Illinois vs. Minnesota, eh

Illinois Game Preview
Illinois vs. Minnesota, eh
Tonight @ 8 p.m.
Meet me at Rebel. Call if you are going to be there.


Making Headlines

I made it onto the University of Illinois Athletic Site (http://www.fightingillini.com/). Check it out. I don't know what the ITA is, but I am definitely looking forward to it.


I don't mean to brag (OK, I do), but this is actually the second time I've made FightingIllini.com. The first time was back in 2001 when I was a senior playing on the women's basketball practice squad (http://fightingillini.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/101000aaa.html check the 3rd paragraph down). OK, stop laughing, I didn't wear a wig just to be a part of Illinois athletics. I came in every day with 5 other guys (except Sunday...or when coach was really pissed at the girls and wanted to lay into them) to learn the opposing team's plays and scrimmage the women to get them ready for their next game.

It was actually a ton of fun. I wore an Illinois practice uniform, I played ball every day, I got free shoes, and I was even registered as a student athlete. It turns out that I only have a few years of eligibility left. We got front row tickets to every women's' game, and Coach Grentz even promised to buy us Big10 Champion rings if they won conference (they didn't). Coach only had 2 rules...

1. Show up to practice on time.
2. Don't date any of my players. If you date any of my players I will kick you off the team so fast, that your butts will be back at IMPE before you blink.

She was really serious about rule #2. Some people laughed, but they actually had a pretty good looking team.

Illinois vs. Minnesota, eh

I took a road trip back to Champaign for Saturday's game with some of the fellas. During past seasons, it would be all but impossible to get tickets to a regular season, weekend match up against the Badgers. But after last year's 12-17 finish, a few Illini fans jumped off the band wagon. We were able to squeeze into the very last row of Assembly Hall.

Even from the nose bleeds, Illinois was putting on a show. Sophomore Guard Demetri McCamey was sensational, pouring in 25 points and dishing out 7 assists. He was all over the court, and I half expected him to come out and start flipping with the Jesse White Tumblers; which, as it turns out, McCamey was a member of when he was 8. DMac is by far our best slasher, and his growing grasp of the offense can be seen in his assist per game average that he is carrying during Big10 play - 6 (up from 4.5 apg before Big10 play).

Tonight, the Illini do battle against Tubby Smith and the Golden Gophers. In only his second season, Smith has lead the Gophers to a 17-3 record. They reached as high as 20 in the AP Poll after a big win against Louisville, but back-to-back losses against Northwestern and Purdue pushed the Gophers outside the AP and to #25 in the Coaches Poll. Smith has done such a great job at Minny, that he was rumored as a possible replacement at both Arizona and Alabama. He denied a connection yesterday saying, "I'm not looking for any jobs. We've got a great recruiting class coming here next year, so I'm excited about where the Gopher program is, and I'm not a candidate for any other jobs. "

Illinois has won 20 straight games against the Gophers (wow), and tonight, the Illini will extend this streak to 21. The Gopher's front line is a bit short, and I expect our big men to work the glass and to score in the post. Sophomore Center Mike Tisdale should have his way with the Gopher center by committee. NBA great Ralph Sampson's son is part the Gopher front line. His name is Ralph Sampson III check him out.

Illinois - 71

Minny - 60

Sincerely,
Alex Legion's Obscenely Long Arms

Illinois vs. Wisky

Illini Game Preview
Saturday vs. Wisky @ 3 p.m.
Look for me on TV


Help a Brother Out

On Tuesday, I included in the header of the IGP that I would be in class during the OSU game, and I needed some text messages to keep up to speed on the score. I thought that I would be receiving texts every few minutes from my crazy Illini brothers...I received only 2! Not even a final score.

You guys let me down a bit Tuesday, but I am going to let you redeem yourselves. I am headed to Champaign tomorrow for the game. Where should I eat? Check out the poll in the left hand menu to vote for the best food in Champaign. If your favorite hangout isn't listed, add your suggestions to the comments at the end of this blog entry.

Press Passes

The IGP applied for a media pass for tomorrow's game against Wisky, but we were denied. Apparently, the Illini do not credential bloggers. I think that Head Coach Bruce Weber is a big fan of the IGP. So Bruce, if you're reading, send a few media passes my way.

Upside Down

The Big10 was turned on its head this Wednesday as a pair of teams with only 1 conference win each knocked off the first and second place squads. The Northwestern Mildcats led by Kevin Coble's 31 points, knocked off #7 MSU on the Spartans home turf, and the Iowa Hawkeyes topped Wisconsin in OT 73-69. A third of the way through the Big10 schedule, here is how they rack and stack...



It's wide open friends, and the Illini are poised for a run at the title.

Illinois vs. Wisky

The Illini are shooting a league leading 47.9% from the field and scoring the most of any team in the Big10 - 69.9 points a contest. A coworker from OSU said that he kept waiting for the Illini's hot shooting to cool down. "That's how this team plays," I told him. We can score from every spot on the court. But tomorrow, the Illini face the Badgers, as stingy a team defensively as there is in the Big10. We've dropped the last 5 games we've played against the Badgers, and I think it is time to start a little streak of our own.


Illinois - 62
Wisky - 59


Sincerely,
Mike Tisdale's 6000 Calorie Diet


PS...I was glad to see that Wayne McClain was voted the best dress coach at Illinois. Jerrance Howard is right on his tale, but he still has some tricks to learn from the master...Coach McClain.

Illinois vs. tOSU

Illini Game Preview
Illinois vs. tOSU
Tonight @ 6 p.m.
I will be in class. Please text me score updates.

Ranked

Despite going 1-1 last week, Illinois cracked the top 25 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches poll after a valiant road effort against Michigan State on Saturday. Illinois is now 15-3 and ranked 25th in the AP poll and 24th in the USA Today Coaches poll. I was hoping the Illini would go another week without being ranked. I like flying under the radar and the motivation Head Coach Bruce Weber can deliver with the "nobody thinks you guys are any good" speech.

Looking at the season to date, the Illini definitely deserve to be in the top 25. Two of our losses are to teams ranked in the top 10. Clemson is 16-1 and ranked #9 in country, while MSU is 15-2 and ranked number 7. Even Michigan was in the top 25 when we lost to them on the road.

Home Cooking

After getting an earful from the Izzone on Saturday, the Illini will be back in Champaign for both games this week. Tuesday is Paint the Hall Orange, and I really expect the Illini faithful to give tOSU a hard time today. I mean...not a hard time like this Clemson fan...but a hard time.



The Crush should get into the faces of the Buckeyes and be relentless with their insults, cheers, and obnoxious behavior. I mean...not actually in their faces like this goofy Providence fan...but figuratively get in their faces from a comfortable distance.




Friends, taunting your opponent is an art that these morons have not perfected. For example, earlier in the year when Georgia came to town, Georgia Guard Corey Butler decided to wear black athletic tights under his shorts. My taunting went a little something like this...

5 minutes in..."Hey, Corey, nice tights. Did you get those from your mother's drawer?"
10 minutes in..."Yo, Corey, I get a Victoria Secret catalog too. Except I don't actually order from it."
15 minutes in..."Hey, Corey, the women's game is next, are you going to play in that as well?"

My mom said to me, "Michael, what if he hears you?"
"Ma, that's the point. As the sixth man, it is my responsibility to take him out of his game."
"Well, what if comes into the stand after you?"
"I'll just point to Shomo."


Usually, a good way to gauge your taunting is by the reaction of the the fans around you. If you get a chuckle, your doing a good job. If they pull away and don't make contact, your a little out of hand.


tOSU


The Thad Matta led Buckeyes are looking sharper than expected this year sporting a 13-3 overall record and a 3-2 record in the Big10. They have a similar record and team makeup as the Illini. Their center is a 7 foot underclassman with a soft touch that makes him feel more at home on the perimeter, and their best player, Evan Turner, like our best player is a 2007 graduate of St. Joe's High School. Turner and Illini Guard Demetri McCamey made up one of the best high school back courts in the country in '07, and they were coached by Illinois legend Gene Pingatore (to learn more about Coach Ping, see the movie Hoop Dreams or ask Benny because Benny's fiance's, sister's, husbands, cousin's, son is Ping's 1st cousin).


tOSU plays a lot of zone, and the Illini have been great against zone this year. Sophomore Mike Davis is skilled enough to score and pass from the short corner or the high post (traditional weaknesses in any zone), and McCamey, Trent Meachum, and Alex Legion have proven to be legitimate threats from beyond the arc. The Illini back court will have to do better than the 1 for 17 shooting performance that was on displayed against MSU if they hope to win.




Illinois - 64
tOSU - 58




Sincerely,
Jerrance Howard's Sweater Vest

PS...Trent Meachum was voted by IGP readers as their favorite Illini walk-on in the past 5 years. A special consideration should go to Fred Nkemdi who was accidently left off the list but received 2 write in votes.

PPS...I've received a few requests for past IGPs. Check out the archive section at the bottom of the left hand menu to see all the IGPs from the historic 2004-05 season. I even included Brad Cohen's 'Missing IGP' for the National Championship Game.

Illinois vs. Fichigan

Illini Game Preview
Tonight vs. Fichigan
TBD. Propose destinations in the comments section.

It looks like karma has come around to bite the Loosiers in the ass. Sunday's 76-45 Illini victory was especially satisfying to rub in the faces of a few of my favorite Indiana fans. Below are 2 text message conversation that took place throughout the game.

Texting Mean Gene

Illini up 16-2

Me: Let's go IU. Gene, IU is looking sharp this year. I've never seen a YMCA team look so much like a Big10 powerhouse.

Gene: Congrats on beating a JV team.

Illini up 26-7 with 10 minutes left in the 1st half.

Me: Uh, Gene, there's 30 minutes left of basketball. Are you conceding defeat?

Gene: No response.

Illini up 58-29. Dominique Keller buries his 3rd three of the game and turns to smile at the Loosier bench.

Gene: Number 23 is an a$$hole!

Gene actually sent the last text message to Spitz because he didn't want to hear me razz him. I was watching the game from Spitz's couch and I laughed.

Texting Big Tony

Illini up 21-2

Me: Who. Who. Who. Whoosiers!

Tony: Yep, I got no response. This is embarrassing!

Me: Gene had a similar answer. It's not even fun to goof on you guys. Oh wait...you lost to Lipscomb!!!! HA!

Tony: Win or lose. The fact remains...Bruce Weber is a whiny b----...sorry, that is all I got...Your team is clearly better...I mean I had to look up Lipscomb on the Internet. In case you are wondering, it's in Iowa.

Fichigan

A crazy schedule quirk brings the Fichigan Wolverines to Assembly Hall only 1 week removed from our loss in Ann Arbor (is a whore). The first meeting was a terrific game with Fichigan going unconscious from 3-point land in the first half and pulling away by tightening up their defense in the 2nd half.

Manny Harris has impressed me so far as the best player in the Big10. He is averaging 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists per game. We put Chester Frazier on him last time, but Harris was able to post up the shorter defender and get to the front of the rim with ease. Our match-up will probably change this time around, but the help defense will be a huge factor in this game. Because Michigan was so spread out on offense, we did not have any shot blockers in the lane to help with penetration. This could be a good opportunity for Illinois to go zone during parts of the game, but I can only remember seeing Head Coach Bruce Weber use a zone one time in his career at Illinois.

We scored at will against Michigan use slip screens and pick-and-pops last time. This strategy should be effective again because Fichigan's defense is not disciplined enough for the Illini. A slip screen is like a pick and roll except the pick is faked and rolls early - think James Augustine. A pick-and-pop is like a pick and roll except instead of the roll the pick steps back for a shot - think Brian Cook. Mike Davis is skilled enough to do either, and I think he will blow up on the home court to avenge our only Big10 loss.


Illinois - 65
Fichigan - 60


Sincerely,
Bubba Chisholm

Illinois vs. Loosiers

Illini Game Preview
Tomorrow 2 p.m. @ Spitzer's
Let me know if you're going to make it.


There are many Illini b-ball shots that stick out in my mind over the years.

Cory Bradford's 3-pointer to knock of Indiana in the Big Ten Tourney.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OQ8o_Ow-qY&feature=related)
Or Marcus Griffin's last second shot off an inbound against Wisky.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi4OHcDMWM&feature=related)
I went nuts over Roger Powell's tip dunk of his own shot against Louisville in the 2005 Final Four.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9eiGQ-WBuQ - at 3:50)
There's Frank William's 3-pointer that defeated Michael Redd and the #13 Buckeyes.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s85t5QMP4Y&feature=related)
Don't forget Luther's put back to beat Purdue in 2004.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkaszwO4K_c)
You have Deron William's 3-ball to tie the score against Arizona.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX-6a_Es48Y&feature=related)
And my personal favorite, Nick Anderson's 35 foot buzzer beater at Indiana. I remember watching that at Grandma's house.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSRuVA6xU-Q&quot)


I have a new favorite play that snuck into the top 5. Chester Frazier's dunk over 6'8" DeShawn Sims on Sunday was straight NASTY! I was lying on my couch, psyched by how fluid the Illini offense looked, when I saw Illinois grab a steal and Dimitri McCamey start the fast break. When McCamey dropped a bounce pass to Chet with Sims closing in, I thought Demetri was playing quarterback and leaving his wide receiver exposed in the middle of the field. Then Chester rose up and dunked with authority over a man 7 inches taller. I was shocked, and I nearly jumped out of my apartment. Unfortunately, I cannot find the video online. Anyone who has a link, please email the IGP or add it in the comments section of the blog.


Chester Frazier is by far the Illini's most improved player this year. In his first few seasons, Chester's offense was worse than the Sooners in the red zone last night. Not this year. Although he is the only starter not averaging double figures in points; he is averaging twice the assists he did last year (6.4 - 6th in the country), his assist/turnover ratio is 2x his ratio in 2007-2008 (3.0 - 18th in the country), and he is shooting a full 10% better from the field (45%). Frazier is a true floor leader who wants to be a coach when his playing days are over. Imagine a coaching staff of Jerrance Howard, Chester Frazier, and Dee Brown (All have indicated an interest in coaching. Side note: Sergio McClain is the Head Coach at Parkland Community College.).


A recent blog by Chester's high school coach tells the story of Frazier's recruitment process:

"Well, as I was watching Illinois upset Purdue the other night, I started thinking about what an inexact science recruiting is. Chester Frazier plays for Illinois and was fantastic against Purdue. He played for me when I was at Notre Dame Prep School. His entire recruitment by the University of Illinois lasted about an hour. The story goes like this…

"Five years ago, I received a phone call from Bruce Weber, who is the Head Coach at the University of Illinois (when Bruce was at Southern Illinois he had recruited one of my players so I knew him a little). He was in New Hampshire at one of the prep schools and was flying out of Boston the next day. He wanted to watch a kid that was playing for me workout, but his flight was at noon, so he wanted to know if we could work out in the morning. Now normally, I would not move a workout the evening prior, however Coach Weber is a good guy and he is the Head Coach at Illinois. Also, I felt a little bad for him because he did not like the player he went up to New Hampshire to see, and it was not going to get better for him at Notre Dame Prep – the player that he had heard about here was not good enough to play in the Big Ten. So, I moved our workout to seven the next morning. Bruce arrived at 6:30am just as my assistant coach, Mike McMahon, was turning on the lights.

"Just a little aside on Chester Frazier…He had been a good player for us at Notre Dame Prep. He could help win a game offensively and defensively. The thing I remember most was his toughness. He got injured in January and the doctor said he will be out for eight weeks. Four weeks later we were about toplay a big game, and Chester walked into my office and told me he wanted to play. I ask him what the doctor said, and he replied, “Who cares?” I then said, “Not me, the bus leaves at 3:00” (Oh relax, of course I checked with the doctor – I just can’t recall if it was before or after the game). Anyway Chester helped us win the game, and I have always thought that he is one of the toughest players in the country. Now, back to Coach Weber and 7:00am practice…

"The kids started playing, and I am telling you, Chester went off! He was sensational. He must have hit ten straight threes, was driving to the basket and finishing above the rim. He did it all. At about 8:00am, Bruce came over and asked if Chester plays like that all the time. I told him “Why, yes. Every 7:00am practice with a Big Ten coach in the gym, yes, he does play like that.” At about 8:15am, Bruce told me he was going to offer Chester a scholarship. Bruce visited again the next week and Chester, once again, did not disappoint. The rest, as they say, is history. Currently, Chester is a senior at Illinois, and he has been a good player for them for four years. Yes, a coach flew out to New England to see a kid that didn’t work out, so on his way to the airport, he stopped in to a hastily arranged workout to watch yet another kid he had heard about, and ends up offering a scholarship to a third kid – Chester Frazier, a player he had never heard of before that day. Recruiting is a crazy business. I have seen coaches spend two years recruiting a kid, pour their heart and soul into it, and then not get him. Then there are stories like Chester’s – I love stories like this one, don’t you?"

The full story can be read at http://collegechalktalk.com/general/assoc-head-coach-bill-barton-duquesne-recruiting-an-inexact-science/

Chester is a special player and a tough kid. Let's be sure to cheer extra hard for Chet during his senior year.

Illinois vs. The Big 1o Team Who Lost to Lipscomb (TB10TWLTL)


TB10TWLTL is 5-9 this year and 0-2 in the Big10. In a previous blog I mentioned that TB10TWLTL would not win a conference game all year, but TB10TWLTL surprised me last week by playing Michigan to the wire. They lost 72-66 in OT. Still...they lost to Lipscomb. Lipscomb for crying out loud. Devan Dumes and Tom Pritchard are the only players for TB10TWLTL averaging in double figures. Dumes is good off the bounce, and we saw what dribble penetration did against Illinois in the 2nd half against Fichigan. Our help defense will have to be better. Don't get me wrong, I am not too worried about TB10TWLTL, I am just making a point about our defense to better educate the IGP audience.

Our front line should have a field day against Indiana's small and inexperienced forwards (all but 1 are freshman). One of the Mike's (Davis or Tisdale) will go for 20 and the other will hit a double-double. Welcome to the Big10 Tom Crean.


Illinois - 76
TB10TWLTL -59

Sincerely,

The Former TCU Horned Frogs Offensive Coordinator

PS...Thanks for naming the IGP as the pre-conference Illini MVP - 42% of the vote.