Jan. 11, 2005

Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Penn State in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #17: #1 Illinois (16-0, 2-0) vs. Penn State (6-9, 0-2)
Jan. 12, 2005 •8 p.m. CT •ESPN+ Local
Champaign, Ill. •Assembly Hall (16,618)

Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (16-0, 2-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 13.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 9.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 15.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.6 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.6 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 13.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.1 apg)

Off The Bench ...
G - 15 Calvin Brock (Fr., 6-4, 185, plans to redshirt)
G - 33 Rich McBride (So., 6-3, 215, 4.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.5 ppg, 0.4 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 3.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 3.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 3.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 1.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg)

Injured
F - 42 Brian Randle (So., 6-7, 210, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg in 2003-04)

Illinois Head Coach: Bruce Weber
Overall Record: 145-61/.704 (7th year)
At Illinois: 42-7/.857 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 15-3/.833
Vs. Penn State: 2-0
Assistant Coaches: Wayne McClain (4th year), Jay Price (2nd year), Tracy Webster (1st year)
Assistant to the head coach: Gary Nottingham (2nd year)
Trainer: Al Martindale (22nd year at Illinois)

Penn State Head Coach: Ed DeChellis
Overall Record: 120-121/.498 (8th year)
At Penn State: 15-28/.349 (2nd year)
Vs. Illinois: 0-2
Assistant Coaches: James Johnson, Kurt Kanaskie, Hilliary Scott

On the Air
Television
ESPN+ Local: Mike Adamle, play-by-play; Doug Altenberger, expert analyst.

Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime/postgame interviews.

Series Notes: Penn State
Illinois leads the all-time series 16-6 over Penn State and owns an 8-2 advantage over the Nittany Lions in games played in Champaign. Illinois owns a four-game winning streak in the series, including both matchups last season. The Illini won 80-37 on Jan. 21 at the Assembly Hall and 66-58 on Feb. 21 at State College.

Undefeated Illini
Illinois is one of only four teams in the country to boast a perfect record, and with 16 victories has the most wins in the nation. The following is a list of the remaining undefeated teams in Div. I.
Illinois 16-0 (next; Wed. vs. Penn St.)
Kansas 11-0 (next; Wed. at Iowa St.)
Duke 11-0 (next; Thurs. at N.C. St.)
Boston College 13-0 (next; Sun. at West Va.)

Hot Start
Illinois' 16-0 record ties its second best start in the 100-year history of Fighting Illini basketball and is the Illini's best start since a school-record 17-0 beginning to the 1988-89 season. Illinois' current 16-game winning streak ties the second longest single-season streak in school history and is the longest streak for the program since the 17-straight wins to open the '88-89 campaign.

Countdown to 1,500
With an all-time record of 1,499-803, Illinois is just one win away from collecting its 1,500th victory. When Illinois reaches that milestone, it will become the 15th program in NCAA history to reach 1,500 wins. Illinois is the 11th winningest program in NCAA history by percentage, with a .651 all-time winning percentage.

Big Ten Streakin'
Illinois has won 12 straight Big Ten games - its final 10 conference games last season and the first two this season. This is Illinois' longest conference winning streak since 1955 and 1956 when the Illini won 13 straight spanning the final three Big Ten games in '55 and the first 10 Big Ten games in '56.

Illinois has also won seven straight Big Ten road games - its final six conference away games last season and the road opener this season. This is just one shy of Illinois' school-record streak of eight straight Big Ten road wins, which has happened twice. The Illini first accomplished the feat with eight straight conference road wins from 1914-1916 and most recently won eight straight Big Ten road games from 1951-52.

UI's 100-Year Anniversary
Wednesday's game vs. Penn State will mark the exact date 100 seasons ago that the University of Illinois played its first official men's basketball game, defeating Champaign High School, 71-4. The Fighting Illini will recognize Champaign Central administrators at Wednesday's game by welcoming Principal Don Hansen, Athletic Director John Woods and Basketball Coach Scott Davis. Champaign Central is also celebrating its 100th anniversary of basketball this year. The Maroons played in three consecutive state championship games in the 1940s, winning the 1946 state title under coach Harry Combes. Less than a year later, Combes would return to his alma mater and lead the Illini basketball program for the next 20 years, winning four Big Ten titles and advancing to the NCAA Final Four three times. The Central High School Gymnasium is named in Coach Harry Combes' honor.

Augustine Named Big Ten POTW
James Augustine has been named Big Ten Player of the Week after leading the Illini to a 2-0 start in Big Ten play, while nearly averaging a double-double on the week. He tied his career high in scoring with a season-high 21 points against Ohio State in the Big Ten opener. He shot 8-of-10 from the field, while also grabbing 10 rebounds to notch the 12th double-double of his career. Augustine then scored eight points and had a game-high nine rebounds, while adding three assists and two blocked shots in a road win at Purdue. On the week, he averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game on a combined 71.4 shooting percentage (10-of-13). Augustine currently leads the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.642), while also ranking second in rebounding (9.5 rpg) in conference games.

Home Cookin'
Illinois is 59-2 (.967) at the Assembly Hall over the last four-plus years, with the only losses coming to Michigan State on Feb. 3, 2002 and to Purdue on Jan. 10, 2004 ... The Boilermakers broke a 23-game Illini winning streak at the Hall that at the time ranked fourth in the nation ... Illinois is 71-3 (.959) at the Assembly Hall over the past five-plus seasons, the best home mark in the nation over that period ...The Illini have also won 38 in a row at the Assembly Hall against non-conference opponents ... Illinois has won 36 of its last 38 (.947) Big Ten games at the Assembly Hall ... Below is a look at Illinois' home record the past five seasons:

Year      Overall      Big Ten
2004-05     8-0	         1-0
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       71-3 (.959)	 37-3 (.925)

Illini in Control
Illinois has trailed in the scoring column for just 50:29 out of 640 minutes of play this year, meaning Illinois has held the lead in 92 percent of the minutes played to date in the 2004-05 season. The Illini have also held the lead the entire second half in 15 of 16 games this year. Saturday's game at Purdue marked the first time all season that Illinois trailed entering the second half of play. Illinois has never trailed by double figures at any point this season. Its largest deficit - nine points - came Saturday at Purdue. The Illini have held the lead the entire way in nine of 15 games this year (Oakland, Gonzaga, Wake Forest, Oregon, Valparaiso, Missouri, Longwood, Northwestern State and Cincinnati), which included a streak of six straight games (Oregon through Cincinnati) that was broken against Ohio State. Following is a list of time that Illinois has been behind this season:
Delaware State - 7:01
Florida A&M - :50
Arkansas - 1:34
Chicago State - :47
Georgetown - 11:20
Ohio State - 7:11
Purdue - 21:46
TOTAL - 50:29

Quick Shots
• Dee Brown recorded his 1,000th career point against Cincinnati on Dec. 31, becoming the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Illini history. Brown currently ranks 34th on the school career scoring chart with 1,037 points. • For the third year in school history - and the sixth straight week - the Illini are ranked No. 1 in the nation. Prior to this season, Illinois last stood atop the national polls the week of January 23-29, 1989. Illinois' first tenure at No. 1 came the final week of January, 1952. Illinois' six straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team since Arizona owned the top spot the first six weeks of the 2002-03 season. • This is the first time in school history that Illinois has spent multiple weeks ranked No. 1 in the polls. In 1952 and 1989, the Illini spent just one week at the No. 1 spot. • Illinois has won 14 of 16 games by double figures, and is outscoring its opponents by an average of 19.8 points per game on the year. Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation in scoring margin. • The Illini are shooting 50.5 percent (488-966) from the field and 40.8 percent (140-343) from 3-point range. Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten in both field goal pct. and 3-pt. field goal pct. Its 50.5 field goal pct. ranks 16th in the NCAA. • In the first half of games this season, Illinois is averaging 45.4 points (727 pts.) on 52.5 percent shooting (273-520), and enjoys an average halftime lead of 14.9 points. • Four of Illinois' five starters are averaging in double-figures this season. • Illinois has led the Big Ten in scoring each of the last four seasons. The Illini currently rank second in the Big Ten and 16th in the nation in scoring, averaging 81.6 points per game. • Illinois has been credited with assists on 66 percent of its baskets this season (322 assists on 488 field goals). The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank second in the nation in assists (behind North Carolina), averaging 20.1 assists per game. • The Illini have four players - Dee Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell and Rich McBride - shooting 40 percent or better from 3-point range. • The Illini are averaging 8.8 three-pointers per game this season, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 12th in the NCAA. Illinois tied its school record for 3-pointers in a game with 14 vs. Gonzaga on Nov. 27. • Illinois' victory over Chicago State on Dec. 6 marked the first time in school history that the Illini have won their first game after earning the No. 1 ranking. In 1989, No. 1 Illinois lost at Minnesota and in 1952, the No. 1 Illini lost at DePaul. The Illini are now 12-2 all-time when ranked No. 1, with wins over Indiana in 1989 and at Purdue in 1952, in addition to the 10 straight victories this season while sitting atop the polls. • Illinois defeated a No.1-ranked team for the second time in school history and the first since 1979 on Dec. 1 when the Illini cruised past then-No. 1 Wake Forest 91-73. • Playing against ranked teams in consecutive games (No. 24 Gonzaga and No. 1 Wake Forest), Illinois combined for an amazing assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.92. The Illini had 24 assists with only seven turnovers against Gonzaga and tallied a season-high 27 assists with just six turnovers against top-ranked Wake Forest. • In its win over Gonzaga, Illinois set a number of Wooden Tradition team records, including points (89), assists (24), steals (13), three-pointers (14), as well as individual records, including assists (Luther Head, 9), steals (Luther Head-tied, 4), and 3-pointers (Deron Williams-tied, 5). • In the season opener on Nov. 19, Illinois and Delaware State combined to set the Illinois all-time and Assembly Hall records for combined field goal percentage. The teams joined to shoot 60.8 percent (59-97), with the Illini making 35-of-55 attempts and the Hornets connecting on 24-of-42 shots.

Last Time Out: at Purdue
Despite falling behind by its largest deficit of the year (nine points) and trailing in the second half for the first time this season, the Illini played a brilliant second half to fight back and earn a 68-59 road win at Purdue on Saturday. Illinois trailed 39-33 at the break but shot 54.5 percent in the second half (12-22) outscored Purdue 35-20. Purdue's 20 second-half points marked the Boilermakers' lowest point total in a half all season. Illinois opened the second half on a 23-6 run to take the lead for good, 56-45, with nine minutes remaining. Dee Brown nailed four 3-pointers and scored all 14 of his points after intermission. Luther Head led the Illini with 15 points, while Roger Powell also finished in double figures with 13.

Illini Remain No. 1
For just the third year in school history - and for the sixth straight week - Illinois is the No. 1-ranked team in the nation. This marks the first time in school history that the Illini have been ranked first for more than one week in the same season. Illinois' first tenure at No. 1 came the final week of January, 1952. Illinois' six straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team since Arizona owned the top spot the first six weeks of the 2002-03 season.

Prior to this year, the last time Illinois was ranked No. 1 was the week of Jan. 23-29, 1989. The UI was also ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll for a week during the final week in January, 1952. In each of the previous two seasons when the Illini achieved a No. 1 ranking, they went on to advance to the NCAA Final Four.

Williams Fifth-Straight Illini Chosen Preseason Player of the Year Pick
Junior guard Deron Williams became the fifth straight Illini to be named Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year at the Big Ten Media Day in Chicago on Oct. 31. Williams, also named to the All-Big Ten First-Team last season, is just the third Big Ten player ever to lead the league in assists in each of his first two seasons, joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978-79) and Illinois' Bruce Douglas (1983-84). Williams has also earned Preseason All-America honors from Playboy Magazine and is among 50 preseason candidates for the Wooden, Naismith and Rupp Awards.

Williams is second on the team in scoring this season, averaging 14.0 points. He leads the Big Ten and ranks 18th in the nation in assists, averaging 6.6 apg. Williams tied his career-high vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 1, dishing out 11 assists. He boasts an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.19 through 16 games. Williams is also fourth on the team in rebounding with 3.8 boards per game.

Williams had one of his best games of the season in Illinois' win over Missouri on Dec. 22, scoring 19 points - 15 of which came in the second half - with five assists. He then had a season-high 23 points with four 3-pointers vs. Longwood (Dec. 27).

Williams was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Las Vegas Holiday Classic after scoring 14 points with a game-high six assists vs. Northwestern State and a game-high 18 points with six rebounds and four assists vs. Cincinnati.

Williams played 39 minutes in the Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State, finishing with 14 points and a game-high eight assists.

Great Guard Play
Illinois has what many believe is the top backcourt in the country in the three-guard lineup of senior Luther Head and juniors Dee Brown and Deron Williams. They comprise Illinois' top three scorers and assists leaders. The trio has accounted for 52.5 percent of Illinois' scoring and 79.3 percent of its 3-pointers. They have also totaled 80.4 percent of Illinois' assists and 56 percent of its steals. Perhaps most impressive is that despite playing the most minutes and handling the ball for the majority of the game, the three guards boast an incredible combined assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.49. Below is a statistical look at Illinois' starting backcourt.

          PPG	  APG	  RPG	  ST	  3FG
Head	     15.6 	4.6	  3.9	  26	  46
Williams	 14.0	 6.6	  3.8	  7	   28
Brown	    13.3	 5.1	  2.8	  28 	 37
Total	    42.9	 16.3	 10.5	 61	  111

Sharing the Wealth
One reason why Illinois ranks 16th in the nation in field goal percentage at 50.5 percent is unselfish play. The Illini have been moving the ball well and making the extra pass to set up an open shot. Illinois has been credited with 322 assists on its 488 baskets, an impressive 66 percent assist-to-made field goals percentage. Illinois ranks second in the nation in assists, averaging 20.1 apg, and has recorded at least 20 assists in 10 of 16 games on the year. The Illini recorded a season-high 27 assists vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 1.

First-Half Dominance
Illinois' play has been especially crisp in the first half of games this season. The Illini have shot 50 percent or better in 11 of the 16 first halves so far, and are averaging 52.5 percent shooting in the first half of its games. Illinois has scored 45 or more points in nine of the 16 first halves and is averaging 45.4 points in the first half. Illinois has also taken a double-digit lead into halftime 12 of 16 times this year and goes into the locker room with an average lead of 14.9 points. Below is a breakdown of Illinois' dominance in the first half:

	              UI	    UI	   UI
Opponent	      FG%	   PTS	  LEAD
Delaware St.	  64.5	  50	   13
Florida A&M	   58.8	  58	   29
Oakland	       60.0	  47	   19
Gonzaga	       55.0	  58	   31
Wake Forest	   60.0	  54	   21
Arkansas	      48.4	  40 	  9
Chicago St.	   54.5	  47	   15
Georgetown	    41.9	  31 	  7
Oregon	        56.0	  43	   14
Valparaiso	    57.1	  49	   26
Missouri	      41.9	  38	   15
Longwood	      57.5	  56	   13
N'western St.	 50.0	  42	   14
Cincinnati	    35.5	  35	   11
Ohio State	    56.3	  46	   6
Purdue	        37.9	  33	   -6
Avg.	          52.5	  45.4	 14.9

The Head of the Class
Guard Luther Head entered the season as one of the most underrated players in the nation, and has been playing like an All-America candidate to begin his senior year. Head leads the Illini in scoring at 15.6 points per game (8th in Big Ten), is second on the team with 26 steals (8th in Big Ten), and is also contributing 4.6 assists per game (5th in Big Ten). He is shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from 3-point land (7th in Big Ten) with a Big Ten-leading 46 treys. Head opened the season by scoring in double figures in five straight games with 15 points vs. Delaware State, 13 vs. Florida A&M, a game-high 22 points vs. Oakland, 20 points vs. Gonzaga and 16 points vs. Wake Forest. After his streak ended against Arkansas, Head responded with a career-long streak of eight straight games in double figures: a game-high 17 points vs. Chicago State; 13 at Georgetown; a season-high 23 vs. Oregon (which also marked the second highest total of his career); 11 against Valparaiso; 20 vs. Missouri; 20 vs. Longwood; a game-high 18 vs. Northwestern State; and 11 vs. Cincinnati. That streak ended vs. Ohio State, but Head picked it right back up Saturday at Purdue, leading the Illini with 15 points.

Head has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.04 on the year to lead the team and rank second in the Big Ten. In consecutive games vs. Gonzaga and Wake Forest, he combined for 14 assists with only two turnovers. He tied his career-high in assists with nine dimes apiece in back-to-back games vs. Oakland and Gonzaga. Head also had nine assists with no turnovers vs. Valparaiso.

Head moved into the Illinois Top 50 scoring list on Dec. 27 vs. Longwood and is currently tied for 44th in school history with 922 career points.

Dee Lighting it Up
Dee Brown has had a hot shooting hand to start the season, shooting 56.5 percent (78-138) from the field. That percentage is even more impressive when considering that over 58 percent of his shots have come from 3-point range. And Brown has been dependable from downtown as well, shooting 45.7 percent (37-81) from behind the arc (5th in Big Ten).

Brown is third on the Illini in scoring at 13.3 points per game. He recorded his 1,000th career point against Cincinnati on Dec. 31, becoming the 36th 1,000-point scorer in Illini history. Brown currently ranks 34th on the school career scoring chart with 1,037 points.

Like his backcourt teammates, Brown has also been taking care of the ball and making good decisions. He has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.53 on the season (5th in Big Ten), and in the two games vs. Gonzaga and Wake Forest, Brown combined for 15 assists without a turnover. In a three-game stretch vs. Chicago State, Georgetown and Oregon, he combined for 20 assists with just four turnovers (game-high nine assists with one turnover vs. Chicago State; game-high six assists with two turnovers at Georgetown; five assists with one turnover vs. Oregon). Against Longwood on Dec. 27, Brown had a career-high 13 assists, tying the third highest single-game assist total in UI history.

The Rev Rises to the Occasion
Senior forward Roger Powell, Jr., is averaging 13.1 points and is second on the team with 4.9 rebounds, while shooting 61.5 percent from the field (83-of-135). His field goal percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 123rd nationally (as of Dec. 30). Standing 6-foot-6 and playing the power forward position, Powell is often undersized against his opponent. But he causes a match-up problem for the defense with his quickness and ability to step out and face the basket and either drive or hit the outside shot. Powell currently ranks third on the UI career field goal percentage chart at 59.4 percent (364-613).

Powell had his best game of the season Dec. 1 vs. Wake Forest, scoring a season-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, which included a pair of 3-pointers. He followed that performance with a season-high tying 19 points and career-high 11 rebounds in a victory over Arkansas. Powell was named Big Ten Player of the Week on Dec. 6 for his performance in those two games.

In a victory at Georgetown on Dec. 9, Powell led the Illini with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Powell moved into the Illinois Top 50 scoring list on Dec. 27 vs. Longwood and is currently 47th in school history with 920 career points.

Powell is scheduled to graduate with his bachelor's degree in speech communications in May. He is a licensed minister in the Pentecostal church.

Augie Off to Strong Start
Junior James Augustine is off to a strong start by shooting 64.2 percent from the field (61-95) and averaging a team-high 7.4 rebounds. His field goal percentage leads the Big Ten, and he ranks fifth in the league in rebounding. He grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Oakland on Nov. 24 - which ties the highest total by an Illini player this season. Augustine recorded his first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds vs. Northwestern State on Dec. 30.

Augustine is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week after notching the 12th double-double of his career in the Big Ten opener vs. Ohio State with a career-high tying 21 points and 10 boards, and adding eight points and a game-high nine boards at Purdue. On the week, Augustine averaged 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds while shooting 71.4 percent from the field (10-14).

Augustine is fifth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.9 points and leads the Illini with 23 blocked shots (6th in Big Ten).

That's a Three ...Rich McBride
Sophomore Rich McBride has been another offensive weapon on the perimeter for the Illini. He is the first guard off the bench and is averaging 16.1 minutes per game. Known for his smooth stroke from 3-point land, McBride is fourth on the team with 18 treys and is shooting 40.9 percent from behind the arc.