If freshman Jamar Smith, sophomore Brian Randle and junior Warren Carter continue to play the way they did in Thursday’s NCAA tournament opener, Illinois just might exceed expectations for a fourth-seeded team.
The three began the night with a collective average of 20 points a game, but they were the difference in Illinois’ 78-69 victory over 13th-seeded Air Force at Cox Arena.
The next assignment is Saturday against fifth-seeded Washington, which ousted No. 12 Utah State 75-61.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber would love to see encore performances from Smith, Randle and Carter.
Smith came off the bench to sink 6 of 9 three-pointers and score another basket off a drive to become the game’s high scorer with 20 points, 17 coming in the second half.
Randle was 6-for-9 and made all three of his free throws, scoring all 15 of his points in the second half. He also hauled down seven rebounds to help Illinois dominate the backboards.
Carter came in early and was the dominant player in the first half, sinking 5 of 6 shots to lead the Illini to a 35-28 halftime lead. He finished with 12 points, contributing the basket that started the 12-0 run that broke open a close game.
Relying on 13-for-27 three-point shooting, Air Force (24-7) sank 51.2 percent of its shots. But Illinois countered with a season-high 58 percent shooting and a 28-15 rebounding advantage.
“That’s one of the best games we’ve played offensively,” said senior point guard Dee Brown, who had eight points, a game-high 10 assists, a game- and career-high eight rebounds and a game-high four steals.
“Air Force was ranked No. 1 [in the nation] defensively. They’re a scary team. They have good players, they’re athletic and they shoot well. I don’t think anyone would want to play them in the first round.”
Falcons coach Jeff Bzdelik felt the same way about the Illini (26-6). He said he had been warned about the kind of game they can play.
“We were investigating, calling other coaches,” Bzdelik said, referring to the scouting mission he and his assistants made after the tournament pairings were announced Sunday. “We had people in the Big Ten tell us that Illinois was the best team in the Big Ten, the team they feared the most. That came from three teams.
“Illinois is an outstanding basketball team, by far the best team we’ve played all year. They have experience. They have confidence. They’re powerful inside. They can shoot. They’re a high-energy team.
“Offensively, we were able to score against the top-rated defensive team in the Big Ten. We simply could not get enough stops defensively. In the first half Carter gave them a boost. In the second half Smith broke our back.”
Weber was surprised by the score.
“I was thinking it would be 53-49 or something like that,” he said. “If we keep getting that kind of production, I think we can be successful.
” . . . We felt a little bit snubbed that we didn’t get to stay close to home. Then we get a tough team to go up against in the first game. They adjusted very well; you ran something and they adjusted. We knew [Air Force was] going to go down fighting. You’re talking about kids with discipline and toughness.”
Senior James Augustine said the experience of finishing second in last year’s NCAA tournament was “an advantage as well as a disadvantage” for Illinois.
“If we were inexperienced, we would just go out there and play,” said the 6-foot-10-inch forward, who made 3 of 4 shots and all four of his free throws. “But we’re sitting here (after the game) talking about how we’re supposed to win and how this is supposed to be an easy game. But it’s not an easy game.
“I think there’s a lot more pressure this time. We want to be successful. We want to make it back to the Final Four.”
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nmilbert@tribune.com
