Chris,
I am not sure why Jeff Jordan didnt play last night. It was so loud in the Stony Brook Arena last night...that it was hard to concentrate..... and I just forgot to ask Coach Weber about it after the game. In fact it wasnt until I looked at the box score on the bus to the airport in New York that I realized that Jeff did not play.
Sorry about that.
I do know that Coach Weber is looking at these NIT games as the start of the 2010-11 season. Dont know if that was a factor or not when it came to Jeff's minutes last night.

Steve,
They should be fine on Monday night at the Assembly Hall. I think a big home crowd will help...so I hope they sell a lot of tickets over the next few days. Plus.... to me...that first game was the biggest mental hurdle for the Illini. They had to shake the feeling of being sorry for themselves about not making the NCAA Tournament. I think the incredibly loud crowd last night in Stony Brook may have helped wake them up.

Jimmy,
The Illini have an excellent strength coach in Jimmy Price. He served in the Marines and worked at Texas Tech for Bobby Knight at one point in his career.
We all know that Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale are not physical players. I think they have actually come quite a distance from their freshman year. But some body types just dont develop as quickly as others.
I know that Jimmy Price works very hard to improve their strength and conditioning on a daily basis. But you also have to keep in mind their body type as well. You can only do so much so fast.
Looking back...in my opinion....it would have been better for Tisdale to red-shirt his freshman year. Think how good he would be with a 5th year.
(Great...Now I sound like Loren Tate!)

Laurie,
I think we match up pretty well...although I am just now starting to look at their team. I should know more about them in the next day or two.
I do know they lost pretty early in their conference tournament...but were hot down the stretch in the regular season. They beat Tulsa with some late points last night. With the win they are now 24-9.
Remember.... the Illini played them at South Padre Island and it was a fairly close game.

Larry,
We were actually up in the wooden bleachers behind the Illini bench...in a makeshift press location. The view was very good. Our location was on the opposite side of the TV camera.
Last night was Stony Brook's first ever nationally televised game. Think about that. The Illini have been on national TV 20 times since mid December.
By the way...I think the broadcast location for radio at Williams Arena in Minneapolis is the best in the Big Ten...front row of the balcony...perfect

Mr. Cub,
I think it is a combination of both of those factors.
Sometimes Mike gets pushed out a little...and sometimes the guards miss chances to get the ball inside.
I can always tell during the broadcast when the Illini miss a chance to make a good pass on the post....because Jerry Hester starts to jump out of his broadcast seat when he sees the passing lane open up.

Dave,
I was told the athletic department and Assembly Hall directors were presented with the chance to host the multi-day circus. They weighed the opportunity of hosting the circus...or planning for an NIT game and decided on the circus.
At the time...the Illini's chances for the NCAA Tournament looked very good.
I think they will continue to study these issues as they come up year to year.

Steve,
If Monday night's game had been the first game of the NIT against... say...Stony Brook....I would guess the attendance would not be great.
The fact that they won the first game on the road...and now just need 2 home wins to get to Madison Square Garden...I think that will help attendance.
One factor will be that students are on spring break next week.
I know the ticket office sold over 500 tickets on-line before we had even left New York last night.

Chief 4 Ever,
I think it just comes with the territory of high-profile athletics. There is a lot of pressure to win games. Coaches make a lot of money...but they also know the scrutiny that comes with the high-paying position.
I think in these days of instant communication...there are more people expressing their thoughts on a regular basis.
I can tell you that I saw the same intensity in fans when visiting England a couple of years ago. Soccer fans and sportswriters were ALWAYS mad about some decision the coach did or did not make. It was pretty intense.

Bill,
I think the potential is very high. They have everyone back with another year to develop. The freshmen have had a year to get better...and the newcomers all bring something different to the table. Plus Joseph Bertrand will be back and ready to go.
The biggest issue Coach Weber may face is how to get all those guys playing time...

Chris,
I did talk to Dan yesterday quite a bit....although we talked about "broadcasting stuff" more than anything.
I know Steve Kelly and Loren Tate(two big Cardinal fans) interviewed Dan on the pre-game show. The podcast of that should be somewhere on IlliniHQ.com. I am sure the Cardinals came up somewhere in that discussion.

James,
I think Coach Weber has always been pretty animated on the sideline. I remember that when his Southern Illinois team played Bill Self's Illini team in Las Vegas several years ago...I thought that the SIU coach sure moved around a lot on the sidelines.
He still does. Every coach has their own style.

Greg,
As good as the young guys look in high school...you have to remember that they are usually the most dominant player on the floor. When they get to campus and have to learn a new offensive and defensive system...it can be tough on them.
I think Myers Leonard is an excellent talent....but he will have to earn his playing time next year backing up some very experienced seniors.
The same holds true for the other newcomers. It is very rare for a freshman to step into a starting role in college and dominate. There are only a couple of players every year like that. (Derrick Rose...Greg Oden.... etc).

For example...DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul were outstanding high school players...but both have taken some lumps this year as freshmen. But they will be better for it in the long run.

Greg,
Bill Cole brings a lot of intangibles to the floor. Leadership...hustle plays...and he is a good shooter. I just wish he would shoot a little more often. He does understand what Bruce Weber wants done on the floor.
I am guessing he could be challenged by Paul and Richmond...but it is too early to tell what will happen next fall.
I thought the rotation of Cole and Paul worked pretty well this year...and gave opponents different looks on the court to have to prepare for each week.

Greg,
Bruce Weber is constantly urging them to push the ball in transition. When they do it...they put good defensive teams on their heels and get easy baskets.
They have the athletes to do it...they just need to do it more often.

Kyle,
See above question on Kent State. I am just now starting to prepare for them today.

Generally...I think that most teams that are in the post-season (NCAA or NIT) are usually solid teams and have won a lot of games all season...and down the stretch.
I think it will be tough to beat them...but the home crowd will be a big help.