Illinois vs. the Ligers

Illini Game Preview
6:15 tip off @ Clemson
I'll be in class, but a few folks are headed to The Pony on Belmont.


One of my favorite parts of college sports is getting a group of new players to cheer for every year. This year, we have 4 new Illini. Let me introduce them to you:

#1 - DJ Richardson: DJ is the most highly touted of the freshmen, and so far his defense and leadership skills earned the most praise from Head Coach Bruce Weber. Richardson is averaging 9.5 ppg during the first 6 games of the season but only scored 3 and 5 in losses to Utah and Bradley.

#2 - Brandon Paul: Sporting a loud faux hawk and a quiet on court demeanor, Paul has been my favorite newcomer in the early going. Aside from the fact that Paul's father was the police liaison where my mom taught, Paul attacks the front of the rim with an aggression we have not seen at Illinois since the likes of Kenny Battle. Paul has a scorer's mentality, and can get hot from anywhere on the court.

#3 - Joseph Bertrand: Hailing from Sterling, IL, Bertrand won the state of Illinois high school dunk contest last year. I cannot wait to see him start running the floor and rising above the rim. Unfortunately, Bertrand had arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-November and will not return to practice until later this week.

#42 - Tyler Griffey: Griffey is the lone big man of the class of 2013 (that makes me feel old...by the way, these guys were born in the 90's), and at 6-8 225, he already outweighs Junior Forward Mike Davis. Griffey has a strong mid-range game and should play a few minutes a game spelling the Mike's.

You never know what you are going to get with freshmen. I fully expect us to lose some games we should win (see Utah/Bradley) and win some games we should lose. Either way, the expectations are high for this talented group, and it will be great fun getting to know them better.

Taking on the Ligers

Oh man, do I love Thanksgiving! I have a November tradition of visiting Lou Mitchell's 1 week before Thanksgiving to take on their turkey dinner as a warm up for the big day. This year, we celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents’ house. Mom, you outdid yourself - delicious.

My uncle went to Illinois and we talk a lot of Illini basketball. "Mike, how are the Illini going to be this year?"

High on an overdose of tryptophan, I took inspiration from the meal in front of me. "Steve, for the rest of the season, I want you to equate success to the food on this dining room table. On their own, they are a collection of dishes, but together, they make the best meal of every year.

"You see that beautiful bird over there. The turkey is the centerpiece. For the Illini, the metaphoric turkey is our returning starters: point guard Demetri McCamey, Davis, and Tisdale. If our veteran leaders can combine for 40 points or more, the odds are in our favor to pull out the W.

"Toots, (Yes, I have a cousin we call Toots. Her real name is Shirley.) potatoes please. This is Senior Forward Dominique Keller. He brings it every night, and he scores in unorthodox ways. Mashed, baked, fried, it doesn’t matter because it tastes so good.

"Now pass me the stuffing. Comfort food. What makes you feel more comfortable than when the announcer talks about a shooting guard named Jordan. Jeffrey is no Michael, but I like the defense he played at the end of last year, and he can give some solid minutes when we need a stop."

"Dad, it's time for some cranberries and gravy. The toppers...adding a little acid and a little base. These are the freshmen, Paul (cranberries) and Richardson (gravy). You never know how they're going to come out, but they can really make this meal hum."

"Let's not forget some corn or the green bean casse-role players: Semaru, Griffey, and Junior Guard Alex Legion. I really hope Legion can graduate into gravy or stuffing, but he hasn’t shown it yet."

"Mike, that's a lot of food."

"No Steve, this is a masterpiece that delivers the kind of delicate balance that we will need to win against Clemson. It's basketball season, and my mouth is watering."

Illinois - 73
Ligers - 71


Sincerely,
The First Ever Big10 Winner in 'The Challenge"