Illinois vs. Wisconsin
Tonight, 8 p.m.
The Illini Game Preview (IGP) uses the same format for every issue. First, I tell a funny story, make fun of the opposing team's players/coaches, or rant about something that seemingly has nothing to do w/basketball. Then I breakdown our opponent - their strengths and their weakness. I tell you how we are going to beat them. And finally, I write about what we need to do to win. The IGP is comforting to the Illini Nation, like a knit afghan or a cup of soup when its cold outside. Well not today! There will be no bullsh!t leads or comedic anecdotes to loosen you up for this game. The Illini will be taken out of their comfort zone tonight at the Kohl Center, and I must do the same for you. Let's cut to the quick.
A Streak Will End Tonight
The Badgers bring a 38 home game winning streak into tonight's meeting w/the Fighting Illini. The Kohl Center has garnered a near mythic reputation from the media in the week leading up to this game. Bo Ryan is 53-2 in his first four seasons at Wisky, and the 17,142 fans w/tickets to tonight's game are dying to reach 54. I attended the Illinois-Kansas Sweet Sixteen Game in 2002, and my favorite characteristic of the stadium was its short walk from a healthy Madison bar scene. You better believe that the Grateful Red student section will stop for some liquid libations on their way from the dorms to the Kohl. Be on the lookout for three scantily clad UW co-eds in the front row. They get more TV time during stoppages in play than the ESPN announcers.
One of the biggest reasons for the Badgers success under Bo Ryan is their patience. They work for high percentage shots deep into the possession. Kind of like the way Muhammad Ali let his opponents punch themselves out as he played possum against the ropes, Wisconsin makes you work defensively and demoralizes you as soon as you let your guard down. The pace of this game is priority number one for the Illini. If you're ordering your third beer by the first TV timeout, then we will be OK. (There is a direct correlation between the pace of the game and how quickly you drink your beer. I've studied the phenomenon in great detail.)
Senior Wisconsin Forward Mike Wilkenson (6'8" 240) is the present day Brian Cardinal. They have a similar style of play and similar records against the Illini. Wilkenson (14.3 ppg 7.4 rpg) is a skilled PF who has great range and uses positioning to score in the post. He presents a slight match up problem for us because our big men do not defend well out on the perimeter.
Alando Tucker (6'5" 205) is the Badgers sensational sophomore who averages 14.7 ppg and buries the three-ball at a 38% clip. Tucker broke Michael Finley's vertical leap record as a Freshman; the kid owns a 40 inch vertical and plays well above the rim. He scares me the most. Tucker broke his ankle last season and injuries have hampered his play this year to date. He's a tough kid so I do not see his injuries playing a factor. PG Shariff Chambliss (6'1" 180) transferred from Penn State last season and is the Badgers third option. He is a dead-eye from three-point range, so whoever is defending him will not help on defense if another Badger breaks into the lane.
I circled two games before the season started that would be good indicators of how far this team can go come March. We already proved ourselves at home against Wake Forest, but tonight will show this teams true character. On Thursday, Iowa's shot blockers really changed the game as Roger Powell and James Augustine combined for 3 of 21 shooting. Confidence is key for each player, and I think Coach Bruce Weber will draw up some plays to give Roger and James a few early points and get them going from the start.
Luther Head has been the Illini's most consistent player to date, and he is my Prime Performer for tonight. If he is shooting well from the perimeter, then the lane will open up from his unorthodox pump fake. He is our best slasher, and we are going to need some penetration against Wisky's physical defense. Luther is playing like an All-American, and a good performance tonight will solidify his spot among the nations elite college basketball players.
Illinois - 78
Wisconsin - 75
Sincerely,
The Winning Streaks
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Illinois vs. I.O.W.A.
Illinois vs. Iowa
Tonight @ 6 p.m.
Midseason Observations
We've passed the halfway point for the 100th Year of Illini basketball, and I have a few observations that I'd like to share with you all.
Illini Observation #1. Dee Brown ditched the knee highs. Apparently, an Illini trainer pointed out that his Nike tube socks could be hurting his blood circulation and causing muscle cramps.
Illini Observation #2. Roger Powell has no neck, and it might prevent him from being drafted. If Powell had a 2" neck like most normal people, then he would be listed as 6'8" and a lock for the late 2nd round.
Illini Observation #3. Bruce Weber has some priceless facial expressions during the game. His jaw drops so low that I've seen flies enter during the first quarter and exit during the third. Most coaches have a hateful glare at the refs that says, "Wipe that sh!t out of your eyes and you might not have missed that last call." Weber's stare says, "I can't believe you actually have sh!t in your eyes ref!"
Illini Observation #4. Even the Illini fans are getting media attention. Here is an email forwarded to me by loyal reader Brad Cohen whose sister is a member of Orange Krush:
...Plus, EA Sports will be at the Assembly Hall Thursday to
shoot some footage for NCAA March Madness 2006, the popular
college basketball video game. Sometime before the Iowa
game, they plan to take video footage of Krush for the
cameos that are played when you first turn the video game
on. The crazier you dress, and the more creative you are,
the better chance YOUR face will be locked in a video game.
Illini Observation #5. We still run a few plays from the Bill $elf Era. We've scored sparingly this season off a 1-4 set (pg at top and 4 players spread across the court along the free-throw goal line) where Deron Williams passes the ball to a big man at the elbow (left or right of the free throw line) and Dee or Luther Head break back door for an easy lay-up. Last year we ran some hi-low, but I haven't noticed it at all this year.
Illini Observation #6. Orange is our new home and away color. It seems like we wear orange whenever we can. I love it! I don't think that we've worn blue the entire season.
Illini Observation #7. Coach Wayne McClain is a PIMP.
Illini Observation #8. Illinois fast breaks on made baskets just as well as they do on misses. It's like a dagger to the chest when the opposition scores a seemingly big basket, and Dee or Deron pushes the ball to answer back in 2 seconds.
I.O.W.A. (Idiots Out Wandering Around)
Iowa starts a 3-guard backcourt that is more than excited to benchmark their skills against the #1 team in the nation. Junior Jeff Horner runs the point for the Hawkeyes and he plays a steady all around game. He is 2nd in the Big 10 behind Deron Williams in assists w/5.75 apg, and he scores 14ppg. Adam Haluska is a 6'5" transfer from Iowa State. Haluska holds numerous track records in the state of Iowa, and he can shoot the 3. Pierre Pierce is probably the scariest of all three (He had a run in w/the as a freshman year and was suspended for the year. Though he took a red-shirt and the punishment for his crime has turned out to be a blessing for his game.) Pierce averages 18 ppg, but he only shoots 52% from the charity strip, and he turns the ball over four times a game. Pierce dropped 26 on us last year in their win at Carver-Hawkeye, so I anticipate Deron or Luther playing particularly close attention to this slasher.
Warning: If the commentators start talking about Steve Alford's wife, avert your eyes from the television screen. She brings ugly to a new level.
Illinois
Every week it gets harder and harder to pick my Prime Performer because everyone is playing so well…I even picked Coach Weber as my Prime Performer last week because I couldn't decide. the papers are confused as well; USA today had a picture of each of our stellar guards on the cover of today's sports. I'll go w/the Rev tonight because I don't think Iowa's big men, though tall, have the heart to hang w/Powell. He'll score most of his hoops on second chance opportunities, but I'd like to see him get more touches in the post than he's been getting.
U of I - 75
U of I - 65
I think you all know which one is the Illini.
Sincerely,
Dee's Old Tube Socks
P.S. I hate Steve Alford!
Tonight @ 6 p.m.
Midseason Observations
We've passed the halfway point for the 100th Year of Illini basketball, and I have a few observations that I'd like to share with you all.
Illini Observation #1. Dee Brown ditched the knee highs. Apparently, an Illini trainer pointed out that his Nike tube socks could be hurting his blood circulation and causing muscle cramps.
Illini Observation #2. Roger Powell has no neck, and it might prevent him from being drafted. If Powell had a 2" neck like most normal people, then he would be listed as 6'8" and a lock for the late 2nd round.
Illini Observation #3. Bruce Weber has some priceless facial expressions during the game. His jaw drops so low that I've seen flies enter during the first quarter and exit during the third. Most coaches have a hateful glare at the refs that says, "Wipe that sh!t out of your eyes and you might not have missed that last call." Weber's stare says, "I can't believe you actually have sh!t in your eyes ref!"
Illini Observation #4. Even the Illini fans are getting media attention. Here is an email forwarded to me by loyal reader Brad Cohen whose sister is a member of Orange Krush:
...Plus, EA Sports will be at the Assembly Hall Thursday to
shoot some footage for NCAA March Madness 2006, the popular
college basketball video game. Sometime before the Iowa
game, they plan to take video footage of Krush for the
cameos that are played when you first turn the video game
on. The crazier you dress, and the more creative you are,
the better chance YOUR face will be locked in a video game.
Illini Observation #5. We still run a few plays from the Bill $elf Era. We've scored sparingly this season off a 1-4 set (pg at top and 4 players spread across the court along the free-throw goal line) where Deron Williams passes the ball to a big man at the elbow (left or right of the free throw line) and Dee or Luther Head break back door for an easy lay-up. Last year we ran some hi-low, but I haven't noticed it at all this year.
Illini Observation #6. Orange is our new home and away color. It seems like we wear orange whenever we can. I love it! I don't think that we've worn blue the entire season.
Illini Observation #7. Coach Wayne McClain is a PIMP.
Illini Observation #8. Illinois fast breaks on made baskets just as well as they do on misses. It's like a dagger to the chest when the opposition scores a seemingly big basket, and Dee or Deron pushes the ball to answer back in 2 seconds.
I.O.W.A. (Idiots Out Wandering Around)
Iowa starts a 3-guard backcourt that is more than excited to benchmark their skills against the #1 team in the nation. Junior Jeff Horner runs the point for the Hawkeyes and he plays a steady all around game. He is 2nd in the Big 10 behind Deron Williams in assists w/5.75 apg, and he scores 14ppg. Adam Haluska is a 6'5" transfer from Iowa State. Haluska holds numerous track records in the state of Iowa, and he can shoot the 3. Pierre Pierce is probably the scariest of all three (He had a run in w/the as a freshman year and was suspended for the year. Though he took a red-shirt and the punishment for his crime has turned out to be a blessing for his game.) Pierce averages 18 ppg, but he only shoots 52% from the charity strip, and he turns the ball over four times a game. Pierce dropped 26 on us last year in their win at Carver-Hawkeye, so I anticipate Deron or Luther playing particularly close attention to this slasher.
Warning: If the commentators start talking about Steve Alford's wife, avert your eyes from the television screen. She brings ugly to a new level.
Illinois
Every week it gets harder and harder to pick my Prime Performer because everyone is playing so well…I even picked Coach Weber as my Prime Performer last week because I couldn't decide. the papers are confused as well; USA today had a picture of each of our stellar guards on the cover of today's sports. I'll go w/the Rev tonight because I don't think Iowa's big men, though tall, have the heart to hang w/Powell. He'll score most of his hoops on second chance opportunities, but I'd like to see him get more touches in the post than he's been getting.
U of I - 75
U of I - 65
I think you all know which one is the Illini.
Sincerely,
Dee's Old Tube Socks
P.S. I hate Steve Alford!
Friday, January 14, 2005
Illinois vs. the Mildcats
Illinois vs. Northwestern
Tomorrow @ 3:30
Back-Story
It was a year ago today when Illinois fell to Northwestern in Evanston by a score of 70-60, dropping the Illini to 1-2 in the Big10. The following day in practice, Head Coach Bruce Weber kicked his team out of the Ubben B-ball Facility because he was disgusted w/their effort. But after a players only team meeting, the young Illini begged Weber to come back on the court and finish the day. Since then, Weber hasn't stopped coaching, and the Illini haven't stopped listening.
The Mildcats
Northwestern played a match-up zone that gave the Illini fits during both meetings of the 2003-2004 season. I remember watching from the bleachers of Welsh Ryan Arena; the Mildcats packed it in, and we did not have an answer. We could not shoot from the outside and we could not work the ball into the paint. But on Wednesday night Illinois hit a school record 15 three-pointers. Penn State's zone was so bad that it made me realize that our football team's defense might not be the worst in the Big10. Every Illini player scored.
(Sidebar: Why the hell was PSU playing zone? They were begging the Illini players to shoot the three. If anyone can give me a somewhat logical reason, I'd love to hear it. Ed DeChellis = DUMB! Most coaches might have called off the zone after the Illini hit five three pointers or maybe even ten three-pointers. I told you guys that Penn State should be kicked out of the Big 10.)
Northwestern's Princeton style offense (Head Coach Bill Carmody coached for the Tigers from 1996-2000) is led by speedster TJ Parker. TJ's brother Tony plays for the San Antonio Spurs and kicked TJ's ass every time they ever played 1-on-1. Parker's favorite target is Vedran Vukusic (6'8" 245 lbs.) who is averaging 16.7 pts and 4.9 boards a game. Vukusic is an agile big man who can step back and shoot the three.
Rounding out NU's scoring is 6'10" Mike Thompson. Thompson is a former McD's All-American and Duke transfer from Joliet, IL. Don't worry, though, Thompson averaged 1.8 pts/game in his 1.5 year career at Duke. He's bumped his scoring average up to 12.4 a game, but he still has not lived up to the hype surrounding him out of high school. Thompson was heavily recruited by the Illini; and when he opted for Duke, Illinois gave his scholarship to Junior James Augustine. I'd say that this worked out favorably for the Illini.
Illinois
I read a great quote on ESPN.com yesterday, "Illinois and Lebron James are showing the youth of today how basketball should be played." So true...so true. Weber has turned his guys into chess players. They see buckets two and three passes into the future. I love it.
Dee Brown looks forward to every game scheduled in Chicago (Evanston is close enough), and I am willing to bet that Welsh-Ryan will be at least 50% Orange tomorrow night. I heard tickets were so hard to come by that NU had to turn down Senator Barak Obama at the ticket office. The Senator is a smart guy, so I assume that he is an Illini fan.
Last year Carmody won the Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for having a .500 season. The honor should have gone to Coach Weber. So my prime performer tomorrow is Da Coach, showing us who should be this year's Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Illinois - 74
Mildcats - 62
Sincerely,
Fred Nkemdi's Vertical
Tomorrow @ 3:30
Back-Story
It was a year ago today when Illinois fell to Northwestern in Evanston by a score of 70-60, dropping the Illini to 1-2 in the Big10. The following day in practice, Head Coach Bruce Weber kicked his team out of the Ubben B-ball Facility because he was disgusted w/their effort. But after a players only team meeting, the young Illini begged Weber to come back on the court and finish the day. Since then, Weber hasn't stopped coaching, and the Illini haven't stopped listening.
The Mildcats
Northwestern played a match-up zone that gave the Illini fits during both meetings of the 2003-2004 season. I remember watching from the bleachers of Welsh Ryan Arena; the Mildcats packed it in, and we did not have an answer. We could not shoot from the outside and we could not work the ball into the paint. But on Wednesday night Illinois hit a school record 15 three-pointers. Penn State's zone was so bad that it made me realize that our football team's defense might not be the worst in the Big10. Every Illini player scored.
(Sidebar: Why the hell was PSU playing zone? They were begging the Illini players to shoot the three. If anyone can give me a somewhat logical reason, I'd love to hear it. Ed DeChellis = DUMB! Most coaches might have called off the zone after the Illini hit five three pointers or maybe even ten three-pointers. I told you guys that Penn State should be kicked out of the Big 10.)
Northwestern's Princeton style offense (Head Coach Bill Carmody coached for the Tigers from 1996-2000) is led by speedster TJ Parker. TJ's brother Tony plays for the San Antonio Spurs and kicked TJ's ass every time they ever played 1-on-1. Parker's favorite target is Vedran Vukusic (6'8" 245 lbs.) who is averaging 16.7 pts and 4.9 boards a game. Vukusic is an agile big man who can step back and shoot the three.
Rounding out NU's scoring is 6'10" Mike Thompson. Thompson is a former McD's All-American and Duke transfer from Joliet, IL. Don't worry, though, Thompson averaged 1.8 pts/game in his 1.5 year career at Duke. He's bumped his scoring average up to 12.4 a game, but he still has not lived up to the hype surrounding him out of high school. Thompson was heavily recruited by the Illini; and when he opted for Duke, Illinois gave his scholarship to Junior James Augustine. I'd say that this worked out favorably for the Illini.
Illinois
I read a great quote on ESPN.com yesterday, "Illinois and Lebron James are showing the youth of today how basketball should be played." So true...so true. Weber has turned his guys into chess players. They see buckets two and three passes into the future. I love it.
Dee Brown looks forward to every game scheduled in Chicago (Evanston is close enough), and I am willing to bet that Welsh-Ryan will be at least 50% Orange tomorrow night. I heard tickets were so hard to come by that NU had to turn down Senator Barak Obama at the ticket office. The Senator is a smart guy, so I assume that he is an Illini fan.
Last year Carmody won the Big Ten Coach of the Year honors for having a .500 season. The honor should have gone to Coach Weber. So my prime performer tomorrow is Da Coach, showing us who should be this year's Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Illinois - 74
Mildcats - 62
Sincerely,
Fred Nkemdi's Vertical
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Illinois vs. PSU
Illinois vs. Penn State
Tonight @ 8 p.m.
Chalk Talk
On Saturday, I was watching the Illinois-Purdue game w/a few friends (all named Bud), and I was less than impressed w/our defense. The announcers kept babbling about field goal percentage, but when Purdue scored on dunk after lay-up after dunk - they should have called out our defense.
Both tOSU and Purdon't exposed an Illini weakness, the way we defend picks. If a guard picks a guard, then our players switch. But if a big man picks for a guard, then our bigs hedge and trap. Lets use an example (I wanted to borrow John Madden's telestrator for this, but the fat bastard says its for football only), if Augustine's man picks Dee, then Augie will slide up to cut off the ball handler (called hedging) and Dee will double the ball. tOSU and Purdon't employed two different strategies to combat our 'hedge and double'. The tOSU guards did a great job of going inside our hedge and splitting the double team before it could set up. In Saturday's game, after the Purdon't big men set their picks, they rolled straight to the basket. Purdon't's guards passed around the double team (creating a 4-on-3) and the ball was skipped to the paint before we could rotate over. Good coaching. Fortunately, we have a Grand Master on our team, and during both games there was a noticeable difference in execution from the first half to the second half. Weber's ability to change what is working and what is not working will win us several games over the long haul.
Penn State
Penn State should really be kicked out of the Big10. The only thing I like about this team is the name of their head coach - Ed DeChellis. Doesn't that just role of your tongue? Ed DeChellis. Say it with me, "Ed DeChellis". You shouldn't call him 'Ed' or 'DeChellis'. It has to come together...almost like one word Ed-DeChellis. Penn State's floor leader is Junior Forward Aaron Johnson (6'9" 240 lbs.) who averages 15 points and 10.3 boards a game. The man is huge. Not like BD, Dimitry, or James Dolan during their "fat years", but big enough so that he probably has to walk sideways down an airplane's center aisle.
Penn State's guards would probably have a hard time winning on the 1 court at IMPE, so I expect lots of steals and a bunch of points in transition. Let's show Nick Smith some love tonight folks. I know that many of you cringe when touches the ball, but Nick was crucial in wins over Purdue and Indiana last year. We will need him down the road, so let's get the boy on track. I expect to see a mix of mid range set shots and a few post moves for "The Chainsaw". He's my gamer for tonight.
Illinois - 85
Penn State - 62
Sincerely,
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
Tonight @ 8 p.m.
Chalk Talk
On Saturday, I was watching the Illinois-Purdue game w/a few friends (all named Bud), and I was less than impressed w/our defense. The announcers kept babbling about field goal percentage, but when Purdue scored on dunk after lay-up after dunk - they should have called out our defense.
Both tOSU and Purdon't exposed an Illini weakness, the way we defend picks. If a guard picks a guard, then our players switch. But if a big man picks for a guard, then our bigs hedge and trap. Lets use an example (I wanted to borrow John Madden's telestrator for this, but the fat bastard says its for football only), if Augustine's man picks Dee, then Augie will slide up to cut off the ball handler (called hedging) and Dee will double the ball. tOSU and Purdon't employed two different strategies to combat our 'hedge and double'. The tOSU guards did a great job of going inside our hedge and splitting the double team before it could set up. In Saturday's game, after the Purdon't big men set their picks, they rolled straight to the basket. Purdon't's guards passed around the double team (creating a 4-on-3) and the ball was skipped to the paint before we could rotate over. Good coaching. Fortunately, we have a Grand Master on our team, and during both games there was a noticeable difference in execution from the first half to the second half. Weber's ability to change what is working and what is not working will win us several games over the long haul.
Penn State
Penn State should really be kicked out of the Big10. The only thing I like about this team is the name of their head coach - Ed DeChellis. Doesn't that just role of your tongue? Ed DeChellis. Say it with me, "Ed DeChellis". You shouldn't call him 'Ed' or 'DeChellis'. It has to come together...almost like one word Ed-DeChellis. Penn State's floor leader is Junior Forward Aaron Johnson (6'9" 240 lbs.) who averages 15 points and 10.3 boards a game. The man is huge. Not like BD, Dimitry, or James Dolan during their "fat years", but big enough so that he probably has to walk sideways down an airplane's center aisle.
Penn State's guards would probably have a hard time winning on the 1 court at IMPE, so I expect lots of steals and a bunch of points in transition. Let's show Nick Smith some love tonight folks. I know that many of you cringe when touches the ball, but Nick was crucial in wins over Purdue and Indiana last year. We will need him down the road, so let's get the boy on track. I expect to see a mix of mid range set shots and a few post moves for "The Chainsaw". He's my gamer for tonight.
Illinois - 85
Penn State - 62
Sincerely,
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
"Ed DeChellis"
Wednesday, January 5, 2005
Illinois vs. tOSU
Illinois vs. tOSU
Tonight @ 8 p.m. on ESPN+
They stand for peace, justice, and the fast-break. This year's Fighting Illini remind me more of the X-Men or the Justice League than your run of the mill #1 ranked college b-ball powerhouse. Bruce Weber is the bald guy in a wheel chair and mastermind behind the Illini's scorching start. Heck w/nicknames like The Preacher (Roger Powell), The Human Fast Break (Dee Brown), and Chainsaw (Nick Smith) they damn well should be on the cover of a comic book. Even our home court fits the bill. Assembly Hall looks like a space ship from the planet Titan and serves as an appropriate lair for this squad of super heroes.
The New Years' Eve Episode of The Fighting Illini showed our heroes trouncing THUG-ins and Co. 67-45. During tonight's game, the Illini will move from blue-collar crime to white-collar crime...think more Kenneth Lay and Martha Stewart than your neighborhood dope dealer.
During the summer former Head Coach Jim O'Brien was fired for giving $6000 to a tOSU recruit, Aleksander Radejovic. Yes, the Buckeye hoops program is dirty (they are banned from postseason play in 2005), but the football team makes me want to take a shower whenever I read about them. Last season football sensation Maurice Clarrett alleged that boosters arranged for him to receive passing grades, cash, loaner cars, and whatever else he wanted. This season the Muckeyes had to suspend quarterback Troy Smith for accepting cash gifts from a booster.
tOSU must pay!!!...Illini style.
Despite being Big10 doormats last year, ex-Xavier Coach Thad Matta has led his team to an 11-2 record w/impressive wins over Robert Morris and Morehead State (sarcasm). Their best player is big man Terrance Dials (6'9" 255lbs.), who is averaging 16 pts, 9 boards, and 3 cheeseburgers a game. Former McDonald's All-American Ivan Harris and Clemson transfer Tony Stockman could pose a threat tonight...but I doubt it.
Deron Williams seems to be a bit out of sync so far this season. His mid-range game was on the $$$ Friday, and I expect his success to continue against tOSU.
Illinois - 72
Evil - 59
Sincerely,
Clark Kent
Tonight @ 8 p.m. on ESPN+
They stand for peace, justice, and the fast-break. This year's Fighting Illini remind me more of the X-Men or the Justice League than your run of the mill #1 ranked college b-ball powerhouse. Bruce Weber is the bald guy in a wheel chair and mastermind behind the Illini's scorching start. Heck w/nicknames like The Preacher (Roger Powell), The Human Fast Break (Dee Brown), and Chainsaw (Nick Smith) they damn well should be on the cover of a comic book. Even our home court fits the bill. Assembly Hall looks like a space ship from the planet Titan and serves as an appropriate lair for this squad of super heroes.
The New Years' Eve Episode of The Fighting Illini showed our heroes trouncing THUG-ins and Co. 67-45. During tonight's game, the Illini will move from blue-collar crime to white-collar crime...think more Kenneth Lay and Martha Stewart than your neighborhood dope dealer.
During the summer former Head Coach Jim O'Brien was fired for giving $6000 to a tOSU recruit, Aleksander Radejovic. Yes, the Buckeye hoops program is dirty (they are banned from postseason play in 2005), but the football team makes me want to take a shower whenever I read about them. Last season football sensation Maurice Clarrett alleged that boosters arranged for him to receive passing grades, cash, loaner cars, and whatever else he wanted. This season the Muckeyes had to suspend quarterback Troy Smith for accepting cash gifts from a booster.
tOSU must pay!!!...Illini style.
Despite being Big10 doormats last year, ex-Xavier Coach Thad Matta has led his team to an 11-2 record w/impressive wins over Robert Morris and Morehead State (sarcasm). Their best player is big man Terrance Dials (6'9" 255lbs.), who is averaging 16 pts, 9 boards, and 3 cheeseburgers a game. Former McDonald's All-American Ivan Harris and Clemson transfer Tony Stockman could pose a threat tonight...but I doubt it.
Deron Williams seems to be a bit out of sync so far this season. His mid-range game was on the $$$ Friday, and I expect his success to continue against tOSU.
Illinois - 72
Evil - 59
Sincerely,
Clark Kent
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