After picking up a big win over Michigan Wednesday night, the UW men’s basketball team will look to build some steam in their race toward a third-consecutive Big Ten title when they square off with Illinois in the Kohl Center tomorrow afternoon.

Led by sophomore guard Dee Brown, better known as the “One-Man Fast Break,” the Illini have posted a 12-4 record thus far in 2003-04 and have notched a 3-2 record in conference play.

Brown was named the Big Ten’s Preseason Player of the Year by the media, and he has effectively backed that honor up with his play this season.

He currently leads the Illini in scoring at 12.8 points per game and ranks among the Big Ten’s top ten players in three separate categories, ranking third with 5.1 assists per game, fourth with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.25 and third with 2.3 three-pointers per game.

Containing Brown will be a key for the Badgers in their effort to come away with a 24th-consecutive home victory.

“He’s a great guard. He’s extremely quick, both with his hands and his feet,” UW forward Mike Wilkinson said. “He plays great defense; he gets in passing lanes and makes it difficult. On the offensive end, he’ll put the ball on the floor against anybody. He pushes it in transition and gets to the basket, and he can step back and shoot it. He’s just a heck of a player.”

While Brown may be the Illini’s catalyst on the floor, a number of players on their roster can step up and score.

Six different guys have led Illinois in scoring this season, and just 1.2 points per game separate the team’s leading scorer, Brown, and its fourth-leading scorer James Augustine (11.2 ppg).

In their 80-37 throttling of Penn State Wednesday night, the Illini had 11 different players crack the scoring column, with Brown and backcourt mate Deron Williams leading the way with 16 and 12 points, respectively.

This balanced scoring attack is a change of pace for UI when comparing their style of play to their team last season, as they used to rely heavily on now-Los Angeles Lakers rookie Brian Cook to carry a bulk of the scoring load.

“They’re real similar to the way we play,” Wilkinson said. “Everybody can step up on every other night. They don’t rely on just one person to do the scoring. Anyone’s capable of having a huge night…they don’t have the one dominant go-to player, they have four or five players that they can go to in crunch time–which I think makes them a little more dangerous.”

And the Illini’s balanced scoring attack is actually two-fold. Not only do they have a number of players who have proven they can step up and score, but those players are also equally spread out between the backcourt and frontcourt.

Brown, Williams and the Illinois’ guards receive a bulk of the accolades and headlines, but James Augustine, Roger Powell and the Illini big men are also more than capable of getting the job done.

Augustine has already posted six double-doubles this season and his team-leading 9.3 rebounds per game ranks second in the conference.

Powell has been similarly successful on the block, as he ranks second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 ppg).

In Illinois’ victory over Penn State the Illini’s two big men combined to score 25 points, shooting a solid 9-12 from the floor.

Also stepping up and contributing in Illinois’ frontcourt has been junior Nick Smith.

Smith, a 7-foot-2 center from Valrico, Fl., has emerged as one of IU head coach Bruce Weber’s best inside players.

Also known as “Chainsaw” by the Illini fans, Smith has started four games this season and is averaging 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.

Smith has also made teams pay for putting him to the foul line, as he has knocked down 42 of his 49 free-throw attempts on the year.

When Smith and Illinois travel to the Kohl Center tomorrow, the game will bring back fond memories for fans of the cardinal and white.

Last season, the Badgers clinched their first out-right Big Ten title since 1947 after Devin Harris knocked down a free throw with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game to break a 59-59 tie.

Illinois had battled back from an eight point-deficit with just 2:36 to go in the contest, but Wisconsin ultimately came away with the win.

With both teams looking like frontrunners for the conference crown this season, tomorrow’s game could serve as a huge stepping-stone for either team.

If the Badgers are to pick up the win, Harris and company will likely need to put together another top-notch defensive effort, especially since Freddie Owens and Alando Tucker are both expected to sit out again due to injury.