Illinois vs. the Mildcats

Illinois vs. Northwestern
Tonight @ 7 p.m.
Meet me at Joe's Brewery!

Mailbag

This year, your responses to the Illini Game Preview have been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone is so worked up about the Illini that the IGP mailbag is pretty darn boring. Still, I've found a few gems that I'd love to share with you. The first is from Illini Loyalist Marc Pinsof.


Netter-

On my 23rd Birthday, I stumbled out of a Lincoln Park Tavern and one of my buddies from High School mockingly pointed at Lucas Johnson who was hanging out outside, "Pinz, Lucas is such a crybaby. I can't believe you ever rooted for that guy." In my extreme drunken state, the only way I was able to defend such a comment was to proceed to do the chief dance in front of Lucas while humming the melody of “The Three-In-One” out loud. Lucas laughed, a crowd gathered, and my friends grabbed me and pulled me away from the “B” celebrity.

Pinzy

That's my boy Pinz. I love it when Illini fans do crazy stuff out of love for their home team. Here is an email from HC, BC's sister, who is currently a senior at Illinois and a member of the Orange Krush.

Last saturday i got in line at 5:30 am to get onto the floor
for the Wisconsin game. when i got there at 5:30am
there were alrady 45 other people before me. :( I got on the
floor anyways!! here's the picture of a determined orange
krusher who would do anything to get on the floor to see the
#1 illini play :).

Heather

Great picture HC…and thanks for those "other" pictures you sent as well…keep 'em coming! Here's one from my boy Parkman.

nice..i've been waiting all day for the IGP!!!! yeah
baby!!!!

rock and roll... there's trouble in MSU land!!!

Parkman

Parkman graduated from Loyola and, like me, resides in the South (Austin, TX). I've granted him an honorary Illini Degree for his ardent support of our team.

This next letter shows why you should not let your girlfriend/wife determine your favorite team

Mike-

The IZZone will be rocking tonight. My wife went to MSU so I have a tie to them. Let's put down a wager my friend. Give me 8 points and I'll take the Spartans!!

Stew

Thanks for the cash homey!!!! And thanks for the great wallpaper sent in the following email.

Nett...u like? pass it on! -Dave

Dave is a new reader but an old friend. Check out the awesome background he sent me. If you want to set this as the background of your desktop, then follow these directions. First, save this picture to your computer. Second, right click your desktop and choose properties. Third, select the desktop tab and click the Browse button. Fourth, navigate to the picture you just saved and click OK. Fifth, choose the 'march_arch' choice that was just added to the list and click OK. Sixth, show all your coworkers how cool you are. Seventh, when you coworkers start talking about UNC and Duke, tell them to jump aboard the Illini Bandwagon and commence arguing about how over-rated the ACC is.

This last email was the best of the season, and it was the greatest compliment ever paid to the Illini Game Preview.

Netter-

Whenever I get the IGP, I print it up and take it to the can. It's the best bathroom reading material ever.

Ander


I have arrived!

Preview

If I could revoke Green Cards from anyone in the U.S., then it would definitely be Northwestern's European big men who seem to go unconscious from 3-pt range whenever they play the Illini. Vedran Vukosic and Davor Duvancic each start their last name w/the same initial as their first, and each has killed the Illini during the last 2 games in Evanston. Fortunately, tonight we'll play at Assembly Hall where Illinois Head Coach Bruce Weber will probably extend his defense to prevent being hurt by the long ball.

The Mildcat match up zone will be in full effect. You better believe that coaches around the country will be basing their game strategies in the tourney on how effective NU is tonight. Likewise, if the Illini struggle on offense, then predictable columnists everywhere will write about their 'formula' for beating Illinois. However, the Illini will not provide fodder for any second rate newspapers and prove how good they are…again.

James Augustine will start the game, as he always does, by winning the tip. A combination of long range shooting and dizzying teamwork for the first 15 minutes will crescendo in a fast break dunk by Dee Brown to end the half. Yes. Yes. Dee Brown can dunk…I've seen video. Here's how it will go down: After picking T.J. Parker clean, Dee will blur down the court for a one-handed jam. No he won't cover his eyes like another famous hoopster of the same name, but he will bring all of Assembly Hall to their feet. Illini Nation will be in a tizzy. The dunk will energize his play and his team's. Dee is the prime performer tonight using a combination of shooting, passing, stealing, and dunking to lead the Illini to a late season victory.

Illinois - 70
Northwestern - 56

Sincerely,
The Anti Vitale