FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL

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1 Schedule/Results 11-6 Athletes in Action (Exh.) W NBC Thunder (Exh.) W Maine W Maui Invitational UNLV W #6 Maryland W #1 Arizona L Texas Southern W #1 Duke (Greensboro, N.C.) L at Kansas State W Wisconsin-Milwaukee W #7 Seton Hall W (OT) #7 Arizona (Chicago) W Missouri (St. Louis) W (OT) at Texas L Illinois-Chicago (Rosemont) W Minnesota W Ohio State W at Iowa L Michigan W at Northwestern 7 p.m. (ESPN+) 1-20 Penn State 2 p.m. (ESPN+R) 1-25 at Michigan 6 p.m. (ESPN) 1-31 at Penn State 7 p.m. (ESPN+) 2-3 Northwestern 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+R) 2-6 Michigan State 6 p.m. (ESPN) 2-10 at Purdue 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+) 2-13 Wisconsin 8 p.m. (ESPN) 2-17 at Indiana 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+R) 2-22 at Ohio State 6 p.m. (ESPN) 2-24 Iowa 4 p.m. (ESPN+R) 3-3 at Minnesota 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+R) Big Ten Tournament (Chicago) ALL TIMES CENTRAL ESPN+ (Local market) ESPN+R (Regional syndication) On the Air Television ESPN Plus Local Wayne Larrivee, play-by-play; Shon Morris, expert analyst. Radio Illini Sports Radio Network stations Jim Turpin, play-by-play; Steve Bardo, expert analyst; Loren Tate, pregame/halftime analyst. FIGHTING ILLINI BASKETBALL #11 (AP)/10 Illinois (13-4, 3-1) vs. Northwestern (7-9, 0-4) Wednesday, Jan. 17, :07 p.m. CT (ESPN Plus Local) Evanston, Ill. Welsh-Ryan Arena (8,117) Probable Starters #11/10 ILLINOIS (13-4, 3-1 Big Ten) F F C G G 40 Sergio McClain (Sr., 6-4, 230, 8.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.8 apg) 34 Brian Cook (So., 6-10, 240, 10.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg) 52 Marcus Griffin (Sr., 6-9, 235, 14.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg) 13 Cory Bradford (Jr., 6-3, 200, 10.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) 30 Frank Williams (So., 6-3, 205, 15.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.3 apg) Off The Bench... G 00 Brett Melton (Fr., 6-5, 195, 1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg) G 5 Nate Mast (Sr., 5-11, 170, 0.9 ppg, 0.8 rpg) G 12 Joe Cross (Sr., 6-2, 200, 0.8 ppg, 0.9 rpg) C 21 Robert Archibald (Jr., 6-11, 250, 6.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg) F 22 Lucas Johnson (Jr., 6-8, 230, 4.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) G 24 Sean Harrington (So., 6-3, 185, 5.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg) G 25 Jerrance Howard (Fr., 6-1, 190, 0.4 ppg, 0.4 rpg) F 33 Damir Krupalija (Jr., 6-9, 230, 3.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg) C 45 Nick Smith (Fr., 7-2, 245, Redshirting) Series History Illinois leads the all-time series by a margin, including a advantage in games played at Evanston. Since 1980, Illinois has won 37 of 41 games with the Wildcats, including 10 of the last 11. Northwestern last beat the Illini, 59-46, Jan. 9, 1999, at Champaign. Illinois has won five in a row at Welsh-Ryan Arena since Feb. 12, 1994 (79-68 NU victory). The Head Coaches Illinois Head Coach Bill Self Overall Record: (8th year) At Illinois: 13-4 (1st year) Self vs. Northwestern all-time: First Meeting Assistants: Rob Judson (5th year), Norm Roberts (1st year), Billy Gillispie (1st year). Trainer: Rod Cardinal (28th year). Northwestern Head Coach Bill Carmody Overall Record: (5th year) At Northwestern: 7-9 (1st year) Carmody vs. Illinois all-time: First Meeting Media Information What s Coming Up Illinois Basketball Media Teleconferences with Bill Self: Tuesday, Jan. 16, Noon - Media Luncheon/ Teleconference Thursday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. - Teleconference Monday, Jan. 22, 9 a.m. - Big Ten Teleconference Tuesday, Jan. 23, Noon - Media Luncheon/ Teleconference Men s Basketball Contacts: Kent Brown & Derrick Burson UI Sports Information: 217/

2 Illini Head Coach Bill Self Bill Self is in his first season at the helm of the Illini program following three years at Tulsa where he earned National Coach of the Year honors from the John &Nellie Wooden Foundation and The Sporting News in He led Tulsa to a 32-5 record and into a Regional Final appearance last season. Prior to his stop at Tulsa, Self spent four years at Oral Roberts where he built a program from 6-21 his first season to 22-6 in his fourth year. A 1985 graduate of Oklahoma State, Self has worked under Larry Brown at Kansas and Leonard Hamilton and Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State. Self Career Record Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Illinois, present Total (.630) Final Shots Triple-Double Update: After reviewing Illinois basketball box scores, Mark Smith was found to have the first recorded Illini triple-double when he scored 18 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and handed out 10 assists in a win over Minnesota on Feb. 1, Sergio McClain s performance against Michigan is the second triple-double in Illini basketball history. Illinois assistant coach Rob Judson played in the first tripledouble game in 1979 and celebrated his 42nd birthday on the second. Rejection Notice:After blocking a total of 37 shots (3.1 avg.) over the first 12 games of the season, the Fighting Illini have totaled 38 (7.6 avg.) in the last five games. Illinois season average of 4.4 blocks is the team s highest since 1987 when the Illini averaged 4.7 blocks per game. High-Scoring: Illinois is averaging 79.4 points per game, the highest Illini scoring average since 1994 when Illinois averaged 84.0 points per game. Self Defense: After 17 games, opponents are shooting just 38.0 percent from the field. That is the lowest opponent shooting percentage since the season when Illini opponents shot 35.2 percent from the field. Board Work: Illinois average of 41.6 rebounds per game is the team s highest average since 1978 when the Illini averaged 42.0 rebounds per game. Game Time Change - Penn State Game time for the Jan. 20 Illinois home game against PennState has been changed to 2 p.m. The Presidential Inauguration scheduled for 11 a.m. that day has caused numerous scheduling conflicts for the ESPN Plus network affiliates planning to carry the regional syndication doubleheader that day. To accomodate the network affiliates, games times were shifted 30 minutes. Last Time Out : vs. Michigan Illinois posted its biggest victory over the Wolverines since 1960 with an blow-out at the Assembly Hall. With leading scorer Frank Williams sitting out due to injury, senior Sergio McClain stole the show with the first triple-double by an Illini in 21 years when he scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out 11 assists. Brian Cook led the Illini with 17 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Damir Krupalija scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. Williams Comes Up Big In Crunch Time Frank Williams has made a habit of picking up his level of play in crunch time. So far this season, he is averaging 5.1 points in the first half of games and 10.2 points in the second half (including overtime). His shooting percentage has also improved in the second half from 36 percent to 43 percent. He has scored in double figures eight times in the second half alone, while reaching double figures in the first half just once. His top efforts have come against some of Illinois toughest opponents. In the second half he has scored 14 against UNLV, 16 vs. Maryland, 18 vs. Arizona, 13 vs. Duke, 17 vs. Seton Hall, 12 vs. Missouri, 16 against Minnesota and 16 against Ohio State. Here is the breakdown by half of Williams shooting and scoring this season. 1st Half 2nd Half Points 81 (5.1 avg.) 163 (10.2) FG% (.364) (.434) National Exposure So far this season, Illinois has played nine games on national television. The Illini have played five times on ESPN, three times on espn2, and once on CBS. Illinois next nationally televised game will be Jan. 25 at Michigan on ESPN. Big Crowds Illinois Basketball Notes... page 2 Illini Honors Cory Bradford Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year (Coaches & Media). One of 30 Wooden Award Finalists. Brian Cook Big Ten Player of the Week, Dec Marcus Griffin Maui Invitational All-Tournament Frank Williams Maui Invitational All-Tournament Big Ten Player of the Week, Nov One of 30 Wooden Award Finalists. The latest NCAA numbers show that two of Illinois games this season are ranked among the Top 5 most-attended games of the season. The Illinois-Missouri Border War at St. Louis (22,089) ranks third and the Illinois-Arizona game at the United Center in Chicago (21,885) ranks fifth. The Syracuse-Tennessee game on Dec. 22 at the Carrier Dome ranks first with 23,164 fans. High Theft Area After making 142 steals through 17 games, Illinois stands second in the Big Ten in steals with an average of 8.35 per game. Frank Williams, who leads the Illini with 35 (2.19 avg.) steals, ranks second in the conference individually behind Penn State s Titus Ivory (2.54), while Sergio McClain ranks seventh (1.47 avg.). In Big Ten games, McClain leads the league with an average of 2.5 steals per game, while the Illini remain second as a team behind Penn State. Crashing the Boards This season the Illini are rebounding the basketball with authority. Illinois has outrebounded 13 of its 17 opponents (Kansas State won the rebounding battle by just one, 37-36; UIC tied with 37 each; Ohio State won by margin; and, Iowa won by margin), highlighted by a advantage against No. 1 Duke, and a edge vs. Maryland in the Maui Invitational. On the year, Illinois is averaging 41.6 rebounds per game, compared to 36.8 for the competition. Marcus Griffin (6.9), Sergio McClain (6.0) and Brian Cook (6.0) lead the Illini in rebounding. At the offensive end, Illinois is averaging 14.5

3 offensive boards per game, led by Griffin s total of 54. Bradford Nets NCAA Three-Point Record Illinois junior guard Cory Bradford became sole owner of the NCAA record for consecutive games (now 81 straight) with a three-pointer with his first trey against Arizona Dec. 16. The previous record of 73 games was set by Wally Lancaster of Virginia Tech from Bradford tied the record with two treys in overtime of the victory over Seton Hall Dec. 9. Bradford has made a three-pointer in every game of his collegiate career and enters the Northwestern game with a streak of 81 consecutive games with a three-pointer and starts for the Illini. In Big Ten play, Bradford has seen his field-goal percentage rise from 32.5 percent in non-conference play to 55.2 percent in Big Ten games, including 57.1 percent from three-point range. In four conference games, Bradford is from the field and 8-14 from three-point range while averaging 11.3 points per game. Top 10 Streak Alive Record This Year & Under Bill Self When Illinois... Plays at home 7-0 Plays on the road 1-2 Plays at neutral site 5-2 Big Ten record 3-1 Plays a ranked opponent 3-2 Plays a Top 10 opponent 3-2 Wins the game before 8-4 Loses the game before 4-0 Leading at the half 10-1 Trailing at the half 2-3 Tied at the half 1-0 Shoots 45% or better 8-1 Shoots less than 45% 5-3 Opp. shoots 45% or less 13-3 Shoots better than opp Shoots worse than opp. 1-3 Shoots more FT than opp Shoots less FT than opp. 2-4 Shoots same number of FT 1-0 Makes more FT than opp. 8-1 Makes less FT than opp. 4-3 Makes same number of FT 1-0 Scores 70 or more points 13-2 Leads in rebounding 10-3 Trails in rebounding 2-1 When rebounding is tied 1-0 Scores more bench points 9-3 Scores less bench points 4-1 Has less TOs than opp Has equal or more TOs than opp. 2-1 Has 15+ assists 10-1 Wears white uniforms 11-0 Wears blue uniforms 2-3 Wears orange uniforms 0-1 Plays in tournaments 2-1 In November 4-2 In December 6-1 In January 3-1 In February 0-0 In March 0-0 Plays during the day 5-1 Plays at night 8-3 Margin is 5 points or less 2-2 Margin is between Margin is between Margin is more than Has a 20+ point scorer 8-2 Scores 59 points or less 0-0 Scores points 0-2 Scores points 3-2 Scores points 9-0 Scores 90+ points 1-0 Scores 100+ points 0-0 Overtime 2-0 Illinois has been ranked in the ESPN/USAToday Coaches Top 10 for 12 consecutive polls, the longest stretch of Top 10 action since a string of 28 straight polls in the Top 10 in the 1989 and 1990 seasons. D is Key for the Illini In 17 games so far, Illinois has allowed just one opponent (Iowa,.458) to shoot better than 45 percent from the field (including games vs. five Top 10 opponents) and leads the Big Ten in field-goal percentage defense (.380). On Dec. 6, Wisconsin-Milwaukee shot 21.7 percent from the field (13-60) to set an all-time Assembly Hall record for lowest field-goal percentage. The Illini also held Michigan to just 13 field goals to tie the Assembly Hall record for fewest field goals while holding the Wolverines to just.277 (13-47) shooting from the field. In Big Ten play, the Illini have been even better in holding opponents to just.376 field goal shooting to again lead the conference. Top 10 Matchups Illinois game Dec. 16 against No. 7 Arizona was the Illini s fifth game between Week-by-Week Rankings AP ESPN/USA Today Preseason 8 9 Nov Nov Nov Dec Dec Dec Dec Jan Jan Jan National Polls (1/8) (1/15) AP ESPN/USA Today 1. Stanford 1. Stanford 2. Duke 2. Duke 3. Michigan State 3. Michigan State 4. Tennessee 4. Tennessee 5. Kansas 5. Kansas 6. North Carolina 6. North Carolina 7. Florida 7. Florida 8. Syracuse 8. Wake Forest 9. Georgetown 9. Syracuse 10. Wake Forest 10.ILLINOIS 11. ILLINOIS 11.Georgetown 12. Maryland 12.Alabama 13. Virginia 13.Virginia 14. Iowa 14.Maryland 15. Connecticut 15.Connecticut Alabama 16.Iowa 17. Arizona 17.Arizona 18. Seton Hall 18.Wisconsin 19. Wisconsin 19.Seton Hall 20. Missouri 20.USC 21. Mississippi 21.Oklahoma 22. Oklahoma 22. Mississippi 23. USC 23. Iowa State 24. Iowa State 24.Texas 25. Boston College 25.Boston College Illinois opponents in bold. UI vs. Ranked Opponents Under Bill Self, the Illini have played five games against opponents ranked by the Associated Press, winning three times. Following is a complete list of the Illini vs. ranked opponents under Bill Self: 11/21/00 #6 Maryland W, /22/00 #1 Arizona L, /28/00 #1 Duke L, /9/00 #7 Seton Hall W, (OT) 12/16/00 #7 Arizona W, two Top 10 programs already this season. Five of Illinois 13 non-conference opponents were ranked at least seventh or higher with two No. 1s on the schedule. Michigan State, currently ranked No. 3 in both major Illinois Basketball Notes... page 3

4 polls after being No. 1 for several weeks, plays at Illinois on Feb. 6. Facing Two #1 s in a Week There s a reason why many people point to Illinois schedule as the toughest in the nation. The Illini have already played five teams ranked in the Top 10, including a pair of No. 1s. This marks the first time ever that the Illini have played two different No. 1 teams in the same season, and even more impressive, those games came less than a week apart. Illinois fell to then-no. 1 Arizona, 79-76, in the championship of the Maui Invitational on Nov. 22. Just six days later, the Illini faced No. 1 Duke in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, falling by just one point Griffin Strong in the Post Senior center Marcus Griffin has turned in quite a performance so far with his dominating inside play. He scored a career-high 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the victory over Minnesota Jan. 3. He scored 21 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked five shots Dec. 29 against Illinois-Chicago. He posted perhaps his best game at Illinois with 24 points and career-high 13 rebounds in the overtime victory over Seton Hall Dec. 9, and he posted a double-double against Missouri with 10 points and 11 boards and had 11 points and five rebounds vs. Texas. Griffin had 16 points and eight rebounds in the win over Texas Southern and responded with another 16-point outing while coming just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards against No. 1 Duke. The doubledouble that eluded him against the Blue Devils happened on Dec. 2 at Kansas State, when Griffin scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the victory. He led Illinois Streakin Illini Current Streaks by the Illini All Games: 1 W At the Assembly Hall: 13 W On the Road: 2L Neutral Sites: 3 W vs. Ranked Opponents: 2W Big Ten Play: 1 W Big Ten Home Games: 9 W Big Ten Road Games: 2 L Since Opponent Scored 100 Pts: 228 games (12/22/93) Consecutive Games with 3-pt. FG: 110 games By the Numbers 1 Number of triple-doubles recorded by an Illini this year when Sergio McClain had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Michigan, Jan. 13, Number of Illini players originating from foreign countries. Robert Archibald was born in Scotland and Damir Krupalija moved to the United States from Bosnia. 4 There are four different states represented on the Illinois roster (Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and Florida). 7 Illinois current ranking in Associated Press Poll. 9 Number of double-doubles the Illini have recorded this season (Marcus Griffin (three), Brian Cook (twice), Sergio McClain (three) & Robert Archibald). 10 A total of 10 Illini players have made a three-pointer this year, led by Cory Bradford with 33 treys. 11 The number of players on the roster from the state of Illinois (Brian Cook, Joe Cross, Marcus Griffin, Sean Harrington, Jerrance Howard, Lucas Johnson, Damir Krupalija, Nate Mast, Brett Melton, Sergio McClain, Frank Williams). 13 Illinois has racked up 13 Big Ten Championships with the last one coming in Illinois has produced a 20-win season 19 times. 31 School record for wins, set by the 1989 team. 81 NCAA Record consecutive games in which Cory Bradford has hit a threepointer. Also, the number of career and consecutive starts by Bradford at Illinois Consecutive games Illinois has made a three-point field goal (since 11/28/97). 143 Number of career victories for Head Coach Bill Self. with 15 points in the victory over Arizona Dec. 16. Griffin is Illinois second-leading scorer at 14.4 points per game and is also leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 boards per game. Fifty-four of his 118 rebounds have been at the offensive end. Griffin sat out the second-half of the win over Michigan after suffering an injury while falling after being fouled. Frankly, He s Been Great Illinois sophomore guard Frank Williams has played at an All-America level so far this season. He earned All- Tournament team honors at Maui after scoring 22 points in a come-from-behind win over UNLV, 21 points against No. 6 Maryland, and a career-high 27 points Illinois Basketball Notes... page 4 Did you Know Sergio McClain, Frank Williams, Brian Cook. They all share a common bond, being named Mr. Basketball in the state of Illinois. McClain won the award in 1997, Williams in 1998 and Cook in Illinois is the first school to have three of the state s Mr. Basketball honorees on the roster at the same time.... Since 1980 Illinois has signed 11 McDonald s All-Americans and three are currently on the Illini roster. Marcus Griffin made the All-America team in 1997, Williams in 1998 and Cook in Illinois ranks 10th all-time in number of McDonald s All-American to attend the school.... Illinois has the 18th best all-time winning percentage (.642) among Division I schools, one spot ahead of Arizona.... Illinois has an all-time record of The 1392 wins rank 18th on the Division I list, one spot ahead of Louisville.... Illini Head Coach Bill Self helped Oklahoma State to a Big Eight Conference Tournament Championship.... Illini Assistant Coach Rob Judson was an Academic All-American in Eight Illini players have been firstround draft selections, including Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill from the 1989 Final Four team.... Illinois ranks third in the Big Ten behind Indiana and Michigan in total NCAA appearances.... Illinois is third in wins and winning percentage in Big Ten games behind Indiana and Purdue.... The Orange Krush student group is more than just a Fighting Illini cheering section. The students raised over $50,000 last year which went to the University of Illinois general scholarship fund, the Fighting Illini Scholarship Fund and a variety of charities. against then-top-ranked Arizona in the title game. Against then-top-ranked Duke, he led the Illini with a team-high 19 points. Dec. 2 at Kansas State, Williams took just three shots but contributed in other ways, with a season-high eight assists and three steals. Williams scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out five assists in 43 minutes against Seton Hall on Dec. 9. In the Braggin Rights game vs. Missouri, Williams scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half and overtime in leading the

5 Illini to victory. Williams leads the team in scoring with an average of 15.3 points per game. He also leads the Illini in assists (68), steals (35), and free throws (70-83,.843). He has been Illinois leading scorer in six of 16 games on the year (UNLV, Maryland,Arizona, Duke, Ohio State and Iowa). Against Top 10 competition so far this season, Williams is averaging 22.0 points per game. McClain s Numbers Improving After averaging 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds as a junior, Sergio McClain s numbers are on the rise in this his final season. McClain currently ranks fifth on the team in scoring at 8.4 points per game, at 6-4 is the Illini s second-leading rebounder, pulling down 6.5 boards per game, and ranks second on the squad in assists (2.8 avg.) and steals (1.6 avg.). On Jan. 13 against Michigan, McClain recorded just the second triple-double in Illinois basketball history when he scored 10 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and handed out 11 assists in a victory over the Wolverines. McClain has tallied two other doubledoubles, with 11 points and 11 rebounds against Duke and 10 points and 10 boards vs. Maryland. He also added 10 rebounds and nine boards, against Seton Hall and Missouri, respectively. His defensive effort against Duke helped hold preseason All- American Shane Battier to 11 points and 5 rebounds. What s Cookin Illini sophomore Brian Cook has shown flashes of dominating ability this season. The 2000 Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year opened the season strong with doublefigure scoring in the first three games and a career-high 14 rebounds against UNLV. Foul trouble helped contribute to a scoreless game against Duke and just two points against K-State before erupting for 17 points on 6-8 field-goal shooting against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He followed with seven points against Seton Hall but was again saddled with foul trouble. In games against Missouri and Texas, Cook erupted for 23 first-half points on his way to a new career-high 25 points and 11 rebounds against thetigers, then had a team-high 18 points and six rebounds vs. the Longhorns two nights later to earn Big TenPlayer of the Week honors. Illinois Career Totals Career Double-Digit Scoring Games Cory Bradford Sergio McClain 9 33 Frank Williams Marcus Griffin Brian Cook 9 19 Lucas Johnson 1 12 Damir Krupalija 2 8 Robert Archibald 2 5 Sean Harrington Point Games Cory Bradford 0 16 Frank Williams 6 9 Marcus Griffin 4 5 Brian Cook 1 3 Sergio McClain Rebound Games Marcus Griffin 3 6 Damir Krupalija 0 6 Sergio McClain 4 5 Brian Cook 3 4 Robert Archibald 1 2 Frank Williams Steal Games Sergio McClain 0 5 Frank Williams 1 4 Lucas Johnson Point FG Games Cory Bradford 0 10 Sean Harrington 2 2 Triple-Doubles Sergio McClain 1 1 Double-Doubles Marcus Griffin 3 6 Sergio McClain 3 4 Brian Cook 2 3 Robert Archibald 1 1 Frank Williams 0 1 Starts Cory Bradford Sergio McClain Frank Williams Brian Cook Marcus Griffin Robert Archibald 0 28 Lucas Johnson 2 22 Damir Krupalija 0 12 Nate Mast 0 3 Sean Harrington 1 1 In the Big Ten opener against Minnesota, Cook scored just seven points, but grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a career-high six shots. He followed with 13 points in the victory over Ohio State. Cook led the Illini with 17 points in the victory Illinois Basketball Notes... page 5 Career Lists To Watch Career Three-Point Attempts Richard Keene, Cory Bradford, Kiwane Garris, Kevin Turner, Career Three-Point Field Goals Richard Keene, Cory Bradford, Kiwane Garris, Kevin Turner, Career Steals Bruce Douglas, Kendall Gill, Sergio McClain, Derek Harper, Career Consecutive Starts Richard Keene, Audie Matthews, Cory Bradford, Eddie Johnson, over Michigan on Jan. 13. At 6-10, his versatility is evident in that he is shooting 38 percent (14-37) from three-point range and 51 percent (63-124) overall from the field. He ranks third on the team in rebounding at 6.0 boards per game and leads the team with 26 blocked shots. In Big Ten games, Cook ranks third in the league in blocked shots with an average of 2.50 per game. Cook Big Ten Player of the Week After breakout games against Missouri and Texas in late December, Brian Cook was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday, Dec. 25. After missing his first shot against Missouri, Cook connected on his next 10 field goals. He had 23 points at the half and finished the game with a career high of 25, behind shooting and a pair of treys. Cook also pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Two nights later against Texas, Cook scored a team-high 18 points behind 6-7 shooting and was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line, along with six rebounds. In the two games combined on the week, Cook averaged 21.5 points and 8.5 rebounds. Harrington Solid Off The Bench

6 Illinois Team Season Highs Points (11/21/00 vs. Maryland) Rebounds (11/22/00 vs. Maryland) Assists (11/26/00 vs. Texas Southern) Steals (11/17/00 vs. Maine), (12/2/00 vs.kansas State) and (1/13/01 vs. Michigan) Blocks (12/29/00 vs. Illinois-Chicago) 10 (1/3/01 vs. Minnesota) Turnovers (11/28/00 vs. Duke) Low Turnovers -- 8 (1/13/01 vs. Michigan) Fouls (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) Field Goals (11/26/00 vs. Texas Southern) FG Attempts (12/9/00 vs. Seton Hall) FG Pct (27-49), (1/6/01 vs. Ohio State) 3-Pointers (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) 3-Point Att (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) 3-Point Pct (7-11), (11/28/00 vs. Duke) Free Throws (12/16/00 vs. Arizona) FT Attempts (12/21/00 vs. Seton Hall) FT Pct (20-24), (1/3/01 vs. Minnesota) Illinois Individual Season Highs Points -- 27, Frank Williams (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) 27, Marcus Griffin (1/3/01 vs. Minnesota) Rebounds -- 14, Brian Cook (11/20/00 vs. UNLV) Assists -- 11, Sergio McClain (1/13/01 vs. Michigan) Steals -- 5, Frank Williams (11/20/00 vs. UNLV) Blocks -- 6, Brian Cook (1/3/01 vs. Minnesota) Field Goals -- 11, Marcus Griffin(1/3/01 vs. Minnesota) FG Attempts -- 19, Frank Williams (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) FG Pct (6-6), Sean Harrington (11/26/00 vs. Tex Sthrn) 3-Pointers -- 5, Sean Harrington (11/22/00 vs. Arizona) 5, Sean Harrington (11/26/00 vs. Tex. Southern) 3-Point Att , Cory Bradford (12/9/00 vs. Seton Hall) 3-Point Pct (5-5),Sean Harrington (11/26/00 vs Tex Sth.) Free Throws -- 10, Robert Archibald (12/29/00 vs. UIC) FTAttempts -- 16, Marcus Griffin (12/2/00 vs. Kansas State) FT Pct (9-9), Frank Williams (11/28/00 vs. Duke) (7-7), Frank Williams (1/6/01 vs. OhioState) Despite a recent shooting slump, sophomore Sean Harringtonhas been solid coming off the bench this season. Against Arizona on Nov. 22, Harrington came off the bench to score 15 points after making 5-9 three pointers. He followed that performance by shooting a perfect 6-6, including 5-5 from three-point range, in a new careerhigh scoring day against Texas Southern with 17 points. Against Arizona at the United Center on Dec. 16, Harrington was a perfect 3-3 from three-point land. For the season, he is shooting.417 (25-60) from three-point range. He currently ranks 12th in the Big Ten. Harrington also had a school-record streak of nine consecutive made threes that originated at the 7:45 mark of the second half against Arizona and lasted until the 9:56 mark of the first half vs. K-State. He received the first start of his Illini career Jan. 13 against Michigan when Frank Williams had to sit out with an injury. He responded with a career-high four steals. The Senator Helping Out Down Low Robert Archibald has been a key player off the Illinois bench, patrolling the paint on offense and defense. While foul problems have limited him to just 13.9 minutes per game, they have been productive ones for the 6-11 junior as he is averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Archibald posted career highs with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Illinois-Chicago on Dec. 29. Archibald had nine points and eight rebounds against Maryland and 12 points on 6-6 shooting against Texas Southern. He scored six points and pulled down five rebounds in 10 minutes of action against Duke and on Dec. 2 he had nine points and five rebounds vs. K-State. Against Texas Archibald added seven points and four rebounds in 11 minutes. Illinois Basketball Notes... page 6 Illini Bench Key to Illini Wins Illinois has gotten strong play from the bench in virtually every game this season. On the season, Illinois is outscoring the opposing bench by an average of nearly seven points per game. (see page 15 of the notes). In the opener against UNLV, Brett Melton (5 points), Robert Archibald (5 points, 3 rebounds) and Lucas Johnson (3 points, 7 rebounds) all came off the bench to spark the Illini late in the first half. After falling behind 28-14, Illini tied the game at 36 going into halftime after sparkling play by the bench. In the win over Maryland, Archibald scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds in 18 minutes of play. And, in the championship game, Sean Harrington hit a career-high five three points enroute to 15 points and Damir Krupalija scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in his first extensive action of the season. Against Texas Southern, the Illinois bench outscored TSU with Harrington leading the way with 17 points. Archibald added 12 points as the two combined to make all 11 field-goal attempts. Against Duke, Illinois bench scored 18 points while the Blue Devils bench went scoreless for the game. The trend continued against Seton Hall with the Illini bench posting a 19-9 advantage. In the latest Big Ten victory over Michigan, the Illini bench outscored the Wolverines by a margin. Williams Big Ten Player of the Week After leading the Fighting Illini to a 3-1 record, with victories over Maine, UNLV, #6 Maryland and a near upset of #1 Arizona, point guard Frank Williams was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on Nov. 27, sharing the award with Penn State s Joe Crispin. His personal contributions to Illinois' strong start included an average of 20 points, five rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game. Williams tallied a careerhigh 22 points, along with six rebounds, six assists and five steals in the victory over UNLV in the opening round at Maui, and he set a new career high two days later with 27 points, including eight in the final minute, in the championship against Arizona. Illini Basketball is a Hot Ticket

7 More than 12,000 season tickets were sold for the men s basketball season. As of Jan. 12, of the remaining five Big Ten home games, only single tickets remain for the game against Wisconsin on Feb. 13. The remaining games are sold out. Bradford, Williams on Wooden List Illinois Cory Bradford and Frank Williams are among 30 players on the list of candidates for the 2001 Wooden Award All- American team. Bradford, the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, is on the list for the second consecutive season. Bradford earned Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year honors from both the media and Big Ten coaches. He also earned a place on the Preseason All-Big Ten First Team. Bradford led the Illini last year with 15.3 ppg and broke the school record for three pointers in a season with 96. He earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team. Williams has been outstanding in big games. He is averaging better than 20 points per game against ranked teams. Big Ten Media Pick Illini as Preseason Conference Favorites Illinois was picked to finish first in the Big Ten by a conference media poll and second by the Big Ten coaches vote. Both the league coaches and media chose Illinois junior guard Cory Bradford as the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. Illini Schedule Illinois played unquestionably the toughest non-conference schedule in school history in In November and December, the Illini took on five Top 10 teams in No. 6 Maryland, No. 1 Arizona, No. 1 Duke, No. 7 Seton Hall, and No. 7 Arizona. The Illini also faced two teams that have been receiving votes throughout the season in Missouri and Texas. In fact, the Longhorns jumped into the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll after defeating the Illini Dec. 23. Iowa was ranked No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll when the two teams met Jan. 11. The latest RPI Rankings (Jan. 14) had the Illinois scheduled No. 4 in the nation, while the Illini themselves were ranked sixth. Illinois Records Set or tied in Consecutive Three-point FGs Made: 9, Sean Harrington, 11/22/00-12/2/00. Consecutive Games with Three- Point Field Goal: 81, Cory Bradford, 11/10/98-present (NCAA Record). Lowest Opp. FGPct. at home:.217 (13-60), Wisconsin- Milwaukee, 12/6/00. Field Goals Allowed (Assembly Hall): 13, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 12/6/00; Michigan, 1/13/01 Biggest Come-from-Behind Win: 21 points (21-41) vs. Seton Hall, 12/9/00. Triple-Doubles: Sergio McClain (10p, 11r, 11a) vs. Michigan, 1/13/01; NOTE: First since Mark Smith (18p, 13r, 10a) vs. Minnesota, 2/1/79. Since 1990 Illinois began the season ranked No. 8 by the Associated Press and No. 9 by the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The last time Illinois was ranked in the Top 10 to begin the season was in November, 1989 when the Illini, who were led by Kendall Gill and Stephen Bardo, were also ranked eighth by the Associated Press. Illini Sign Two During Fall Period Illinois signed two future student-athletes to national letters of intent in November. Roger Powell(6-6, F, Joliet, Ill., Township High School) and Luther Head (6-3, G, Chicago Manley High School) both signed on Nov. 8, the first day of the fall signing period. Illinois has one available scholarship to offer in the spring. Illini Preseason Ranking Highest Illinois Basketball Notes... page 7

8 Game 1 #8 Illinois 86 Maine 57 Nov. 17, 2000 Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill. Practice? Who needs practice? After sitting out of drills for a week with a bruised elbow, Sergio McClain came off the bench to score 16 points and grab nine rebounds as No. 8 Illinois opened the season with an victory over Maine. McClain said he wanted to inaugurate new coach Bill Self with a victory at Assembly Hall, and make a good impression. He did both. The Illini gave Self his first win at Illinois with dominating play inside and feisty defense, trademarks of his successful teams at Tulsa. Illini center Marcus Griffin added 15 points as the Illini pounded the ball inside. The Black Bears shot 35 percent and committed 27 turnovers for the game. McClain scored six points during a 19-5 run that ended with the Illini ahead The Illini led at the half and did not change the plan. Short jumpers, layups and tip-ins helped the Illini outscore the Bears 16-6 to start the second half. Maine got 18 points and 10 points from Huggy Dye, whose performance came in a homecoming of sorts. Dye played high school basketball in nearby Danville. Julian Dunkley added 14 points for Maine. Self was happy with the defense and his starting backcourt of Cory Bradford and Frank Williams playing turnover-free ball. Bradford added 11 points and Brian Cook had 10 for Illinois. "I was pretty nervous," Self said. "But the first one you always remember." Maine FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Dunkley Ammons Greene Jackson Dye Waterman Cavalieri Tibbetts Riley Haynes Croom Brown White Team 0 Totals FG% 1st: 8-27/.296 2nd: 13-32/.406 Game:.356 3PT% 1st: 3-12/.250 2nd: 1-8/.125 Game:.200 FT% 1st: 10-13/.769 2nd: 1-6/.167 Game:.579 Johnson Cook Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Mast Cross Archibald Harrington Howard McClain Team 7 1 Totals FG% 1st: 15-28/.536 2nd: 16-39/.410 Game:.463 3PT% 1st: 4-7/.571 2nd: 4-13/.308 Game:.400 FT% 1st:12-17/.706 2nd: 4-9/.444 Game:.615 Maine Illinois A:13, Fighting Illini Season In Review Game 2 #8 Illinois 74 UNLV 69 Nov. 20, 2000 Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii Illinois' second game under coach Bill Self was one that might be really big as the season wears on. Frank Williams scored 22 points and the eighthranked Illini beat UNLV in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. The Illini advanced to Tuesday's semifinals to play No. 6 Maryland, which beat Louisville in the first round. Self didn't have a very good start in the second game at his new school. UNLV (1-1) had a lead in the first half by making five of its first seven shots from 3- point range. Illinois (2-0) used runs of 9-0 and 11-0 to get back in the game, and it was tied at 36 at halftime. The Illini took advantage of UNLV's lack of depth and foul trouble - four Runnin' Rebels fouled out - to take command. Williams' jumper with 9:11 left gave Illinois the lead for good at He hit the game's biggest shot, a driving jumper with the shot clock expiring that gave the Illini a lead. He then made four free throws for a lead with 48 seconds left. Williams also had six assists and five steals. Marcus Griffin had 15 points for Illinois, while Brian Cook had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Jermaine Lewis had 19 points for UNLV, while Trevor Diggs added 18, all but three on 3-pointers. The Runnin' Rebels finished 12-for-23 from beyond the arc, while Illinois was just 2-for-9. UNLV center Kaspars Kambala had 14 points and seven turnovers before being of the players to foul out. UNLV FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Johnson Kambala Diggs Brotherson Johnson Banks Dotson Stewart Lewis Team 1 Totals FG% 1st: 12-29/.414 2nd: 13-28/.464 Game:.439 3PT% 1st: 6-11/.545 2nd: 16-12/.500 Game:.522 FT% 1st: 6-9/.667 2nd: 1-3/.333 Game:.583 Cook McClain Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Archibald Johnson Harrington Howard Krupalija Team 2 Totals FG% 1st: 13-26/.500 2nd: 15-29/.517 Game:.509 3PT% 1st: 2-9/.222 2nd: 0-0/.000 Game:.222 FT% 1st: 8-16/.500 2nd: 8-13/.615 Game:.552 UNLV Illinois A: 2,500 Illinois Basketball Notes... page 8 Game 3 #8 Illinois 90 #6 Maryland 80 Nov. 21, 2000 Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii Marcus Griffin had all but two of his 19 points in the second half and Illinois' front line dominated Maryland's as the No. 8 Fighting Illini beat the sixthranked Terrapins in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational. Illinois (3-0) advanced to Wednesday's championship game against Arizona. Sophomore guard Frank Williams added 21 points for Illinois, which prevailed in the season's first matchup between Top 10 teams. Illinois took control up front as sophomore Brian Cook had 11 points and nine rebounds and senior Sergio McClain had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Griffin, who was 9-for-14 from the field, had eight rebounds as Illinois finished with a advantage on the boards. Lonny Baxter had 17 points for Maryland and Terence Morris added 13, but neither was able to get anything going against Griffin, Cook and McClain. Griffin scored on an offensive rebound and on a move down low to key an 11-2 run that gave the Illini a lead with 9:26 to play. After a 3-pointer by Morris, Griffin scored on a rebound dunk and a layup to make it with 7:56 left. Maryland wasn't able to get closer than seven points the rest of the way. Maryland finished 28-for-64 from the field (43.8 percent), far off the 61 percent it shot in the opening round. Cook McClain Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Mast Archibald Johnson Harrington Howard Krupalija Team 3 Totals FG% 1st: 10-29/.345 2nd: 20-45/.444 Game:.405 3PT% 1st: 5-13/.385 2nd: 3-6/.500 Game:.421 FT% 1st: 8-16/.500 2nd: 14-17/.824 Game:.667 Maryland FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Miller Morris Baxter Dixon Blake Mouton Nicholas Mardesich Holden Wilcox Team 4 Totals FG% 1st: 13-28/.464 2nd: 15-36/.417 Game:.438 3PT% 1st: 3-5/.600 2nd: 3-10/.300 Game:.400 FT% 1st:6-12/.500 2nd: 12-14/.857 Game:.692 Illinois Maryland A: 2,500

9 Game 4 #8 Illinois 76 #1 Arizona 79 Nov. 22, 2000 Lahaina Civic Center, Lahaina, Hawaii Top-ranked Arizona held off No. 8 Illinois in the title game of the Maui Invitational.. Playing without preseason All-America center Loren Woods, who was suspended for six games for NCAA rules violations, Arizona (3-0) beat Illinois (3-1), handing the Illini its first loss under coach Bill Self. Illinois, which trailed by 15 points with 3 1/2 minutes to play, used a last-minute 3-point blitz to pull to with 15 seconds remaining. Jason Gardner made two free throws with 11 seconds left to give Arizona a lead. Illinois had two last chances. First, Cory Bradford's 3-point attempt from the corner was blocked by Luke Walton and went out of bounds with 1.2 seconds left. Sergio McClain then tried to inbound the ball but Gilbert Arenas knocked it into the air and the buzzer sounded. Gardner scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half to lead the Wildcats, while Richard Jefferson added 18 and tournament MVP Michael Wright had 16 points and nine rebounds. Frank Williams had 27 points, including eight in the final minute, for Illinois, while the front line of Marcus Griffin, Brian Cook and McClain combined for just 14 points and 15 rebounds. Arizona used an 8-0 run to take a lead with 14:54 to play. Illinois got back within with 8:57 left on two free throws by Griffin. Arenas sandwiched layups around a 3-pointer by Jefferson to make it with 7:35 left and the Wildcats led by as many as 15 points before Williams led the final surge. He and Sean Harrington combined for three 3s in a 9-1 run that brought Illinois within with 25 secs. left. Cook McClain Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Archibald Johnson Harrington Howard Krupalija Team 7 Totals FG% 1st: 13-34/.382 2nd: 11-33/.333 Game:.358 3PT% 1st: 4-13/.308 2nd: 6-16/.375 Game:.345 FT% 1st: 8-13/.615 2nd: 10-12/.833 Game:.720 Arizona FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Wright Wessel Jefferson Arenas Gardner Walton Hanour Frazier Edgerson Team 3 Totals FG% 1st: 12-25/.480 2nd: 11-27/.407 Game:.442 3PT% 1st: 6-11/.545 2nd: 3-7/.429 Game:.500 FT% 1st:9-14/.643 2nd: 15-19/.789 Game:.727 Illinois Arizona A: 2, Fighting Illini Season In Review Game 5 #8 Illinois 86 Texas Southern 67 Nov. 26, 2000 Assembly Hall, Champaign, Ill. Reserve Sean Harrington made all five of his 3-point shots and scored a career-high 17 as Illinois beat Texas Southern Harrington sank three straight 3-pointers midway through the second half to give Illinois an insurmountable 30-point lead. Illinois (4-1) got solid contributions from most of its regulars, too, including 16 points and eight rebounds from center Marcus Griffin. Illinois used a 13-0 run to move ahead 18-6, but Chris Miller's shooting kept Texas Southern (0-3) in the game. Miller's fourth 3-pointer got the Tigers within with 10:29 left in the half. That was the closest they got. Griffin and Robert Archibald combined for 13 points in the paint as Illinois closed the half with a 19-6 run for a lead. The Illini stretched the lead to with 11 minutes left on Harrington's hot shooting. The Tigers didn't let them pile on. Miller stopped getting open 3-point chances, so the Tigers tried to go inside when Illinois switched to a smaller lineup. Texas Southern hit 11 free throws during a 23-8 run to draw within with 4:11 remaining. Miller finished with 18 points and seven rebounds for Texas Southern. Ricky Bennett added 13 points and Steve Hoyer 11. But the Tigers shot just 34 percent from the field and managed just seven assists against the Illini defense that has kept every opponent under 45 percent shooting from the field. TSU FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Miller Clark Butler Bennett Hollis Hoyer Bogar Timmons Team 3 Totals FG% 1st: 10-27/.370 2nd: 10-32/.313 Game:.339 3PT% 1st: 6-14/.429 2nd: 3-14/.214 Game:.321 FT% 1st: 3-5/.600 2nd: 15-18/.833 Game:.783 Cook McClain Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Mast Cross Archibald Johnson Harrington Howard Team 3 Totals FG% 1st: 18-33/.545 2nd: 14-34/.412 Game:.478 3PT% 1st: 3-7/.429 2nd: 5-13/.385 Game:.400 FT% 1st: 10-13/.769 2nd: 4-7/.571 Game:.700 Texas Southern Illinois A: 12,970 Game 6 #9 Illinois 77 #1 Duke 78 Nov. 28, 2000 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, N.C. Turnovers were the deciding factor as No. 9 Duke lost to undefeated and No.1 Duke (6-0) in the marquee matchup in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. While the Illini held All-American Shane Battier in check, allowing him just 11 points and 5 rebounds in 39 minutes, Duke s Jason Williams (23 points) and Mike Dunleavy (21 points) matched career highs for the Blue Devils. Frank Williams led Illinois (4-2) with 19 points and Marcus Griffin was a factor in the paint with 16. But Illinois was plagued by a season-high 26 turnovers, overshadowing their tremendous work on the boards, outrebounding Duke for the game. Sergio McClain led the assault on the glass with 11 rebounds and Griffin added nine. Duke built up a with under three minutes left when the Illini made a late rally. Trailing 78-74, Williams was fouled on a three point attempt with 3.5 seconds left. He made the first two to make it a two point game and attempted to miss the third one to give the Illini a chance at an offensive rebound basket. However his final free throw banked in, and Illinois was forced to foul with 0.8 showing on the clock. After missing the first, Duke missed the second free throw inentionally to prevent Illinois from inbounding the ball. Lucas Johnson grabbed the miss and fired a fulllength shot that missed as time expired. Cook McClain Griffin Bradford Williams Melton Archibald Johnson Harrington Howard Krupalija Team 0 Totals FG% 1st: 13-29/.448 2nd: 12-25/.480 Game:.463 3PT% 1st: 2-5/.400 2nd: 5-6/.833 Game:.636 FT% 1st: 7-9/.778 2nd: 13-19/.684 Game:.714 Duke FG-A 3P-A FT-A REB PTS A TO B S M Battier Dunleavy Boozer James Williams Horvath Sanders Duhon Christensen Team 4 Totals FG% 1st: 12-30/.400 2nd: 14-32/.438 Game:.419 3PT% 1st: 3-12/.250 2nd: 4-13/.308 Game:.280 FT% 1st: 7-11/.636 2nd: 12-18/.667 Game:.655 Illinois Duke A: 17,966 Illinois Basketball Notes... page 9