Retire #11

To the best of my knowledge, the University of Illinois Men's Basketball team has never retired a number. No retired numbers were listed in the 2005-2006 Media Guide, and I couldn't find any references to Illini Retired Numbers online. This is something of a shock, considering the number of great players who have gone through U of I.

But this year, I think we need to start a new trend.

Daniel "Dee" Brown is the current Illini Point Guard / Shooting Guard. Assuming he puts up numbers his senior year that are equivalent to his career averages so far, he will graduate:

-1st all-time in number of wins (tied with James Augustine)
-2nd all-time in steals
-2nd all-time in assists
-3rd all-time in scoring

He has also won the following awards:

-2005 Sporting News National Player of the Year
-2005 1st-Team All-American
-2005 Big Ten Player of the Year
-2005 Defensive Player of the Year

Dee has become the poster child for Illinois basketball. Every time he walks onto the court, he is greeted like a rock star. He is, without question, the most popular player in all of college basketball. He has been on the covers of numerous magazines (Sports Illustrated, for exmaple). He has been nicknamed the "One Man Fast Break" for his ability to create steals and fast break opportunities. And last year, he had the highest 3-point shooting percentage of any guard in America (even higher than J.J. Redick).

He has the God-given ability to single-handedly change the outcome of a game. Last year, in a game at Michigan, with the Illini trailing by six, Dee stole the ball from a Michigan player THREE TIMES in less than two minutes, scoring six points. By himself, he created six points out of thin air to keep the Illini dream season going.

But more than that, he is absolutely the nicest guy in the entire world. I've never seen another athlete who always helps up every fallen player he is standing next to - regardless of the name on their jersey. Every time I hear him interviewed, he comes off as nothing but incredibly well-spoken and humble. Whenever I see him walking around campus, he has a huge smile on his face, and will always take time out to indulge a fan with an autograph, a little chat, or even a hug.

He loves his school, and he loves his state. It is clear that he did not come to Illinois just for its NBA potential, he came here to play for his state. He not only knows what it means to "represent" where he's from, he created the definition. In his words, "It feels so good when you are able to tell someone you graduated from the University of Illinois." And he would know - he graduated in three years with a 3.06 GPA, making him an academic all-Big Ten for the third year in a row. Now he is back for his senior season to lead his team on to victory once again.

This man has done more for the University of Illinois and Illini basketball than anyone before him. February 25th, in his last home game, I want to see his jersey number 11 hanging from the rafters - because no one can ever re-create what he has done.