There are only 7 schools in D-1 history that have won at least 37 games in a season: Duke (twice), Kentucky (twice), Gonzaga, Kansas, Illinois, Memphis, and UNLV. The Illini did so back in 2005 after starting the season 29-0 and only losing 2 games all year by a combined 6 PTS. Led by national COY Bruce Weber, they had not 1…not 2…but an incredible 3 different players named consensus All-American (Dee Brown/Luther Head/Deron Williams). 1 of those stars was in the news last month after Roosevelt University named Dee Brown as its new head coach. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Dee about being named national POY and why he took the new job.
In 2002 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Carmelo Anthony/Chris Bosh/Amare Stoudemire/other)? My 2 favorite guys were JJ Redick and Carmelo Anthony. JJ and I had some tight battles during college: he was 1 of the most hated college basketball players ever but had a great work ethic. I also loved Melo, who was 1 of my teammates on team USA that summer. His tenacity and belief in himself were amazing…plus he won the NCAA title the following year as a freshman.
What made you choose Illinois for college? I was really impressed by the coaching staff: Bill Self really sold me/my mother on the school. It was also close to home so my family could come watch me play.
As a sophomore in 2004 you scored 13.3 PPG and helped lead the Illini to a 13-3 Big 10 regular season record: how big a deal was it to win the school’s 1st outright conference title since 1952? It was a great experience: everyone still talks about that team. We had some injuries and new leadership but banded together as brothers and went on an incredible run. Everyone played a role and the “star” was the team. We approached each game like we needed it and it gave us a lot of motivation/inspiration. It was a lot of hard work but we stuck together.
You were a 2-time consensus All-American and in 2005 you were named national POY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? I actually averaged the same amount of points as a junior that I did as a sophomore but I received the POY award due to our team’s success. It was huge because we played hard as a group and won a lot of games. I used to get a lot of accolades but I would tell my teammates during meetings that it was all about our team.
Take me through the 2005 NCAA tourney:
In the Elite 8 you overcame a 15-PT deficit with 4 minutes left to force OT en route to a 1-PT win over Arizona: what are your memories of 1 of the most thrilling games in NCAA tourney history? I was just thinking about that game yesterday: I could write a book about it! To win it in Chicago and go to the Final 4 was very special. I was a WWF fan growing up…but we were the best act to ever come through the Rosemont Horizon! The 18,000 fans in attendance that day will always remember it. Arizona had a great coach/team but we did not give up and made our dream come true.
You entered the title game with an NCAA-record-tying 37 wins and scored 12 PTS in a 5-PT loss to North Carolina: how close did you come to winning it all? It was a 1-PT game with 3 minutes left but we missed a few shots down the stretch. It was a really good game but everything has to go in your favor to win a title. It is hard to keep a really talented team under 70 PTS but we almost did before losing 75-70.
You led the Big 10 with 1.9 SPG as a freshman and were named conference DPOY as a junior: what is the secret to playing great defense? Having other great defenders on the court! You need to study film and have the mentality of locking down your opponent. You have a job to do: the more I played defense, the better I was.
In 2006 you won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best player in the nation standing 6’ or shorter: did you see your size as an advantage or disadvantage on the court? As an advantage! People would tell me that I was too small but my athleticism/speed allowed me to be disruptive and expose mismatches. I could guard the 1 through 4 spots and wanted to inspire others around the world: you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough. I went out there with some swagger: there are a lot of small dudes out there who leave it all out on the court. I was chasing that award as well as the Bob Cousy Award.
You and James Augustine graduated as the winningest players in school history with 114 wins: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I just hung out with James yesterday: he is a great man and it was an easy sell to convince him to come play with me at Illinois. 114-23 is an unbelievable mark: there are at least 3 other games that we should have won during our careers, which would have made us the winningest players in Big 10 history. I do not think that 114 will ever be broken because I doubt that someone will stay 4 years to do so. If someone does break it I think it will not be a 4-year starter but rather someone who does not play a lot of minutes. I am proudest of that achievement because I have always been in the win/lose business. I wanted to win 4 straight Big 10 titles: it still haunts me that we came up 1 game short during my freshman/senior years.
You spent almost a decade playing bro basketball in the NBA/overseas: what is the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball in other countries? The NBA is the best in the world: the elite. The spacing/rules are the biggest difference. Europe does not have a 3-second rule or goaltending and is more of a half-court game. The lifestyle is also different with roommates/2-a-day training camps. There is not just 1 way to play basketball so it taught me a lot: it is a different type of grind/way of life.
Last month you were named head coach at Roosevelt University: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? It is a really good job here in downtown Chicago. When I met the people at the institution they really sold me on the chance to lead my own program. They have great academics and it is a great opportunity for me. I am very excited: it is going well so far and I am learning a lot. NAIA is very different than D-1 but I want to better myself and become a better coach.