Wildcat NoteBook: Wildcats head to Windy City to face familiar foe

March 26, 2005 is a date that will live in infamy for every University of Arizona basketball fan.

With a 15-point lead over the University of Illinois and four minutes standing between the Wildcats and the Final Four, the excitement began to build.

Even when Illini guards Luther Head, Dee Brown and especially Deron Williams started to chip away at the lead, most fans figured it was too little, too late.

But there was no stopping Williams, who made every big shot and every key defensive play on the way to a 90-89 Illinois win in one of the most exciting games of the 2005 NCAA tournament.

“That one still hurts,” said senior Jawann McClellan, who was a freshman on that Salim Stoudamire-led squad.

Chase Budinger, who was still two months away from his 17th birthday, remembered watching that game on television. He could only think of one word to describe what he saw.

“Devastating,” Budinger said.

It was one of the most damaging losses in program history.

It’s telling that Arizona has won only one NCAA tournament game since that fateful day.

Tomorrow, the No. 22 Wildcats (5-2) will look for another dose of revenge when they head to Chicago to take on the Fighting Illini (5-2) at 10 a.m.

Last season, the Wildcats came back from 16 down to take down Illinois 84-72—a satisfying win, but it couldn’t erase the memories of what had happened in that Elite Eight contest.

“We’re looking for payback every time we face them, even those of us who weren’t on the team that year,” Budinger said.

This year’s game will take place on a “neutral” site at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.

McClellan, whose uncle John McClellan is a Chicago native, expects a raucous atmosphere and an emotional contest.

“It’s going to be loud, no question about it,” McClellan said. “We have a young team, but we’re not scared of anyone. We just have to play our game.”

It will be much easier for the Wildcats to “play their game” if they perform like they did in the second half of their remarkable 78-67 win over Texas A&M on Sunday.

After one of the most exciting comebacks in Arizona history, interim head coach Kevin O’Neill said he was even more impressed with his squad’s effort, considering the quality of opponent.

“After going through the game film, I was very impressed with how good Texas A&M is,” O’Neill said. “That is a team with a serious shot at the Final Four, which gives me even more respect for our players and what they were able to accomplish.”

Bayless and Budinger

Arizona clawed its way back into that contest behind the two-headed scoring punch of Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger, which has been the case throughout the early part of this season.

Bayless leads the team at just under 20 points a game with Budinger a close second at 18.4 points per contest.

When those two players are in a shooting groove, few programs can match this dynamic duo.

“When we’re running our offense properly, both Jerryd and I should get plenty of open looks,” Budinger said. “When we’re getting open looks, we have to be knocking down shots. It’s really that simple.”

Of course, O’Neill’s focus has been primarily on improving this squad on the defensive end.

Everybody expects the Wildcats to score, but few could’ve expected this squad to hold the high-powered Aggies to 27 second-half points.

O’Neill said he expects that effort to continue to improve throughout the season.

Improving on defense

“I’d say we’re playing good defense about 28 to 30 minutes per game,” O’Neill said. “I want us to be known as a tough, physical team by the end of the season.”

The defense will need to be in full effect against this hard-nosed Illinois squad.

Head coach Bruce Weber’s teams are always physical, which has been this program’s signature feature this season.

Nine players see more than 10 minutes per game for the Illini, with junior point guard Chester Frazier the only one who averages more than 30 minutes of playing time each night.

Six-foot, 10-inch center Shaun Pruitt is the focal point of the Illini offense, along with sharp-shooting guard Trent Meacham and versatile forward Brian Randle.

“This is a team that does a lot of things well,” O’Neill said. “We’re going to need the same kind of effort that our bigs gave us against Texas A&M, because Pruitt is a load to handle on the block.”

The 10 a.m. tipoff will be televised on ESPN.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9747

Game details

Arizona (5-2) at Illinois (5-2)

Sat., Dec. 8

United Cetner, Chicago

10 a.m. MST

Radio: Wildcat Radio Network, 1290 AM, 107.5 FM

TV: ESPN (Cox, 24)