March 8, 2006
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Men's Basketball Big Ten Tournament Notes in PDF Format
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#9 ILLINOIS (25-5, 11-5) at the Big Ten Tournament
Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
March 10-12, 2006
On the Air
Television
ESPN-Plus (Friday): Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Greg Kelser, expert analyst.
CBS - National (Saturday & Sunday): Jim Nantz, play-by-play; Billy Packer, 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
F - 42 Brian Randle (So.-r, 6-8, 215, 8.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.4 apg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Sr., 6-10, 235, 13.4 ppg, 9.1 rpg. 1.9 apg)
C - 55 Shaun Pruitt (So., 6-10, 240, 6.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
G - 33 Rich McBride (Jr., 6-3, 205, 9.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Sr., 6-0, 185, 14.7 ppg, 2.9 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, 1.4 ppg, 1.7 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, 7.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 1.4 apg)
F - 34 C.J. Jackson (Fr., 6-8, 265, intends to redshirt)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Jr., 6-9, 210, 4.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
C - 44 Marcus Arnold (Jr.-r, 6-8, 245, 3.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 191-68/.737 (7th Year)
At Illinois: 88-14/.863 (3rd Year)
Big Ten: 39-9/.813
Big Ten Tournament: 5-1/.833
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 (3rd Year; 23rd Year at Illinois)
Illini Big Ten Tournament Notes
• Illinois has the most all-time Big Ten Tournament (BTT) wins (16) and the best all-time BTT winning percentage (.727, 16-6).
• Bruce Weber has the best winning percentage of any coach in BTT history at .833 (5-1).
• Illinois has won two BTT championships (2003 and 2005), which is tied with Michigan State for the most titles.
• Illinois also has the most BTT championship game appearances, having advanced to the title game five times through the first eight tournaments. The Illini have appeared in the last three title games.
• Illinois has won eight of its last nine BTT games, which includes a current three-game winning streak.
• Illinois is the only school to advance to the semifinals in each of the previous eight Tournaments.
• James Augustine is the league's active career scoring leader in BTT action with 88 points. Teammate Dee Brown ranks second among active players with 73 career BTT points.
• Augustine is also the league's active career rebounding leader in the BTT with 70 boards, while Dee Brown is the active career leader in both BTT assists (42) and BTT steals (20).
• Illinois has two players on its current roster that have earned BTT accolades. James Augustine was named the Most Outstanding Player of last year's tournament while also earning All-Tournament Team honors. Dee Brown, meanwhile, was named to the All-Tournament Team in 2004.
Illini Headlines
• James Augustine broke the school record for career rebounds vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30. Augustine currently has 997 career rebounds, needing just three more boards to become the first 1,000-point scorer and 1000-rebounder in UI history and just the 12th in Big Ten history. The last Big Ten player to achieve this feat was Indiana's Alan Henderson 11 years ago (see note on p. 6 for complete list).
• Illinois reached the 25-win marker for the sixth straight season with the victory at Michigan State on Sunday. Illinois joins Duke as the only two schools in the nation to win at least 25 games in each of the last six seasons.
• Dee Brown and James Augustine improved their school record for career wins in the victory at Michigan State on Sunday. They have each now played in 113 wins (28.3 avg.) during their tenure. Brown and Augustine are just two victories from tying the Big Ten career wins record of 115 set by Michigan State's Charlie Bell from 1998-2001.
• Illinois has won 113 games in the last four years, which is the third-winningest period in Big Ten history over four consecutive seasons. The Illini are just two wins away from tying the Big Ten record of 115 victories set by Michigan State from 1998-2001. Illinois also owns the second spot on that list, having won 114 games from 2002-05.
• Bruce Weber has won 88 games in his tenure at Illinois, which ties the second-most wins ever by a Big Ten coach in three consecutive seasons. The record is 93 wins set by Michigan State's Tom Izzo from 1999-2001. Former Indiana Coach Bob Knight also won 88 games from 1991-93.
• Illinois' frontcourt (James Augustine, Shaun Pruitt, Brian Randle, Marcus Arnold and Warren Carter) is averaging 38.8 points per game (233 pts) on 64 percent shooting (89-139) over the last six games.
• Illinois returned to the Top 10 on Feb. 13 after a one-week absence, and the Illini are ranked ninth in both the AP and Coaches Polls this week. Illinois has been ranked in the Top 17 all season, and has been in the Top 10 in 13 of the last 14 Coaches Polls.
• Dee Brown moved into third place on the Illinois career scoring list vs. Iowa on Feb. 25. Brown currently has 1,784 points, which also makes him the leading career scorer among current Big Ten players.
• 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 4,580.
• James Augustine has started 129 consecutive games during his career, which is the second-longest active streak in the NCAA behind Gerry McNamara's 130 consecutive starts at Syracuse (next Syracuse game is Big East Tournament).
• 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 62-7 since the beginning of last season.
• Illinois has won 64 of its last 70 regular-season games over the last three years (dating back to Jan. 31, 2004).
• 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 93-4 (.959) at the Assembly Hall over the last seven seasons, the best home mark in the nation over that time period.
• The Illini played in front of 16 sell-out crowds this season, averaging 16,618 fans per game at the Assembly Hall. Illinois set school records for highest average attendance for a season and most sell-outs in a season.
• Illinois is the second-winningest team in the nation over the past six seasons. Illinois has won 166 games since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, which trails only Duke (177 wins, next game ACC Tournament).
• 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 140 games, recording 52 wins in his final two years at Southern Illinois and 88 wins in his first three years at Illinois. He trails Duke's Mike Krzyzewski by two wins over this time period.
• Illinois, Duke and Oklahoma State are the only three teams to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons.
• 19 of Illinois' 25 wins have been by double figures. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 10th in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in scoring margin at +12.4 ppg.
• Illinois' opponents are averaging just 58.0 points on 40.1 percent shooting on the season, including just 30.8 percent from 3-point range. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank sixth in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in scoring defense, are second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally (as of Feb. 27) 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 only one opponent has shot 50 percent or better against the Illini (Minnesota, .542 on Feb. 28). Illinois has held 16 teams under 40 percent shooting.
• Illinois is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 6.1 boards per game. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 10th in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in rebounding margin and have outrebounded 23 of 30 opponents on the year. Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, averaging 12.4.
• 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. Illinois has won five of six games since the two-game skid, which includes its last three. The first time the Illini lost two straight under Weber occurred during his 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.
• Dee Brown ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in assists, averaging 5.6 apg. Over the last 12 games, he is averaging 6.5 assists (78). He led the league in assists in conference games only with 89.
• James Augustine ranks second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in field goal percentage at 61.9 percent (159-257). He is also third in the Big Ten and 34th in the nation (as of Feb. 27) in rebounding, averaging 9.1 rpg.
• Sharp-shooting freshman guard Jamar Smith leads the Big Ten in 3-point field goal percentage at 49.2 percent (59-120). 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 24 of 29 games.
• The trio of guards Rich McBride (72), Dee Brown (74) and Jamar Smith (59) have accounted for all but 13 of Illinois' three-pointers this season (209-222, 94 percent).
• Dee Brown has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.30 over the past 24 games (145 assists, 63 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 9.9 ppg on the year, has averaged 12.4 points over the Illini's last 10 games (124) and has been Illinois' leading scorer in five of those 10 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.
• James Augustine has won the opening tip in 26 of 30 games this season, and has won the tip over 81 percent of the time during his career (106-24).
• Illinois has played 79 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 28 consecutive sell-out crowds at the Assembly Hall.
Brown Named USBWA Second-Team All-American & USBWA District V Player of the Year
Dee Brown was named a Second-Team All-American by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, as announced on Tuesday. This is the second year in a row that Brown has earned All-America honors from the USBWA, as he was a first-team All-America selection last season.
Brown was also named the USBWA District V Player of the Year, the second straight year he has earned Player of the Year honors for his district.
Four Illini Earn Big Ten Awards
Dee Brown was named First-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media on Tuesday as the conference announced its annual awards, while fellow senior James Augustine was named First-Team All-Big Ten by the coaches and Second-Team All-Big Ten by the media. In addition, sophomore Brian Randle was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team and rookie Jamar Smith was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.
Brown leads the Illini in five statistical categories on the year, leading the team in scoring (14.7 ppg), assists (5.6 apg), steals (1.5 spg), minutes (35.5 mpg) and free throw shooting (.745, 70-94). He ranks second in the Big Ten in assists and led the league in assists in conference games only. Brown has scored in double figures 23 times, with seven games of 20+ points, led by a career-high 34 points vs. Michigan State on Jan. 5. This marks the second straight year that Brown has earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Augustine ranks second on the Illini in scoring, averaging 13.4 points. He leads the team in both field goal shooting and rebounding, ranking second in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation in field goal percentage at 61.9 percent (159-527) and third in the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.1 boards. Augustine has scored in double figures 25 times and has equaled his career high three times this season with 23 points vs. Xavier (Dec. 3), 23 vs. Michigan (Jan. 14) and 23 at Michigan (Feb. 21). He has 11 double-doubles on the year.
Randle garnered All-Defensive Team accolades after earning a reputation as the Illini's best defender, usually drawing the assignment of the opponents' top wing player each game. Opposing players he held below their season scoring average included Georgetown's Brandon Bowman, Oregon's Malik Hairston, Missouri's Clarence Gilbert, Michigan State's Maurice Ager, Iowa's Adam Haluska and Minnesota's Vincent Grier. Randle ranks third on the team in steals (24) and second in blocked shots (16).
Smith earned a spot on the All-Freshman team for his instant offense off the bench. He is fifth on the team in scoring with an average of 7.9 points, and he leads the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 49.2 percent (59-120). He has scored in double figures 11 times and has totaled at least eight points in 19 games. Smith had a career-high 23 points vs. Arkansas-Little Rock (Dec. 5).
Illini Reach 25-Win Marker for Sixth Straight Season
Illinois won its 25th game of the season on Saturday at Michigan State, marking the sixth straight year that the Illini have recorded at least 25 wins. Illinois and Duke are the only teams in the nation to accomplish this feat in each of the last six seasons (beginning in 2000-01). Duke has won at least 25 games in each of the past 10 seasons.
With a combined record of 166-38 (.814) over the last six years, this marks Illinois' winningest stretch over that time period in school history.
Illini Reach 11-Win Marker in Conference Play for Seventh Straight Year
With its 11-5 conference record and second-place finish, Illinois has received the No. 3 seed at this year's Big Ten Tournament.
This is the seventh straight year that the Illini have won at least 11 games in conference play and earned a top-four seed and opening-round bye at the Big Ten Tournament:
Big Ten Big Ten Big Ten
Year Record Finish Tourn. Seed
2000 11-5 4th 4
2001 13-3 T-1st 1
2002 11-5 T-1st 3
2003 11-5 2nd 2
2004 13-3 1st 1
2005 15-1 1st 1
2006 11-5 T-2nd 3
About the Illini Seniors
James Augustine and Dee Brown are wrapping up their careers as four-year starters. The Illini have compiled a record of 113-21 (.843) 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 third on the Illini school scoring chart (1,784 points) while ranking second in three-pointers (295), assists (651), steals (224) and starts (133). He is already the school-record holder for minutes played (4,580) and has set the school record for wins, having played in 113 during his career.
Augustine is tied with Brown on the career wins chart, having also played in 113 victories. He is 18th on the UI scoring list (1,338 points) and is the school's all-time leader in field goal shooting (61.8 percent) and rebounding (997). Augustine is just three rebounds away from becoming the first player in Illini history and just the 12th 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.
Weber Second-Winningest Coach in Big Ten History over Three-Straight Years
Bruce Weber has won 88 games in his tenure at Illinois, which ties the second-most wins ever by a Big Ten coach in three consecutive seasons. The record is 93 wins set by Michigan State's Tom Izzo from 1999-2001. Below is the top-5 list for the most wins by a Big Ten coach over a period of three-straight years:
Coach, School Wins Years
1. Tom Izzo, Michigan State 93 1999-01
T2. Bruce Weber, Illinois 88 2004-06
T2. Bob Knight, Indiana 88 1991-93
T4. Gene Keady, Purdue 80 1994-96
T4. Steve Fisher, Michigan 80 1992-94
Illini Frontcourt Increasing Production
Illinois' frontcourt has stepped up its production over the last six games, with James Augustine, Brian Randle, Shaun Pruitt, Warren Carter and Marcus Arnold averaging 38.8 points per game on 64.0 percent shooting. That is a major improvement compared to the previous six games, where the Illini frontcourt averaged just 28.7 ppg on 44.2 percent shooting.
Augustine Three Rebounds Shy of Becoming 12th 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 854th board with 10:51 left in the game vs. Tennessee-Martin on Dec. 30, breaking the previous Illini career record of 853 rebounds set by Efrem Winters from 1983-86.
Augustine now has 997 career boards, which is also the most rebounds of any current Big Ten player. He is just three rebounds away from becoming the first 1,000-point scorer and 1,000-rebounder in Illinois history and just the 12th in Big Ten history. Following is a list of the all-time Big Ten players to score 1,000-points and grab 1,000 rebounds in their career:
1. John Green, Michigan State, 1957-59
1,062 pts, 1,036 reb
2. Walt Bellamy, Indiana, 1959-61
1,441 pts, 1,088 reb
3. Jerry Lucas, Ohio State, 1960-62
1,990 pts, 1,411 reb
4. Bill Buntin, Michigan, 1963-65
1,725 pts, 1,037 reb
5. Rudy Tomjanovich, Michigan, 1968-70
1,808 pts, 1,039 reb
6. Kent Benson, Indiana, 1974-77
1,750 pts, 1,031 reb
7. Greg Kelser, Michigan State, 1976-79
2,014 pts, 1,092 reb
8. Joe Barry Carroll, Purdue, 1977-80
2,175 pts, 1,148 reb
9. Herb Williams, Ohio State, 1978-81
2,011 pts, 1,111 reb
10. Brad Sellers, Wisconsin, 1982-83 & Ohio State, 1985-86
1,960 pts, 1,153 reb
11. Alan Henderson, Indiana, 1992-95
1,979 pts, 1,091 reb
James Augustine, Illinois, 2003-06
1,338 pts, 997 reb
Current Illini Squad Third-Winningest Team in Big Ten History over Four-Year Period
Illinois has won 113 games in the last four years, which is the third-winningest period in Big Ten history over four consecutive seasons. The Illini are just two wins away from tying the Big Ten record of 115 victories set by Michigan State from 1998-2001. Illinois also owns the second spot on that list, having won 114 games from 2002-05. Below is the top-5 list for the most wins by a Big Ten school over a period of four-straight years:
School Wins Years
1. Michigan State 115 1998-01
2. Illinois 114 2002-05
3. ILLINOIS 113 2003-06
4. Michigan State 112 1999-02
T5. Indiana 108 1991-94
T5. Indiana 108 1973-76
Augustine and Brown Nearing Big Ten Record for Career Wins
Illinois' win over Michigan State on Sunday marked the 113th career victory that seniors James Augustine and Dee Brown have played in during their UI tenure, adding to their school record for career wins.
Augustine and Brown are just two victories away from tying the Big Ten career wins record of 115 set by Michigan State's Charlie Bell from 1998-2001.
Weber Finalist for Jim Phelan Award
Bruce Weber has been named one of 15 finalists for the Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, which is presented by CollegeInsider.com. The voting is done by a 20-member panel, chaired by Phelan. In addition to Weber, other finalists are John Brady (LSU), Jim Calhoun (Connecticut), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Mark Few (Gonzaga), John Giannini (La Salle), Mark Gottfried (Alabama), Karl Hobbs (George Washington), Ben Howland (UCLA), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Thad Matta (Ohio State), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee), John Thompson III (Georgetown), Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Jay Wright (Villanova).
The winner of the Jim Phelan Award will be announced at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
Brown Senior CLASS Award Finalist
Dee Brown is one of 10 finalists for the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, as announced on March 1. The award is presented annually to the nation's senior player-of-the-year, and the acronym stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School.
Fans can vote on-line for their favorite finalist at www.seniorclassaward.com Over 100 coaches and media will also vote and the winner will be announced during the Final Four on April 1.
Brown Named Finalist for Oscar Robertson Trophy
Dee Brown has been named one of 10 finalists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, which is given to the national player of the year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Brown joins J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams of Duke as repeat finalists on this year's list.
The winner will be chosen by a vote of the USBWA membership and will be announced at an awards breakfast in Indianapolis on March 31 as part of the Final Four weekend.
Brown Moves to Third on Illini Career Scoring Chart
Dee Brown improved to third place on the Illinois career scoring list vs. Iowa on Feb. 25, in his final game at the Assembly Hall. Brown currently has 1,784 points, which is also the most career points among active Big Ten players.
Illini By the Numbers Under Weber
Illinois has been a consistent winner under Bruce Weber, a tenure that spans the most successful period in school history. The following is a breakdown of Illinois' success under Weber:
• 88-14: Illinois' overall record under Weber, a winning percentage of .863.
• 42-2: Illinois' record at the Assembly Hall under Weber, a winning percentage of .955.
• 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.
• 25-5: Illinois' record so far this season, the third straight year under Weber that Illinois has topped 25 wins.
• 39-9: Illinois' record in Big Ten play under Weber - which incudes back-to-back outright championships in 2004 and 2005 - a winning percentage of .813.
• 76-11: Illinois' record in regular season games under Weber, a winning percentage of .874.
• 20-7: Illinois' record in road games under Weber, a winning percentage of .741.
• 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 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.
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.
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 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.
Illini Showing 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 nearly 59 percent of the offense. But in the last 13 Big Ten games, Brown and Augustine have averaged just 25.8 of the team's 66.9 points (335 of 869 points) accounting for just 38.6 percent of the offense.
Home Cookin'
Illinois is 93-4 (.959) at the Assembly Hall over the past seven 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 81-3 (.964) at the Assembly Hall over the last six 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 50 of its last 53 (.943) 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.
*For complete set of Illinois Men's Basketball Big Ten Tournament notes, click on the .pdf link at the top of this page.
