Illinitalk

The Kohl Center is not a friendly place to play. In fact, unranked opponents almost always leave with a L. Only NDSU won there a couple years ago. And for Big Ten teams, heading to the Kohl Center unranked was a guaranteed L.

So the Illini victory, 63-56, really did make history. Go Illini!

Honestly, the game was played mostly at the Badgers' pace, slow, methodical and not that exciting. Bo Ryan and his team got off to a great start, and led by as many as 11 in the first half. The Illini struggled to score in the opening minutes. In fact, Mike Tisdale was the only player who could consistently find the bottom of the net for a while.

Here are a few things the Illini learned tonight:

• Demetri McCamey can dominate. Ok, so we know that, but it was nice to see McCamey take over the game just a couple days after a fantastic performance against the Spartans. He hit some crazy shots, leading all scoring with 27, and dishing 7 assists. My personal favorite was the pass for the Bill Cole shot. McCamey got the Illini in the game, and kept them there. He really can dominate. And when he's on, there's not much the opponent can do.
• Mike Tisdale can shoot. Yes, we know this too. But for all 7+ feet of him, he really shines with his hook shot and jump shot. Yes, he put the ball down a couple times with authority, but he's not a typical Big Ten big man.
  
• Bill Cole can do the little things. That's why he's a captain, of course. But he showed those little things. He had a couple key offensive rebounds. He finished a tough shot off a lovely feed from McCamey, and had a couple critical free throws. He added a steal to his 8 rebounds on his stat line, but he hustled. Went after loose balls. Played hard. The little things that make a team good enough to win in an impossible environment.
• The freshman can play. D.J. Richardson had a solid game, including a block and a steal. Sure, he only hit 1 trey, and his share of fouls, but he hung in there for his first visit to the Kohl Center. Tyler Griffey did well off the bench, too. He was the only player besides McCamey and Tisdale to score in the first half, but he added 2 offensive rebounds as well. And although Brandon Paul struggled with fouls and his shot, he hung in there, as well, with a steal.
• The Illini can close out a game. This one didn't have the authority of the game-ending dunk that Mike Davis had Saturday, but once the Illini got the lead and the clock wound down, they managed to stay in control. They missed several opportunities to extend the lead, but solid defense kept the Badgers from catching up. They did just enough to keep Trevon Hughes & Co. at bay.
  

The whole game felt a bit lethargic, and the Grateful Red weren't as intense as they could have been. I'm not quite sure how the Illini managed to chip away and catch the Badgers. Although the Illini outrebounded Wisconsin, they had more turnovers and allowed 11 3-pointers.

But they did. The Illini made history. Did the impossible. Bo Ryan doesn't have many losses at home, but the Illini are responsible for 3 of them.

[Side note: I find it fascinating that Penn State can nail the Illini, but that the Illini can get to Wisconsin.]

Next up...another tough game against the Buckeyes at home. Go Illini!

Labels: Demetri McCamey, Illini basketball, Mike Tisdale