Pro football ■ N-G staffers Brian Dietz and Jeff Mezydlo take a last look back at the Chicago Bears’ season in Champaign. SPORTS D — D-5 Sunday, January 5, 2003 Enjoy it while you can, Illini CHAMPAIGN ill Self’s Illini could have named the score against B Oakland here Saturday night. For the record, it was 88-53 with all five starters in double figures. But there was none of the tension you felt watching those overtime games on television, Dayton outlasting No. 13 Mar- quette, Ohio State’s Buckeyes running out of gas against Louisville and Missouri need- ing a banked three-pointer to ease its regulation win at Iowa. By com- parison, Illinois’ outing was a cakewalk. All that changes when they board the flight at 3:30 p.m. TATELINES Monday for wintry Min- LOREN TATE nesota. Forget the UI’s 10- 1 record. Forget the Gophers lost by 20 at Nebraska. A “take no prisoners” attitude will hov- er over Williams Arena when the Illini and Gophers kick off the Big Ten season Tuesday night. “Every game from this point is like Missouri and North Car- News-Gazette photo by Robert K. O’Daniell olina,” Self said. “It’s why guys Illinois freshman Dee Brown has fans everywhere, including the Orange Krush, ing Brown’s trademark headband. They aren’t the only ones taken with Brown, come to this league: to get the who were more than willing to show up on short notice at the Alma Mater sport- who’s made a national splash during his first season with the Illini. exposure and play in the big buildings. There are more big bodies and more homecourt advantages. Your mistakes are amplified.” Good news first So, are the Illini ready? Follow the leader First, the positives: Illinoisans virtually had for- gotten four-year regular Cory Bradford until the Illini visited Personality, talent make Brown an irresistible Illini his hometown of Memphis last By BRETT DAWSON 11-game ride that shows no signs of “He’s the future of our program,” week. Few have fretted about News-Gazette Staff Writer What’s inside slowing down. Self said. “By the time Dee is a jun- Frank Williams skipping his he buzz started when Dee “I didn’t ask for any of this,” Brown ior, (the coaching staff) may not need final season since Dee Brown Brown hit Chalmers Street, Illinois basketball ■ said last week, after his image to show up for practice. Dee might arrived. Freshmen Brown, built to a roar when he The middle man: Self likes Illini’s appeared in Sports Illustrated and just be down there running things on Deron Williams and James position going into Big Ten play, D-2. reached Daniel (no, it ■ after ESPN named him one of the his own.” Augustine combined for 35 wasn’t named after him) Spears cheers: Illini returns to team nation’s top freshman basketball Watching the impact Brown has after surgery, D-2. points, 13 assists, 12 rebounds Tand didn’t stop from there. players. “The whole thing is a sur- had in the first half of his freshman ■ Game 11 grades, box score, D-2. and five blocks (all by Augus- By the time the Illinois freshman prise to me just like it is to everybody year, it doesn’t sound like such a ■ Tough crowd: UI women’s recruit tine) against Oakland. They’ve got to Wright and Green, he was the else. I just wanted to come in here stretch. Brown is scoring (14.1 points her own toughest critic, D-3. played more like veterans than recipient of a standing ovation. At the ■ UI-Michigan women’s preview, D-3. and play basketball. All this recogni- a game), he’s setting up teammates rookies, which is critical for an epicenter of the Illinois campus. On a ■ UI men’s fast starts: Legends, Lists tion and everything? I had no idea.” (4.6 assists a night) and he’s filling it injury-plagued squad. school day. & Lore, D-9. But then, maybe it shouldn’t be up from downtown (39 percent from Brian Cook was hands down This is the effect that Daniel “Dee” such a surprise. three-point range). the premier player in the Big Brown, 18 years old and on top of his Big Ten basketball This is a guy, after all, whom Illini And Self couldn’t care less. Ten during the nonconference world, can have on people. ■ coach Bill Self said he envisioned You want the real measure of period, topping 20 points for Bank on it: Missouri uses late bank On a cool, clear day in December, shot to turn back Iowa, D-3. from the start as “the poster child for Brown’s impact? Watch a practice the sixth time in nine games Brown crossed campus to pose for Illinois basketball.” some Wednesday afternoon, when while adding 10 rebounds for a the photo that accompanies this story, This is a player who dazzles Illinois’ battling the midweek blues, double-double Saturday. He and he all but stopped traffic. fuss was. defenders (and crowds) with his and Brown’s energy gets his team- and Sean Harrington combined The Orange Krush members set to The whole scene — the buzz that speed, who energizes teammates with mates going. Or talk to Brian Randle, for 80 points in the last two pose with him chanted his name. Dri- preceded him, the splash his arrival his very presence, who sends tape the Illinois signee from Peoria Notre games. vers craned their necks to get a look. caused — mirrored Brown’s brief but recorders into overdrive with his non- Self places a high premium Passers-by wondered what all the eventful Illinois career to date, a wild stop chatter. Please see BROWN, D-9 on teamwork, and there was a striking difference Saturday between a squad of you-first passers and an adversary built Leaders of the pack on one-on-one assaults. The Michigan State’s Tom Izzo calls them “Pied Pipers”: college players with talent and charisma who impact every aspect of their program. If Dee Brown continues on his current path, Illini had 25 assists on 37 bas- he could put his name alongside the four best in the Big Ten in the past 30 years: kets. Through 11 games, they are averaging 22 assists to MAGIC JOHNSON MATEEN CLEAVES (right) QUINN BUCKNER ISIAH THOMAS their opponents’ 11Ö. The Michigan State (1977-79) Michigan State (1996-2000) Indiana (1972-76) Indiana (1979-81) result is a team making more Arguably the greatest player in Big Ten The hardest-working guy on a You still can hear his person- He only stuck around for two years, but than half its field attempts. history, Magic’s only fault might have been team full of lunchpail players, ality spilling out during TV Thomas helped Bob Knight’s machine keep skipping town early. Said Izzo: “Everybody Cleaves guided the Spartans to broadcasts, and Buckner’s rolling in Bloomington, averaging better wanted to play with him. James Worthy two Final Fours, and his charisma impact on Indiana went far than 15 points a game for his career and Bad news second once told me he probably would have gone helped recruit the foundation for a beyond his 10 points a willing the Hoosiers to the 1981 national Now for the negatives: to Michigan State if Magic would have just third. Morris Peterson might have game. His iron will rubbed off title. Oakland, called a “good stuck around.” been the best player on Michigan on a Hoosiers program that State’s 2000 NCAA champs, but went 63-1 in his final two Please see TATE, D-9 those Spartans were Cleaves’ team. seasons. Ohio State’s upset Repeat after me: no surprise to Turner By BOB ASMUSSEN Buckeyes know News-Gazette Staff Writer First and 10 By rule, Illinois football coach Each Sunday Ron Turner had no choice but to beginning today, success fleeting vote for Ohio State in the final Bob Asmussen will USA Today/ESPN poll. Not that provide the latest TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Jim More on college football: Turner would argue against the news and notes Tressel loves to tell the story of ■ Hurricanes devastated, D-4. how, after he won his first I-AA Buckeyes. from around col- ■ McGahee’s road long, D-4. After having Miami at the top lege football. Column, D-4 national championship as the ■ of his ballot all season, Turner coach at Youngstown State, he Grossman going pro, D-4. happily made the switch to Ohio was met by a reporter as he left State early Saturday morning. the Buckeyes two overtimes to the field. four titles at Youngstown State On Friday, Turner predicted beat the Hurricanes and one to “Can you repeat?” Tressel and was in his second year with an Ohio State win. knock off Turner’s team. was asked. the Buckeyes. “You know, we’ll “They’ve got a better football “We wanted to win the game,” The point is that success is go to work pretty soon.” team than people give them he said. “Our objective was to win fleeting. No sooner do you win a Miami, seeking to become the credit for,” Turner said. the game, not to make it close. We national title than people are first repeat national champion “They’ve got a really good had chances to win it. I go back asking whether you can do it since Nebraska in the 1994-95 defense.” and look at the film, and we had again.