1972–73 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. Not ranked
APNo. Not ranked
Record14–10 (8–6 Big Ten)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Dick Campbell
  • Marshall Stoner
MVPNick Weatherspoon
CaptainNick Weatherspoon
Home arenaAssembly Hall
1972–73 Big Ten Conference men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 6 Indiana11–3 .78622–6  .786
No. 10 Minnesota10–4 .71421–5  .808
Purdue8–6 .57115–9  .625
Illinois8–6 .57114–10  .583
Ohio State8–6 .57114–10  .583
Iowa6–8 .42913–11  .542
Michigan6–8 .42913–11  .542
Michigan State6–8 .42913–11  .542
Wisconsin5–9 .35711–13  .458
Northwestern2–12 .1435–19  .208
Rankings from AP Poll
"1972-73 Fighting Illini men's basketball team"

The 1972–73 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois.

Regular season

Head coach Harv Schmidt entered his sixth season with the Fighting Illini with high expectations. The 1971-72 team returned one of the top senior athletes in the country, Nick Weatherspoon. As a sophomore, Weatherspoon scored 381 points, averaging 16.5 points per game, while collecting 246 rebounds. His junior year was even better, scoring 500 total points, averaging 20.8 points and pulling down 262 rebounds. Nothing, however, would be better than Weatherspoon's senior year. During this season he would score 600 points, averaging 25.0 points per game, while amassing 295 total rebounds. Weatherspoon remains as number 11 on the all-time leading scores list at the University of Illinois, only surpassed by players that completed four years of varsity basketball. His three year average of 20.9 points per game and 11.3 rebounds per game still remain number one for the Fighting Illini.

The 1972-73 team's starting lineup included Weatherspoon and Rick Schmidt at the forward spots, Jeff Dawson and Otho Tucker as guards and Nick Conner at center. The roster included the teams first 7 foot tall player, Bill Rucks a freshman from Waukegan High School.

Roster

1972–73 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 10 Garvin Roberson 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrElkhart Central High School Elkhart, Indiana
G 11 Dave Roberts 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)175 lb (79 kg) SoProviso East High School Maywood, Illinois
F 12 Nick Weatherspoon (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrMcKinley High School Canton, Ohio
G 14 C.J. Schroeder 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)195 lb (88 kg) JrDavenport West High School Davenport, Iowa
G 20 Dennis Graff 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) FrGibson City High School Gibson City, Illinois
G 21 Larry Cohen 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)180 lb (82 kg) SrNew Trier East High School Wilmette, Illinois
G 22 Rich Connell 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)175 lb (79 kg) FrSt. Joseph-Ogden High School St. Joseph, Illinois
G 24 Jeff Dawson 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)175 lb (79 kg) JrDowners Grove North High School Oak Park, Illinois
G 25 Donn Deputy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrPekin High School Pekin, Illinois
F 30 Mike Wente 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) JrSt. Anthony High School Effingham, Illinois
F 31 Mark Bondeson 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrMaine East High School Des Plaines, Illinois
F 32 Rick Schmidt 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoSt. Joseph-Ogden High School Royal, Illinois
G 33 Otho Tucker 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)185 lb (84 kg) SoParis High School Paris, Illinois
F 40 John McBride 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrCarl Sandburg High School Orland Park, Illinois
F/C 41 Dave Smith 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrHinsdale Central High School Clarendon Hills, Illinois
F 42 Jim Rucks 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)215 lb (98 kg) SrWaukegan High School Waukegan, Illinois
F 44 Jed Foster 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) SrFairfield High School Fairfield, Illinois
F/C 45 Nick Conner 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrEast High School Columbus, Ohio
C 53 Bill Rucks 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)250 lb (113 kg) FrWaukegan High School Waukegan, Illinois
C 54 Jim DeDecker 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)210 lb (95 kg) SrAlleman High School Moline, Illinois
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

All-Time Illini Roster

Source[1] [2]

Schedule

Source[3]

Date
time, TV		 Opponent Result Record Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-Conference regular season
12/2/1972*
no, no 		vs.DePauw W 100-68  1 - 0
 Assembly Hall (8,755)
Champaign, IL
12/4/1972*
no, no 		vs. Valparaiso W 80-62  2 - 0
 Assembly Hall (8,326)
Champaign, IL
12/9/1973*
no, no 		@ Detroit L 77-79 ot 2 - 1
 Calihan Hall (2,651)
Detroit, MI
12/13/1972*
no, no 		vs. Iowa State W 74-60  3 - 1
 Assembly Hall (8,501)
Champaign, IL
12/19/1972*
no, no 		vs. Furman W 86-81  4 - 1
 Assembly Hall (9,418)
Champaign, IL
12/22/1972*
no, no 		@ Southern California L 72-75  4 - 2
 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (3,472)
Los Angeles, CA
12/29/1972*
no, no 		vs. Temple
Sugar Bowl Classic		 W 82-77  5 - 2
 Municipal Auditorium (6,975)
New Orleans, LA
12/30/1972*
no, no 		vs. #1 UCLA
Sugar Bowl Classic		 L 64-71  5 - 3
 Municipal Auditorium (7,123)
New Orleans, LA
Big Ten regular season
1/6/1973
no, no 		@ Purdue L 80-91  5 - 4 ( 0 - 1 )
 Mackey Arena (11,684)
West Lafayette, IN
1/8/1973
no, no 		vs. Wisconsin W 76-74  6 - 4 ( 1 - 1 )
 Assembly Hall (8,607)
Champaign, IL
1/13/1973
no, no 		vs. Iowa
Rivalry		 W 80-78  7 - 4 ( 2 - 1 )
 Assembly Hall (9,916)
Champaign, IL
1/25/1973*
no, no 		vs. Notre Dame W 87-84  8 - 4
 Chicago Stadium (15,817)
Chicago, IL
1/27/1973*
no, no 		vs. South Carolina L 76-86  8 - 5
 Assembly Hall (6,000)
Champaign, IL
2/3/1973
no, no 		vs. Michigan W 76-75  9 - 5 ( 3 - 1 )
 Assembly Hall (11,117)
Champaign, IL
2/5/1973
no, no 		@ Northwestern W 84-77  10 - 5 ( 4 - 1 )
 McGaw Memorial Hall (4,726)
Evanston, IL
2/10/1973
no, no 		@ Wisconsin L 88-99  10 - 6 ( 4 - 2 )
 Wisconsin Field House (8,231)
Madison, WI
2/12/1973
no, no 		@ #4 Indiana
Rivalry		 L 67-87  10 - 7 ( 4 - 3 )
 Assembly Hall (14,156)
Bloomington, IN
2/17/1973
no, no 		vs. Ohio State W 79-68  11 - 7 ( 5 - 3 )
 Assembly Hall (11,892)
Champaign, IL
2/19/1973
no, no 		vs. #4 Minnesota L 52-72  11 - 8 ( 5 - 4 )
 Assembly Hall (11,367)
Champaign, IL
2/24/1973
no, no 		vs. Michigan State L 82-90  12 - 8 ( 6 - 4 )
 Assembly Hall (10,677)
Champaign, IL
2/26/1973
no, no 		@ Michigan W 96-89  13 - 8 ( 7 - 4 )
 Crisler Center (8,235)
Ann Arbor, MI
3/3/1973
no, no 		@ Ohio State L 64-65  13 - 9 ( 7 - 5 )
 St. John Arena (13,489)
Columbus, OH
3/5/1973
no, no 		vs. Northwestern W 77-76  14 - 9 ( 7 - 5 )
 Assembly Hall (10,857)
Champaign, IL
3/10/1973
no, no 		@ Iowa
Rivalry		 L 76-93  14 - 10 ( 8 - 6 )
 Iowa Field House (12,353)
Iowa City, IA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Central Time.

Player stats

Player Games Played Minutes Played Field Goals Free Throws Rebounds Points
Nick Weatherspoon[4]24880247106295600
Jeff Dawson[5]249301828368447
Nick Conner[6]2484513643221315
Otho Tucker[7]24822925379237
Jed Foster[8]24487383799113
Rick Schmidt[9]2347139109088
C.J. Schroeder[10]201639142832
Dave Roberts[11]158949725
Don Deputy72744312
Bill Rucks531511011
Larry Cohen3123016
Garvin Roberts8381244
Jim Rucks3311214

Awards and honors

Team players drafted into the NBA

Player NBA Club Round Pick
Nick WeatherspoonCapitol Bullets113
Jeff DawsonGolden State Warriors811
Nick ConnerBuffalo Braves102

[13]

Rankings

References

  1. ↑ Men's Basketball Roster
  2. ↑ All-Time Illini Rosters All-Time Illini Rosters Archived 2010-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ University of Illinois Fighting Illini Statistics Summary for 1972-73 Archived 2013-12-16 at the Wayback Machine, FightingIllini.com
  4. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Season Stats pg. 118" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  12. ↑ "List of MVPs" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 30, 2014. Retrieved December 13, 2013.
  13. ↑ 1973 NBA Draft Archived 2014-06-30 at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.