ST. LOUIS -- Just to make sure that the nation has this straight, Deron Williams has:
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| Francisco Garcia is stunned after Deron Williams induces him into a 2 for 10 shooting performance. (AP) |
2.) humiliated perhaps the country's best overall player.
It's happened on back-to-back Saturdays. The first one, a glued-to-your-television performance against Arizona that already is frozen in time. The next one in the Final Four on Saturday night, maybe, was bigger.
A week after holding Arizona's Salim Stoudamire to 2 of 13 shooting, Illinois' point guard decided to clamp down Saturday on Louisville's Francisco Garcia. Louisville's leader in scoring and assists was held down to 2 of 10 shooting and only four points in Illinois' 72-57 Final Four victory.
Yes, the matchup was Williams' decision. Shortly after that 90-89 overtime victory over the Wildcats, he spoke up to assistant coach Wayne McClain.
"Right after the Arizona (game)," Williams remembered. "We knew who we were going to play. I told him I wanted to guard Francisco. I like those challenges. I like to guard the best player on the opposite team."
In consecutive games he has held those best players to a combined 4 of 23 shooting. Stoudamire didn't get close to taking the final shot in overtime. Garcia simply never got going.
"Last year he was a good defensive player," coach Bruce Weber said of Williams. "He was really upset when he wasn't named the Big Ten defensive player of the year.
"What we found as the season progressed was that if he's on somebody that's good with the basketball, he concentrates. He's almost worst when we put him on the fourth or fifth best guy because then he relaxes and loses sight of his man."
Garcia, a 6-foot-7 junior, is one of the most elegant all-around players in the game. He was averaging 24 points, three assists and 2½ blocks before running into Williams. He left as another Williams victim.
"Basically, I didn't want to make things easy for him," Williams said. "He's the most critical part of their offense. He does so much for himself and for others that you have to stop him to be successful."
Williams has been the team's emotional leader through its five-game run. In the tournament he is averaging 14.2 points and 8.6 assists. As good as Big Ten player of the year Dee Brown is, he scored only eight points Saturday.
Flashback to last week: Williams ignited the miracle comeback from 15 down against Arizona with a 3. Then he forced the game into overtime with that corner 3 that will make them pop champagne in Champaign for years to come. In the last 24 minutes of the game he did not commit a turnover, while scoring 22 points and getting 10 assists.
"I was physically and emotionally drained after that game," Williams said. "I was on the bus just sitting there wishing I could go to sleep, too excited to go to sleep."
Concern No. 4,213 for Illinois fans is that Williams, a junior, is playing himself into the first round of the NBA Draft. As if that was on anyone's mind Saturday night.
"That's something we wanted for so long, to get to the Final Four," Williams said, "now we're one step closer. One step away from a national championship."
