UI men 80, NIU 61

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Photos of Tuesday's victory against NIU

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Illini grade: B+

CHAMPAIGN – Stretching one of his rubbery arms over his head, Mike Davis said he's heard the buzz about his game.

And not all of it has been positive.

"The knock on me is that I don't like contact," Davis said after No. 23 Illinois ran past Northern Illinois 80-61 on Tuesday night at the Assembly Hall. "I think I need to prove that I can come out and get double-doubles every night. I think that will take the knock away."

Two games into his junior season, Davis is knocking the knock to the side. The 6-foot-9 forward leaped and bounded his way to a career-high 17 rebounds against the Huskies.

In the process, Davis flashed a rare mean streak – "That's something else I want to do, show people that I can get after it when I need to" – and he added 14 points for his second double-double in as many games. He also attempted eight free throws, a career high and another sign of his aggressive play. He made six of them.

"I think he's the kind of guy that can get 13, 15, 17 rebounds if he gives that kind of effort," coach Bruce Weber said. "At times he can be a bit lackadaisical. ... We've got several guys that are like that."

The Brandon Paul Show, Volume 2, riveted an announced crowd of 14,979 in the first half. The freshman guard scored all of his game-high 20 points over the first 16 minutes, 15 seconds. That followed a record-setting debut in which he had 22 points in the season opener.

"Can you imagine if Brandon Paul was intense?" said Weber, who later complimented Paul's even-keel personality. "He probably wouldn't be here anymore."

NIU (0-2) kept it interesting, trimming a 19-point deficit to three early in the second half. But the veterans – namely Davis, Demetri McCamey (10 points, eight assists) and Dominique Keller (10 points) – made certain there was no upset in Illinois' (2-0) first meeting with the in-state Huskies.

"It would be nice if we could win every game by 40," Weber said, "but I don't think that's going to happen."

Mike's parents, Steven and Tangie Davis, made the long trek from the Washington D.C. area to witness one of his finest efforts. And the coaches would tell you everyday effort hasn't been the norm for the laid-back junior – except when the lights come on for real.

"I'm not really a practice player," Davis said. "I'm more of a game player."

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