Illini Doin' The Title Wave
Brown, Illini dazzling; clinch share of Big Ten
ILLINOIS 84, NORTHWESTERN 48
By Marlen Garcia Tribune staff reporter Published February 24, 2005
CHAMPAIGN -- Even Dee Brown was impressed. No. 1 Illinois raised its dazzling passing, shooting and trademark unselfish play to astronomical levels Wednesday in its 84-48 thrashing of Northwestern, and Brown couldn't help but find superlatives to describe it. "That was the best ball movement I ever saw in my life," Brown said of a first-half offensive sequence that he finished with a blistering three-pointer in front of 16,618 awed fans at the Assembly Hall. Brown and his teammates routinely have downplayed Illinois' unprecedented exploits, and they stayed true to their calling by shunning a celebration of the team's second straight Big Ten championship and 17th in 100 seasons of Illini basketball. The victory guaranteed Illinois (28-0, 14-0 in Big Ten), the only undefeated team in the country, a tie for the title, but the Illini don't want to share it. They can claim sole possession of the championship for the second consecutive season if they beat Purdue on March 3 at the Assembly Hall or if Michigan State loses against Wisconsin on Thursday. The Spartans are in second place in the conference at 10-2. "We want to celebrate on Senior Night," Brown said of the Purdue game, the home finale for seniors Luther Head, Jack Ingram, Fred Nkemdi, Roger Powell and Nick Smith. Brown scored a game-high 20 points, 17 of which came in the first half. He hit 6 of 8 three-pointers and Illinois connected on 60.9 percent of its threes. "Will they have a cold shooting day?" Northwestern coach Bill Carmody asked. "Everything that has been thrown at this team they've handled." Illinois sapped Northwestern (13-13, 5-8) of any hope when Powell sank the first shot of the game. Powell and Brown combined to score 22 of Illinois' first 28 points. Midway through the first half, Brown had 14 points. "He was pulling up and swishing them," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "I just sit down and clap. " Illinois led 45-22 at the half and went up by 41 points on reserve Warren Carter's dunk with 7 minutes 27 seconds left in the game. Weber had been disappointed with Illinois' recent play at home, noting letdowns against Indiana and Wisconsin earlier this month. "We said, hey, let's take some pride in playing at home," Weber said. The coach was taken aback by the Illini's precision, as was Carmody. Illinois was "more fluid," Carmody said in comparing this game with the teams' meeting in January. The Illini were "certainly more confident, not that they weren't before. Somewhere along the line you expect that shooting to diminish." As they have all season, the players remained carefree after the game. Brown and Head took jabs at Powell, who recorded two assists. Teammates had been teasing Powell because he did not have any assists in Big Ten play. "I have to see that in print," Head said."My goal is to get more assists than Dee, Deron [Williams] and Luther in one game," Powell quipped. Weber finally addressed going undefeated in the regular season with his team, a subject he had been avoiding. "We win two more games, we go undefeated in the regular season, which only one other team has done in the Big Ten. Another outright title, first back-to-back titles [for Illinois] since 1951-52," he said. "There are a lot of things on the line. The biggest goal is the national championship." That's no joke to them. Been there, done that.
Watched the game last night. This year I've watched more college basketball than ever.
You should see all the orange at Assembly Hall. When I was in college I was an usher there.
ILLINOIS 84, NORTHWESTERN 48
By Marlen Garcia Tribune staff reporter Published February 24, 2005
CHAMPAIGN -- Even Dee Brown was impressed. No. 1 Illinois raised its dazzling passing, shooting and trademark unselfish play to astronomical levels Wednesday in its 84-48 thrashing of Northwestern, and Brown couldn't help but find superlatives to describe it. "That was the best ball movement I ever saw in my life," Brown said of a first-half offensive sequence that he finished with a blistering three-pointer in front of 16,618 awed fans at the Assembly Hall. Brown and his teammates routinely have downplayed Illinois' unprecedented exploits, and they stayed true to their calling by shunning a celebration of the team's second straight Big Ten championship and 17th in 100 seasons of Illini basketball. The victory guaranteed Illinois (28-0, 14-0 in Big Ten), the only undefeated team in the country, a tie for the title, but the Illini don't want to share it. They can claim sole possession of the championship for the second consecutive season if they beat Purdue on March 3 at the Assembly Hall or if Michigan State loses against Wisconsin on Thursday. The Spartans are in second place in the conference at 10-2. "We want to celebrate on Senior Night," Brown said of the Purdue game, the home finale for seniors Luther Head, Jack Ingram, Fred Nkemdi, Roger Powell and Nick Smith. Brown scored a game-high 20 points, 17 of which came in the first half. He hit 6 of 8 three-pointers and Illinois connected on 60.9 percent of its threes. "Will they have a cold shooting day?" Northwestern coach Bill Carmody asked. "Everything that has been thrown at this team they've handled." Illinois sapped Northwestern (13-13, 5-8) of any hope when Powell sank the first shot of the game. Powell and Brown combined to score 22 of Illinois' first 28 points. Midway through the first half, Brown had 14 points. "He was pulling up and swishing them," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "I just sit down and clap. " Illinois led 45-22 at the half and went up by 41 points on reserve Warren Carter's dunk with 7 minutes 27 seconds left in the game. Weber had been disappointed with Illinois' recent play at home, noting letdowns against Indiana and Wisconsin earlier this month. "We said, hey, let's take some pride in playing at home," Weber said. The coach was taken aback by the Illini's precision, as was Carmody. Illinois was "more fluid," Carmody said in comparing this game with the teams' meeting in January. The Illini were "certainly more confident, not that they weren't before. Somewhere along the line you expect that shooting to diminish." As they have all season, the players remained carefree after the game. Brown and Head took jabs at Powell, who recorded two assists. Teammates had been teasing Powell because he did not have any assists in Big Ten play. "I have to see that in print," Head said."My goal is to get more assists than Dee, Deron [Williams] and Luther in one game," Powell quipped. Weber finally addressed going undefeated in the regular season with his team, a subject he had been avoiding. "We win two more games, we go undefeated in the regular season, which only one other team has done in the Big Ten. Another outright title, first back-to-back titles [for Illinois] since 1951-52," he said. "There are a lot of things on the line. The biggest goal is the national championship." That's no joke to them. Been there, done that.
Watched the game last night. This year I've watched more college basketball than ever.
You should see all the orange at Assembly Hall. When I was in college I was an usher there.
posted by MaximumBob | 10:00 AM
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