Wake Forest center Eric Williams separated himself from his team pre-game, clenched his fists and closed his eyes fiercely. The sight of Wake’s tattooed monster was intimidating, but the 42 points the Illini frontcourt put on his team was debilitating. The Illini bigs were led by Roger Powell Jr., who finished with 19 points – shooting 80 percent from the field. James Augustine finished with 10 points and didn’t miss one of his four field goal attempts or two free throws. Both teams finished with 37 rebounds – a victory for the Illini bigs, who were supposed to be outmatched by their Wake Forest counterparts.

Illini More Than Just Dee and Deron

Junior guard Dee Brown dished out seven assists Wednesday night and wasn’t finished until after the post-game press conference.

“Illinois is starting to get the respect it deserves,” Brown said.

Brown and Deron Williams have the recognizable names, but Illinois’ other players are starting to show the nation how deep the Illini are. The seniors are stepping up for the team, which has national championship aspirations. Weber mentioned that Luther Head could be the best guard on the team. And Powell Jr. and Augustine dominated the middle in back-to-back games against two of the stronger frontcourts in the land.

Turn Up The Volume On Weber’s Coat

“This coat is tailor-made,” Weber said. “It’s going into hibernation for a while.”

The coat is a brighter, more orange version of last year’s orange cream jacket. The coat has become a fan favorite and prompted Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser to poke fun at it before the game.

Weber said he guarantees that while his coat will be lighting up the closet for a little while, Illinois fans have not seen the last of it.