And away we go ...

As exhibition games go, Sunday's Illini matchup against SIU-Edwardsville was standard fare. The Illini didn't play particularly well, trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half. They were behind with 12 minutes to play in the game, so it wasn't a masterpiece. Not that you'd expect it to be, given the team's youth. One thing seems certain: Illinois won't be pretty to watch in November and December. The team figures to improve as its inexperienced backcourt learns the ropes.

Observations and notes from Sunday:

--First things first. The starting lineup had Lydia McCully at the point, Macie Blinn at the 2, Chelsea Gordon at the 3, Lacey Simpson at the 4 and Jenna Smith in the post. Fabiola Josil backed up McCully, Whitney Toone backed up Blinn, and Lana Rukavina backed up Simpson, who was in foul trouble much of the game.

With a nine-player roster (Chicago Hope product Melissa Thompson, recovering from a knee injury, will join the squad as a walk-on when she's healthy), you'll probably see all of the newcomers playing some sort of role, however minor. If Gordon, Simpson or Smith come out of a game, it's because there's a broken bone protruding from one of their legs. Gordon played 37 minutes -- in an exhibition game against an opponent that's making the transition to Division I. So, you can guess what will happen when Ohio State is sitting on the other bench.

--Had an inkling going in that Josil will be the team's best newcomer this season, and Sunday's play reinforced that belief. Josil scored 15 points and was the only Illini to sink a three-pointer (she hit 3 of 4). Josil presents an interesting situation here. She has a scorer's mentality, and clearly is capable of adding some offense ... of which the Illini need all the help they can get, especially on the perimeter. Someone out there better score, or else Smith is going to get triple-teamed. Heck, quadruple-teamed. But, as Jolette Law made clear in the press conference afterward, she likes her point guards to think pass-first, shoot-second. Hmmmmm. Just a hunch, but at some point along the way you might see Josil at the 2 and McCully running the point, freeing Josil to use her scoring ability more.

--Rukavina had some good numbers (seven points, seven rebounds) and showed flashes of offensive ability. She also drew praise from Law afterward. "She's a gamer," the coach said. The key for Rukavina figures to be defense, where she -- like many freshmen -- have strides to make.
 
--Chicago Marshall senior Adrienne GodBold made her official visit during the weekend and attended the game. GodBold is one of five players who are expected to sign with Illinois on Wednesday. We'll have Q&A's with each of the five on HQ throughout the day on Wednesday.

--You might have noticed there are many conflicts this season between the UI men's and women's schedules. It happens Friday, when the women open their season in the afternoon at IPFW while the men take on Eastern Washington at the Assembly Hall at night. Overlaps present a problem if you like to listen to women's games on the radio. The women will either be tape-delayed or not broadcast at all. You can listen live on the Internet at www.fightingillini.com (for a fee, I believe). And you can also go to IlliniHQ.com for some in-game updates. Starting with Friday's game, I'm planning to provide pregame and halftime postings, along with an extensive postgame wrapup once I'm done writing my stories. If there's something you'd like to see, shoot me an e-mail at tbleill@news-gazette.com.
 
--Keep in mind: We'll have a chat at 4 p.m. Tuesday. You can go to the chats section of the Web site to submit a question at any time.