Illinois vs. Mizzery

Tonight, 8pm @ Schoolyard
Email me and let me know if you are going to make it.

Saturday Morning

I woke up excited. I had tickets to the Illini game, the squad was looking solid, and I was ready to take some notes in preparation for the first IGP of the season.

Saturday Evening

Embarrassed and defeated, I endured chants of UIC-UIC-UIC as I attempted to have a nice dinner with some hoopster friends. It was depressing.

My good buddy Shomo had it worse. He was stuck in a cabin full of UIC grads in Colorado. "Please tell me this is a typo," he texted.

Disappointing

I don't think I've ever felt this disappointed after watching an Illini basketball game. Last year's loss in the NIT to Dayton actually made me turn off the game before it was over. I had never done that before, but I had also never seen an Illini team play with such little heart...until last Saturday.

It was clear during lay-up lines. At one end of the court, UIC was excited, ready to play, and getting angry. At the other end, the Illini were double pumping lay-ups and looking like they were getting ready for an intramural game. It reminded me of a quote from Mike Davis after the Oakland game, "It's our fault as seniors (he said of the slow first half against Oakland). It started in the pregame warm-ups, kind of goofing around too much, laughing, laying around, shooting bad shots. It's the seniors' fault." We can re-use this quote to describe the UIC game.

Game Thoughts

After watching the debacle at the United Center, there are a few things that need changing:

1. End of game play calling. Brutal. Under Head Coach Bruce Weber, the Illini have had some brutal end of game plays. With the exception of OSU last year in the Big Ten Tournament, we never seem to get a solid, open shot with time running out. A fade away 3-pointer to end it?

2. Bill Cole should not be inbounding the ball. He led Demetri McCamey out of bounds with 3 seconds remaining. Then he was given another chance with 1 second remaining and threw it into the stands. Teams practice these plays all the time, and we couldn't even get the ball in - twice!

3. Come out earlier during halftime. The shooting was awful in the first half. Why not get out there as soon as possible and take a few extra shots? Instead, Bruce kept the team in the locker room until 1 minute was remaining. The first shot after intermission was a near air ball by Mike Tisdale who was short all night.

4. Jereme Richmond should be starting.

5. Bench everybody except D-Mac. I would love to have seen Meyers Leonard, Crandall Head, Tyler Griffery, and Joseph Bertrand come in for every other starter. Individually, every Illini player should be better than every other UIC player in uniform. A mass benching might have lit a fire.

Looking Ahead

How the Illini respond will tell us a lot about this team. UIC did a great job of mixing up defenses between man-to-man, 1-3-1, and 3-2 zones. Mizzery will do the same. Led by Nolan Richardson disciple Mike Anderson, the Tigers will mix up looks and press for much of the game. With Brandon Paul questionable for tonight's game, Illinois will be pressed for some new ball-handlers to step up.

The good news is that Mizzery's Sophomore Point Guard Phil Pressey is out at least two weeks after breaking his right ring finger in practice [Sidebar: What kind of a sissy is Pressey that he can't tape his fingers together and tough it out?]. Unfortunately, Pressey will be replaced by Sophomore Guard Michael Dixon who was suspended for violating an unspecified team rule. Dixon sat out wins against Arkansas Pine Bluff, Oral Roberts, and Central Arkansas. Gee, what a convenient time to end that suspension.

Mizzery is 160th overall in rebounding; so don't be impressed if the Illini look good hitting the boards. If the Illini are crisp in passing the rock and maneuvering through the press, we'll be fine. I would usually say that we can expect a big game from Mike Davis or Mike Tisdale, but I am hoping that Jereme Richarson and Tyler Griffey can motor this boat on the Illini front line.

Illinois - 87
Mizzery - 83


Sincerely,
Your Favorite Bouncer in Chicago


PS...Illini fans, I will be out of the country in Italy, and I will not be covering the Big Ten opener against Iowa on 12/29. Be sure to tune in after the Texas Bowl. I should be back in business for the 1/6 game against Northwestern. Word on the street is that Mark Pinsof could be a guest columnist and is currently casting for a short film about a former Illini b-baller who is now working as a bouncer.