Illinois vs. the Lophers

Illini Game Preview
Tonight vs. Minny


IGPs have been few and far between in the month of February. I am sorry for that loyal readers, but I've been travelling a bunch for work and school is kicking my ass. But do not worry, I've kept my eye on the Big10 Network and my ears open to everything except Dick Vitale's bogus ramblings collecting material for when I get a spare moment.

Last weekend (post PSU and pre-OSU), after playing some pick up basketball at the Moody Bible Institute (the same court where Dee Brown broke his leg before his senior year and was forced to return to school), a few friends engaged me in one of my favorite discussion topics...Illini Hoops.

"Man, we suck. 33 points?! Weber did not have his team ready to play," said one Illini alum.
"Yeah, not a single one of these guys would start on the 04, 05, or 06 team. We are so over rated," exclaimed another Illini Alum.

Ooompfh. It felt like someone had disparaged my mother, soiled the Nett family name, or blasphemed Michael Jordan by claiming that he cheated on his wife. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I will not name these lost Illini souls because I hope they will find their ways home.

So this is my invite. This is me being mother bird and cucawing my fallen Illini friends back to the nest. Come home friends. Here's why...

Why I love the '08-'09 Illini

• Chester...A quote from an NBA scout, "The test for whether you can make the NBA is if you can score on Chester Frazier."
• Heart...The Northwestern Game. We were down 14 with 6 minutes left!
• Chemistry...We have assists on 71% of all baskets - #1 in the nation.
• Da Coach...We have the '08-'09 Big10 Coach of the Year. We were 16-19 last year!
• Mid-Range J...Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, and Calvin Brock all have great pull up jumpers. Davis was exceptional against tOSU on Sunday.
• Charity... 71% this season vs. 62% LY
• Jerrance Howard. He's excitable, he's a great recruiter, and he has almost as much style as Wayne McClain.
• Defense...Teams are averaging a mere 56pts a game against us - 3rd lowest in the country.
• 1,000 points...Don't look now, but Trent Meachum is 4 baskets shy of scoring 1,000 points in his collegiate career. Not bad for a walk-on that many thought could not hack it as a starter.

College basketball has been crazy this year. Number 1 Pittsburgh was just knocked off by a mediocre, unranked Providence team (Providence was leading by 20 in the 2nd half). Oklahoma lost its last 2 games. Yes, they were without Blake Griffin, but they looked horrendous in losses to Texas and Kansas. Missouri, who we clobbered by 16 points, is ranked 8th in the country!

Folks, these Illini are overachievers and they are for real. Let's start treating them that way.

Cucaww!

Illini vs. Lophers

The Golden Gophers created a defensive template that held the Illini to only 36 points in the first meeting. PSU used a similar defense to hold Illinois to 33 last week. It's pretty simple actually, in your jersey man-to-man defense, avoid switching on picks, do not double anyone, and avoid helping out on defense. Sound simple?

Illinois scores 71% of their baskets off assists. When the opposition over rotates, or double teams, or hedges on picks, Illinois hits the open man. If you stay at home on D, Illinois only has 1 real player that can beat you consistently off the dribble - Demetri McCamey. OSU tried the exact opposite game plan on Sunday and look how that turned out. OSU's over extended zone played right into Illinois' hands because we found Davis open in the hi-post and short corner for easy baskets.

Minnesota is playing for their tournament lives right now, so they will bring the intensity. You can bet that the Illini are a bit embarrassed by the last game these teams played. It is going to be a Big10 brawl tonight, and I can't wait to see the blood and emotion being mopped off the floor during timeouts.

The quicker we can get he ball up court, the less time Minny has to set their defense. I would love to see us push the pace tonight. We need some slashing and energy from Chester Frazier, some bench energy from Calvin Brock, and our big men will have to play far more physical than they did in last contest.

Illinois - 57

Lophers - 53

Sincerely,

The Bubble

Illinois vs. the Mildcats

Illini Game Preview

Tonight @ Northwestern - 8 p.m.

Meet me at the Stadium Club...in Arkansas

The Illini earned a very timely win on Sunday. After dropping 2 of the last 3 and looking miserable against Wisconsin and even worse against Minnesota, Illinois stepped up big time with an 18 point dismantling of number 12 Purdue. Sophomore Forward Mike Davis looked phenomenal against the Choo-Choo's pulling down a career high 16 rebounds. Davis was soft in losses against Minnesota and Wisconsin, but it turns out that our sweet shooting forward had an extended bout of tonsillitis and is battling Bells Palsy. I think it also helps that Weber lit a fire under his a$$.

There are 5 teams in the Big10 within a game and a half of each other. Illinois, tOSU, and PurWon't are tied for second at 7-4 and Minnesota is in 5th place at 7-5. MSU has a seemingly solid 2.5 game lead, but they're at Purdue next Tuesday and they still have to visit Champaign later this month. We're in for some fireworks as conference play is winding down. Here is how the standings look as of 2/11.

Free Throw Shooting

Throughout the year, I've been amazed by how well the Illini have been shooting free throws. Last year we lost several games down the stretch because we couldn't hit the freebies. This year, the Illini are putting games away with their proficiency at the line. Our good buddy Mark Pinsof hypothesized that the loss of Brian Randle and Shaun Pruit alone gave the Illini free throw shooting surge. We brow beat him into doing the research, and here is what he found...

We shot 62% from the line last year, and five players from last years team's free throw % have increased DRAMATICALLY:
Mike Davis up from 46.9% to 75.6% this year
McCamey up from 62.7% to 81.8% this year
Frasier up from 51.9% to 68.8% this year
Tisdale up from 63.3% to 80.0% this year
and even Meachum is up from 74.7% to 89.7% this year

So I guess all of the work on free throws in practice and the off-season has really paid off!!

Speaking of Shaun

Spitzer sent me a story the other day about Shaun Pruitt. As of Saturday, the big boy was the leading rebounder and 3rd highest scorer in a European league. Unfortunately, the article wasn't praising his great play, it was reporting that he had been cut from the team. "If you're a league's leading rebounder and third leading scorer, how do you get released? Let's ask Shaun Pruitt," wrote spitzer.

http://www.eurobasket.com/Czech-Republic/basketball.asp?NewsID=152398

"While statistically Pruitt was very impressive, a closer examination of his game showed some serious rookie-flaws that Prostejov, currently fourth in the NBL, felt they could no longer deal with. For example, Pruitt did not possess great court-vision, apparent in his 0.9 assist per game averages and numerous offensive fouls he accumulated per game. Also, while a dominant force inside, Pruitt has not been able to correct his horrendous free-throw shooting (46.2%) to capitalize on the fouls he draws. But aside from these performance flaws, as most players have, Pruitts lack of commitment to defense was probably the final nail in the coffin for his time at Prostejov."

WOW. MOM. WOW.

The Illini Nation Invades Evanston

The Northwestern Mildcats have been completely baffling this year. They've roared to wins against #25 FSU, Minnesota, #9 MSU, and Wisconsin, but they lost to I.O.W.A. and were taken to the wire by Indiana (you know, the team that lost to Lipscomb). So what I am saying is, who the hell knows which Wildcat team will show up.

Kevin Coble is Northwestern's top player. He's averaging 15.2 points per game. When the sweet shooting Junior is on, the Cats are tough to beat, but NU has not won a game when Coble scores less than 10 points. Coble is a good match-up for Davis or JuCo Transfer Dominique Keller because they are both tall and can defend off the dribble.

Chester Frazier has been guarding the oppositions top scorer for most of the season, but his hands will be full against speedy sophomore Michael Thompson (10ppg, 4apg). Thompson will take you off the dribble and will finish or dish to an open man (hopefully not to Coble for 3).

On defense, the Cats play a tricked out match-up zone or a 1-3-1 (they also play man). Watch the way they switch and match-up when they play a 2-3. It is fascinating. When Illini Assistant Jay Price scouted NU for the first time, he watched an entire season's worth of tape, but couldn't figure out what they were doing - it almost drove him looney. We've had problems against their unorthodox but organized style in the past, however this year's team speciallizes in finding the open man. Zones typically have a weaknesses at the short corner and the hi-post. These are sweet spots for Davis and Tisdale. If the Mike's are shooting well, we will roll.




Illinois - 67
Cats - 59




Sincerely,

Jeff Jordan's Scholarship

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. 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.

IGP: Illinois vs. Rock City

Illinois Game Preview
Tomorrow vs. Rock City
7pm @ The Yard
Let me know if you're interested

Moving in a terrible housing market

With interest rates reaching 37 year lows, the IGP bought a little piece of internet property yesterday. Come visit us at our new address: http://www.illinigamepreview.com/. Beer is the only acceptable house warming present.

Be sure to sign up as an IGP follower.

Hoosier Dank

Long time reader and newly hired field reporter HC, e-mailed me a story yesterday explaining why the Loosiers fell apart last season after starting with only 1 loss in their first 18 games. Drugs. If I were a Hoosier, I would self medicate as well.

Former guard Eric Gordon said that the team was splintered because half liked to smoke up, and the other half…was studying. I have no idea what would posses Gordon to talk about this; but he does bring to light how easy it is for a team to screw up its chemistry, especially a team made up of 18 to 21 year olds.

Last year’s Illini team might have been in a similar place – though not pulled apart by drugs. Ego is a better explanation. We all praised and cursed Senior Center Shaun Pruitt the entire year. The swearing was loudest when Pruitt blew 3 free throws that each would have sealed the game against the aforementioned Hoosiers. This was the only time all year that I felt sorry for Big Shaun (the IGP is very empathetic).

Any other time I watched Pruitt, he was pouting at the refs, his teammates, or his coaches – sometimes all at once. Pruitt was not a great team player; but being a senior, he was viewed as a leader – one who I would have found uninspiring and difficult to follow. We didn’t have high expectations for last year’s team, but a lack of team chemistry definitely lead to an underachieving season.

What about this year?

The Hoosiers won’t have to blame drug use for this year’s crappy season. They have no talent, and they will suck. They’ve already lost 5 games, and it will be their fans who smoke copious amounts of weed in 08/09.

What about this year?...for the Illini!

From all accounts I’ve read, the team gets along far better this year. The top sophomore in the state of Illinois, Tracy Abrams, recently committed to Illinois (great news) and said “The players [at Illinois] were like family, it was an atmosphere that I want to be a part of.” Even more important, the guys looks more like a team than they have in the last 3 years.

Although the competition has been light so far, I like watching this team play. Last year, the Illini lead most games heading into the second half…then they tightened up and blew it (see Shaun Pruitt in paragraph 5 of today’s IGP). This year, with the exception of Clemson, Illinois has shown tremendous heart. Heart makes up for a lot in college basketball.

Rock City

Detroit is 3-6 and nothing more than a warm-up before the Illinois heads to St. Louis for the annual Bragging Rights Game against Missouri. Now that finals are over, sophomore transfer Alex Legion is eligible to play for the first time this year. Supposedly, Legion is tearing it up on the practice court. Head Coach Bruce Weber even referred to him as ‘Kobe’ during summer workouts. It will be exciting to see Legion hit the court, but Weber will probably ease him into the line-up. The adrenaline will be pumping for this talented guard, so don’t be too hard on him if he’s a bit heavy on his shot to start.


Illinois – 87
Not so mighty Titans – 55


Sincerely,
Mike Lockley’s Retired Headset

PS…Last week 9 of you agreed that the Illini would make it back to the Final Four, while 4 of you told me that I am bat shit crazy. You’re all right. The Illini will make it to the Final Four, and I have a few screws loose.

PPS...Let me know where you think the Illini will end the year in the Big10. See the left hand side of the blog at http://www.illinigamepreview.com/

PPS...Happy Birthday Rhandi!

Illinois vs. clemSON

Illinois Game Preview
Tonight vs. clemSON
6:30 pm @ The Yard (a new Illini bar)
Let me know if you'll be there.

Illinois is 6-0, and the IGP is back in business. Did you miss me?

DJ Hi-Tech

We are going hi-tech this year. I am replacing the weekly emails with a blog format that will allow you to share the articles with your friends more easily and to comment on my asinine or spot-on analysis of the upcoming game.

Hey, you founds us (http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/). Click the "follow this blog" link and sign up for an account. I am still learning the site; but if you sign up, you should be notified via email when a new blog is posted. I will continue to send out an IGP email until January to give you a chance to get used to the new format.

Da Coach

Bruce Weber is in his sixth season as head coach of the Illini basketball program. Last year was the first time in 10 seasons that the we failed to make the NCAA tournament. Some Illini fans are beginning to wonder if Weber can lead us back to the Final Four. Those fans are wrong. And to show you how wrong they are, I am willing to make the boldest prediction in the history of the IGP: The University of Illinois Men's Basketball Team will return to the Final Four in the 2010-2011 season. Why such a prediction? Three reasons:

1. Coach tells it like it is. Weber cuts to the quick with his players like no other coach in college basketball. Last year, Spitzer and I attended the Kentucky-Wesleyan game and sat in the second row behind the Illini bench. During the first possession of the second half, Shaun Pruitt caught the ball in the high post, took one dribble, and put up a brick. Pruitt was promptly benched and on his way to the sideline he said, "Coach, that was a good shot." "No. That was a turnover," Weber snorted.
Another example occurred over the summer when Calvin Brock's locker was cleared out by the coaching staff. It was a motivational tactic telling Brock to work harder over the summer or don't expect a spot on the team. Weber gets the most out of his players by telling them what they need to hear.

2. Recruits. Our next 2.5 recruiting classes are stacked. Starting this December 20th, hot-shot Kentucky transfer Alex Legion will join the team and bring some much needed firepower to the offense. In 2009, three highly touted guards will come to Champaign with dreams of being the next Dee, Deron, and Luther. Brandon Paul, DJ Richardson, and Joseph Bertrand will become household names along with forward Tyler Griffey. For 2011, two top twenty recruits will compete for starting spots immediately and fill out the roster on our next Final Four season. Jereme Richmond is a 6'6" forward from Waukegan, and Crandall Head (Luther's bro) is a 6'3" hi flyer ready to pick up where his brother left off.

3. A dream. The Chief and Lou Henson visited my dreams and told me that it would be so.

Do you think it's possible? Let me know in the comments section of the http://www.netters-igp.blogspot.com/

Big10 - ACC Challenge

The Big10 is 0-9 since the challenge's inception in 1998, and only one Big10 team has a winning record - MSU (5-3). The Illini is looking to push its record to 4-6 in the challenge tonight against Clemson. The signatures of this year's Illini are tough defense and quick ball movement. The Illini are ranked 22nd nationally in scoring defense (56.2 ppg) and 9th in total assists (19.2 apg - assists on 75% of baskets).

The defense will have to be on point because Clemson is shooting 49% from the field and averaging 81 PPG. Forward Trevor Booker (6'7") and Guard Terrence Oglesby (6'2") are the Tigers' top scorers averaging 14 points apiece. Clemson has yet to face a decent Division I basketball team this year, so I expect us to capitalize on a few turnovers early.

Let's keep our undefeated schedule intact.


Illinois - 68
Clemson -62


Sincerely,

Jerrance's Extra Padding