HJ0071 LRB093 21523 HSS 48717 r

1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the General Assembly of the State
3 of Illinois are pleased to recognize notable achievements in
4 college basketball in the State of Illinois; and
 
5     WHEREAS, After winning 10 straight games, with 6 of them on
6 the road, the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana
7 Fighting Illini men's basketball team claimed their first
8 undisputed regular season Big Ten Conference Championship
9 since 1952 with a thrilling 64 to 63 win at Ohio State on March
10 7, 2004; and
 
11     WHEREAS, Illinois' 10-game winning streak is the longest by
12 any Big Ten team this season; it is also Illinois' longest
13 winning streak since the 1989-1990 season when Illinois won its
14 first 11 games; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The Fighting Illini finished the season with a
16 record of 22 wins and 5 losses and were the top seed at the Big
17 Ten Tournament; and
 
18     WHEREAS, Illinois earned an at-large bid to the 2004 NCAA
19 Tournament and received a number 5 seed in the Atlanta Region;
20 and
 
21     WHEREAS, The Fighting Illini were led through their
22 2003-2004 season by nationally distinguished Head Basketball
23 Coach Bruce Weber; and
 
24     WHEREAS, Head Basketball Coach Bruce Weber is the sixth
25 coach in the Big Ten since 1951 to defeat every other
26 conference team in his first season; and
 
27     WHEREAS, Four Fighting Illini earned All-Big Ten honors
28 this season by both the coaches and media; sophomore guard

 

 

HJ0071 - 2 - LRB093 21523 HSS 48717 r

1 Deron Williams earned First-Team status, sophomore guard Dee
2 Brown was named to the Second-Team, and sophomore center James
3 Augustine and junior forward Roger Powell both earned
4 Honorable-Mention honors; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Assistant Coaches for the 2003-2004 Fighting
6 Illini season are Chris Lowery, Wayne McClain, and Jay Price;
7 Gary Nottingham is the Assistant to the Head Coach; Al
8 Martindale is the trainer; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The members of the 2003-2004 Fighting Illini are
10 James Augustine, Dee Brown, Warren Carter, Luther Head,
11 Jerrance Howard, Jack Ingram, Rich McBride, Fred Nkemdi, Roger
12 Powell, Brian Randle, Nick Smith, Aaron Spears, and Deron
13 Williams; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
16 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate Head Basketball
17 Coach Bruce Weber and the University of Illinois at
18 Champaign-Urbana Fighting Illini men's basketball team on
19 being the undisputed Big Ten Conference Champions; and be it
20 further
 
21     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
22 presented to each of the coaches and players of the Fighting
23 Illini Basketball team as an expression of our esteem and with
24 our best wishes for their future success.