Since we’re starting to build a little bit of an audience here (and the start of college basketball season is just around the corner), I thought I’d reprint all 39 game stories from Illinois’ 2004-05 season.
Well, to be specific, these are the versions that I sent into the Daily Herald. Usually they ran verbatim, but sometimes they were snipped a little at the end for space reasons. So consider those extra words to be ”bonus tracks,” or whatever they put on the end of CDs or DVDs or whatever the kids listen to these days.
We’ll start with a two-fer, then if the feedback’s good we’ll keep going.
First up? The official season preview that ran in the Daily Herald on Nov. 16, 2004. Then we’ll have the game story from the Nov. 19 opener against Delaware State.
SEASON PREVIEW
CHAMPAIGN _ Via team bus, it takes three hours to travel from Assembly Hall to St. Louis’ Edward Jones Dome.
But via daydream, Illinois’ players and coaches can make their trip of a lifetime in an instant.
They can close their eyes, picture the Gateway Arch and hear the strains of “One Shining Moment” as confetti rains down on their midcourt celebration…
While it’s tempting to take the shortcut to the site of this season’s Final Four _ especially with all the aspirations attached to the nation’s sixth-ranked team _ the Illini say they’re determined to take the long road to destiny.
“My goal is to win a national championship,” said junior point guard Deron Williams, the Big Ten’s preseason player of the year. “But that’s a long ways away. If you’re thinking about St. Louis, you’re going to have a hard time even making it to the NCAA Tournament.
“We’ve got Delaware State. That’s our first real game. We’re worried about them. Once that’s over, we’ll worry about Florida A&M. One game at a time.”
Three days from the start of its 100th season, Illinois already finds itself dealing with issues that could have an effect in March _ and they don’t include head coach Bruce Weber’s appendectomy Monday that will limit him for a few days.
When fast-rising sophomore forward Brian Randle broke his left hand last week in a fit of practice pique, the Illini likely lost their most athletic backup for the season.
That leaves Weber with just eight proven players for his rotation _ at least until either sophomore forward Warren Carter or freshman post Shaun Pruitt indicate they can help.
If Pruitt, the West Aurora High School product, can provide aid in the post along with solid seniors Nick Smith and Jack Ingram, then Roger Powell, Jr., can spend some time at the “3.”
“The next couple weeks in practice is really important for (Pruitt),” Weber said. “Just learning the system so we feel confident that he can step in game situations.”
In the meantime the slender 6-foot-9 Carter, who played just 63 minutes last year, will audition for Randle’s backup minutes at small forward. Weber wants Carter to ratchet up his intensity several notches.
“He’s not a freshman anymore,” Weber said. “It’s being in a (defensive) stance. Being ready. Denying passes. Not just standing around. If you’re going to make a move, make a move and be explosive with it.”
Perhaps Carter has found it difficult to burst into the rotation when Illinois’ lineup features five veterans who’ve time and again proven their pyrotechnic wizardry.
It’s possible that each of the Illini starters _ Williams, Powell, Dee Brown, Luther Head and James Augustine _ could merit all-Big Ten honors at season’s end.
Williams, who earned first-team all-Big Ten honors last year, made several preseason All-America teams due to all of his offseason improvement.
But according to Brown, Williams might not have taken the team’s biggest strides since last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Duke.
“It’s a tossup between Deron and Luther,” Brown said. “Deron’s just on a whole ‘nother level and I think Luther’s confidence has risen a lot, too. I think both of them have upped their games to the point where it’s going to be trouble for a lot of people.”
Brown declined to rate himself equal to his running mates, but he showcased new ballhandling moves and renewed confidence in his shot during exhibition play. Brown drilled three straight 3-pointers in a 77-second span during Sunday’s preseason win over Lewis.
The three guards, along with sophomore sharpshooter Rich McBride, leave Illinois with no questions about its backcourt.
That leaves more time for questions about its frontcourt, which didn’t measure up to Duke.
“Our inside presence is a key,” Weber said. “It was definitely a factor in the Duke game. We watched that (in October) and we just didn’t have the presence to stop any post play.”
With that in mind, Powell (116. ppg, 5.0 rpg last year) has added 15 pounds of muscle. Augustine added less than 10 pounds of muscle, but strengthened his game measurably with offseason one-on-one sessions against former Illini Robert Archibald.
Has Illinois done enough heavy lifting to carry their expectations all the way to St. Louis? It’s time to find out.
“There’s a little bit of, I guess, a fear factor that we’re not going to live up to everything,” Weber said. “But I think they’ve worked pretty hard. They’re focused.
“I’ve had some people ask me if we can stay No. 1 or if we can go undefeated,” added Weber, referring to Illinois’ top billing in Lindy’s and Playboy magazines.
“I’ve said it all along, ‘We’re going to lose some games.’ But in the players’ minds, they probably think they can win every game. That’s kids…and that’s good.”
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ILLINOIS 87, Delaware State 67
CHAMPAIGN _ The worst thing about some early-season matchups? They can lead to such absurdities as 6-foot-10 Illinois center James Augustine defending 6-1 opponents well beyond the 3-point arc.
The best thing about such early-season games, at least for the nation’s No. 6 team?
They can serve as such valuable experiences that they’ll be drawn on several times along the journey toward greatness _ whether it be during today’s serious practice or March’s first-round NCAA Tournament game.
Illinois bounced Delaware State 87-67 in Friday’s opener on a record-shooting night at Assembly Hall, but the game stayed competitive long enough that Deron Williams and Dee Brown didn’t leave for good until 2:54 remained.
“If we won by 40 today and we got all layups, it probably wouldn’t do us any good,” said Illinois coach Bruce Weber. “This did us some good.”
The Illini (1-0) left feeling great about their offense. They made 63.6 percent from the field for the game _ matching their effort in last year’s NCAA win against Cincinnati _ and sank 12 of 22 from 3-point range.
Then there was the defense. How about it, Dee Brown?
“Mediocre,” said the Illini junior guard. “It wasn’t good. But that’s the way they played. They made us go to sleep a little bit and they just exploited us by penetrating and kicking.”
The smaller Hornets torched Illinois’ man-to-man defense at a 57.1 percent clip for the night, which included an 11 of 14 beginning that gave the Hornets a 28-23 lead.
Delaware State spread its players beyond the 3-point arc, then picked its best matchup and slashed to the hoop. When Illini defenders helped or tried to sneak into a passing lane for steals, the Hornets found open men for 3-pointers.
Weber pounced on his team after the game about their defense _ and plans to spend today’s 90-minute practice watching the film and fixing the issues.
“It was definitely the first thing I talked about,” Weber said. “We talked about it in practice. It was happening (Thursday) in a drill. They were gambling and stuff. Sometimes with Calvin (Brock) and some of the younger guys, they can gamble and cheat.
“Now, all of a sudden you gamble and cheat and this guy knows how to play _ and he goes by you. We’ve got to be more cut in. I hope it doesn’t take a loss against a great team to wake ‘em up.”
“I think you have to give our kids a little credit also,” said Delaware State coach Greg Jackson. “But you can only play on emotion for so long. Then talent takes over.”
Augustine reigned supreme in the lane. He made 7 of 8 shots _ all in the first half _ on his way to 15 points and a game-high 7 rebounds.
Brown added a game-high 17 points on 5 of 6 shooting, while Luther Head contributed 15 points and 5 assists and Williams managed 12 points and 6 assists.
Illinois and Delaware State set the all-time school record for combined field-goal shooting (60.8 percent). The Hornets also set the Assembly Hall record for fewest rebounds (12) by an Illini opponent _ an opponent the Illini might see again.
“Our goal is to get a ‘1′ (or) ‘2′ seed in the Tournament,” Brown said. “You’re going to play a team like this the first round, so it’s a good game for us.”
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NEXT UP: Illinois hosts Florida A&M…
