Big Ten tournament by the numbers
Mar. 13—A numbers game
Illinois and Big Ten tournament success are fairly synonymous. Only one team has played in more title games (Ohio State) and the Illini rank fourth in all-tournament team selections with 14 — from Cory Bradford in 1999 to Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn in 2021. Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights five more Illinois-centric numbers from the Big Ten tournament record book:
3
Illini in the top 10 in career tournament rebounds. James Augustine (85), Brian Cook (65) and Shaun Pruitt (63) hold that honor with Iowa's Reggie Evans — 95 in eight games — the Big Ten's all-time tournament leader. Pruitt's came in just seven games.
17
Three-pointers Cory Bradford made during the 1999 Big Ten tournament. No one has made more or matched what the former Illini guard accomplished 25 years ago at the United Center in Chicago. Fellow former Illini Demetri McCamey is also in the top 10, with 12 three-pointers in 2008, including a 6-of-6 performance in a quarterfinal win against Purdue that also stands as the most efficient in tournament history.
21
Career steals by Sergio McClain and Dee Brown in their Big Ten tournament careers. That ranks as the most steals in Big Ten tournament history. McClain, who had six steals in a single game (good for second all-time), finished with 21 total in his 11 career tournament games. Brown had 21 in 10 games.
91
points Illinois scored to beat Ohio State in the 2021 Big Ten tournament title game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. That is the most points by team in the Big Ten tournament, with the Illini edging the Buckeyes 91-88 in overtime. Ohio State's Duane Washington Jr. also set a title-game record with 32 points in the loss.
167
points Bradford scored in 11 Big Ten tournament games. Bradford's last tournament appearance came in 2002, but he still holds the record for most career points. William Buford from Ohio State is second with 161 points in 12 games from 2009-12, while former Illini Brian Cook is third with 157 points from 2000-03 by doing so in just 10 games.
