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Illinois Game Notes vs. Iowa
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No. 1 Illinois plays at Iowa Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.
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Feb. 18, 2005
Illinois Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. Iowa in PDF Format
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FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL
Game #27: #1 Illinois (26-0, 12-0) at Iowa (16-8, 4-7)
Feb. 19, 2005 •11:05 a.m. CT •ESPN / ESPN+ Regional
Iowa City, Iowa •Carver Hawkeye Arena (15,500)
Probable Starters
#1 ILLINOIS (26-0, 12-0)
F - 43 Roger Powell, Jr. (Sr., 6-6, 235, 12.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg)
F - 40 James Augustine (Jr., 6-10, 230, 10.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
G - 4 Luther Head (Sr., 6-3, 185, 16.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg)
G - 5 Deron Williams (Jr., 6-3, 210, 12.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.8 apg)
G - 11 Dee Brown (Jr., 6-0, 185, 13.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 4.6 apg)
Off The Bench ...
G - 15 Calvin Brock (Fr., 6-4, 185, plans to redshirt)
G - 33 Rich McBride (So., 6-3, 215, 3.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
F - 34 Fred Nkemdi (Sr., 6-5, 235, 0.6 ppg, 0.3 rpg)
F - 41 Warren Carter (So., 6-9, 210, 2.9 ppg, 1.6 rpg)
C - 45 Nick Smith (Sr.-r, 7-2, 250, 3.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg)
C/F - 50 Jack Ingram (Sr.-r, 6-10, 245, 3.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
F - 55 Shaun Pruitt (Fr., 6-8, 245, 1.5 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: 155-61/.718 (7th year)
At Illinois: 52-7/.881 (2nd year)
Big Ten: 25-3/.893
Vs. Iowa: 3-0
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)
Iowa Head Coach: Steve Alford
Overall Record: 261-156 (14th year)
At Iowa: 105-79 (6th year)
Vs. Illinois: 2-7
Assistant Coaches: Craig Neal, Greg Lansing and Brian Jones
On the Air
Television
ESPN - National: Dave Barnett, play-by-play; Stephen Bardo, expert analyst.
ESPN+ Regional: Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Greg Kelser, expert analys
Radio
Illini Sports Network - 47 stations: Brian Barnhart, play-by-play; Loren Tate, expert analyst & pregame/halftime/ postgame interviews.
Westwood One - National: Dave Sims, play-by-play; Dick Tarrant expert analyst.
Series Notes: Iowa
Illinois owns a 71-64 lead in the all-time series over Iowa, but the Hawkeyes own a 50-16 lead in games played at Iowa City. The Illini have won five of the last six meetings and seven of the last nine, including a 73-68 overtime victory over Iowa Jan. 20 at Champaign. The last Iowa victory was a 68-61 win at Carver Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 15, 2003.
Undefeated Illini
Illinois is the only remaining NCAA Div. I team in the country to boast a perfect record, and with 26 victories has the most wins in the nation.
Illini Own Pair of Nation's Longest Winning Streaks
Illinois sits atop the NCAA Div. I charts with two winning streaks. The Illini's 26-game winning streak is the longest winning streak in the nation, and Illinois' 13-game road winning streak is the longest road winning streak in the nation. Illinois won its last six road games last year and has won its first seven road games this season.
Illini in the Midst of Record-Setting Season
Illinois' current record of 26-0 has set a school record for the best start to a season in the 100-year history of Fighting Illini basketball. The 26 straight wins also ranks as the longest winning streak in school history, breaking the previous mark of 25 consecutive wins that spanned parts of three seasons from Feb. 21, 1914, through Feb. 9, 1916
Illinois' 26-0 mark also ranks as the fourth best start ever by a Big Ten team, and is the best start by a Big Ten team in 29 years, since Indiana went a perfect 32-0 during the 1975-76 season. The following is a list of the all-time best starts by Big Ten teams.
School Start Year
1. Indiana 32-0 * 1975-76
2. Indiana 31-0 1974-75
3. Ohio State 27-0 1960-61
4. Illinois 26-0 2004-05
5. Ohio State 22-0 1961-62
6. Iowa 18-0 1986-87
T7. Ohio State 17-0 1990-91
T7. Illinois 17-0 1988-89
* Indiana went undefeated during the 1975-76 season.
Big Ten Streakin'
Illinois has won a school-record 22 straight Big Ten games - its final 10 conference games last season and the first 12 this season. Illinois' 22-game Big Ten winning streak broke the school's previous best mark of 17-straight Big Ten wins from Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916. The following are the Illini's all-time best Big Ten winning streaks:
•22 - Feb. 3, 2004 - CURRENT •17 - Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916 •15 - Jan. 20, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952 •14 - March 7, 1942 through Jan. 3, 1944 •13 - Feb. 26, 1955 through Feb. 20, 1956 •13 - Feb. 23, 1924 through Feb. 21, 1925Illinois has also set a school record with its current streak of 12 straight Big Ten road victories - its final six conference away games last season and its first six this season. This broke the previous school-record streak of eight straight Big Ten road wins, which happened twice. The Illini won eight straight conference road games from Feb. 21, 1914 through Feb. 9, 1916 and again from Feb. 5, 1951 through Feb. 2, 1952.
Hot Big Ten Start
At 12-0 in conference play, Illinois has tied its best-ever Big Ten start. Illinois has twice before gone 12-0 in league play, with a pair of undefeated conference runs in 1915 and 1943. This is also the best conference start by a Big Ten team since Indiana began league play at 13-0 in 1993. The following are the Illini's all-time best Big Ten starts:
Start Year T1. 12-0 2004-05 T1. 12-0 * 1942-43 T1. 12-0 * 1914-15 4. 10-0 1955-56 T5. 7-0 1941-42 T5. 7-0 1924-25 T7. 6-0 1962-63 T7. 6-0 1951-52 T9. 5-0 1969-70 T9. 5-0 1919-20 *Illinois went unbeaten in Big Ten play during the 1942-43 and 1914-15 seasons.
Illini Reach 25-Win Marker for Fifth Straight Season
Illinois' victory over Wisconsin on Saturday was its 25th of the season, marking the fifth straight year that the Illini have recorded at least 25 wins. Illinois is the only team in the nation to accomplish this feat in each of the last five seasons (beginning in 2000-01). Duke has won at least 25 games each of the past four years and has 18 wins this season.
With a combined record of 130-31 (.807) over the last five years, this marks Illinois' winningest five-year stretch in school history.
Big Ten Road Warriors
It took a total of just 13 conference road games in just his second season for Bruce Weber's Illini to win at every Big Ten arena. Illinois won at Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Purdue last season and completed the conference run with wins at Northwestern, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan this season.
Weber is just one of three current coaches in the Big Ten to win at every opposing arena - joining Michigan State's Tom Izzo and Purdue's Gene Keady. Weber has accomplished the feat the fastest. Below is a breakdown of how long it took the three to win at every arena.
Coach School Games Games 1. Bruce Weber ILL 13 2nd 2. Tom Izzo MSU 33 4th 3. Gene Keady PUR 36 4th
Illini Sweep Big Ten "Single" Games For Second Straight Year
For the second straight year, the Illini are the only Big Ten team to defeat all four conference opponents it played just once. This marks the fourth time in eight seasons (since inception of the Big Ten Tournament) that the Illini have swept the four "single" games. The previous times came in 1998 and 2001 when the Illini won shares of the Big Ten title and last year when the Illini won the outright Big Ten championship.
Illini Remain No. 1
For just the third year in school history - and for the 11th 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' 11 straight weeks at No. 1 is the longest streak by any team in eight years, since Kansas owned the top spot for the final 15 weeks of the 1996-97 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.
Illini Nation's Third-Winningest Team over Past Five Seasons
Illinois ranks as the third-winningest team in the nation over the past five seasons, in terms of total wins, and ranks fourth in winning percentage. Illinois has reeled off 130 victories since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, which trails only Duke and Kansas. Below is a list of the six winninest teams (by total wins) over the past five years (list provided by Stats, Inc.):
School Wins Record Pct. 1. Duke 141 141-25 .849 2. Kansas 133 133-30 .816 3. ILLINOIS 130 130-31 .807 4. Gonzaga 127 127-27 .825 5. Pittsburgh 125 125-34 .786 6. Kentucky 124 124-32 .795
Williams Racks Up Assists at Record Pace
Deron Williams is on pace this season to shatter various school, as well as Big Ten, assists records. He has 178 assists, which is on pace to break the Illinois school record for assists in a season (200 by Bruce Douglas in 1985). His average of 6.8 assists per game (12th in the NCAA as of Feb. 14) is on pace to break the Illinois record for assists average in a season (6.4 apg by Tony Wysinger in 1987). In Big Ten games only, Williams is averaging 7.3 assists per game. That is on pace to challenge the Big Ten record for assists average in conference games (7.8 apg by Michigan State's Eric Snow in 1995).
In just his junior campaign, Williams already ranks second all-time at Illinois with 508 career assists.
3-Point Attack
With the outstanding play of the Illini guards this year, it's no surprise that Illinois is enjoying one of its best seasons ever from behind the arc. The Illini lead the Big Ten and rank 13th in the NCAA (as of Feb. 14) with 8.9 three-pointers per game. The Illini have made 10 or more threes in 10 games this season (12 vs. Delaware State, 12 vs. Oakland, 14 vs. Gonzaga, 11 vs. Wake Forest, 10 vs. Longwood, 11 at Purdue, 15 vs. Penn State, 10 vs. Minnesota, 13 at Michigan State and 12 at Penn State), highlighted by a school-record 15 treys vs. Penn State on Jan. 15. Illinois' average of 8.9 three-pointers per game is on pace to break the school record, with the current record of 7.5 per game set during the 1995-96 season.
The Illini have been accurate as well as prolific from behind the arc, leading the Big Ten and ranking 14th in the nation (as of Feb. 14) with a 3-point field goal percentage of 40.1 percent.
Luther Head leads the way with a Big Ten-leading 2.9 treys per game on 42.9 percent accuracy from 3-point range (5th in Big Ten). Dee Brown is next with 2.5 threes per game (3rd in Big Ten) and is tied for first in the conference with a 3-point field goal percentage of 45.5 percent. Deron Williams is averaging 1.7 threes per contest. Illinois' three starting guards have accounted for 80.9 percent of Illinois' 3-pointers this season (186-of-230).
Last Time Out: at Penn State
Illinois led the entire way in securing its school-record 26th straight victory with an 83-63 win at Penn State on Wednesday. The Illini erupted for 52 first-half points on 67 percent shooting. Illinois led by as many as 30 points with under eight minutes left before turning to its bench the rest of the way. Roger Powell tied his season high with 21 points as he made all 10 shots that he attempted on the evening. Dee Brown recorded his second career double-double with 19 points and 11 assists, and Luther Head added 16 points. Illinois tied its season high with 27 assists, as Deron Williams added nine and Head totaled five.
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 three of Illinois' top four scorers as well as the top three assists and steals leaders. The trio has accounted for 53.6 percent of Illinois' scoring and 80.9 percent of its 3-pointers. They have also totaled 80.8 percent of Illinois' assists and 59.7 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 2.40. Below is a statistical look at Illinois' starting backcourt.
PPG APG RPG ST 3FG Head 16.8 3.8 3.8 49 76 Brown 13.4 4.8 2.7 51 65 Williams 12.3 6.8 3.7 23 45 Total 42.5 15.4 10.2 123 186
Sharing the Wealth
One reason why Illinois ranks 12th in the nation in field goal percentage (as of Feb. 14) at 49.67percent 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 500 assists on its 757 baskets, an impressive 66.1 percent assist-to-made field goals percentage. Illinois ranks third in the nation in assists (as of Feb. 14), averaging 19.2 apg, and has recorded at least 20 assists in 14 games on the year. The Illini recorded a season-high 27 assists vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 1 and matched that total with 27 assists at Penn State on Feb. 16.
*For complete set of Illinois men's basketball game notes, click on the .pdf link at the top of this page.
