Illinois Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

   With 24 wins and a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Illinois far outstripped expectations last year.

Now, with four hotshot freshmen on campus and several more Top 50 blue-chippers on the way in the next few years, Illini coaches, players and fans would like to think 24 wins and No. 5 seeds represent the absolute minimum of what’s to come.

   With that in mind, Illinois coach Bruce Weber has established three themes for his players as they launch into the 2009-10 season: “Rise Up,” “Blue Collar, Orange Pride” and “Finishing.”

Taking the last one first, Weber loved the way last year’s team battled to get to the 24-win mark after a miserable 16-19 showing in 2007-08. But just when he hoped they’d take off, the Illini went out with a whimper in March as they lost four of their last five games. That included an NCAA first-round knockout at the hands of Western Kentucky.

“Our finish was just not where it needed to be,” Weber said. “You can make excuses. Chester (Frazier) got hurt. Obviously that was a big factor (and having to) try to change your whole scheme at the end of the season. But to finish is important. We had a taste of getting into the NCAA Tournament, but obviously we weren’t ready for it. That’s a whole ‘nother level. We hope the experience of being part of that will be important.”

But Illinois lost its most experienced guys—starting guards Frazier and Trent Meacham as well as sixth man Calvin Brock—to graduation. Junior point guard Demetri McCamey (a third-team all-Big Ten pick) and junior Mike Davis (a second-team pick by the coaches) join junior center Mike Tisdale as returning starters. Between McCamey cutting weight and Davis and Tisdale adding muscle, Weber isn’t as concerned about them as he used to be.

Now it’s a matter of finding the new wings who’ll play as hard as Frazier, Meacham and Brock did. Freshman guard D.J. Richardson, a consensus Top 40 recruit, seems to have the inside track on a starting job. Weber likes the way he relies the idea of being a defensive stopper (like Frazier) with the added dimension of steady offensive play.

NOTES, QUOTES

  —Illinois coach sees junior point guard Demetri McCamey as the most important player on his squad. Not just because McCamey led the Illini in scoring last year (11.5 points per game) and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in assists (4.6 apg). Not just because he was a third-team all-Big Ten pick last year. It’s because the Illini don’t have another true point guard on the roster—and because Weber has had more trouble reaching McCamey than perhaps any other player during his six-plus years at Illinois. Now Weber sees a maturing McCamey. He also dropped 10 pounds to get to 197.

“He was an excuse guy,” Weber said in the Daily Herald. “He always had an excuse. We had to sit him numerous times because…I’ve said he’s matured as a person and a student. Now, can we take it to the next step on the basketball court, too?”

• Junior shooting guard Alex Legion was regarded as a potential savior when the Top 40 recruit transferred from Kentucky in January 2008. Legion finally became eligible just before Christmas last year, but rarely reached the high expectations set for him. The sharpshooter wound up averaging 3.5 points and shooting 24 percent from 3-point range, but coach Bruce Weber lauds Legion as the team’s biggest workout freak and thinks he could start and average in double figures this year.

“I’ve harped on him,” Weber said in the Daily Herald. “I tell him he can’t tippy-toe anymore on the basketball court. Finally, one day, he came in. ‘Coach, I just want to know what that means, tippy-toe.’ He’s just real careful. In workouts, you can be careful because no one’s guarding you. In a game, you’ve got to go play. You’ve just got to make a decision. Make a cut. If the shot’s open, shoot it. If not, pass the ball and go do something else.

“He’s used to kind of just, ‘Tiny Tim, tiptoeing through the tulips.’ You know, there’s no flowers out on the court. You’ve gotta go, you’ve gotta play. Knock somebody over. If we can get him to do that and compete, he has a chance to be successful.”

• Illinois promoted ninth-year assistant Wayne McClain to associate head coach. McClain is the only coach who stuck around when Bill Self left for Kansas in 2003.

   LAST YEAR: 24-10 overall, 11-7 in the Big Ten; lost in first round of the NCAA Tournament.

   HEAD COACH: Bruce Weber (career 255-111); 7th year at Illinois (152-57).

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “I think we have better depth. We have better talent. Just the freshmen, adding that group physically. Again, talent doesn’t mean wins. You’re going to have to have pieces to the puzzle. Roles. That’s part of it. I’ve got to do a good job of using more guys. Hopefully that’ll get them more confidence.”—Illinois coach Bruce Weber.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Illinois’ four-man freshman class marks the start of the program’s recruiting renaissance. Combo guard D.J. Richardson, ranked No. 35 in the final Class of 2009 Recruiting Services Consensus Index, has shown to be a lockdown defender as well as a solid contributor on offense. That should result in an immediate starting job, while high-flying shooting guard Brandon Paul (No. 49 RSCI) should make an immediate impact as well. Power forward Tyler Griffey and combo guard Joseph Bertrand don’t get quite as much attention, but Griffey’s Euro-style game makes him an excellent candidate to back up Mike Davis at “4” spot while Bertrand’s smooth ball-handling and easy athleticism should merit a role in the backcourt.

   KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Illinois eases into its schedule with four home games before heading to Las Vegas to play Utah (Nov. 27) and either Oklahoma State or Bradley (Nov. 28) as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. There’s also a huge rematch with Clemson (Dec. 2) as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and a Dec. 8 home date with Vanderbilt.

   PROGRAM DIRECTION: Illinois recovered nicely from its 16-19 season in 2007-08 and seems to be headed back toward the years when NCAA Tournament wins were the rule rather than the exception (the Illini won 14 Tournament games from 2001-06, but haven’t won since). National letter-of-intent day features three Top 60 signees in F Jereme Richmond (No. 18 per RSCI), C Meyers Leonard (No. 36) and G Crandall Head (No. 59).

   PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Demetri McCamey, SG D.J. Richardson, SG Alex Legion, PF Mike Davis, C Mike Tisdale.

   ROSTER REPORT:

   —G Joseph Bertrand underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September that figured to sideline the freshman for 4-6 weeks. Coach Bruce Weber estimated his health at 80-85 percent when official practice kicked in, so Bertrand should be healthy enough to contribute if necessary when the season begins.

• F/C Dominique Keller is the team’s lone scholarship senior. The junior-college transfer had moments of greatness last year (including 16 points in 18 minutes against Purdue in a Big Ten tournament semifinal on March 14), but Weber wants more consistency and more roles out of Keller this year. Since he has a nice 3-point touch, a wide array of post moves, the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder could play anywhere from the “3” to the “5” as necessary. One key issue that could determine his playing time? Keller averaged just 2.3 rebounds in 12.6 minutes last year. That needs to increase to impress Weber.

• PF Mike Davis, a second-team all-Big Ten pick by the coaches last year, had a strong offseason derailed by a broken ankle and then the removal of his tonsils. That cut short a plan to improve Davis’ ballhandling and make him a candidate to play small forward, but he’s 100 percent otherwise and has been asked by coach Bruce Weber to shoot for 10 rebounds per game this year. He finished second in the Big Ten last year with 8.1 boards per game.