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2005:
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Illinois 75, Arkansas-Little Rock 49

  • Wow!  Jamar Smith had a huge game:  23 points, 6-8 from the arc, 3 assists, 2 steals.  This was a great game for any college player, but this kid is a freshman.  Eight months ago when Dee was on the cover of national magazines and playing for the national championship, Jamar was going to his high school prom.  All season he has shown a lot of poise for his age, but last night was a whole different level.
  • I think this was Dee Brown's best game yet as a point guard:  6 points, 10 assists, 4 turnovers.
  • I don't think Rich McBride is going to lose his starter spot to Jamar over a single game, but it's probably time to start wondering about it.  He was 0 for 6 from the field last night, gaining 2 points on free throws.
  • I don't understand how Warren Carter can look so shaky on the court while Brian Randle looks so confident, and they each scored the same number of points last night.
  • Still, Warren made some nice buckets, including a jump shot from just inside the arc and a nice dunk.
  • But the award for best alley-oops last night goes to Brian Randle.  He had a monster dunk in the first half on a very nice assist from Rich McBride.  In the second half, he showed off his athleticism by scoring the basket even though Jamar Smith apparently threw the alley-oop to the wrong side of the basket.
  • Will Arkansas-Little Rock be the only team all year whose free throwing shooting percentage (42.9) is lower than ours (57.1)?
  • Illinois goes to 8-0 while its fans harbor suspicion that this team is not as good as its record.