After a stretch of six games in 13 days, the Illini get a break. After a weightlifting session today, at least. And it doesn't sound like Bruce Weber is going to take it easy over the next nine days, the team's longest in-season hiatus, either.

"We're going to go hard," Weber said after Illinois beat Chicago State.

To maintain their mojo, the plan is to hold a game-length scrimmage on Monday, followed by a half-scrimmage on Wednesday, before Detroit visits the Assembly Hall on Dec. 20.

- Calvin Brock called it "Bubba mania." And the first Illini point scored by Bubba Chisholm, a walk-on from Champaign Central, caused a stir on the Illinois bench.

"It was Bubba Chisholm night. I felt it was my little brother out there," Trent Meacham said. "He plays hard. He comes to practice every day and plays hard. He gets out there in the game and smacks the floor. It's great to see him out there. He's living a dream right now, playing with us. I'm just really happy to have him on the team."

Illinois' Rudy made 1 of 2 free throws, much to the delight of the Orange Krush, who held up his likeness on Bubba Chisholm poster night. And as Trent Meacham left the post-game interview room, he took a few of the posters for himself. I asked Trent if he was going to get them signed.

"For you?" he said.

Good one, Trent.

- The Illinois coaches tried to get in touch with Dee Brown yesterday, after the news that his Wizards stint is over. Weber said last night he isn't certain of Dee's next move, only that he was as surprised, just like the rest of us. He could latch on with another NBA team, but Europe remains a possibility.

Something that I was thinking about: At the United Center the other day, Dee made a point to emphasis that Europe isn't being viewed in the same (negative) way by NBA guys, evidenced by guys like Josh Childress heading overseas. Dee sounded almost open to the idea of returning to Europe, if that's what it takes. That's a change in his own philosophy. When he got back from Turkey, it sounded like he was ready to leave that experience in the rear-view mirror.

"That was a great thing for me, going overseas last year," he said Saturday. "There's at least 10 guys in this league right now that I played against last year that made a big impact last year."

- I thought Bruce Weber summed up these Illini with this comment last night.

"That's the key to our team: guys accepting whatever comes that night. If they can do that, that's the key to our team," Weber said. "I put on the board tonight "Pride in Illinois." That's important. Accepting your role and doing all the little things that make a difference.

"We have a chance to be pretty good. But it's not going to happen if we think we're great individuals. We have to be a great team."

- Some of this was in our game coverage today, including Weber's comments on Legion. Here's what his teammates said about the addition of Alex Legion on Dec. 20 against Detroit.

"I don't see a huge change. But he's going to open it up even more for everybody," Meacham said. "He can really shoot the ball. Defenses are going to have to respect that. So that's going to open it up for myself, for Chester, for Demetri. I don't see us changing how we'll play. I think the best thing is we're playing well, so he can ease into it. There's really no pressure on him."

"We know Alex can score the ball," Chester Frazier said. "We're winning right now. I think he has to adjust to us more than we have to adjust to him right now. We have to get him in there, get his feet wet, get a game under his belt, and we'll see what's going on."

A Detroit-area product, Legion knows much of the roster that will oppose Illinois in his debut. He figures to help the big guys as well.

"It will take time to work him into the offense," Mike Davis said. "We love playing with Alex. When you screen for him, they (the defender) have to ‘show,' because he can shoot the ball. You can pick-and-pop, you can pick-and-roll, and get open shots because they have to guard him."

- Verdell Jones II update courtesy of UK beat writer and Knicks fan Brett Dawson.

- Live In-Game Report from the Chicago State game.

- What they expect from Alex Legion.

- Marcus Jackson's notebook from the Hall.

- Grades for the Illini.

- Photos from Illinois' win.

pklee@news-gazette.com