Feb. 24, 2006
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Iowa in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #28: #8 Illinois (22-5, 8-5) vs. #20/22 Iowa (20-7, 9-4)
Feb. 25, 2006 • 5 p.m. CT • ESPN
Champaign, Ill. • Assembly Hall (16,618)
On the Air
Television
ESPN: Dave O'Brien, play-by-play; Rick Majerus, expert analyst.
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 50 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Jerry Hester, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.
Probable Starters
#8 ILLINOIS (22-5, 8-5)
F - 42 Brian Randle (So.-r, 6-8, 215, 8.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.4 apg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Sr., 6-10, 235, 13.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg. 1.8 apg)
C - 55 Shaun Pruitt (So., 6-10, 240, 6.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
G - 33 Rich McBride (Jr., 6-3, 205, 9.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Sr., 6-0, 185, 14.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 5.6 apg)
Off The Bench ...
G - 2 Chris Hicks (So., 6-2, 190, 1.0 ppg, 0.1 rpg)
G - 3 Chester Frazier (Fr., 6-2, 190, 1.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg)
G - 25 Calvin Brock (Fr.-r, 6-4, 185, 1.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg)
G - 31 Jamar Smith (Fr., 6-3, 175, 8.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)
F - 34 C.J. Jackson (Fr., 6-8, 265, intends to redshirt)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Jr., 6-9, 210, 4.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
C - 44 Marcus Arnold (Jr.-r, 6-8, 245, 3.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 188-68/.734 (8th year)
At Illinois: 85-14/.859 (3rd year)
Big Ten: 36-9/.800
Vs. Iowa: 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)
Iowa Head Coach: Steve Alford
Overall Record: 286-167/.631 (15th year)
At Iowa: 130-90/.591 (7th year)
Vs. Illinois: 3-8
Assistant Coaches: Craig Neal, Greg Lansing, Brian Jones
Series Notes: Iowa
Illinois owns a record of 72-65 all-time against Iowa, and leads 55-14 in games played at Champaign. The Illini have won eight of the last 11 games in the series, and have won the last five at the Assembly Hall.
Iowa handed Illinois its first loss of the season on Jan. 7, defeating the Illini 63-48 at Iowa City.
Illini Senior Night on Saturday
Saturday is Senior Night at the Assembly Hall, as Illinois will honor graduating seniors James Augustine and Dee Brown, along with managers Jeremy Aguiar, Tyler Kastner and Chet Bandy.
Augustine and Brown are wrapping up their careers as four-year starters. The Illini have compiled a record of 110-21 (.840) during their tenure, winning two outright Big Ten championships, two Big Ten Tournament championships and making three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including the Sweet Sixteen in 2004 and the Final Four last year, reaching the NCAA Championship game for the first time in school history.
These seniors rank among Illinois' all-time top players in nearly every career category. Brown is currently fourth on the Illini school scoring chart (1,744 points, four points away from third) while ranking second in three-pointers (286), assists (634), steals (219) and starts (130). He is already the school-record holder for minutes played (4,472) and has tied the school record for wins, having played in 110 during his career.
Augustine is tied with Brown on the career wins chart, having also played in 110 victories. He is 18th on the UI scoring list (1,300 points) and is the school's all-time leader in field goal shooting (61.7 percent) and rebounding (974). Augustine is just 26 rebounds away from becoming the first player in Illini history and just the 11th in Big Ten history to record both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Brown and Augustine have also been recognized for their achievement in the classroom, each earning Academic All-Big Ten honors during their career. Brown earned his bachelor's degree in sport management in December, while Augustine will earn his sport management degree in May.
Honoring the Seniors
Illinois will have its senior introductions prior to tip-off on Saturday. As a tribute to Augustine and Brown, every fan entering the Assembly Hall will be given an orange headband with the numbers 11 and 40 printed on them. There will also be a commemorative poster honoring the seniors available for purchase at The Hall.
Illini Headlines
• Illinois has returned to the Top 10 after a one-week absence, ranked No. 8 in both the AP and Coaches Polls this week.
• Dee Brown and James Augustine tied the Illinois school record for career wins in the victory over Indiana on Feb. 19. They have each played in 110 wins during their tenure, tying the Illini record first set by Nick Smith (2002-05).
• James Augustine broke the school record for career rebounds vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30. Augustine currently has 974 career rebounds, needing just 26 boards to become the first 1,000-point scorer and 1000-rebounder in UI history and just the 11th in Big Ten history. The last Big Ten player to achieve this feat was Indiana's Alan Henderson 11 years ago.
• Dee Brown moved into the Top Five on the Illinois career scoring list at Ohio State on Feb. 12. Brown currently ranks fourth in school history with 1,744 points, just four points away from tying Brian Cook for third on the list.
• Dee Brown surpassed Bruce Douglas' school record for minutes played vs. Northwestern on Feb. 15. Brown has logged the most minutes ever for an Illini player, currently at 4,472.
• James Augustine has started 126 consecutive games during his career, a streak that ranks second in the NCAA, one behind Gerry McNamara's 127 consecutive starts at Syracuse.
• Illinois became the first team in the nation to reach the 20-win marker this season with its 20th victory at Wisconsin on Jan. 31.
• Illinois has recorded its seventh straight 20-win season, which is also its ninth in the last 10 years and 25th all-time.
• Illinois owns a record of 59-7 since the beginning of last season.
• Illinois has won 61 of its last 67 games during the regular season.
• Illinois set a school record with a 33-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall from Jan. 17, 2004 through Jan. 28, 2006 (streak snapped by Penn State on Feb. 4). That broke the previous record of 31 straight home wins from Jan. 15, 1984 through Jan. 4, 1986.
• Illinois is 92-4 (.958) at the Assembly Hall over the last seven seasons, the best home mark in the nation over this time period.
• Illinois is the second-winningest team in the nation over the past six seasons. Illinois has won 163 games since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, which trails only Duke (176 wins).
• Bruce Weber is the second-winningest coach in the nation over the past five seasons. Since the beginning of the 2001-02 season, Weber has won 137 games, recording 52 wins in his final two years at Southern Illinois and 85 wins in his first three years at Illinois. He trails Duke's Mike Krzyzewski by four wins 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.
• 18 of Illinois' 22 wins have been by double figures. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 10th in the nation (as of Feb. 20) in scoring margin at +12.9 ppg.
• Illinois' opponents are averaging just 57.3 points on 39.2 percent shooting on the season, including just 30.7 percent from 3-point range. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank fourth in the nation (as of Feb. 13) in scoring defense, are second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally (as of Feb. 13) in field goal percentage defense, and lead the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
• Illinois has allowed 70 or more points to only one team this season (Michigan; 74 on Jan. 14 and 72 on Feb. 21) and no opponent has shot 50 percent against the Illini. Illinois has held 16 teams under 40 percent shooting.
• When Illinois dropped consecutive games vs. Penn State (Feb. 4) and at Ohio State (Feb. 12) recently, it marked only the second time in Bruce Weber's three-year tenure that Illinois had lost back-to-back games. The first time occurred during Weber's first year (2004) in games vs. Purdue (Jan. 10) and at Northwestern (Jan. 14). Illinois went on to win its final 10 conference games that season to claim the outright Big Ten championship.
• Illinois is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 7.0 boards per game. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 10th in the nation (as of Feb. 20) in rebounding margin and have outrebounded 22 of 27 opponents on the year. Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, averaging 12.8.
• Dee Brown ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 27th in the nation (as of Feb. 20) in assists, averaging 5.6 apg. Over the last 10 games, he is averaging 6.1 assists (61).
• James Augustine ranks second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation (as of Feb. 20) in field goal percentage at 62.2 percent (145-233). He is third in the Big Ten and 39th in the nation (as of Feb. 20) in rebounding, averaging 9.3 rpg.
• Sharp-shooting freshman guard Jamar Smith leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage at 49.1 percent (55-112). He has come off the bench to make his first 3-point attempt in 12 games and has made at least one 3-pointer in 21 of 26 games.
• The trio of guards Rich McBride (68), Dee Brown (65) and Jamar Smith (55) have accounted for all but 11 of Illinois' three-pointers this season (188-199, 94 percent).
• Dee Brown has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.25 over the past 21 games (128 assists, 57 turnovers), after opening the season with an assist/turnover ratio of 0.96 in the first six games (23 assists, 24 turnovers).
• Rich McBride, who is averaging 9.8 ppg on the year, has averaged 12.1 points over the Illini's last seven games and has been Illinois' leading scorer in four of those seven contests.
• 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. It is also the highest point total by any player in 2006 Big Ten play.
• James Augustine has won the opening tip in 23 of 27 games this season, and has won the tip 81 percent of the time during his career (103-24).
• Illinois has played 76 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 27 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:
• 85-14: Illinois' overall record under Weber, a winning percentage of .859.
• 41-2: Illinois' record at the Assembly Hall under Weber, a winning percentage of .953.
• 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.
• 22-5: Illinois' record so far this season, the third straight year under Weber that Illinois has topped 20 wins.
• 36-9: Illinois' record in Big Ten play under Weber - which incudes back-to-back outright championships in 2004 and 2005 - a winning percentage of .800.
• 73-11: Illinois' record in regular season games under Weber, a winning percentage of .869.
• 18-7: Illinois' record in road games under Weber, a winning percentage of .720.
• 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.
Augustine and Brown Tie School Record for Career Wins
The win over Indiana on Feb. 19 marked the 110th career victory that seniors James Augustine and Dee Brown have played in during their UI tenure, which ties the Illini school record for career wins. They have tied the record first set by Nick Smith from 2002-05.
Brown Continues to Climb Illini Career Scoring Chart
Dee Brown moved into the Top Five on the Illinois career scoring chart at Ohio State, surpassing Eddie Johnson into fifth place. He then moved past Cory Bradford into fourth place on Tuesday at Michigan.
Brown currently has 1,744 career points, and is just four points away from tying Brian Cook for third on the scoring list.
Augustine and Brown Named First-Team All-District by NABC
Illinois seniors James Augustine and Dee Brown were named First-Team All-District for District 11 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) on Feb. 17. They were joined on the first team by Michigan State's Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown and Wisconsin's Alando Tucker.
Augustine and Brown are now eligible for the NABC All-America Team, which will be announced at the end of the season.
Last Time Out: Michigan
Illinois' two-game winning streak ended on Tuesday at Ann Arbor as the Illini fell to Michigan 72-64. Illinois led 34-30 at halftime and took its largest lead of the game at 40-33 early in the second half. But Michigan answered with a 14-3 run, which included four 3-pointers, to take a 47-43 lead. Illinois tied it up twice but could never retake the lead and Michigan made all of its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Illini seniors led the way with Augustine recording a double-double of a career-high tying 23 points and 14 rebounds and Dee Brown adding 20 points.
Illinois had no answer for Daniel Horton though, as the Michigan guard scored a career-high 39 points on 13-20 shooting. It marked the most points scored by an Illini opponent in 12 years, since Glen Robinson had 49 points vs. the UI on March 13, 1994.
Brown on Midseason List for Naismith Trophy
Dee Brown has been named one of 30 midseason candidates for the Naismith Trophy presented by Cingular Wireless, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Feb. 13. The Top 30 list was compiled by the Board of Selectors, comprised of basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country.
The midseason list will be trimmed down to four finalists in March, at which point fans will have a chance to vote for their favorite finalist via text messaging. Fan voting will account for 25 percent of the selection process once the four finalists are revealed.
The winner of the Naismith Trophy will be announced at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Brown Named Finalist for Cousy Award
Dee Brown is one of 16 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, an honor presented annually to the nation's top collegiate point guard. The Award is presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in conjunction with The Hartford Financial Services Group.
Fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist online at www.cousyaward.com with the leading vote getter from the fans receiving one vote on the Blue Ribbon committee that will select the winner.
The recipient of the Bob Cousy Award will be announced at the Final Four in Indianapolis on April 3.
Illini Record Seventh Straight 20-Win Season
Illinois has recorded its seventh straight 20-win season, which is also its ninth in the last 10 years and 25th all-time. The school record for consecutive 20-win seasons is nine, which happened under Lou Henson from 1983-91.
Brown Named to Wooden Award Midseason List
Dee Brown is listed as one of 30 midseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award, released on Jan. 28. Brown and Duke's J.J. Redick are the only candidates on the midseason list who were named to last year's Wooden Award All-America Team.
The national ballot consisting of approximately 20 players will be released in March, and over 1,000 voters comprised of sports media members and college basketball experts across the nation will then cast their votes to determine both the 10-member All-America Team and the Player of the Year recipient.
Illini Show Balanced Attack in Recent Big Ten Play
Illinois leaned on its seniors at the beginning of Big Ten play but has shown a more balanced offensive attack throughout the lineup in recent games.
In the first three Big Ten games, seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine averaged 36.7 of the team's 62.3 points (110 of 187 points), accounting for 58.8 percent of the offense. But in the last 10 Big Ten games, Brown and Augustine have averaged just 25.7 of the team's 65.2 points (257of 652 points) accounting for just 39.4 percent of the offense.
Home Cookin'
Illinois is 92-4 (.958) at the Assembly Hall over the past six-and-a-half seasons, the best home mark in the nation over that time period ... Included in that run have been three undefeated home seasons in 2000-01, 2002-03 and 2004-05 ... Illinois had its school-record 33-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall come to an end on Feb. 4 with a one-point loss to Penn State ... The streak of 33 straight home wins was tied at the time with Gonzaga for the longest in the nation ... Illinois is also 80-3 (.964) at the Assembly Hall over the last five-and-a-half years, with the losses coming to Michigan State on Feb. 3, 2002, Purdue on Jan. 10, 2004 and Penn State on Feb. 4, 2006 ... Illinois has won 49 of its last 52 (.942) home Big Ten games ... The Illini have 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.
Augustine Aiming to Become 11th Player in Big Ten History With 1,000 Points and 1,000 Rebounds
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 974 career boards, which is also the most rebounds of any current Big Ten player. He is just 26 rebounds away from becoming the first 1,000-point scorer and 1,000-rebounder in Illinois history and just the 11th in Big Ten history.
*For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on .pdf link at top of this page.
