Dec. 6, 2004

Big Ten Player of the Week
Roger Powell, Jr., Illinois
SR, F, Joliet, Ill./Joliet

Powell led Illinois to a pair of victories last week, including a 91-73 rout of No. 1 Wake Forest in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, to earn his first Player of the Week accolade. It marked just the second win over a No. 1 ranked opponent in school history and the first since the Illini defeated No. 1 Michigan State, 57-55, at the Assembly Hall on Jan. 11, 1979. Against the Demon Deacons, Powell scored a game-high and season-best 19 points, notching 8-of-10 field goals, while adding seven rebounds. He picked up where he left off in a 72-60 victory on the road against Arkansas on Saturday, tying his season high with another 19-point performance while adding a career-best 11 rebounds. It marked Powell's third career double-double and the first of the 2004-05 season, while also equaling the most rebounds by an Illinois player this season. On the week, the 6-6 forward averaged 19 points and 5.5 rebounds, while shooting 67 percent (14-21) from the field, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. With his back-to-back 19-point performances, Powell has now scored in double-figures in five straight games. He currently ranks third among the Illini in scoring (13.7), while leading the League in field goal percentage at 71 percent.