Dec. 12, 2005
WEEKLY AWARDS
TEAM OF THE WEEK: Illinois
Bruce Weber's team scored three victories, beating Arkansas-Little Rock (75-49), Georgetown (58-48) and Oregon (89-59).
Dee Brown scored 26 points in the blowout over the Ducks. Illinois is 10-0, playing 10 games in 23 days.
CO-PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: J. J. Redick, Duke, and Adam Morrison, Gonzaga
These two look like the front-runners for national player of the year honors. Redick put on a show against No. 2 Texas, scoring a career-high 41 points, hitting nine of 16 trifectas. Morrison, who scored 43 points in a loss to Washington, had back-to-back 25-point performances, including the game-winning 3-point bank shot against Oklahoma State.
CO-SHOCKS OF THE WEEK: Northwestern State (La.) over Oklahoma State, and Indiana State over Indiana
The Demons won at Stillwater, 68-64, handing Eddie Sutton his second nonconference home loss in 16 years. Clifton Lee scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds and helped Northwestern State to another shocker. The Demons won at Mississippi State earlier this season.
The Hoosiers gave Duke a scare, but couldn't win in Terre Haute. Marco Killingsworth was held in check. I wonder how many players on Indiana State's roster were even recruited by Indiana? The Hoosiers rebounded by blowing out Kentucky later in the week.
COACH OF THE WEEK: Lorenzo Romar, Washington
Romar has already enjoyed success this season despite losing a lot of talent, including Nate Robinson. The Huskies knocked off Gonzaga and beat New Mexico in the John Wooden Classic.
CO-DIAPER DANDIES OF THE WEEK: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina and Billy Humphrey, Georgia
Hansbrough came up big for the Tar Heels, scoring 21 points, hitting nine of 12 field goals in a come-from-behind win over Saint Louis. Humphrey, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 15.5 ppg in wins over Georgia Tech and Georgia State.
Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.
