CHAMPAIGN - While the Illinois basketball team searches for someone to handle a larger leadership role, Iowa appears to have found its answer.

Adam Haluska, a senior shooting guard who began his college career at Iowa State, has taken on a role that Jeff Horner and Greg Brunner handled quite nicely in the past. And in addition to leading Iowa with a scoring average of 19.9 points a game, Haluska has assumed a leadership position that coach Steve Alford believes could make the Hawkeyes a better road team.

They'll have a chance to prove it tonight when the Hawkeyes take on Illinois at Assembly Hall.

"(Leadership) is the intangible we were unsure about," Alford said this week. "Jeff and 'Bru' had the brunt of that last year. But with them gone, it really fell on the shoulders of Adam, and he's done a really good job.

"He's done a really good job keeping this team focused and moving forward and getting better."

Most recently, Haluska helped the Hawkeyes defeat Michigan State 62-60.

Iowa has combined Haluska's experience with the youthful versatility of freshman forward Tyler Smith to generate one of the best one-two punches in the league.

Smith, a 6-foot-7 freshman, averages 15.2 points, second best among all freshmen in the Big Ten.

"He's a special freshman," Alford said. "There are not too many freshmen across the country doing the things Tyler is doing. We're 15 games in, and he is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, he's made 3s, he's hit free throws, he has more assists than turnovers.

"He has something that shows up in almost every category, and not a lot of players can do that."

Illini coach Bruce Weber recognizes Smith's versatility, saying, "He's a good athlete who has a little size and can go inside and will flash to the 15- to 17-footer. He gets rebounds, runs the court and is a good mix."

But Haluska's experience, combined with similar versatility, makes him Iowa's most difficult player to defend.

"He comes off screens and shoots the quick jump shot," Weber said. "He has improved his game where he can get to the basket. You have to know where he is all the time.

"And he's not selfish. He made passes the other night against Michigan State and the other guys made plays. That was probably the key to their victory."

When Alford received an early commitment from Horner, it may have steered Haluska in another direction. They were both in-state prep players, and Alford said Haluska may have felt there was too much head-to-head competition looming with Horner.

Thus, Haluska initially chose Iowa State, where he played as a freshman. But he transferred to Iowa after that first season, sat out a year, and has emerged as a reliable Hawkeye leader.

Big game for struggling Illini

Weber, meanwhile, is trying to repair his team's confidence and simultaneously fix their shooting slump, while in the midst of a three-game losing streak.

"(Sunday) we brought them in and made everyone make so many 3s, make so many free throws, with a kind of competition against each other," he said. "We had a little fun. Plus you have to go back to form shooting. I use the analogy with baseball. If you get in a slump, you go to the batting cage and use film to see what you're doing wrong."

Weber knows his players are feeling the heat after losing three in a row, including Big Ten games to Michigan and Ohio State.

"We have to have better enthusiasm in practice," he said. "I always tell them if they worry about their teammates and cheer for them, maybe you stop worrying about yourself. I have to be positive with them. We need to have great energy from our coaches. And I hope (the players) have some hungriness to play at a high level."

How important is this game?

"It's the most important game of the year, there's no doubt," Weber said. "It's crucial. We can't lose another home game. Then we go on the road for two more (Sunday at Michigan State and Jan. 17 at Minnesota). It's important for our confidence if we want to keep our head above water."

---

Iowa vs. Illinois

Time: 7 p.m.

Site: Assembly Hall, Champaign

TV: WAOE (59), WCIA (3)

Radio: WTRX-FM (93.7)

Records: Illinois 12-5, 0-2 Big Ten; Iowa 9-6, 1-0