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| College Hoops Game Review |
| By Gene Huh |
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Tuesday, November 27
MARYLAND 76 Illinois 63
The Terps came out all fired up and basically took the game right to the Illini
from the opening tip-off. Maryland's shotblocking and aggressive defense devastated an Illini team that was allegedly tired from travelling and accurate shooting shredded Illinois' feeble attempt to play a zone defense. The absence of injured Lucas Johnson really hurt the Illini, who need Johnson's physical (dirty?) play and antagonism to set the tone. The Illini also miss the departed Sergio McLain and Marcus Griffin, who were physical cornerstones and leaders on last year's Elite 8 team.
Frank Williams (Illinois) - Williams proved once again that knuckleballs are only effective
in baseball and not from beyond the three-point arc. Steve Blake's aggressive defense completely
shut Williams spin move and crossover dribble moves down. Blake was also too tough for Williams to
muscle him the way he does other guards. All in all, it was a forgettable evening for
Frankie Williams.
Cory Bradford (Illinois) - It's hard to believe that Bradford was last season's preseason Big Ten Player of the Year. After Juan Dixon blocked one of his three-point attempts, Bradford went completely into the tank and finished 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.
Robert Archibald (Illinois) - Big things were expected from Archibald after his fine showing
against Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, Archibald looked clumsy and continually hit the deck against a surprisingly physical Maryland team.
Juan Dixon (Maryland) - Dixon absolutely humiliated the Illinois guards with his aggressive ballhawking defense. Dixon also knew that he could beat the Illinois guards any time he wanted on route to his 25 point performance. He may not be a major pro prospect due to his size, but Dixon is clearly one of the best players in college basketball.
Steve Blake (Maryland) - He doesn't look like a player, but his shut-down defensive job
on Frank Williams cements his reputation as one of the best defensive guards in the country. Blake protected his generally too-high dribble well and even dropped in a couple of his ugly one-handed three-pointers. As a playmaker, Blake was his superb self in notching 9 assists.
Chris Wilcox (Maryland) - Wilcox is emerging as a dynamic power forward in the Antonio
McDyess mold. He's a already a dominant shotblocker and his offense is improving too. The only
problem is that Wilcox and starting center Lonnie Baxter do not seem to be able to play together.
Duke 80 IOWA 62
The Hawkeyes played tough, but in the end they were no match for the best team in the country.
When Carlos Boozer is playing hard in the paint, the Blue Devils are completely unstoppable due to their ability to spread the floor with their three-point shooting. If you zone them, they'll kill you with their shooting and if you play man-to-man, you will get taken off
the dribble. Iowa attempted to get physical with Duke, but Boozer came to play and totally
negated this strategy.
Carlos Boozer (Duke) - Boozer was at his best on this night. He did a fine job on the
very physical Reggie Evans and his ambidextrous post play was too much for the Hawkeyes.
Reggie Evans (Iowa) - Evans had an off game, only scoring 8 points on 3 of 15 shooting.
His hustle and muscle was there, but Duke did a superb job of making things difficult for him on the offensive end.
Luke Recker (Iowa) - Recker is a tough, physical swingman in the Dan Majerle mold, but his
pro future has been put into doubt by a string of injuries. He is definitely not as athletic as he once was. Against Duke, even Recker's shooting tough completely deserted him.
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Features
Hills has Bone Spurs
College Hoops Game Reviews
Interview with Draft Analyst John D. Thompson
Scouting Report:
Tony Parker
2001-2002
Western Conference Preview
2001-2002
Eastern Conference Preview
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