisconsin and a tenth of a second against Penn State from winning four straight Big Ten Championships. And if they end up with two regular-season titles, that is still an absolutely remarkable achievement.

They deserve to go out winners and they deserve the loudest and longest ovation in the history of the Assembly Hall. In a day in when many college players leave early for the NBA, and others cause trouble away from the court, Brown and Augustine have been the epitome of first-class student-athletes.

It will be a very emotional evening on Saturday. We have all had the pleasure and the honor of watching these two over the past four years, and I only hope the fans at The Hall send them off with one last ovation for all of the incredible memories they have left us over the past four years.

James Augustine: Model of Consistency
I remember meeting James for the first time at the ABCD Camp the summer before his senior year and it was clear right away that he was a fun-loving kid and someone who would be a great addition to the Illinois basketball program.

What was also clear that week was that he could play. He had incredible athleticism, a solid work ethic and you could see the vast potential as he ran up and down the floor. It wasn't long after that camp that the former coaching staff offered James a scholarship and he became a part of the Illinois basketball family.

For a player who was rumored to be a redshirt candidate his freshman year, he sure made a big impact as a freshman. He (along with Dee) has started virtually every game of his career and his impact on the Illinois basketball program is hard to put in words. I will never forget the first half he had against Wisconsin that year when he went 6-for-6 from the field and drilled a 3-pointer to finish the half. It was that moment I realized that James had unlimited potential and would do great things in an Illini uniform.

In many ways, Augustine doesn't get the credit he deserves because he is a victim of everyone's lofty expectations. He is the type of player that goes out and scores 23 points and grabs 14 rebounds and you still think after the game he could have done more. I have been a victim of this type of thinking at times during his career and when I think about it more, it's kind of ridiculous.

Sure there have been games where you wish he would have been more aggressive, but over his career he has been the model of consistency. Each and every night you knew Augie would play hard, rebound the basketball and do the little things it takes to win ballgames. In his freshman year he had to play in the shadows of Brian Cook and during his sophomore and junior years, he had to play alongside one of the great guard combinations in the history of college basketball in Dee Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head.

Through it all, he never complained. He always did whatever it took for the team to win ballgames and as I mentioned earlier, that's really all the Illini program has done since Augustine and Brown came onboard.

In his junior season--a year where the Illinois guards got a great deal of the credit-- it was Augustine who came up with some huge plays and monster games. He was exceptional at Wisconsin when Illinois ended the Badger's 38-game home court winning streak. His block and subsequent break-away dunk in the first half was one of the more athletic plays you will ever see a big man make and his two dunks to seal the game are among the more vivid memories I have of that incredible season.

While the rest of the team struggled at times during an emotional Big Ten Tournament, Augustine came through with big games each and every day on his way to the MVP award. While many throughout the country worried how he would match up against Nevada in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, he dominated the game, pouring in 23 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Augustine currently has started 126 consecutive games during his career, the second-longest active streak in the country. He ranks 18th on the Illini all-time scoring chart and is the leader in career field-goal percentage, along with being the top rebounder in the history of the program. By the time he ends his Illini career he will have over 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, becoming only the 11th player in Big Ten history to accomplish that feat.

Those are incredible numbers, and he has records at Illinois that will surely be hard to break. Lastly, Augustine and his entire family have been a welcome addition to the Illinois basketball family over the past four seasons. It will not be the same coming to an Illinois home game next season and not seeing his mother, Barb, his father, Dale, and his sister, Sarah, in the crowd.

They have been the `first family' of Illinois basketball through this run and Dale has amazingly missed only one game--a home exhibition game earlier this season--in James's entire Illini career.

As consistent as they come, we will not fully appreciate how good of a player James Augustine was, until his career is over. His toughness, enthusiasm and ability will surely be missed.

Dee Brown: The Face of Illinois Basketball
I will never forget when I heard former UI Coach Bill Self say, "Dee Brown will be the most important recruit in the history of Illinois basketball." I remember thinking, "Is he crazy?"

It wasn't that I didn't believe Dee was a good player or that he wasn't going to have a great career ... but the most important recruit in the history of Illinois basketball? Those were extremely strong words and with all of the great players who have come through this program, I thought Brown could never live up to those lofty expectations.

But on the eve of his senior night, I can sit here and say that I couldn't have been more wrong. Brown not only lived up to those expectations--he has surpassed them. His legacy in the history of Illinois basketball is virtually impossible to express in words.

In fact, the impact he's had on this program is completely impossible to quantify. Hundreds of thousands of people across the country now know all about Illinois basketball, but many of them don't know about the history of the program and the great games and players from years ago.

What they do know is the high socks, the headband, the orange mouth-guard, the million-dollar smile and the jersey popped so the whole world can see the word `Illinois'. They know Dee Brown.

I remember the first time I had the chance to sit down with Dee. He was on his official visit to campus and two Volunteer Illini Recruiters and I were in charge of talking to him and keeping him busy while the team practiced.

The practice was over two hours long, and I don't think any of us got in a single word. Dee talked, and talked, and talked, about his aspirations, his high school career and his basketball game. You could tell he had a special personality and that fans, his teammates and recruits were going to be drawn to him. I remember thinking to myself, `If this guy can move half as quick as he talks we are going to be in great shape over the next few years.'

Much to my surprise he was able move with or without the basketball twice as fast as he talked. I remember shaking my head the first time I saw him get the basketball on the break. The whole thing was a blur and before I knew it he had put the ball in the basket and was back on defense. No wonder he had been given the nickname the "One Man Fast Break."

As you read this and reflect upon Dee's magnificent career, think about how many times you've seen him run a fast break and have shaken your head when he was done thinking, `How in the world is he that fast with the basketball?' We have probably seen him run 300 fast breaks in his time at Illinois and every time I find myself wondering that exact same thing.

But Dee Brown making fans, opponents and coaches shake their heads in amazement has been par for the course during his Illini career. From stepping up and hitting the game winning shot at Michigan his freshman season, to making a steal and behind-the-back move on a breakaway against Cincinnati as a sophomore, he has done things on the basketball court that will be talked about for years.

He completely took over the Penn State game his sophomore year by pouring in 17 points--including five threes--in an eight-minute span. When the Illini were struggling at Michigan last year, Dee stole the ball on three consecutive possessions to change the entire flow of the game. I still remember wondering, `How in the world did he do that,' as I jumped out of my chair watching him throw a no-look-behind-the-back pass to Augustine on that same night.

I remember watching in absolute amazement as Brown shot lights out against Purdue on last year's Senior Night and against Michigan State in this year's Big Ten opener. When he gets hot, I don't know if there is a player in the entire country who is as much fun to watch.

I was there last summer when Dee Brown broke his foot at the NBA Pre-Draft camp. You can't imagine how hard Dee was playing to impress the scouts before that happened. As he limped off the court and came out devastated a few minutes later on crutches, I couldn't help but think it was somehow meant to be, that he was meant to come back and lead this Illini team following last years magical run. He was destined to be back so he could mentor the younger guys on the team, and he was supposed to have that moment where he walked out of the tunnel on senior night to a raucous ovation in front of the fans he has thrilled over the years.

There have been many highs, and even a few lows during his senior season, and through it all Dee has handled it like a champion. No one can fully understand the immense weight he has carried on his shoulders throughout the year and none of us know what its like to play under the microscope every minute of every game. Dee deserves much of the credit for bridging the gap into the next era of Illinois basketball. We should all be thankful and grateful that he was able to be back here for his senior season and that we've been able to watch him for one more year.

All of the incredible things he has done on the court don't even come close to comparing to what he has meant to the program off from the court. I don't think I am going out on a limb by saying that there have been few players who have brought the publicity and the attention to a single program that Dee Brown has brought to Illinois.

To me the defining moment of Dee Brown's remarkable career came at Purdue last year where his energy and his sheer determination led the Illini to a comeback victory. After drilling one of his signature deep 3-pointers, Dee turned back, let out a huge scream and popped his jersey so the thousands of Illini fans that made the trip to Mackey Arena could see the ILLINOIS on his chest. That one moment became the signature move of the 2005-06 college basketball season making Sportscenter highlights and gracing the cover of magazines and newspapers across the country.

As Dee said many times afterwards regarding the infamous jersey pop, "I did it because this is who I play for, it's what I do. This is who I represent when I'm out there on the basketball court: Illinois." He couldn't have said it better. For four years, he's represented the University of Illinois. He was the best high school player in the state, and went on to play for the state school. He set an example for all future players in the state of Illinois, and he did it with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face the entire way.

Dee will finish his career ranked third on the Illinois career scoring list, and he already ranks second in career 3-pointers, assists and steals. He will joined on Saturday by his mother, Cathy Blocker-Brown, his grandmother Zemae Potts, and his two brothers, Kevin and Katon. They have also traveled across the country to watch and support Dee throughout his career, and they're always standing and cheering in the first row behind the basket at the Assembly Hall, right by the Illini bench.

As Dee walks out the tunnel on Saturday evening, we should all take a moment to remember all that he's done over the last four years and show our immense appreciation. There will be many more great players to take the floor at the Assembly Hall, but there will never be another player who will make the same impact on the Illinois basketball program. Quite simply, there will never be another Dee Brown.

Still Bleeding Orange and Blue--Jared Gelfond.