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The Answer Book 2005

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Hard to top
The UI sports year in review

BY The News-Gazette
© 2009 THE NEWS-GAZETTE
    Top male athlete
   1. Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron Williams, men's basketball  At least Bruce Weber gets one of them back.
   2. Justin Spring, gymnastics  Next Bart Connor won second NCAA individual title of his career.
   3. Drew Davidson, baseball  Big Ten MVP might help Padres earlier than you think.
   4. Kyle Ott, wrestling  For second consecutive year, Ohioan reached the 125-pound finals at the NCAA meet.
   5. Ryler DeHeart, tennis  He lost his coach but added the Illinois single-season singles wins record to his resume.
   6. Kelvin Hayden, football  Made an easy transition from receiver to cornerback, leading the team in interceptions and passes broken up. The Indianapolis Colts noticed, drafting him in the second round.
   7. Garrett Chaussard, golf  Senior went out in style, making NCAA Central Regional.
   8. Roger Powell Jr., basketball  Opponents had a heck of a time stopping heavenly forward.
   9. Zach Glavash, track  Big Ten indoor champ made Chillicothe proud with record-setting 800.
   10. Pierre Thomas, football  Team MVP was an all-purpose freak.
Top female athlete
   1. Cassie Hunt, cross-country/track and field  Dike Eddleman Award winner led Illinois to surprising Big Ten title.
   2. Tara Hurless, soccer  Program won't be the same without this offensive dynamo.
   3. Cynthya Goulet, tennis  Big Ten Medal of Honor winner was an ace on court (29-7) and in classroom (3.96 grade-point average).
   4. Angelina Williams, basketball  All-Big Ten selection is first former Illini to suit up in the WNBA.
   5. Barbie Viney, swimming  New pool should be named after team MVP.
   6. Jessica Belter, volleyball  Aptly named senior belted her way to honorable mention All-America honors.
   7. Jenna Hall, softball  Slugging first baseman could homer at Illinois Field.
   8. Yvonne Mensah, track  Versatile sophomore placed in four events at Big Ten indoors.
   9. Cara Pomeroy, gymnastics  Canadian import named team's Most Outstanding Gymnast.
   10. Kelly Campbell, soccer  Ron Turner could've used junior's defensive skills.
Top area athletes
   1. Morris Virgil, football  Next stop for Urbana tough guy: NFL.
   2. Ella Masar, soccer  Urbana sniper will be star of next season's team.
   3. J Leman, football  Looks like Rafael Nadal, hits like Butkus.
   4. Molly Lawhead, softball  Pride of Monticello won Coaches Award for outstanding attitude.
   5. Jeremy Kruidenier, track  Former N-G Athlete of the Year the next George Kerr.
   6. Sara Dumich, gymnastics  Flexible former Maroon a competitor in floor exercise.
   7. Kellie Stevens, swimming  Former Centennial All-American was freshman academic standout.
   8. Matt Minnes, football  Made Urbana proud by carrying on family tradition.
   9. Jon Drollinger, gymnastics  Almost as popular in Hoopeston as Thad Matta.
   10. Aaron Ifft, baseball  Let's hope Prairie Central backstop learned from Chris Robinson.
Top area recruits
   1. Mary Pat Choules, track  Mahomet-Seymour pool shark already has a state pole vault championship. Next in line: the Big Ten.
   2. Aaron Martin, baseball  New coach Dan Hartleb glad to have Georgetown-Ridge Farm stud.
   3. Marissa Clapp, swimming  Bismarck-Henning product's dad played baseball at Illinois.
   4. Marina Mendoza, diving  Urbana star's dad teaches at Illinois.
   5. Kyle Hudson, football  Count on half of Mattoon at Memorial Stadium on fall Saturdays.
Top freshmen
   1. Kevin Anderson, men's tennis  Craig Tiley's countryman will be a Big Ten force until he's ready for Wimbledon.
   2. Wes Haagensen, gymnastics  Big Ten Freshman of the Year next in long line of Yoshi Hayasaki's All-Americans.
   3. Justin Harrison, football  Bloomington product earned freshman All-America honors after finishing second on the team in tackles.
   4. Macall Harkins, women's tennis  Fast learner was named team's most improved player in first year.
   5. Danyel Crutcher, women's basketball  A bigger, sturdier version of Erin Wigley.
   6. Ruben Gonzales, men's tennis  Rookie played like a veteran in postseason pressure cooker.
   7. Shanna Diller, softball  Normal Community product set rookie marks for home runs, RBI.
   8. Mary Therese McDonnell, soccer  Soccer Buzz was buzzing about Big Ten all-freshman first-teamer.
   9. Martin O'Donnell, football  Pressed into action, left guard is a certain four-year starter.
   10. Kristine Cook, women's golf  Made an early splash, winning Illini Spring Classic.
Most publicized
   1. Men's basketball  We've typed "Dee Brown" and "Bruce Weber" so many times, we're just lumping 'em all together.
   2. Ron Zook, football  He's already sick of Bob Asmussen.
   3. Ron Turner, football  He'll miss us when he's ripped each Monday by Chicago papers.
   4. Craig Tiley, men's tennis  His departure somehow wound up on A-1.
   5. Bill Murray, comedian  Probably will root for UConn next year.
   Deserved more pub
   1. Chris Robinson, baseball  Third-round draft pick got 31st-round attention.
   2. Gary Winckler, women's track  Win the Big Ten in football and they name streets after you.
   3. Brian Glynn, wrestling  Might get more attention if he put sports staff in a sleeper hold.
   4. Cynthya Goulet, women's tennis  Doesn't help that she shares Atkins Tennis Center with headline-grabbing men's team.
   5. Lauren Newcomb, women's gymnastics  Fewer stories than all-around titles (five).
   6. Natasha Karniski, soccer  Apparently needs to marry baseball star to make our section.
   7. Garrett Chaussard, men's golf  NCAA Regional win ranked somewhere behind a James Augustine stubbed toe in coverage.
   8. Adam Pummer, men's gymnastics  Could give interviews standing on his head and still not make the front page.
   9. Kathleen Bazzetta  Defensive specialists never make headlines.
   10. Jimmy Conroy, baseball  He could start for Yankees today.
   All-Dee Brown (All-interview)
   1. Deron Williams, basketball  Almost as good as the point guard this award is named after.
   2. Duke Preston, football  Surfer/golfer/center is going to make the beat writers in Buffalo very happy.
   3. Chris Robinson  We're crazy "aboot" the Canadian accent.
   4. Ryler DeHeart, men's tennis  We finally started interviewing him and figured out he's a riot.
   5. Abe Jones, men's track  Talks like he runs  fast.
Best moments (men's basketball)
   1. After the Illini rallied to beat Arizona and advance to the Final Four, the party started on the Allstate Arena court with players hugging, coaches crying and fans going berserk. It didn't stop until well after 2 a.m. at the Bielfeldt Building, where thousands of fans celebrated the team's return.
   2. Illinois students turned Green Street into Grand Central Station the second Illinois beat Louisville to advance to the title game. Even better, no one got hurt, although the Alma Mater took a few hits.
   3. Illini past and present capped the 100th anniversary celebration weekend with the greatest photo op in school history. Hundreds of former players, coaches and support staff gathered on the Assembly Hall court for a wide-angle shot that we'll run for years.
   4. On Dec. 6, Illinois moved to No. 1 in the national polls for the first time since 1989. Even better, the Illini stayed at the top the rest of the way.
   5. Even in defeat, Illinois fans know how to celebrate. The day after the Illini lost to North Carolina, 20,000 of them showed up at Memorial Stadium to welcome home their team. Ron Zook wishes he could get half the decibel level this September.
Best moments (others)
   1. The Illinois baseball team lost its regular season-ending game, but the mood changed in a hurry with the announcement that Purdue also lost, giving the Illini the Big Ten title. And Itch Jones a Gatorade bath.
   2. Pete Friedl's win at 174 pounds clinched the Big Ten wrestling title for Illinois, the first for the school in 53 years. That the win came at Iowa made it that much sweeter for former Hawkeyes assistant Mark Johnson.
   3. When the Illinois men's tennis team won the Big Ten tournament at home, everyone knew it was a fitting sendoff for senior Chris Martin, who basked in the applause. Who knew that the hundreds of fans in attendance also were saying goodbye to Craig Tiley?
   4. He wasn't on The News-Gazette's candidates list, but Ron Zook's hiring as Ron Turner's replacement gave Illinois football fans reason to hope. It helped that Zook's Florida team caught fire after he got fired.
   5. Sarah Brown put Illinois soccer in the NCAA Elite Eight with her penalty kick to beat Nebraska 2-1. The Illini were lucky no one got hurt in the pileup that ensued after the match.
Worst moments
   1. The Illinois men's basketball team only lost twice, but they were doozies. First, Ohio State ended the Illini's bid to go undefeated in the final six seconds of the regular season. Then, North Carolina held off a furious Illinois rally to win the NCAA championship.
   2. At some point during their 45-0 loss to Minnesota, Ron Turner's Illini quit. That signaled the end of Turner's stay at Illinois.
   3. But Turner's fate was sealed three games later when kicker Jason Reda's 31-yard game-winning attempt at Northwestern sailed wide left.
   4. Perdita Felicien, a favorite to win Olympic gold, tripped over the hurdles in a Mary Decker-like moment.
   5. Bruce Weber's basketball team rolled to an easy win in its Big Ten tournament opener, but Illinois fans  and everyone at the United Center  came down to earth later that night when word spread that Weber's mother, Dawn, had passed away during heart surgery.
   6. Hosting the Big Ten baseball tournament for the first time since 1998, Illinois flamed out early, losing its first two games. Counting the tournament, the regular season champs lost eight of their last nine games against Big Ten competition.
   7. Three days after ending No. 21 Louisiana Tech's 161-game home winning streak against unranked opponents, the women's basketball team lost at home to Bradley 70-67.
   8. After 12 seasons and a national championship, men's tennis coach Craig Tiley resigned to become king of Australian tennis. Atkins Tennis Center never will be the same.
   9. On-court success didn't help Illinois basketball land two of its most coveted recruits. First, Julian Wright spurned the Illini in favor of former coach Bill Self  without even visiting Kansas. Then Jon Scheyer, who played for Bruce Weber's brother, picked Duke.
   10. En route to a California tournament, Illinois tennis assistant Brad Dancer and two players were involved in a head-on car accident. Though he would be back on the court weeks later, Dancer was airlifted to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Milestones
   1. The men's basketball team tied an NCAA record with 37 wins, became the 15th program to win 1,500 all-time games and put four new members  Dee Brown, Luther Head, Roger Powell Jr. and Deron Williams  into its 1,000-point club.
   2. Angelina Williams became the first UI women's basketball player to participate in a regular season WNBA game.
   3. Itch Jones finished his Hall of Fame career with 1,240 wins, 13th on the all-time NCAA Division I baseball list.
   4. Tara Hurless became the soccer team's all-time leading goal scorer and also finished her career tops all-time in assists, points, shots, game-winning goals and matches.
   5. Peter Shostchuk became the first Illinois gymnast to be named All-American four years in a row.
Best former Illini
   1. Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball  He's in charge of fielding a team that can win back Olympic gold.
   2. Eugene Wilson, New England Patriots  Two years as a pro, two Super Bowl rings.
   3. James Lepp, Washington golf  Onetime Illini won NCAA individual title.
   4. Kurt Kittner, Amsterdam Admirals  World Bowl MVP. Enough said.
   5. Jillian Ellis, UCLA soccer  Took Bruins to NCAA title game.
   6. Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M  We're convinced there's no basketball program he can't rebuild.
   7. Lou Henson, coaching legend  Retired short of 800 wins, but presence at Illinois reunion made everyone's weekend.
   8. Anne O'Neil, Iowa State basketball  Illini could have used All-Big 12 sharpshooter.
   9. Brandon Lloyd, San Francisco 49ers  Proved he could play, sing.
   10. Augie Garrido, Texas baseball  As usual, spending June at the College World Series.
   11. Mike Hebert, Minnesota volleyball  Took Gophers to title match, recruited Kelly Schmidt away from Champaign.
   12. Lindsey Durlacher, wrestling  World-class Greco-Roman wrestler. Coming soon: Olympic gold.
   13. Stu Meacham, Trent's dad  Ex-Illini walk-on can walk to his son's games.
   14. Greg Lewis, Philadelphia Eagles  Catches like Terrell Owens, friendly as Owen Wilson.
   15. D.A. Points, golf  Won PGA card; needs to play better to keep it.
   Top transfers
   1. Mike Rohde, baseball  New Orleans transfer (.355, 38 RBI) left Bourbon Street for Green Street.
   2. Kyle Hosick, men's golf  Another in string of Illinois contributors from Southern Illinois.
   3. Toby Gardenhire, baseball  Ron's kid filled the void at shortstop after arriving from Southwest Missouri State.
   4. Marcus Arnold, men's basketball  Just a hunch.
Top recruits
   1. Isiah Williams, football  He won't be here for another year, making a commitment for the 2006 season, but Chicago Vocational quarterback is working on the rest of the class.
   2. Marc Spicijaric  Florida phenom affirmed commitment even though Tiley is with the koalas.
   3. Brian Carlwell, men's basketball  Experts say 2006 big man is about to shoot up the charts.
   4. Patrick Bond, wrestling  Virginia standout is one of three top-40 recruits joining Illini from the class of 2005.
   5. Marti Desjarlais , soccer  Gatorade Player of the Year for Wisconsin has a stronger leg than Steve Weatherford.
   6. Katie Engel, women's cross-country/track and field  Four-time qualifier for the Canadian Cross-Country Championships, and a three-time qualifier for the Canadian Junior National Team.
   7. Erin McCarthy, women's basketball  Shot-blocker best thing Illinois has gotten out of Tulsa since Bill Self.
   8. Richard Semrau, men's basketball  Another one you'll have to wait for, but skilled Ohio big man will be worth it.
   9. Dominique Worsley, men's track and field  New Hampshire standout runs the 200 faster than we run the 100.
   10. Derrick McPhearson, football  Star receiver will be in the starting lineup for the opener against Rutgers.
Best games (basketball)
   1. Deron Williams capped a miracle comeback with a three-pointer in regulation and shut down Hasan Adams on the last play of regulation as the Illini beat Arizona to advance to the Final Four. Illinois stormed back from 15 points down with 4 minutes, 4 seconds to play in regulation in winning perhaps the greatest game in school history.
   2. Trailing by 13 points at halftime, Illinois rallied to tie the national championship game against North Carolina before the Tar Heels turned the tide.
   3. Given their first real test of the Big Ten season, the Illini hold off Iowa 73-68 in overtime at the Assembly Hall. Here's a shocker: Steve Alford complained about the refs.
   4. Jack Ingram  seriously, Jack Ingram  makes three-pointers galore and Illinois shocks Wisconsin 75-65 at the Kohl Center, snapping surly Bo Ryan's 38-game homecourt winning streak.
   5. With the Assembly Hall in a frenzy, Dee Brown and Deron Williams outclass Justin Gray and Chris Paul and Illinois thumps top-ranked Wake Forest 91-73. A week later, Illinois is the nation's No. 1 team.
Best games (others)
   1. Don Hardin's No. 16 Illini volleyball team stuns top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Southern California in five games at Huff Hall. In the process, Illinois ends the longest winning streak in NCAA volleyball history at 52 matches.
   2. Natasha Karniski and Andrea Ridgeway scored within 90 seconds of each other in the second half to give the Illini soccer team a 2-1 win against Texas A&M in the second round of the NCAA tournament. It was the first second-round win in the program's history.
   3. Illinois rallied for three runs in the eighth to edge Michigan 4-3 in a series opener at Illinois Field. The win put the eventual conference champion Illini alone atop the Big Ten standings.
   4. Led by Tiffanie Guthrie's 20 points and 10 offensive rebounds, the Illini threw a major scare into eventual NCAA runner-up Michigan State before falling 61-50 in overtime in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal.
   5. In front of 3,573 fans at Huff Hall, the Illinois wrestling team picked up its second dual-match win against Iowa in 43 years with a 25-7 rout. In the match of the night, Illinois' Brian Glynn won a tight decision against the Hawkeyes' Paul Bradley.
Top performances
   1. Deron Williams against Arizona  We don't have to tell you what happened.
   2. Justin Spring at the NCAAs  Gymnast has never been better on the parallel bars.
   3. Cassie Hunt at NCAA regional  Sophomore became the first Illini women's cross-country runner to win a regional title.
   4. Dee Brown against Michigan  Guard rescued Illini and clinched Big Ten Player of the Year award.
   5. J.R. Kyes against Northwestern  Illinois baseball slugger channeled A-Rod, going 9 for 17 with four homers and 13 RBI in a three-game sweep.
   6. Lou Henson at Centennial celebration  Henson's pregame press conference got big laughs. His halftime appearance brought more than a few tears.
   7. Leisha Alcia against Indiana  The Illini goalie made a career-high 13 saves in a 1-1 double-overtime tie.
   8. Men's gymnastics at the NCAAs  The squad piled up 225.250 points in the preliminary round of the NCAA Championships  more than a point higher than the previous record, set at the Big Ten Championships.
   9. Pierre Thomas at Michigan State  Former News-Gazette All-State Player of the Year gained 188 yards and scored two touchdowns at Michigan State. (Hey, it's the best football highlight we could come up with.)
   10. Bruce Weber at the Orange Krush meeting  Chatty Illinois coach won over students by saying Dick Vitale could "take his Dookies and shove it."
Key injuries
   1. Dee Brown's broken foot  A raw deal for Brown could set up another Big Ten title in 2006.
   2. Brian Randle's broken hand  Wall 1, Randle 0.
   3. Ade Adeyemo's broken leg against Purdue  Not only did Adeyemo get hurt running a reverse, but he fumbled the ball, setting up an early Purdue touchdown. Ouch.
   4. Erin Virtue's knee injury  Illini volleyball team was 7-1 with on-court leader and 12-10 without her.
   5. Megan Nyquist's knee injury  The Illini's point guard woes worsened when the freshman suffered a season-ending injury in an exhibition game.
   Plays of the year
   1. Roger Powell missed a three-pointer, grabbed his own rebound and threw down a two-handed dunk against Louisville, a play that epitomized Illinois' hustle  and made the cover of every newspaper in America.
   2. Steve Weatherford made like Pierre Thomas on a fake field goal touchdown run against Northwestern.
   3. Dee Brown drives the lane against Michigan, then turns in midair and delivers a pinpoint behind-the-back pass to James Augustine for a dunk. Isiah Thomas would've been proud.
   4. Leisha Alcia stopped a Texas A&M penalty kick in the 77th minute, and the Illini went on to a 2-1 win that put them in the Sweet 16.
   5. Jack Ingram tipped an Arizona inbound pass that set up the play you'll remember long after you've forgotten Ingram  Deron Williams' game-tying three-pointer.
   Most improved
   1. Ryan Rogowski, baseball  Junior left fielder increased his batting average by almost 100 points and stole 21 more bases than the year before.
   2. Jack Ingram, men's basketball  By the end of the year, brawny engineer was Illinois' most reliable frontcourt sub.
   3. JJ Simmons, football  Coaches stopped worrying about rookie left tackle after the second game.
   4. Jaime Turilli, women's cross-country/track and field  Senior set school records in indoor and outdoor 5,000 meters and became first Illini female to qualify for NCAA meet in the event.
   5. Cassio Pero, wrestling  Sophomore took advantage of Michael Martin's injury, became All-American.
Best crowds (basketball)
   1. Wake Forest  The Hall was painted orange. The Deacons ended up blue.
   2. Arizona  Nearby O'Hare was peaceful compared to rowdy Rosemont.
   3. NCAA opening rounds  From the shoot-around to the Nevada game, Illinois orange took over Indianapolis.
   4. Big Ten tournament semifinals  A moment of silence for Dawn Weber and a standing ovation for her son made for the most emotional crowd of the season.
   5. At Iowa  Thousands of Illinois fans drowned out the Hawkeye faithful's Steve Alford grumblings.
Best crowds (others)
   1. Wrestling against Iowa  Huff was stuffed with 3,573, who cheered every escape and takedown by Illinois.
   2. Volleyball against Southern California  With No. 1 Trojans in town and Illini Classic title at stake, 2,969 fill Huff Hall and roar their approval.
   3. Baseball against Michigan  One day after free admission draws 1,639, another 1,569 pay their way into Illinois Field to see first-place Illini split a doubleheader with Wolverines.
   4. Track and field for Central Collegiate Championships  Anyone who showed up for this meet on a brutally cold and windy day at the Illinois Outdoor Track Stadium truly is a fan.
   5. Soccer against Nebraska  A school-record 1,046 fill Illinois Stadium to watch the Illini win their first-ever Sweet 16 NCAA tournament game.
Worst crowds
   1. Women's basketball vs. IPFW  Folks probably had no idea what an IPFW was, and it showed. The UI's announced attendance: 1,095.
   2. Big Ten baseball tournament title game  Minnesota and Ohio State had more players than fans in the stands at Illinois Field.
   3. Football vs. Indiana  The few fans who showed can say they saw Ron Turner's last home game at Memorial Stadium.
   4. Softball vs. Minnesota  Yeah, the "World's Largest Softball Tailgate" drew 2,100 fans. We were expecting 5,000.
   5. Basketball Final Four sendoff  Nice scene. Too bad it was one-fifth the size of Louisville's.
Coaches of the Year
   1. Bruce Weber, men's basketball  Only coach to have a book written about him this season.
   2. Mark Johnson, wrestling  Finally ended the school's Big Ten championship drought. Next, he can work on winning an NCAA trophy.
   3. Gary Winckler, women's track and field  Tenth coach of the year award might have been most deserved yet.
   4. Itch Jones, baseball  School-record 20 league wins, Big Ten coach of year award, classy exit.
   5. Janet Rayfield, soccer  Second straight 16-win season put her Illini in the Elite Eight for the first time. Look for more in 2005.
Quotes of the year
   "I told them not to hang their heads. I told them they have nothing to be ashamed of, that they should be proud of everything they've accomplished. We got beat by a great team. Where's the shame in that?"  Illinois basketball coach Bruce Weber after his team lost the NCAA title game to North Carolina
   "I told him he was the best guard in the country and he was going to dominate down the stretch. And that's exactly what he did."  Illinois guard Dee Brown, relaying the conversation he shared with Deron Williams late in Illinois' stunning Elite Eight comeback against Arizona
   "We have a good problem. We're running out of places to put trophies in our office."  Bruce Weber after Illinois' Big Ten tournament title win
   "It's like being the '85 Bears. Except they don't have us in the video."  Bruce Weber's reaction to the recording of two rap songs about his team
   "We just took it like, 'OK, we're No. 1, so let's stay there.' We didn't throw balloons in the air or anything."  Luther Head on Illinois' No. 1 national ranking
   "There's been a lot of tears since 6 o'clock yesterday. Tears of good things, of all the time we had together. She was a great mom."  Bruce Weber, after coaching a game in the Big Ten tournament one day after the death of his mother, Dawn
   "Love is all I need to give him. Besides, I'm broke."  Dee Brown on Weber's birthday.
   "Ron (Guenther) and I will get together in the next couple days and talk. We really haven't talked much about it."  Ron Turner on his job status as of Nov. 20.
   "I don't know what the future brings, but I do know one thing. Things will work out. Things always happen for a reason. Things will work out. We'll be OK. The University of Illinois will always be a part of me, a part of my family. And I hope that we will always be a part of University of Illinois football and will be welcomed back in the future to be part of this great tradition."  Ron Turner after being fired on Nov. 22.
   "I'd go all the way to Mars if it took it."  Ron Guenther on where he would look for his next football hire.
   "There was no question one guy stood above the rest."  Ron Guenther after going to Florida, not Mars, to find coach Ron Zook.
   "It just feels so good to be here. It's like home already." Ron Zook, the day he was hired at Illinois.
   "I know we're going in the right direction. I know we've got an awful, awful long way to go. The players are working hard, they're trying to do what we ask them to do. That's all we can do."  Ron Zook in the middle of his first spring practice at Illinois.
   "She just said we're no longer in the building stage. We're done with that. We're showing everyone that we're a powerhouse. Making it to the Elite Eight definitely says that."  Paula Faherty, UI soccer player, on coach Janet Rayfield's pregame speech before a 2-1 win against Nebraska in the third round of the NCAA tournament.
   "We said, 'You know what, the target on their chest is bigger than ours, and we don't like that.' We want the target to be on our chest. We want people to have high expectations.' Today was about getting the target off their chest and putting it on ours. So far, we've been able to deal with that and have embraced having that target on our chest. Believe me, after this victory it's going to get real big."  Janet Rayfield after her Illini beat No. 8 Kansas 1-0, giving Illinois soccer its first-ever win against a Top 10 team.
   "I have respect for them. I said it in conversations from the start. So I don't appreciate being treated ... and I'm sorry if I'm getting a little terse ... I'm an Olympic person, a Hall of Famer, (and) I should be treated a little better."  Theresa Grentz after Indiana State coach Jim Wiedie said the Illini weren't interested in going to Terre Haute, Ind., for a WNIT first-round game.
Headlines you might read in 2005-06
       * Bulls draft Brown No. 22
    * Brown: 'Skiles could be more supportive'
    * 74th Illinois recruit commits to Zook
    * 11th Illinois recruit commits to Krzyzewski
    * McClain takes Bradley job
    * Keady takes McClain's job
    * UI swimmers host Michigan in Boneyard Creek
    * Australia wins it all
    * Tiley named prime minister
    * Cantor rooting for (Illinois opponent here)
   Headlines you won't read in 2005-06
       * Zook takes a nap
    * Small congratulates Lepp
    * Tennessee, Illinois sign home-and-home deal
    * Atkins expansion progressing nicely
    * Bears clever on offense
    * Weber makes Mr. Blackwell's best-dressed list
    * Bill Murray still on bandwagon

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