It is just a scrimmage....I understand that.  And he still has work to do on defense.

But Alex Legion was the star of the Orange and Blue Basketball Scrimmage on Sunday afternoon...pouring in 28 points with 6 three-pointers.  He hit shots from the top of the key....from the wings... and from the corners.  He played with a confidence I had not seen at any point last year.

Legion has shone flashes of this type of ability in practice at the Ubben Center before... but with a couple of exceptions...had not carried that scoring ability over to regular game action at the Assembly Hall or on opposing courts around the Big Ten. 

Bruce Weber said in the initial pre-season press conference this fall that Alex Legion could be an X-factor for the Illini.  He has the ability to be the leading scorer for the Illini this season.  The key word in that statement is "ability". 

The good news is that Alex can play in all the non-conference games this season... as opposed to pretty much jumping in with the team at mid-stream last year after sitting out the transfer year upon his departure from Kentucky.

Meanwhile...Demetri McCamey has lost weight ...looks quicker...and had a double-double in the scrimmage...including 11 assists.   Mike Tisdale had 21 points.  Mike Davis grabbed 10 rebounds and looked like he has been hitting the weight room pretty hard this past spring and summer.

Jerry Hester and I both agree that Peoria freshman guard DJ Richardson physically looks more mature than a freshman... and Brandon Paul, Joseph Bertrand and Tyler Griffey also showed a lot of athletic ability and promise.

But again...the guy that everyone will be talking about Monday morning around the water cooler  is  Alex Legion and his 28 points. 

Again...it was just a scrimmage.  Again....I get that.

But on Sunday afternoon in Champaign...Legion gave us a glimpse of the player everyone thought the Illini were getting when he first arrived in town from Lexington.

As Coach Weber  might say..."Nice job Alex!....Now...go do it again...and dont forget to guard somebody!"

Next up...a Friday night exhibition matchup with Missouri Southern at 7 pm.