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Notre Dame's Luke Harangody has been a beast so far this season. By Brian Kersey

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Chester's take on Illini

I've always found Chester Frazier to have a unique insight into the game and the Illini. He knows his words carry weight, and he breaks things down as though he's watching film. As a player he viewed a win or a loss almost through the eye of a coach, kind of in an analystical sort of way, so it's not a surprise he's headed toward starting a coaching career as a student assistant coach.

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By Paul Klee

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 12:40 AM CDT

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For highlights of the UI's win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, click here

Team of the Week

VANDERBILT

Vanderbilt takes inaugural honors as the G.T.O.W. (Good Team of the Week). It's more of a decade of achievement award for KEVIN STALLINGS, who, believe it or not, is in his 10th season at Vandy, with two Sweet 16 berths since 2004. And Stallings is recruiting in a way that will make sure the Commodores stay nationally relevant. "Kevin Stallings and his staff have quietly been putting together several solid recruiting classes in succession," said Nashville resident CHRIS DORTCH, editor of the renowned Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook. "The result is Stallings might have his most talented team ever." It is also his youngest team, with 11 freshmen and sophomores and no seniors. Illinois plays at Vandy on Thursday. Dortch gives the backcourt edge to Illinois ("I don't think there's any question," Dortch said) and the frontcourt edge to Vanderbilt ("Muscle and maybe depth"). The homecourt edge at sold-out, 14,316-seat Memorial Gymnasium is squarely in the Commodores' corner. "Memorial is like the Fenway Park of college gymnasiums," Dortch said.

Team of the Weak

WASHINGTON

Welcome back, Washington. The Huskies are regulars under B.T.O.W. Has anyone done less with more? Coach LORENZO ROMAR sustained another head-shaking loss with a 80-74 setback at the University of Portland on Saturday. But it wasn't surprising for two reasons: Portland is a solid team in the underrated West Coast Conference (Gonzaga, St. Mary's, San Diego), and Romar has proven his coaching doesn't equal his recruiting. UW welcomed top-20 recruiting classes in 2005 and 2006, according to Scout.com. And Romar did almost nothing with it. In 2007, the Huskies missed the NIT and NCAA tournament. Last season, a talented roster lost a home game to Valparaiso in the first round of the CBI. We're still pulling for UW freshman SCOTT SUGGS, one of our favorite former UI recruiting targets.

Games to Watch

1. College Hoops Tip-off Marathon (11 p.m. Monday - 9 p.m. today, ESPN) - ESPN will televise 23 straight hours of games, starting last night with UMass-Memphis and concluding with the next game on this list. ESPN analyst and former Illini STEPHEN BARDO had St. Mary's-Fresno State, played at 1 a.m. today.

2. Kentucky at No. 1 North Carolina (8 tonight, ESPN) - UNC beat writer JACK DALY (Durham Herald-Sun) told us these Tar Heels are better than the Tar Heels that beat Illinois in the 2005 NCAA title game.

3. SIU vs. No. 10 Duke (6 p.m. Thursday, ESPN2) - SIU coaches told us the Salukis faced a scheduling dilemma: whether to enter the Coaches vs. Cancer event and play Duke (which they did), or enter another tournament and likely play Pittsburgh.

Wooden Watch

1. MANNY HARRIS, Michigan - Sophomore named Big Ten Player of the Week on Monday after averaging 28 points over two games.

2. LUKE HARANGODY, No. 8 Notre Dame - Preseason All-American had 30 points, 14 rebounds to pace Irish's 38th consecutive home win.

3. STEPHEN CURRY, No. 21 Davidson - Tune in tonight (8:30, ESPN2) when the nation's best guard (Curry) faces arguably the best big man (No. 12 Oklahoma's BLAKE GRIFFIN).

Conference Call

1. Big East

2. Big 12

3. ACC

4. Pac-10

5. Big Ten

6. SEC

7. West Coast

8. Atlantic 10

9. Mountain West

10. Missouri Valley

The Ex Files
1. JAMAR SMITH, Southern Indiana - A USI official said Monday that Smith will become eligible Dec. 20 when USI hosts Maryville (Mo.). Strangely, that's the same date would-be successor ALEX LEGION expects to be eligible at Illinois.

2. RODNEY ALEXANDER, Oklahoma City University - The transfer's third stop has proven to be a productive one. The one-time juco standout had games of 21 points and 18 points to lead OCU, the top-ranked team at the NAIA Division I level.

3. BRIAN CARLWELL, San Diego State - The 6-foot-10 center must sit out this season and will be eligible in 2009-10 for the Aztecs. SDSU was picked to finish third in the Mountain West Conference.

POLLING PLACE: NEWS-GAZETTE VS. NATIONAL POLLS
N-G Top 25
How Klee voted in this week's Associated Press poll:

1. N. Carolina - These Heels are deeper than '05 NCAA champs

2. Connecticut - UConn has led nation in blocks for seven straight years

3. Louisville - Cards narrowly beat NAIA's Georgetown College (74-67)

4. UCLA - Former Bruin Kevin Love averaging 8.8 ppg for T'Wolves

5. Purdue - "Paint Crew" has a chant for Lewis Jackson: "Lewwww"

6. Gonzaga - Watch for sophomore Steven Gray to emerge for Zags

7. Michigan St. - Tom Izzo: Kalin Lucas the quickest guard I've had

8. Texas - Massive frontline makes 'Horns our favorite in Big 12

9. Duke - SIU coach Chris Lowery also faced Duke as a player

10. Pittsburgh - We'll believe it when we see it (in the NCAAs)

11. Notre Dame - Relax, Charlie Weis, it's hoops season in South Bend