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. 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.

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!