For the latest Big Ten basketball statistics, click here.

CHAMPAIGN – Late in Saturday's loss at Michigan State, Chester Frazier landed hard on his backside. The thud was loud enough that several players on the Illinois bench gave the bitter-beer face in response.

Athletics trainer Al Martindale helped Frazier to the training room at Breslin Center. Forty-eight basketball seconds later, he returned to the court.

"I don't even think he talked to Coach (Bruce Weber) when he got back. I think he just walked to the scorer's table without saying anything to Coach," sophomore Mike Tisdale said, correctly. "That's how he is. We really need that."

And the Illini will need that next season, too. The toughness factor – arguably the most important factor to Weber – will drop like the temperature outside when Frazier is gone.

It's enough of a concern for Weber that the coach on Monday discussed next season as No. 25 Illinois prepared to host Ohio State today at the Assembly Hall (6 p.m., ESPN).

"I hope somebody starts getting that toughness," Weber said.

If you took a straw poll around the Illini (15-3, 3-2 Big Ten) locker room – Who's ready to replace Chester's toughness? – all of zero hands would rise toward the ceiling.

The staff would like to see Demetri McCamey evolve into a hard-nosed leader. And that's possible, as Frazier and fellow seniors Calvin Brock and Trent Meacham have displayed greater toughness as their careers progressed. Weber cited sophomore Jeff Jordan as another candidate, and junior Dominique Keller will be the lone senior in the playing rotation next season. There are others who could emerge, as well.

"Somebody's got to step up and take Chester's role next year," Keller said. "I think I'm going to have to take his role on defense, be that vocal leader, me being the only senior next year. We're going to miss him next year."

But even with 13 regular season games remaining, the lack of a tough, edgy, go-getter is Weber's chief concern for the future.

"Once he goes, we're going to have some more leaders step up – myself, Alex (Legion, for example) are going to have to take the role," McCamey said. "Everybody will have to be a family, like he taught us this summer."

"I don't think anybody can replace him," said Tisdale, who has been more vocal in practice of late. "I think some people are going to need to step up – myself, Demetri, people like that."

Frazier sustained a bruised tailbone when he hit the floor with 5:15 remaining in the 63-57 loss at No. 7 Michigan State. He did, in fact, jog to the scorer's table without checking with Weber first, though the coach didn't stop him.

"He checked right back in," Keller said. "He just does stuff like that all the time."

Frazier also had some pointed words for his teammates after the Illini went soft in the final moments at Michigan State. It was a senior voice that seldom was heard last season – a basketball nightmare for someone like Frazier, and one he doesn't want to see repeated.

"I'm going to grab some jerseys up when I get back," he said after the game in East Lansing, Mich.

In practice Monday, Frazier went through all of the team's drills, falling once on his backside as he tried to score on a fast break.

"I think Al (Martindale) was surprised and the team doctor was surprised (that he was able to practice)," Weber said. "They didn't know if he'd able to get out of bed, to be honest."

One of the players expected to be on the 2009-10 roster – a player with that hard-nosed mentality – isn't on the current roster. The strong-willed demeanor of D.J. Richardson, a senior at Findlay Prep in Nevada, is Weber's favorite quality in the shooting guard. But Richardson would be a rookie in a playing rotation dominated by upperclassmen.

"I feel with the new guys coming in, it's going to be hard as freshmen," Weber said. "A couple of our new guys (recruits) have some tenacity to them. Can they do it as freshmen? I don't know."

The coaches would like to see the current Illini start to develop those toughness qualities now, to get a jump-start on later. Weber likes to start the grooming process in advance, which is probably why he talks about next season's leaders while this season is in progress.

For example, when former Illini Brian Randle was a sophomore, Weber named Randle a team co-captain, so he became used to the role. Likewise, Weber often is harder on a young player than some might deem necessary, but the players are forced to get tougher for the future.

"I hope it's a great example for some of our younger guys," Weber said of Frazier. "I know they talked about it when we were in South Padre. Maybe they get a feel for it and how he keeps fighting.

"Chester, he wants to win. This is it. He knows he's not going to have another chance."

pklee@news-gazette.com