Illinois Fighting Illini 2004/05

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Fighting Illini Big Ten
Coach: Bruce Weber
Record: 37-2
Dance Seed: 1
Dance Result: Last 2
Players: Dee Brown
Luther Head
Deron Williams
*Roger Powell Jr.
*James Augustine
NCAA Stats CategoryRank+/-
Scoring Offense * 21 A-
Scoring Defense * 18
Free-Throw Percentage * 45 B+
Rebound Margin * 73
Assists Per Game * 3 A+
Turnovers Per Game * 4 A+
Scoring Margin 3 A+
Field-Goal Percentage 17
Field-Goal Percentage Defense 66
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage 17
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 12
Won-Lost Percentage 1 A+
Blocked Shots Per Game 162
Steals Per Game 107 C+
Personal Fouls Per Game 14
MPI - Marchpool Index 1 A+
Dance of 68 StatsRank+/-
Paint62D+
Shooting12A-
Offense3A+
Poise7A+
Defense44C+
Ball Control1A+
Dominance2A+
Resilience1A+
RPI Decade1A+
2005
Last 2

Overall #1 Seed:
The 04/05 Illini team won 29 straight before losing their last regular season game by a single point in the final seconds at tOSU.  They were, by far, the most resilient team of the decade, erasing two 15 point deficits in the 2005 tourney alone. Illini guards Deron Williams/Dee Brown/Luther Head were beyond strong with the ball. John Wooden complimented this team as 'the best motion offense I've ever seen'.  'Paint' proved to be their lone vulerability, exasperated when leaper/defender Brian Randle was sidelined by injury.  Illini fans sadly/angrily recall James Augustine fouling out in the title game after a mere 8 minutes of action by what CBS announcer Billy Packard described as 'touch fouls - not a single one of them hard'. The 04/05 Illinois team was within a handful of points/fouls from a perfect season, earning Bruce Weber the 04/05 'Coach of the Year' honors.

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