Klee: A chemistry test
Ask the expert: Paul Klee, college basketball beat writer
Q: What's a concern you have for Illinois?
A: Finding another dependable ballhandler - to spell Demetri McCamey - is one. But more important I want to see how the upperclassmen respond when two freshmen become mainstays in the starting lineup. To me, it's been clear for weeks in practice that Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson should be in the starting lineup. That means senior Dominique Keller and junior Alex Legion would come off the bench. So far they've been solid teammates. The lone senior, Keller used the offseason to help integrate the new guys with the older guys.
What Illinois doesn't want is a repeat of the 2007-08 season. That team was torn apart with a divide between the upperclassmen and a big freshman class, and the result was a forgettable 19-loss debacle. I don't think this close-knit team experiences the same chemistry problems. But it's worth watching how the veterans handle their roles.
Ask Tate & Turpin about the Illini here
Couldn't agree more, Paul. Alex is the key, If it's like last year, the better Paul plays, the more pressure Alex will feel and the tighter he will play. Let's hope he breaks the cycle. You couldn't help but notice Friday, that after Paul drained three, three's, Alex subbed in and proceeded to miss essentially the same shots. Was he thight, or getting a bad bounce? We shall see.
Why the fuss? Play the guys that are making plays and scoring points including playing defense. It may be that Legion just does not have that special skill that players need at the D1 level.
On the other hand I hope he develops into the player that people seem to expect.
Comments
IlliniHQ.com embraces discussion of Illini sports. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. we reserve the right to remove any comment at its discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.