Jan. 5, 2007
Champaign, Ill. -
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Ohio State in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #17: Illinois (12-4, 0-1) vs. #6 Ohio State (12-2, 1-0)
Jan. 6, 2007 • 1 p.m. CT • ESPN
Champaign, Ill. • Assembly Hall (16,618)
On the Air
TV
ESPN: Brad Nessler, play-by-play; Steve Lavin, expert analyst.
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Jerry Hester, expert analyst; Loren Tate pregame/halftime/ postgame interviews.
Illini Probable Starters
F - 42 Brian Randle (r-Jr, 6-8, 220, 7.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (Sr., 6-9, 220, 13.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 bpg)
C - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Jr., 6-10, 245, 11.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg)
G - 31 Jamar Smith (So., 6-3, 185, 13.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 3 Chester Frazier (So., 6-2, 190, 8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.4 spg)
Off the Bench
G - 1 Trent Meacham (r-So., 6-2, 195, 7.8 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 2 Chris Hicks (Jr., 6-2, 190, 0.6 ppg, 0.1 rpg)
C - 21 Brian Carlwell (Fr., 6-11, 265, 2.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
F - 25 Calvin Brock (r-So., 6-5, 195, 7.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.1 apg)
G - 33 Rich McBride (Sr., 6-3, 205, 8.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.1 apg)
F - 34 C.J. Jackson (r-Fr., 6-8, 260, 1.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg)
F - 44 Marcus Arnold (r-Sr., 6-8, 245, 2.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
F - 50 Richard Semrau (Fr., 6-9, 230, 3.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg) -Out-
Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 204-74/.734 (9th year)
At Illinois: 101-20/.835 (4th year)
Big Ten: 39-10/.796
Vs. Ohio State: 3-2
Assistant Coaches: Wayne McClain (6th year), Jay Price (4th year), Tracy Webster (3rd year)
Assistant to the Head Coach: Gary Nottingham (4th year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (24th year at Illinois)
Ohio State Head Coach: Thad Matta
Overall Record: 160-51/.758 (7th year)
At Ohio State: 58-20/.744 (3rd year)
Vs. Illinois: 2-1
Assistant Coaches: John Groce, Alan Major, Dan Peters
Series Notes: Ohio State
Illinois leads the all-time series 100-61 over Ohio State, including a 59-21 advantage in games played at Champaign. Following five straight Illini wins in the series, Ohio State has won the last two match-ups. The Illini carry a five-game winning streak over the Buckeyes at Assembly Hall into Saturday's game.
Illini Basketball Reunion This Weekend
Illinois will host approximately 175 former players, coaches, managers and support staff members this weekend for an Illini basketball reunion. Included in the number is around 30 former team captains that will be honored on the court at halftime of Saturday's game vs. Ohio State.
Illini Headlines...
• Losses to Xavier and Michigan marked just the fourth time in Bruce Weber's four-year tenure that Illinois has dropped back-to-back games. The Illini have never lost three consecutive games under Weber.
• The Michigan game marked the first time under Weber that Illinois lost when shooting more free throws than its opponent. Illinois is now 57-1 under Weber when attempting more free throws.
• Illinois' Jamar Smith was the highest scoring non-starter in the Big Ten until he entered the starting lineup against Michigan on Wednesday. Smith ranks second on the team, averaging 13.5 points per game on the season. Over the last four games, Smith has averaged 17.8 points (71) and 4.0 three-pointers (16).
• Illinois is a balanced offensive club, with three players averaging double figures and eight members of the roster averaging at least 7.8 points per game.
• Illinois has started six different lineups this season. Last season, the Illini started the same lineup in 32 of 33 games and two seasons ago, Illinois had the same starting lineup in all 39 games.
• Six different players have been Illinois' leading scorer in a game this season (Warren Carter-5, Jamar Smith-4, Shaun Pruitt-3, Trent Meacham-2, Rich McBride-1, Chester Frazier-1).
• Over his last nine games, Warren Carter is averaging 16.1 points (145) and 7.2 rebounds (65) while shooting 53.3 percent from the field (56-105). Included in that stretch have been three 20+ point performances for the senior power forward. Carter had a career-high 24 points vs. Arizona (Dec. 2), tying the highest point total by UI player this season, and 21 points vs. both IUPUI (Dec. 6) and Belmont (Dec. 17). Carter did not play vs. Idaho State on Dec. 21 due to a hip injury but returned to the lineup to score 14 vs. Xavier and then 14 vs. Michigan.
• Chester Frazier ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 1) in assists with an average of 5.8 apg. He had a career-high 11 assists vs. Bradley (Nov. 25) and again vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6), and also had 10 assists vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19).
• Warren Carter, Illinois' leading scorer, ranks 10th in the Big Ten in scoring with an average of 13.9 points. Carter is also 10th in the conference in rebounding, averaging 6.5 rpg, and 11th in blocks, averaging 1.2 bpg.
• Shaun Pruitt ranks third in the Big Ten in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and is sixth in field goal percentage (.548, 74-135). Pruitt tied his career high with 11 rebounds vs. Xavier (Dec. 29).
• Jamar Smith is shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range, hitting 32-73 from behind the arc on the season. He has five games with at least four 3-pointers, making five treys in the season opener vs. Austin Peay (Nov. 13), a perfect 5-5 from 3-point land vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6), four 3s vs. Missouri (Dec. 19), five treys vs. Idaho State (Dec. 21), and four vs. Xavier last Friday.
• Shaun Pruitt has scored in double figures in 11 games this season and is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg. He had 18 points vs. Maryland (Nov. 28) and scored a career-high 19 points on 8-11 shooting vs. Missouri (Dec. 19). Pruitt also leads the Illini with four double-doubles on the season.
• Over the past 13 games, Chester Frazier has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.6 (75 assists/29 turnovers).
• Trent Meacham ranks third in the Big Ten in 3-point shooting at 50 percent (27-54). He had a school-record eight 3-pointers vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19), which is also the most treys by a Big Ten player this year.
• Calvin Brock has scored at least six points in 12 games.
• Illinois has scored over 70 points in 12 games and is averaging 73.1 points on the season (4th in Big Ten).
• Illinois is outscoring its opponent by an average of 13.4 points (4th in Big Ten, 32nd in NCAA as of Jan. 1).
• Illinois has shot better than 45 percent in nine games, topping 50 percent six times, and is shooting 46.3 percent from the field on the season.
• Illinois has shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range in six games and is shooting 38.7 percent from behind the arc on the season (5th in Big Ten).
• The Illini are second in the Big Ten in 3-pointers, making an average of 8.1 per game (129 total).
• Illinois has outrebounded 11 opponents and is outrebounding its opponent by an average of 7.5 boards (5th in Big Ten, 16th in NCAA as of Jan. 1).
• Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten in total rebounds (37.1 rpg) and leads the Big Ten in offensive rebounds (14.3 rpg).
• Illinois is holding its opponents to an average of just 59.7 points (28th in NCAA as of Jan. 1) on 40.8 percent shooting.
Last Time Out: At Michigan
Illinois had its winning streak in Big Ten openers snapped at seven on Wednesday in Ann Arbor, falling to Michigan 71-61. The Wolverines led by seven early in the second half before the Illini went on an 8-0 run to grab a 33-32 lead. Illinois later led 41-40 when Michigan made the game's decisive run, going on a 13-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 12-point lead. Illinois chipped away and cut it to four points at 61-57 with two minutes left, but the Illini could not get a stop on their next defensive possession and Michigan made its free throws to close out the game.
Illinois was outrebounded for just the fifth time on the season, by its biggest margin of the year as the Wolverines controlled the glass 37-26. Illinois shot just 37.7 percent on the night while Michigan shot 50 percent.
Jamar Smith led Illinois in scoring for the third straight game, tallying 17 points. Warren Carter added 14 points and Chester Frazier also reached double figures with 11.
Assembly Hall: The House of 'Paign
Illinois owns a homecourt record of 64-3 (.955) over the last four-plus seasons. The Illini are also 101-5 (.953) at the Assembly Hall over the past seven-plus years, which ranks second in the nation for homecourt winning percentage this decade behind only Gonzaga.
Illinois had its nation's best 51-game winning streak at the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents come to an end against Maryland on Nov. 28. The Illini's school-record 33-game homecourt winning streak ended last year against Penn State (Feb. 4, 2006).
Below is a look at Illinois' record at the Assembly Hall this decade:
Year Overall Big Ten
2006-07 8-1 0-0
2005-06 15-1 7-1
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 101-5 (.953) 51-4 (.927)
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:
• 101-20: Illinois' overall record under Weber, a winning percentage of .835.
• 50-3: Illinois' record at the Assembly Hall under Weber, a winning percentage of .943.
• 37-2: Illinois' record in 2004-05, which tied the record for the winningest season in NCAA history.
• 26-7: Illinois' record last season as well as Weber's first season (2003-04), which tie the fourth-winningest season in school history.
• 39-10: Illinois' record in Big Ten play under Weber - which incudes back-to-back outright championships in 2004 and 2005 - a winning percentage of .796.
• 88-15: Illinois' record in regular season games under Weber, a winning percentage of .854.
• 49-5: Illinois' record in regular season non-conference games under Weber, a winning percentage of .907.
• 20-8: Illinois' record in road games under Weber, a winning percentage of .714.
• 30-8: Illinois' record in neutral-site games under Weber, a winning percentage of .789.
• 8-3: 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 .727.
• 5-2: Illinois' Big Ten Tournament record under Weber - which includes the 2005 tournament title - a winning percentage of .714.
• 13-5: Illinois' combined postseason record under Weber, a winning percentage of .722.
Randle Returns To Action
After having groin surgery on Nov. 17 and missing nine games, Brian Randle returned to action against UIC on Dec. 9. He played 16 minutes off the bench and performed well, nearly registering a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.
Randle scored 10 against both Belmont (Dec. 17) and Missouri (Dec. 19) and had a season-high 11 points vs. Idaho State on Dec. 21.
Randle is averaging 7.9 points and 4.0 rebounds on the season, is shooting 51.3 percent from the field (20-39) and has made 6-10 from 3-point range.
Carter Aiming High As A Senior
Warren Carter is off to a fast start to his senior season. The replacement for James Augustine at power forward, Carter has started all 15 games that he has played in this year and leads the team in scoring with an average of 13.9 points (10th in Big Ten). He has reached double figures 11 times, led by a career-high 24 points on 11-17 shooting vs. Arizona (Dec. 2). He made it his third double-double of the season against the Wildcats, collecting 10 rebounds.
Carter has topped the 20-point marker three times on the season, with a game-high 21 points vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6) and another 21-point effort vs. Belmont (Dec. 17).
Carter had 17 points vs. Bradley (Nov. 25). He also had eight rebounds vs. the Braves and had eight points, three blocks and three steals vs. Miami (OH) the night before to earn a spot on the Chicago Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Carter started strong against Maryland (Nov. 28), scoring all 13 of his points in the first half, while tallying a double-double with 11 boards.
Carter is second on the team in rebounding behind Pruitt, averaging 6.5 rpg to rank 10th in the Big Ten. He had the first double-double of his career vs. Jackson State (Nov. 15) with 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. His 15 boards vs. JSU are the most by a Big Ten player this year.
Carter suffered a hip injury at the end of the Missouri game and did not play against Idaho State on Dec. 21. He returned to the lineup vs. Xavier (Dec. 29) and scored 14 points with five boards. He again had 14 points with eight boards vs. Michigan on Wednesday.
Over his last nine games, Carter is averaging 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent.
Frazier On Point
Chester Frazier has taken over the reins at point guard following the graduation of Dee Brown. The sophomore from Baltimore has been very productive in all facets of the game. He is averaging 8.7 points (fourth on team) and ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th in the NCAA (as of Jan. 1) with an average of 5.8 assists. Frazier is also fourth on the Illini with an average of 4.4 rebounds and leads the team in steals, averaging 1.4 spg (fifth in Big Ten).
Frazier has scored in double figures in 10 games, led by a career-high 17 points vs. Savannah State (Nov. 21). He recorded his first career double-double vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19) with 13 points and 10 assists.
Frazier had 10 points vs. Miami (OH) (Nov. 24), hitting a game-winning layup with 18 seconds left. He then recorded his second double-double vs. Bradley (Nov. 25) with 10 points and a career-high 11 assists. Frazier was named MVP of the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
He had 11 points and four assists in 39 minutes of action vs. Arizona (Dec. 2) and then tied his career high with another 11-assist effort vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6). Frazier's 11 assists vs. Bradley and vs. IUPUI tie the most by a Big Ten player this season.
Frazier scored 13 points on 4-6 shooting from 3-point range against Idaho State on Dec. 21 and was back in double figures against Michigan on Wednesday with 11 points.
While continuing to rack up the assists, Frazier has also done a good job cutting down on his turnovers lately. After totaling 13 turnovers in the first two games (6.5 avg.), he has combined for just 32 turnovers over the past 14 games (2.3 avg.). He had only one turnover in 35 minutes vs. Bradley compared to 11 assists, and had just one turnover again vs. Maryland (Nov. 28).
Frazier's assist-to-turnover ratio over the past 13 games is 2.6 (75 assists/29 turnovers).
Pruitt A Consistent Contributor
Shaun Pruitt started every game last season and is once again the Illini's starting center this year. He has scored in double figures in 11 of 16 games and is third on the team in scoring with an average of 11.3 points.
Pruitt leads the Illini and is third in the Big Ten in rebounding with an average of 7.3 boards and has been an efficient scorer, shooting 54.8 percent from the field (72-135) to rank sixth in the Big Ten. He has four double-doubles on the season to lead all UI players.
Pruitt had 15 points on 7-9 shooting vs. Jackson State (Nov. 15) and recorded the first double-double of his career with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Savannah State (Nov. 21).
He earned Chicago Invitational Challenge All-Tournament Team honors after posting a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards vs. Miami (OH) (Nov. 24) followed by 16 points and nine rebounds in a career-best 31 minutes vs. Bradley (Nov. 25).
Pruitt was at his best vs. Maryland (Nov. 28), scoring 18 points on 7-12 shooting. He tallied his third double-double of the season against the Terrapins, collecting a career-high 11 rebounds in addition to his 18 points.
Pruitt scored in double figures for the sixth straight game vs. Arizona (Dec. 2), registering 11 points. That streak came to an end with seven points vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6), but Pruitt was back in double figures with 13 points vs. Belmont (Dec. 17).
He then scored a career-high 19 points on 8-11 shooting and had a game-high nine boards vs. Missouri (Dec. 19).
Pruitt notched his fourth double-double with 11 points and a career-high tying 11 boards vs. Xavier (Dec. 29).
Smith Is Instant Offense
Sophomore sharpshooter Jamar Smith has continued his reputation for providing instant offense in the Illini lineup. Smith, who missed six games due to a high ankle sprain, has reached double figures in seven of 10 games and is second on the team in scoring with an average of 13.5 points. He was the highest scoring non-starter in the Big Ten before entering the starting lineup vs. Michigan on Wednesday.
Smith scored 19 points in just 21 minutes of action in the season opener vs. Austin Peay (Nov. 13), when he suffered the ankle injury and missed the remainder of the game. He returned to the court against Bradley (Nov. 25), scoring 14 points, but his mobility was limited the following game vs. Maryland. After sitting out the Arizona game, Smith came off the bench to tally 15 points vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6), connecting on all five 3-point attempts.
Smith scored 17 points in the win over Missouri (Dec. 19) and had a season-high 21 points vs. Idaho State (Dec. 21). He scored 16 points vs. Xavier (Dec. 29) and was Illinois' leading scorer for the third straight game with 17 points vs. Michigan on Wednesday.
Smith has totaled 32 three-pointers in 10 games (3.2 avg.) and is shooting 43.8 percent (32-73) from behind the arc on the season. With those numbers, he would lead the Big Ten in 3-point field goals and rank ninth in 3-point field goal percentage, but a player must appear in 75 percent of his team's games to officially be listed in the conference's statistical rankings.
McBride's Experience an Asset
Senior Rich McBride started off slow after missing the season's first four games, but he has re-established himself as one of Illinois' top performers. McBride had a season-high 18 points vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6), hitting six 3-pointers, and had a team-high 13 points vs. UIC (Dec. 9). His last double-digit effort came vs. Idaho State (Dec. 21) with 10 points.
McBride has started nine of 12 games on the season and ranks fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.4 points. He is also averaging 2.1 assists while playing over 28 minutes per game.
Brock Stepping Up
Sophomore Calvin Brock has made great strides since arriving on campus and it's showing this season. In his first career start, Brock totaled 14 points on 6-9 shooting with six rebounds vs. Jackson State (Nov. 15). He had 17 points on 7-11 shooting vs. Georgia Southern (Nov. 17), and tallied the first double-double of his career vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19) with career highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds along with a career-best seven assists.
After scoring eight vs. Bradley (Nov. 25), Brock was back in double figures with 11 points vs. Maryland (Nov. 28). He had eight points and eight rebounds vs. Arizona (Dec. 2) and played a great all-around game vs. IUPUI (Dec. 6) with 11 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Brock was also credited by Weber as the catalyst in Illinois' come-from-behind victory over Idaho State on Dec. 21. The Illini trailed by six points midway through the second half before Brock started a rally that brought Illinois ahead for good. In just 15 minutes, Brock scored seven points on 3-3 shooting and had a team-high seven rebounds.
Brock has started nine games this season, averaging 7.8 points. He is third on the Illini in rebounding, averaging 5.1 boards and is second with 36 offensive rebounds. Brock is shooting 51.9 percent (54-104) from the floor (14th in Big Ten). and is averaging 2.1 assists.
Hometown Hero
Trent Meacham starred at Champaign Centennial High School and initially went to Dayton on a full scholarship. After playing as a true freshman at Dayton in 2004-05, Meacham returned to Illini country, choosing to walk-on to the Illinois squad. Meacham sat out last season as a transfer and has been awarded a scholarship for this season.
After an injury to Jamar Smith in the season opener vs. Austin Peay, Meacham found himself in the starting lineup just two days later, playing all 40 minutes vs. Jackson State (Nov. 15), scoring eight points with a career-high six assists.
Meacham was Illinois' leading scorer for two straight games with 19 points vs. Georgia Southern (Nov. 17) followed by a career-high 24 points vs. Florida A&M (Nov. 19). He tied the school record for 3-pointers in a game with eight vs. FAMU en route to his 24 points.
He was back in double figures against IUPUI (Dec. 6), scoring 12 points, and had 11 vs. Xavier (Dec. 29).
Meacham ranks third in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal shooting at 50 percent (27-54), is averaging 7.8 points on the season and is second on the team in assists (2.1 apg).
Weber Nation's Second-Winningest Coach over Past Five-Plus Seasons
Bruce Weber has coached consistent winners everywhere he's been throughout his college career. In fact, over the past five-plus seasons only one head coach in America has more wins on his resume than Weber. Beginning with the 2001-02 season, Weber has recorded 153 victories, which trails only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski (161 wins, next game Jan. 6) and leads Roy Williams (152 wins, next game Jan. 7) 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, another 26-7 record in 2005-06, and a 12-4 mark so far this season.
A New Look
Illinois unveiled a new starting lineup in the season opener vs. Austin Peay on Nov. 13 for the first time since Dec. 18, 2005. The former unit of Dee Brown, James Augustine, Rich McBride, Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt started the final 22 games of the 2005-06 season. The Illini also had a new player - Warren Carter - jumping the opening tip for the first time since Dec. 7, 2002. James Augustine jumped center for the final 132 games of his career.
Illinois had already started six different lineups through the first 14 games of the 2006-07 season. That is quite a contrast from last year, when the Illini used the same starting five for 32 of 33 games (Brown, McBride, Randle, Augustine and Pruitt), and in 2004-05, when Illinois featured the same starting lineup for all 39 games (Deron Williams, Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and Augustine).
*For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on .pdf link at top of this page.
