GETTING INSIDE

Compared to the rest of the Big Ten, Illinois has enjoyed a gilded non-conference run. Yes, the Illini suffered inexplicable defeats to Utah and Bradley on back-to-back nights in Las Vegas, but think of the bigger picture.

Ohio State, Northwestern and Purdue all have lost key pieces to their puzzles for long stretches. Michigan and Penn State suffered home losses that won’t help when NCAA Tournament time comes. And Iowa and Indiana? Well, let’s just say the Illini are well ahead of their “I” neighbors.

Meanwhile, Illinois’ biggest issue is figuring out a way to play the kind of defense to which head coach Bruce Weber has become accustomed. Looking at the stats, you wonder why Weber worries. During Illinois’ 10 games before final exams, the Illini limited their opponents to 39 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range while surrendering just 64.6 points per game.

When you watch individual games, though, Weber’s point becomes clear. When Boise State came to the Assembly Hall on Dec. 5, Illinois held on for an 84-77 victory as the Broncos shot an alarming 23 of 32 (72 percent) on their 2-point attempts. The 77 points represented the second-highest total an Illini team under Weber had allowed to a non-ranked pre-conference opponent (Longwood managed 79 against the magical 2004-05 team, but only because the Illini put up 105).

“It doesn’t really feel like a win,” junior forward Mike Davis told reporters at the time. “We got dominated inside. They still penetrated on us.”

Since that wakeup call, Illinois has fared better defensively. Vanderbilt came to town with the No. 24 team in the country, but left a loser after shooting just 42 percent. Then Western Michigan came to town with a senior guard (David Kool) averaging well over 20 points per game, but the Illini forced him into 5-for-17 shooting in a 35-point win. Freshman guards Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson have shown flashes that they can develop into defensive stoppers that rival their obvious talents offensively.

“I thought, ‘That’s how I envisioned our team to be,’ ” Weber told the Champaign News-Gazette after the Western Michigan win.

Illinois faces several talented guards in the next few weeks—including Missouri’s Kim English and Northwestern PG Michael Thompson—so it will be interesting to see whether the Illini can defend consistently against top players.

NOTES, QUOTES

• Illinois received a good draw on its early Big Ten slate. Though seven schools (including Illinois) made the NCAA Tournament last year, the Illini faces none of them during their first four conference games. Better yet, three of the first four games are at home (Northwestern, Iowa and Penn State).

• It would be hard to find two better freshman shooters than Illini guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul. Through Dec. 17, Richardson led the Big Ten in 3-point percentage as he made 19 of his first 35 bombs (54 percent). Paul, meanwhile, has cooled off since becoming the first frosh in Illini history to score 20 points or more in his first games. Paul hit 8 of 14 3-pointers during his first 2 games, but just 7 of 27 in his next 8 games.

January At A Glance:   Junior point guard Demetri McCamey is Illinois’ most irreplaceable player. Not only is he the team’s leading scorer, but he’s the only proven point guard on the roster. Alas, McCamey’s pre-conference numbers are concerning. While he has shot very well of late (20 of 28 in Illinois’ last 3 games through Dec. 18), McCamey’s turnovers aren’t good. He committed 6 miscues against both Boise State and Vanderbilt and averaged 3.9 turnovers in Illinois’ first 10 games. Considering some teams like Missouri are going to pressure unmercifully—and other opponents like Iowa and Northwestern are going to limit the possessions in their games—he can’t continue to be as careless with the ball.

Quote To Note:   “The desire to get better and competitive spirit are the most important things. If we’re going to make progress as a team, those are the things, along with the defense, that are going to be important.”—Illinois coach Bruce Weber in the Springfield Journal Register.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

Season Recap:   Illinois suffered through the school’s worst 40-minute non-conference stretch in a decade or two, but came out stronger on the other side. Here’s how it went: Illinois owned a 16-point halftime lead against Utah on Nov. 27 at Las Vegas, but wound up losing on a buzzer-beater. Then the Illini somehow lost to in-state rival Bradley on Nov. 28 (Bradley has gone on to lose home games against Western Carolina and Loyola). Then the Illini trailed Clemson by 20 points at halftime on Dec. 2. To sum up, Illinois was minus-42 on the scoreboard for that 40-minute stretch.

But the Illini rallied to win 76-74 at Clemson (a huge notch for NCAA Tournament purposes) and haven’t been tested since.

Player Rotation:   Usual Starters—F Mike Davis, C Mike Tisdale, G Brandon Paul, G D.J. Richardson, G Demetri McCamey. Key Subs F Dominique Keller, PG Jeff Jordan, F Bill Cole.

Game Review:  

Illinois 84, Boise State 77

Illinois 79, Vanderbilt 68

Illinois 88, Western Michigan 53

Game Preview:  

vs. Georgia (in Duluth, Ga.), Saturday, Dec. 19

vs. Missouri (in St. Louis), Wednesday, Dec. 23

vs. Northwestern, Wednesday, Dec. 30

vs. Gonzaga (in Chicago), Saturday, Jan. 2

vs. Iowa, Tuesday, Jan. 5

In Focus:   Illinois coach Bruce Weber likes to play neutral-court games in big venues because, among other reasons, he thinks they serve as dress rehearsals for the NCAA Tournament experience. This year, the neutral games with Georgia, Missouri and Gonzaga also will help determine whether Illinois gets into the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in 11 years. The power trio boasts a combined record of 18-9 through Dec. 16, which doesnt sound great except that Mizzou and the Zags have played some brutal early schedules. Illinois needs to take at least 2 of the 3 to remain on the right side of the NCAA Tournament line.

Roster Report:  

• Junior forward Bill Cole played a total of 154 minutes in his first two seasons. Nuisance injuries and Coles tweener skill set (too tall and un-quick to be a 3 but too slender to be a natural 4) kept him off the court.

This year, though, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound Cole played 150 minutes in Illinois first 10 games as he has developed into the ultimate glue guy. He doesn’t shoot much (30 attempts in those 150 minutes), but he rebounds, takes charges and dives for loose balls.

“If everyone had Bill Cole’s attitude and acceptance of what he is, if we can get to that point, we’re going to be a really good team,” coach Bruce Weber told the Champaign News-Gazette.

• Freshman guard Joseph Bertrand returned to practice recently, but his lingering knee injury likely will keep him on the sidelines for the year. Coach Bruce Weber told the Champaign News-Gazette that he would prefer to redshirt Bertrand at this point.