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Illinois Basketball: Best Illini 3-on-3 basketball teams

By Rees Woodcock

Dec 21, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; The Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders run on the court before a basketball game against the Missouri Tigers at Scottrade Center. Illinois won 75-66. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; The Illinois Fighting Illini cheerleaders run on the court before a basketball game against the Missouri Tigers at Scottrade Center. Illinois won 75-66. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 16, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; NCAA basketballs sit in a rack during practice the day before the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Team 5: Dee Brown, Roger Powell, Brian Cook

The second great 3-on-3 team in the early 2000’s had three very special players. This team can hit you from multiple areas on the court.

Dee Brown leads the way for this team with his all-around great play. He was a superstar as soon as he stepped foot in Assembly Hall. He averaged at least 12 points per game in every season he was in Champaign. He also was a great ball distributor as well. He finished his career averaging 13.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.

Having a great point guard in a 3-on-3 tournament is important. Brown would be great to have with his speed and ability to distribute. Another area on a 3-on-3 team that you need is a gritty player. That is why Roger Powell would be big on this team. Powell was a really good player for the Illini and–despite only being 6-foot-6—was a beast. He averaged 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game his senior season. Having Powell would be big for this team.

The big man for this Illini team would be Brian Cook. He was one of the greatest players to play for the Illini. He had the size at 6-foot-9 and could shoot the three and play in the paint. He averaged 20 points and 7.6 rebounds per game his senior season. His presence in the paint and ability to step out beyond the arc is big for a 3-on-3 team.

These three players would be great together. The combination of speed, size and grit would get them far against other Illinois teams.

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