Tate: Illini feel bite of true underdog

   Its hard to maintain an underdog psychology when youre suddenly ranked among the Top 25 elite, and your 5-5 opponent has been blown out three times in the last four games.

   But just as the Illini had used a fighting spirit to defeat Purdues cagers in eight of the previous 11 meetings, Gene Keadys skidding athletes combined a zone defense strategy with deadeye shooting to turn the tables, 75-69, Thursday night at the Assembly Hall.

   You could smell the trouble facing Illinois when Purdue surged ahead at halftime. Drawing its bulldog tenacity from its jut-jawed coach, Purdue had won 45 consecutive games in which it led at the midway point. Whatever happened that allowed Louisville (88-72), Oklahoma (82-58) and Texas Christian (97-69) to pummel the Boilermakers so unmercifully was forgotten as they watched Illini leaders Kiwane Garris and Bryant Notree struggle (5 for 30 from the field), and came to realize that success was within their grasp.

   This Purdue team is not to be compared with Keadys last four productions. There is no Cuonzo Martin, much less a Glenn Robinson. It will be hard-pressed to make the NCAA field. But the heavenly stars were twinkling in the right formation with the unexpected Thursday night, and Garris & Co. picked the wrong night to go cold as Purdue dictated a half-court, perimeter game with a heady mixture of zone and man-to-man defenses.

Those three-pointers did it

   Each will pick his own turning point.

   The view here is that it came early in the second half after the UI forged ahead 39-36. During the next five minutes, much-criticized guard Alan Eldridge and rookie sub Jaraan Cornell launched two treys apiece, and drained all four. They attempted no other three-pointers before or after. With that as inspiration, the Boilermakers raced past a dazed host for a 55-47 lead. Illinois would rally, but those twinklers never changed their alignment. This was destined to be Purdues night.

   And just as Purdues Chad Austin missed at the end of the UIs night to remember a year ago in West Lafayette, trusted Illini Garris made an unwise decision when it counted most, his driving bid among the trees being rejected by tall Brad Miller with the score 71-69. That gave Purdue 10 blocks, no small factor in the UIs awful field goal percentage of 32.9. And if the Boilermakers managed only 46 shots to Illinois 73, they didnt have any thrown back ... and their 50 percent mark on field goals reflected that.

   But, as so often happens in these games, what hurt most was the second-half knockout punch coming from such unexpected sources. Here was Miller being held to one field goal all night. Here was the feisty Brian Cardinal, playing a brilliant first half but held pointless for the first 15 minutes of the second half. And here was Eldridge, shooting 31 percent from the field and criticized for having more turnovers than assists, and yet he nailed the only treys he attempted.

   And if the psychological uplift was enormous, consider what it meant statistically. By making 7 of 13 long ones, and getting the extra point on those seven strikes, Purdue shot the equivalent of 80.8 percent on those lucky 13. When, on the other side, your best point producer is going 2 for 17 ... when the usually aggressive Notree manages just one rebound ... when a former starter, Jerry Gee, is mired ever deeper in an offensive slump ... well, you saw the result.

   Suddenly, in a matter of two hours, the entire nature of the Illini basketball season has been transformed. Finally, the crowd (15,364) showed up. Finally, the atmosphere was thick. Finally, the Illini could show the home folks how they handled UCLA and Missouri.

   What we saw was a frustrating replay. And instead of taking a seven-game win streak to hapless Ohio State, Illinois is 0-1 in the Big Ten and facing the Buckeyes directly after two of the greatest triumphs that university can pull off: a Rose Bowl victory in Pasadena and a shocking 73-71 basketball upset of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

   And, yes, Illinois must travel to Michigan next week. Its back-to-the-wall time.

Tates tidbit

    Illini Jerry Hester reports his back rehabilitation is on schedule and says he plans to begin work in the swimming pool next week. The Peoria Manual graduate spent time with the Manual players, who attended with coach Wayne McClain and former coach Dick Van Scyoc.

   Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette.

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