The Illini have already won two games at the South Padre Island Invitational.  And they haven't set foot outside of Champaign-Urbana to accomplish it.

Bruce Weber likes this type of format.  A couple of home games that should be winnable.  Then a nice Thanksgiving week trip to someplace warm (81 degrees in far south Texas this week) with a team that gets to bond with each other for a few days and play some quality competition at the same time.

By the way...if you had not noticed....the other top teams in this particular tournament won several more games than the Illini did last year.  Kent State won the MAC championship and played Lon Kruger's  UNLV team  in the NCAA tournament.  They have a big-time scorer in Al Fisher who poured in 35 points in an overtime win at St.Louis a few days ago..

Tulsa also made the post-season last year....beating Bradley last spring to win the championship of the inagural College Basketball Invitational Tournament.  

And the recent success of Texas A&M under former coach  Billy Gillespie and current coach Mark Turgeon speaks for itself. 

The Illini have shot and hustled their way to a solid 4-0 start.  They are moving the ball very well on offense and are currently shooting 77 % from the foul line.  And good team chemistry (which wasnt always present last year) also seems evident among this current group of Illini...who are intent on helping  Illini  fans forget about what happened during a dismal 16-19 campaign last year.

They face some big hurdles this weekend in South Padre Island....and dont forget...ACC foe Clemson is waiting in the wings at the Assembly Hall next Tuesday.  But the Illini have shown encouraging signs already this young season....and that is one thing we Illini fans can be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Talk  to you from the SPI Convention Centre on Friday night.