CHICAGO — If the Illini are going to take back Chicago, Saturday wasn't the day.

Press room opinions were expressed early on that the ranked 10-1 basketball team is dramatically better than last season's 20-14 edition.

Mebbe so. It is true they've won some close games that escaped the Illini's grasp last season. But Bruce Weber's latest edition didn't make much of a case at the United Center. Using one of Weber's favorite words, UNLV "punked" the Illini 64-48.

"We handled them in the NCAA tournament last year, and they came in here with an edge," Weber said.

Last March the McCamey-Davis-Tisdale team went on an early 15-0 run and led 29-12, 48-24 and 57-32 and advanced 73-62. Saturday's game was as ugly as that one was pretty. Man-for-man, the Rebels were vastly more physical, using a switching defense that blocked nine UI shots, forced eight air balls, and left the UI with 25 percent shooting.

Sam Maniscalco was neutralized, Tyler Griffey was overmatched and Meyers Leonard was taken advantage of. UNLV's starting center, Brice Massamba, and backups Quintrell Thomas and Carlos Lopez combined for 41 minutes, scoring 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting. The Rebels ruled inside and topped Illinois 36-16 in the paint, so dominant that they attempted only 11 treys. The Rebel bench outscored UI reserves 26-3, reminding that in an equally inept performance Dec. 7, this youthful bench went scoreless against St. Bonaventure.

"UNLV doubled Leonard early, bumped him around and got in his head," said Weber, pointing to Leonard's 1-for-6 free throw effort. "No one played strong. It's very disappointing to come in here with all these fans behind us and play like that."

Except for D.J. Richardson, who hit five treys, the Illini were 2 of 15 from the arc.

This raised all kinds of concerns about the coming months. If this team is better than last season's, it will have to play better than this.

Clearing it up

Rollover contracts for assistant football coaches at Illinois are a relatively new phenomenon.

Former UI athletic director Ron Guenther initiated the idea and, despite his direction, five staffers recently found this lacking in their 2011 contracts. So while the more fortunate DeAndre Smith, Mike Gillhamer, Joe Gilbert and the recently retained Keith Gilmore were granted deals through next season, an oversight left the others unprotected.

Let's not overreact. Mistakes like this happen and can be corrected. In reworking and drawing up five adjusted contracts, a key phrase was omitted. The coaches' agents would have caught the mistake if they had read more carefully, and the coaches had responsibility, too.

Call it multiple oversights.

Since Guenther approved the rollovers, the DIA is morally obligated to see that his intention is carried out ... that payments be carried out as planned if the five don't find jobs.

As it stands, Paul Petrino has a reported new deal in the realm of $500,000 at Arkansas, and Vic Koenning will receive a salary increase at his next stop. If that's the case, the UI is off the hook on those two. And if Jeff Brohm, Chip Long and Ron West find comparable jobs, the same will be true as it pertains to them. This will work itself out after Dec. 31.

Next time, guys, read your contracts before you sign them. Attorneys, like sports writers, make mistakes. Oh, and isn't this another reminder that the most important aspects of salary contracts are the terms of separation?

Changing of the guard

When a collegiate head football coach is fired, it has major repercussions.

Most new bosses want a fresh staff, a pair of start-from-scratch recruiting coordinators, their favorite strength/conditioning coach and various assistants, clerical and otherwise.

And thus it develops that the UI, in great part, is starting over with Tim Beckman. What appeared to be a strong staff under Ron Zook will be scattered to the four winds with one exception, the retention of defensive line coach Gilmore.

Such is the nomad life of an assistant coach at the college level. One year ago, in the 2010 season, Dan Disch was the only remaining assistant coach who served with the 2007 Illini team that bumped No. 1 Ohio State en route to the Rose Bowl. Disch spent the past season at Southern Mississippi before receiving a whopping raise to join Larry Fedora at North Carolina this past week.

The players become adjusted to change. Terry Hawthorne arrived from East St. Louis as a receiver and switched to cornerback as a freshman. His position coaches in successive years were Curt Mallory, Koenning and Gillhamer and, if he elects not to turn pro, he'll have a new coach in 2012.

Why were you surprised to see offensive coordinator Petrino on the move? Since 1990, he's been at Carroll College (2 years), Idaho (3), Utah State (3), Louisville (2), Southern Mississippi (3), Louisville again (4), the Atlanta Falcons (1), Arkansas (2), Illinois (2) and back to Arkansas. That's 10 stops in barely more than two decades.

The more you move, the easier it becomes. Koenning's attachments here grew strong, but in the 10 years beginning in 2002 Koenning has coached at Wyoming, Troy, Clemson, Kansas State and Illinois, with North Carolina reportedly his next stop. This is typical. Just since 2000, backfield coach Smith has served at Indiana State, Northern Illinois, Miami (Ohio), New Mexico, UNLV, Illinois and parts unknown. That'll make seven stops in 13 years. Gilmore's fourth season here will match his longest stay at any of 11 locations since 1985.

All part of the game.

Tate's tidbits

— Mike Thomas is a major UI cheerleader — he'll attend today's wrestling match — but the new AD's main responsibility is fundraising. That's why he missed volleyball's Final Four in San Antonio, obligated by a series of long-standing fundraisers scheduled around the UNLV game in Chicago on Friday and Saturday. Thomas can best show his love for volleyball by locking up Kevin Hambly and upgrading Huff Hall's facilities and the team's future travel arrangements.

— If you didn't read Rick Telander's column in the Sun-Times on Friday, go back to it. Caught in a sting, Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was allegedly attempting to spend $36 million a year purchasing drugs to sell. Doesn't sound like he was "connected," does it? And are that many people using?

— It's been a whirlwind week for Beckman, meeting 14 committed recruits, receiving several calls from athletes committed elsewhere and filling all but one of his staff positions. Since his future assistants are involved in bowl games, he won't announce them until later.

Mood check

Why I Feel OLD ...
My attraction to the NBA is fading ... fading ... almost gone. Oh, I’ll follow the Bulls and watch games on occasion, but not like a day past. I must be getting old.

Why I Feel YOUNG ...
There’s something about those Illini volleyball gals. What a run! As Richard Herman said about the 2005 basketball team, they lifted us up, and put spring in our step..
 

Loren Tate writes for The News-Gazette. He can be reached at ltate@news-gazette.com.