Slowing Stoudamire at Top of Illinois’ List

Illinois has had an almost-perfect season, but Arizona has an almost-unstoppable guard in Salim Stoudamire.

“That dude is like a video game,” Illinois guard Dee Brown said. “He can shoot from anywhere.”

The Illini (35-1) are the top-ranked and top-seeded team in the NCAA tournament after losing only once all season, falling to Ohio State on a three-point basket in the last seconds after 29 consecutive victories.

“I think everyone in this region has known if you’re going to get to the Final Four, you have to go through Illinois to get there,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said.

Still, there’s a sense the Illini and their three-guard lineup might meet their match here today against the Wildcats in the Chicago Regional final in front of an orange-clad Illinois crowd at Allstate Arena.

Arizona (30-6) has a quick and talented perimeter trio of its own in Stoudamire, Mustafa Shakur and Hassan Adams to counter Brown, Deron Williams and Luther Head.

And with Head, the Illini’s leading scorer, slightly hobbled by a sore right hamstring, the Wildcats might have an extra edge.

“We’re going to have to play an exceptional game to get by them,” Illinois Coach Bruce Weber said.

Head played 33 minutes, despite the injury, in a semifinal victory over Wisconsin Milwaukee, contributing 12 points and six assists.

He nodded silently Friday when asked if he would play today.

“It’s OK,” said Head, adding his hamstring was “a little tight” but that he had been busy with treatments, including a massage.

“It was relaxing,” Head said.

The marquee matchup involves Brown -- the Big Ten player of the year and defensive player of the year as well -- and Stoudamire, whose driving jumper with 2.8 seconds left against Oklahoma State on Thursday put third-seeded Arizona in the Elite Eight.

It was the third game-winner this season for Stoudamire, who made a three-pointer with 2.5 seconds left to beat UCLA in January and made a 14-footer with 0.6 of a second left to beat Arizona State this month.

“If you know somebody is going to take the shot, but you still can’t stop them, I don’t see the negative to that,” Stoudamire said.

His old reputation as an erratic and pouty shooter has evaporated this season, and he is shooting a mind-boggling 51.5% from three-point range, including 12 of 27 in the NCAA tournament.

Weber says the video game analogy is an apt one.

“All the things we teach, shoulders square, elbows under the ball, that doesn’t matter,” Weber said. “When he gets on a rhythm and a roll, he just launches it and it just goes in, swish. He’s very tough to defend.”

Brown is going to be in Stoudamire’s pocket, but Stoudamire rejects the idea that any defender can shut him down.

“My philosophy has been, I stop myself,” he said. “It’s my mental approach. I guess opposing teams try to get me riled up by being physical. They figure if the mentality goes, the physical goes.”

The back-and-forth between Stoudamire, who has had as many as nine three-pointers in a game this season, and Brown, who has had as many as eight, will be the focal point, but there are key matchups elsewhere.

With all the focus on the guards, little is being said about Arizona center Channing Frye, who has a size and skill advantage over the Illini’s James Augustine.

“Just the fact you consider us bangers is kind of nice, kind of different,” said Frye, criticized for being “soft” earlier in his career.

Weber doesn’t want to let Stoudamire run wild, but he’s also wary of a crushing blow by someone such as the underrated but extremely athletic Adams, from Westchester High.

“I think no matter what, you don’t want Stoudamire to get 30 on you,” Weber said. “I think the difference will be what Adams does in the game. Frye’s going to get his points, Stoudamire’s going to get his points. We just can’t have the third and fourth guys go off.”

Stoudamire says he doesn’t care who does the scoring.

“I’m concerned with winning,” he said. “If I score two points and we win, I’m happy. If I score 30 points and we win, I’m happy.”

Illinois and Arizona are old foes, and Arizona last reached the Final Four in 2001 by defeating the Illini in a regional final.

Then, as now, the Illini were a No. 1-seeded team.

“We have gone through that at Arizona a number of times, where there’s a target on your chest,” Olson said. “No one wants to talk to whoever is second. They want to talk with the team that’s No. 1 in the country. So dealing with that kind of publicity all year long wears on you. I’m sure Bruce would say that. It’s been a heavy load to carry.”

And it’s a burden Arizona would be glad to take away.