Tuesday, April 28, 2009

2010 Preview: Illinois

Like Michigan, Illinois surprised many people with their quick rebound this year, proving that the utter disappointment called the 2007 season was just a fluke. Loaded with a trio of talented juniors-to-be and solid back-to-back recruiting classes this year and next, Illinois looks to stay at the top half of the Big Ten, a place they've grown accustomed to this decade.


Key Returnees: C Mike Tisdale, F Mike Davis, G Demetri McCamey
Key Departures: G Chester Frazier, G Trent Meacham, G/F Calvin Brock
Recruits: G D.J. Richardson (Henderson, NV), G Brandon Paul (Gurnee, IL), F Tyler Griffey (Ballwin, MO), G Joseph Bertrand (Sterling, IL)
Need: Point guard
2010 Outlook: From the looks of things, Illinois has the most balanced starting lineup in the league and that's just based on the guys they have coming back. There is no more talented frontcourt duo than Tisdale an Davis and the scary fact is these kids were only sophomores last year. If you're another Big Ten team, who do you guard? Do you double Tisdale and leave Davis open? They both can extend out to the three-point line and knock down shots but it's really a pick your poison situation. They'll both find ways to beat you. Granted they hit a bit of a wall in March, but that should pay them dividends next year.

Illinois will go as far as those three take them. McCamey has shown on more than one occasion that he is capable of taking a game over on the offensive end, but he needs to be more consistent on the defensive side. He's got the ability to play both guard positions, and with Illinois in need of a true point guard after Chester Frazier's graduation, head coach Bruce Weber might hand the reins over Jeff Jordan (right). I really liked what I saw of this guy last year. He's a tenacious, ball-hawking defender with speed and good passing ability. You won't get much offense out of him, but if you're looking for a smart player who can disseminate the ball and run an offense, which I believe Weber wants, it's Jordan's job to lose.

Of course, some incoming freshmen will push him for playing time. Weber is bringing in three shooting-guard prospects, with Paul probably being the most capable of playing the point. It's interesting; both Paul, Richardson and Bertrand committed to Illinois in October 2007 as juniors, hinting to me that the three of them have great chemistry together. Richardson was in Peoria, IL, at the time of his committment and getting three of the top in-state players for 2009 is huge for Weber, perhaps finally putting to rest questions of his inability to keep top talent inside the state of Illinois (see: John Scheyer, Julian Wright, Jerel McNeal, Sherron Collins, Bobby Frasor, Evan Turner, Shaun Livingston). And if you think this recruiting class is good, head over to Rivals.Com and check out Illinois' class for 2010.

The wildcard here is Alex Legion. The former four-star prospect and Kentucky transfer has the athletic gifts to play in the Big Ten and the game to go with it. However, the general consensus among Illinois fans last year is that Legion seemed disinterested in playing, saying that he didn't have a lot of heart. Maybe that explains why Legion was exlusively a bench player last year, getting minimal minutes on a team that he should probably be starting for. If he can jump into the starting lineup at the small forward position next year, it's just another weapon for the Fighting Illini.

Next Up: Minnesota

(photo from SI.com)

1 comment:

  1. hey, if you have a jordan on our team, you can't go wrong can you?

    ReplyDelete