December 2001
Dietz: Wakefield, Cardinals eye playoffs
The way things have been going for Fred Wakefield lately, you just figured the Illinois basketball team would rally to beat Arizona.
Wakefield, the Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive end, was in the stands Tuesday as his alma mater fell to the Wildcats in Phoenix. He wasn''t too happy with the officiating, but that''s been his only reason to frown the past few weeks.
Practice doesn´t make UI perfect against Hogs´ press
CHICAGO Seeing Arkansas on tape is a lot like checking out Mike Tyson.
You can watch all you want, but it doesn''t prepare you for the first punch.
Illini freshman has good timing
CHICAGO For a team that doesn''t make many three-pointers, Illinois buried a big one Saturday against Pepperdine.
Freshman Jere Issenmann''s three with five seconds left in regulation propelled the Illini into overtime, and the UI came away with a 77-71 win at the United Center.
Tate: Pretty or not, Illinois finds a way to win
CHICAGO Nobody ever asked John Elway or Brett Favre (look out, Bears!) about the first half after they pulled out a last-ditch victory. Nobody mentioned eight innings of Yankee ineptness after those two-out, ninth-inning homers.
So perhaps we should overlook the unnerved Illini''s 17 turnovers in the first 17 minutes against Arkansas on Saturday at the United Center ... the wayward free throwing (nine misses in the first 21 minutes ... the inability to deal with swarms of attacking Razorbacks ... because, because Frank Williams & Co. won 94-91. And they didn''t even need a Hail Mary pass.
Cook finds emotional rescue
CHICAGO There was no reason, or one specific person, for Brian Cook to blame for his recent run of poor play. If he wanted to remedy the problem, he need look no further than himself.
I pretty much (stunk) the last couple of games, the Illinois junior forward said. I thought I should change that. Now''s a good time. At this level you''ve got to play with emotion, and I''ve got to get that into my head.
And the bowl opponent is ... LSU
CHAMPAIGN Illinois got to see Nick Saban five times during his career at Michigan State. All Saban''s Spartans did was outscore the Illini 164-71.
On Jan. 1, in far-from-the-Big Ten New Orleans, Ron Turner''s team will have a chance for revenge. In his second year at Louisiana State, Saban led the Tigers to the SEC title and a spot opposite Illinois in the Sugar Bowl.
Illinois women pass exam
CHICAGO Considering everything that went wrong in Saturday''s first half of the Illinois women''s basketball game against Pepperdine, that the Illini managed to pull out a 77-71 overtime victory at the United Center was as uplifting as the early moments were deflating.
If nothing else, the Illini learned a little something about themselves. Specifically, the lesson was that early adversity doesn''t spell doom. And the most interested party in that query was the UI''s head coach.
Self showing intestinal fortitude
CHICAGO Illinois'' close games this season have churned the stomach of many an Illini fan.
But they don''t have anything to do with the problems plaguing its head coach.
Squad''s sweet on Sugar
CHAMPAIGN They have finals to study for and Christmas shopping after that. But the Illinois football players sure didn''t sound like a stressed-out bunch Saturday afternoon.
They''re having fun, Illinois coach Ron Turner said.
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