Deron's gold highlights historical event

CHAMPAIGN – Since they parted ways at Illinois, Dee Brown and Deron Williams have always made time for mini-reunions.

Except this summer. A minor detail jumbled their plans.

"The only reason I didn't see Deron," Dee said, "is because he was out doing his business with the gold medal."

Ah, the gold medal. Deron, the first U.S. basketball Olympian from the UI, won it in Beijing, as a member of the American side that reclaimed hoops supremacy. For the most part he keeps it "tucked away," he said, but proudly flashed the gold medal to 15,415 adoring fans at A Night of Legends on Saturday at the Assembly Hall.

"It's something I'm really proud of, to be a part of something special that you'll remember for the rest of your life," Williams said. "It was just a great experience."

Friday night at his charity dinner in Chicago, Williams told Jerry Colangelo, the managing director of USA Basketball, he wants to rejoin Team USA at the 2012 Olympics in London.

"I'm ready. I just told Jerry I'm ready," Williams said, minutes after their pow-wow. "A lot of the guys want to come back, a lot of the younger guys. It's just a great experience. If I'm healthy and able to play, I can't see any other way."

Perhaps the only thing that outshone the halftime medal ceremony was an electric crowd transported to the glory days of yesteryear.

"I didn't expect this crowd," Kendall Gill said. "I didn't expect to almost have a sold-out crowd. It felt like when we beat Georgia Tech (during the 1988-89 Final Four season) to become No. 1."

In Team USA's eight games, Williams averaged eight points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Saturday night he was without Kobe and Carmelo, but in a more familiar place: a lineup with Dee, Luther Head and Roger Powell, with a brilliant piece of jewelry.

"He's definitely done us proud, done our university proud," Cory Bradford said.

And don't be surprised if he does it again. On a golden night at the Assembly Hall – Frank Williams said he "got goosebumps" during player intros – anything seemed possible.

"Deron was one of my top picks at point guard because I believed in him," Colangelo said. "He made the university proud, the country proud, himself proud. He wants to continue representing this country going forward. I'm sure you're going to see him in 2012 in London."

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