Illinitalk

Assembly Hall in Champaign is known as one of the toughest places to play in the country. Filled to the brim with orange, court surrounded by the loud, proud and philanthropic Orange Crush, it's the kind of place that can intimidate.

But the last few years, Penn State has been an odd exception. They had won 3 straight on the road against the Illini. And the Nittany Lions have been in the middle to the bottom of the conference the whole time, a monkey on the back of the Illini.

With a 54-53 win, the Illini just managed to end PSU's streak at the Hall. In an ugly game, the Illini scored just enough baskets and played just enough defense to go 4-0 in conference play. We are starting to see some trends that could end up defining the '09-'10 Illini.

Trends to like:

• Mike Tisdale is developing into a Big Ten big man. He still has his soft shooting touch and pretty jump hook, but he's also becoming more aggressive. Tisdale's diet and exercise plan has helped him bulk up, and he can now bang with at least the lower half of the Big Ten. He's going after rebounds more aggressively, and he's becoming a scoring machine. This stronger, more experienced Tisdale is learning to take advantage of the mismatch he presents most teams. It's pretty exciting to have a 7'1" guy who can hold his ground!
• Demetri McCamey has maintained his scoring and attitude coming off the bench in recent games. He started against the Nittany Lions, and led the Illini in scoring. McCamey responded well to Weber's tinkering with the line-up. But best of all, he's leading the conference in assists and has been dramatically improving his assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Jeff Jordan has earned quality minutes and a couple starts, adding defense and leadership, allowing McCamey to share point guard duties. Jordan has become a valuable piece of this team, and they would really be hurting had he opted to stick just to the classroom this season.
• Rebounding is also improving as the season progresses. Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are leading the way, but the guards have also improved in going aggressively after rebounds and grabbing the ball. There's still plenty of room for improvement, but they are trending up here...
• Free throw shooting has improved dramatically, and it helped the Illini win against the Hoosiers. Yes, Tisdale missed the front end of the one-and-one against Penn State, but he's still shooting around 87%...not bad for a big guy.
• Shot blocking is one part of the Illini defense that is really fun to watch. Tisdale does really well, but he's often not alone in that stat line. Blocks have saved a couple Illini wins.

Trends to dislike:

• Fading freshman as the Big Ten schedule gets into full swing. D.J. Richardson has had some fantastic games and some struggles. Brandon Paul got off to a hot start this season, but the grind seems to be wearing on him, as he has struggled, as well. These guys are talented, and they will play key roles on the team. But they appear to be hitting that wall...
• Mike Davis has been strugging to find his game. "Mr. Double-Double" isn't quite reaching the goal Coach Weber challenged him with. We know Davis is capable, but he's gone cold with the weather. Fortunately, he has the experience to turn this trend around.
• Turnovers continue to plague the Illini. They tend to pass to the opposing team or to thin air. And it's a trend that they just can't stop, as noted during the first two possessions against Penn State.
• Allowing open 3s behind opponents' picks and screens makes it much easier for them to get back into games after the Illini take strong leads. The Illini have had a few possessions of lock-down D in recent games, so we know they are capable, but they lack consistency.

That said, the Illini have taken advantage of the conference scheduling. I happen to like seeing them near the top of the conference standings. Next up...a very tough game at Michigan State. Izzo's team is also undefeated in conference play.

Go Illini!

Labels: Demetri McCamey, Illini basketball, Jeff Jordan, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale

The Illini men faced their first test of the 2009-2010 season against Wofford in Champaign Tuesday night. And although the first half was dicey, the Illini passed, winning 78-64.

Wofford isn't your typical early-season cupcake. The Terriers beat Purdue in West Lafayette a couple years ago, and just last week they beat Georgia, after losing to Pitt by just 3.

And at Assembly Hall, the Terriers immediately set out to prove they can play with anyone, anywhere. Hot 3-point shooting and working deep into the shot clock allowed Wofford to lead much of the first half. But the Illini stepped up on defense and pushed the tempo in the second half to finally pull away.

Lots to like from the Illini:

• Inside game. Mike Tisdale dominated down low in the first half, and Mike Davis became a force in the second half. The Illini had a clear advantage down low.
• Demetri McCamey. The point guard led the Illini with 21 points, including a buzzer-beater to give the Illini a 3-point lead heading into halftime and a highlight-reel behind-the-back layup in the second half.
• Freshman shooting. D.J. Richardson made 5 of 6 from 3, helping the Illini keep pace with the hot hands of Wofford. Although Brandon Paul made the first shot for the Illini, he struggled with foul trouble. But between the two of them, these freshman have accounted for critical scoring for the Illini so far this season.
• Defense. Not so much in the first half, but in the second half, the Illini turned up the pressure and severely limited scoring opportunities for the Terriers. The Illini proved they could make adjustments at halftime that really make a difference.
• Energy off the bench. The Illini off the bench really added energy to the game, especially Bill Cole. Cole had a nice layup on a break, but he also had some great hustle plays, good defense, a nice tip-in, and enthusiasm. Jeff Jordan added a spark on the perimeter, as well.

Of course, it's only November, and there are opportunities for the Illini to improve as they get ready for a challenging conference season:

• Free throw shooting. I'm glad to see the Illini getting to the line. They had 22 attempts compared to 15 for the Terriers. But the free throw percentage needs to go up -- 14 of 22 could easily be the difference in a game in the coming months.
• Rebounding. The Terriers out-rebounded the Illini, epecially in the first half. And the Illini had a significant height advantage. I disagree with the ESPNU commentators, who described the Illini as a strong rebounding team. Mike Davis is solid, but across the board the Illini need to be more aggressive on the boards.
• Controlling the floor. This athletic Illini team can run. They should be pushing the tempo, controlling the game and pushing opponents faster than they want to go. The Illini did this successfully at some points in the game, but the Terriers dictated tempo for close to half the game.
• Defense. Yes, I realize this is in my "lots to like" section. But in the first half, the Illini allowed a few too many open 3s and too much penetration. As the competition gets tougher, the Illini will need to play a full 40 minutes of stingy, aggressive defense. These guys are capable.

And now, on to Las Vegas. Go Illini!

Labels: Bill Cole, D.J. Richardson, Demetri McCamey, Illini basketball, Jeff Jordan, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale

That's the initial take on the 2007-08 Illini basketball team. As the Illini rolled through their exhibition schedule (which is more than Michigan State can say) the young players showed great potential. There are lots of questions about this team, including who -- if anyone -- will redshirt.

I have yet to see this team in action, and I don't know how much of them I will be able to see, thanks to the BTN, but for the moment, I'll go with very cautious optimism.

By the way -- note that the Today Show is planning to air a piece with MJ, Jeff and Bruce Friday morning.

Labels: Illini basketball, Jeff Jordan

Yes, we realize things have been a bit quiet here at Illinitalk lately. But then, college sports tend to be a bit quiet during the summer. I've been following the Cubbies, and they have me feeling fairly optimistic heading into the second half of the season.

In recent Illini news, football defensive coordinator Vince Okruch is taking a "temporary leave of absence for personal reasons." As always, Mark Tupper has a realistic perspective. Plus, a few football alums took their shot at the Big Screen. I don't catch many movies, but I do enjoy a good sports flick, and I've always wondered who did the action scenes...

Warren Carter didn't go in the NBA draft, but he did make the summer roster for the Mavs, his hometown team, only to be faced with a bum knee (stress fracture) that will keep him off the court for a while.

Shaun Pruitt wisely pulled out of the NBA draft, but he did get to hang out with LeBron this summer. Hopefully that will build his confidence for his senior year.

In older news, Illini freshman Q-Wat surely doesn't regret leaving California based on his first summer in Champaign. He can learn how to handle the spotlight from his roommate Jeff, and he will have some great college stories to tell, no matter where his basketball career takes him.

Labels: Illini basketball, Illini football, Jeff Jordan, Quinton Watkins, Shaun Pruitt, Warren Carter

One other basketball note of interest. Jeff Jordan, son of MJ himself, played a pickup game with the Illini earlier this week. He is reportedly "seriously considering" an offer of joining the team as a preferred walk-on, and he's already been accepted at Illinois. Jeff's other options include walking on at Northwestern. Penn State and Loyola have also been mentioned. Rated a 3-star recruit, he would be an intriguing addition to the Illini roster. Plus, MJ would be more than welcome court-side by the Krush, and he would look much better in orange than Carolina blue.

Labels: Illini basketball, Jeff Jordan