Behind the Mic

Return Trip to Portland

Posted by: Brian Barnhart

Sunday, March 15, 2009 9:55 PM

I had never been to Portland, Oregon until three seasons ago when the Illini made a trip to Portland to play the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Garden (the home of the Portland Trailblazers...a game they won handily that season). Portland is a beautiful city in the Great Northwest and I look forward to heading out there again with the Illini on Tuesday.

Oregon is a long way to go to play a game and I do feel bad for most area fans because they more than likely wont be able to make that trip.  But I do remember there were a LOT of Illinois alums on the West Coast and they came from all over that part of the country to see the Illini play the Ducks on that last trip west.  Hopefully they will come out again on Thursday night.

One other bonus... Purdue will be playing out there as well...in a different "pod" of the tourney...but it will be nice to have some fellow Big Ten "brothers" cheering on the Illini a long way from home.

Western Kentucky will be tough.  Remember they were in the Sweet 16 last year...and the Hilltoppers gave Bill Self's Illini a tough game in Indianapolis in the NCAA's in 2003. 

But the Illini will have a size advantage inside...so if they can win...they would face another mid-major opponent in the 2nd round (either Gonzaga or Akron).

The Illini got a good seed and  face a long trip from home...But if they can pull out a couple of wins...they will find themselves back in this part of the country...in Memphis...in the Sweet 16. 

But as all coaches say...Let's not get ahead of ourselves...The name of the game in the "Big Dance" is to "survive and advance" ...as CBS' Clark Kellogg is fond of saying.

The first step of survival starts late Thursday night in Portland.

Comments

Be the first to share your opinion!